ACOT Message Board

Okay, I've never had this happen before, so I thought I'd post here. I just switched to a generic for a prescription I take. I swear, it's different. I feel funny on it-my heart feels like it's going to explode, I swear. lol. And it just doesn't seem to work the same...I went back to the pharmacy to make sure I had the right drug/correct dosage  in the first place and she said everything was correct.I've never had this experience with a "generic" before. Has anyone else? I've looked online, and it looks like quite a few people have had similar reactions to mine (for the same generic), but I thought the generics were supposed to be the same as the "name brand."Any input? info?Jr 

It is supposed to be the same. I've personally never had any problems.Did you eat enough before taking it?

Oh yeah...I've been "tracking" it the past 10 days. Taking it at the same time, (just like the name brand) same dosage, etc...It's just weird.Jr

How odd. Maybe an off day for your body?I hope it doesn't keep happening.

i actually just learned about this in my pharmacology class last friday....medicines that are by the same name whether it's brand or generic is required to contain the same amount of active ingredients.  BUT the coatings or "extras" can have a different absorption rate..i.e. faster or slower. also it matters that you follow the instructions on the bottle to the T because if it says "take with a meal" they want you to take it that way to possible slow down the absorption(or so that it can be absorbed in your stomach instead of your intestines?) or so that it isn't as harmful on your stomach.are you following all instructions ? if you pm me the name i can look it up in my pill book for you

and sometimes it just takes getting used to

Maybe it's just a coincidence, I don't know....supposedly they are made of the "exact same" ingredients.  I kind of wonder too though.

I work in the pharmaceutical industry in a laboratory.  You probably don't care to know this....but in our lab my group tests the raw materials.  We test the materials before the medicine is actually made.  And then we have a group that tests the tablets after the batch is produced.  Both the raw materials and finished product have to meet specified criteria (Quality Standards) to be released from the lab.  The only ingredient that has to be the same between generic and branded is the active ingredient.  The excipients can be different.  But when the generic is tested, it has to "perform" the same as the branded to become a marketed product.....meaning the active ingredient is the "performer." If different excipients are used than from the branded, they may react with your body different than the excipients used in branded. Hope I've helped a little.  You can always file a complaint to the company who makes the meds!  If more people have done the same, it may be something they need to look into!  

I'd switch back to the name brand.  I had to do that with my Bactrim.  The generic is sulfa and of course the active ingredient in Bactrim is the sulfa but I break out in hives everytime I take sulfa.  I'm alergic to one of the other ingredients.  My doc thinks its something to do with the orange color of the sulfa.HTHLaura

Yes Jr, it happens more often than it should . We are currently arguing with the insurance over a RX for my niece Cass--If you recall last March she had a seizure and they had to being her back...well it was the generic vs the brand of her seizure meds. WELL they have decided that she cannot have the brand again until after CHildrens tests her and proves that it is the drug, so they have to risk another seizure (that could be fatal) to prove that sometimes the generic do not work the same. I hope you can either feel better or switch back--and I also hope it does not cost you a fortune!

My sister worked in the pharmaceutical industry for over 10 yrs and I remember saying on many occasions that is a person can afford brand name they should get brand name.I do not remember her reasoning in great detail but, it was along the lines of what Mo said and only the active ingredient being the same. 

Oh wow...this has been an interesting read. 

Amy, is it thyroid medicine. That seemed to be a big complaint of brand vs generic at the Family practice that I worked for.I second what Wendy and Mo said, the active ingredients are the same, but different fillers and coatings can act differently. You can sometimes get your Dr to write Brand Necessary on your script and they have to fill it that way. Just be aware your insurance will either charge you a higher copay or not cover it at all,

Sorry, Jr.  I've had that happen to me twice in the last 3 years with two different drugs.  I took the name brand drugs with no problems, switched to generic and had a lot of side effects.  I've taken a lot of different meds in the last three years and a lot of them were generic and I had no problems, so I'm not saying all generic is different.  I'm just saying that it happens. My insurance company requires that I purchase generic.  I still take one of the meds that caused such awful side effects for me, but I get it filled without the benefit of insurance so that I can purchase the name brand.What irritates me is when professionals (pharmacists and doctors) don't believe that you can't tolerate a certain generic very well.

When generics first came out it was very well documented that some generic epilepsy meds were not working the same as the brand name.Any company can make a generic.  It is possible that while one company's generic gives you problems, another company's same generic will not.  Can you find out which company manufacturer's the generic that is giving you problems?  Then you can call around and find out if any of the other pharmacies have the same generic made by a different company and try that one.

Great read!  Thanks for the info!

WOW!  I didn't realize it could be so different! 

Thanks for sharing the info.

I just had a dr tell me last week that the formulations for generics can vary from batch to batch when I inquired why I medicine I have been taking for years wasn't working for me anymore. 

I have wondered about this for quite a while now.  I was on a birth control pill that I was given name brand.  When we moved, the next military pharmacy didn't have that exact brand so they gave me the generic.  It really messed with my body.  I'm glad to know that I'm not the only person that has had trouble.. well, really I hate for anyone to have trouble with meds.  I was also given a generic for acid reflux meds.  They didn't work well and gave me tons of side effects when the name brand didn't bother me at all. Glad I found this thread.