HAL9000 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I was curious about one of the meds I take and went to the brand name web site. They have a savings card that claims to make the brand name cost as low (Or cheaper) then the generic. Has anyone gone from generics to brand name (or do you have any opinion on which is better) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Honestly, it really depends on the med. My pdoc insists that I take name brand Wellbutrin XL. There used to be some problems with the generic from one of the manufacturers. I believe the problems have been corrected but my pdoc still prefers the name brand Wellbutrin XL. For me, that is the only med where he has insisted upon the brand name. I've gone back and forth between brand name and generic on several of my medications. For the most part I can tell very little, if any, difference. Mostly the difference is in my pocketbook. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kittyloaf Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Is it like a patient assistance program? I find it hard to believe the maker would give everybody the brand name for cheap. I have never had a problem switching from brand to generic but I know some people do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 The only generics I have had trouble with were Sumatriptan (Imitrex) and Tegretol. But back in the day (the 80s/90s), generic tegretol was known by pdocs to be so bad that they all insisted on name brand. Once when I saw my pdoc, she called the pharmacist in front of me and totally bitched him out or giving me generic, saying "You KNOW the generic doesn't work!" I think that generic tegretol is a lot better these days, though, DH was taking it when I met him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wj74 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I'm on generic wellbutrin xl and lamictal. I've never had a problem, but I always hear stories about how the generic doesn't work. Why is that? They are supposed to have the same active ingredient. Is it how it's manufactured? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olga Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 wj74, there are a lot of factors involved. I'm only familiar with the one that didn't work for me. I went from WellbutrinXL to the generic made by the Teva company. It had the same ingredients, but Teva hadn't perfected the extended-release mechanism, so 60% of the active ingredient was released in the first 5 hours after you took it. I would feel fine all morning and then come back from lunch and sit at my computer and feel like crying and banging my head on my desk. My co-workers sure gave me some funny looks. However, this was 4 or 5 years ago. I switched back to the name brand stuff, and then I tried a generic made by Watson labs. It works great and it is MUCH cheaper than the name brand stuff. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crtclms Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Sometimes the non-active ingredients used to make generic versions interfere with the release of the medication in some people. That is why some "brands" of generic will work for people, when other won't, people respond individually to the different binders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wj74 Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Yikes. I believe my generic wellbutrin is watson. The Lamictal is Mylan. I would def. pay extra if the generic was giving me problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 I'm glad I asked this question. I take the Generic for Ambien CR and one of the generics was fine. Then my pharmacy switched to a different one and you can't believe how bitter (Really nasty) this pill is. I try to drop it down without it touching my tongue which is a great way to start the gag reflex. Anyway - I complained and the Pharmacist was nice enough to research which companies made generics and found the one I used to take. Next month no more mr ICK pills... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I tend to take brand for my psycomeds and neuromeds. Pdoc prefers brand. I had trouble with generic Wellbutrin (Alplenzin is a brand of Wellbutrin) and I was unwilling to move to generic lamictal when it came out. I have total seizure control on Lamictal brand and did not see a reason the mess with that. I take a number of generics for other health conditions but there tend to be tests for these meds/conditions that can prove the meds are effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I was curious about one of the meds I take and went to the brand name web site. They have a savings card that claims to make the brand name cost as low (Or cheaper) then the generic. Has anyone gone from generics to brand name (or do you have any opinion on which is better) Hi, I have that card. I havent used it at this point, but did get the card in the mail. It is called Rxrelief Pharmacy Discount Card. From Healthcare Alliance. No pre-approval needed, and you wont be turned down for a pre-existing medical condition. Here is their site : www.rxreliefcard.com or you can call their toll-free # 1-800-776-0760 Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetkat Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 In general, I prefer brand.. but I'll take whatever works. Some generics are just fine but some aren't. You don't know until you take them. If it's economical, it's worth it to compare and see if brand will give you a better result. I've never heard of it giving anybody a worse one. Then, if it doesn't improve things, you can just go with whatever is cheaper or less of a hassle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odetta Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I've seen where drug companies will offer a discount program themselves - NOT the one for people who can't afford it - on their brand name drug that is about ready to be released from patent. Because they want you to keep taking the brand and not move to the generic. Of course, the cards are set up for monthly refills at your local pharmacy, and I use 3-month mail order as required by my insurance. Have not yet figured out how to use the discount card with the mail order process. So I go with the generic and hope and pray I get it from a good manufacturer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted June 24, 2012 Author Share Posted June 24, 2012 One last addition to the bit on cards. One of the meds I take is like crazy high priced and this is with my insurance covering 80% of it. Anyhow I tried to google discount card for it and found nothing. I had some time on my hands and went all over the web site that the pills were from and found nothing other then a phone number talking about assistance. I called that and spent a very long time being put on hold and being transfered. In the end I got a discount card. My pharmacy said they had a fair number of patients paying out the nose for this and they said no one else has found a way to get on this program. They asked me to spell it out and I had to tell them. I have no clue it was so complicated. Just that you can only sign up by talking to the right person. Why make it hard? I guess they figure most sane people will hang up long before anyone talks to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetkat Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 One last addition to the bit on cards. One of the meds I take is like crazy high priced and this is with my insurance covering 80% of it. Anyhow I tried to google discount card for it and found nothing. I had some time on my hands and went all over the web site that the pills were from and found nothing other then a phone number talking about assistance. I called that and spent a very long time being put on hold and being transfered. In the end I got a discount card. My pharmacy said they had a fair number of patients paying out the nose for this and they said no one else has found a way to get on this program. They asked me to spell it out and I had to tell them. I have no clue it was so complicated. Just that you can only sign up by talking to the right person. Why make it hard? I guess they figure most sane people will hang up long before anyone talks to them. Is it the Wellbutrin? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minouette Posted July 12, 2012 Share Posted July 12, 2012 I had the same reaction to generic Ambien as you HAL900 with the added insult of it not actually working very well. Is the nasty Ambien made by Teva? Mine was. I don't know if this has ANYTHING to do with it but most of Teva's drugs are manufactured outside of the US. I switched pharmacies and took Ambien made by some other pharma and slept like a baby. RE: generics vs. brand efficacy: I don't know if this is some type of placebo effect messing with my head but I had taken Prozac brand for a year and it worked like a charm. I then switched to Prozac generic after being med free for two years and felt nothing after 6 weeks. Changed back to Prozac brand and literally like clockwork I woke up one morning not even knowing four weeks had elapsed and I felt 'better'. Barr pharmaceuticals Dextroamphetamine also seems to not be the same as name brand Dexedrine. idk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted July 14, 2012 Author Share Posted July 14, 2012 One last addition to the bit on cards. One of the meds I take is like crazy high priced and this is with my insurance covering 80% of it. Anyhow I tried to google discount card for it and found nothing. I had some time on my hands and went all over the web site that the pills were from and found nothing other then a phone number talking about assistance. I called that and spent a very long time being put on hold and being transfered. In the end I got a discount card. My pharmacy said they had a fair number of patients paying out the nose for this and they said no one else has found a way to get on this program. They asked me to spell it out and I had to tell them. I have no clue it was so complicated. Just that you can only sign up by talking to the right person. Why make it hard? I guess they figure most sane people will hang up long before anyone talks to them. Is it the Wellbutrin? Nope it is Niaspan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cetkat Posted July 14, 2012 Share Posted July 14, 2012 One last addition to the bit on cards. One of the meds I take is like crazy high priced and this is with my insurance covering 80% of it. Anyhow I tried to google discount card for it and found nothing. I had some time on my hands and went all over the web site that the pills were from and found nothing other then a phone number talking about assistance. I called that and spent a very long time being put on hold and being transfered. In the end I got a discount card. My pharmacy said they had a fair number of patients paying out the nose for this and they said no one else has found a way to get on this program. They asked me to spell it out and I had to tell them. I have no clue it was so complicated. Just that you can only sign up by talking to the right person. Why make it hard? I guess they figure most sane people will hang up long before anyone talks to them. Is it the Wellbutrin? Nope it is Niaspan. Got you. Wellbutrin's program is particularly screwed up right now.. so I figured I'd ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAL9000 Posted July 21, 2012 Author Share Posted July 21, 2012 One last addition to the bit on cards. One of the meds I take is like crazy high priced and this is with my insurance covering 80% of it. Anyhow I tried to google discount card for it and found nothing. I had some time on my hands and went all over the web site that the pills were from and found nothing other then a phone number talking about assistance. I called that and spent a very long time being put on hold and being transfered. In the end I got a discount card. My pharmacy said they had a fair number of patients paying out the nose for this and they said no one else has found a way to get on this program. They asked me to spell it out and I had to tell them. I have no clue it was so complicated. Just that you can only sign up by talking to the right person. Why make it hard? I guess they figure most sane people will hang up long before anyone talks to them. Is it the Wellbutrin? No its a time release Niacin called Niaspan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.