Original vs generic drugs and side effects of generics.

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Has anyone had increased side effects or noticed any unwanted changes when changing from one generic brand to another or to and from the original of the type of AED they take?
 
My neuro likes to keep me on original drugs.I can't take some of them anyway original or generic due to side effects or allergic reactions.
 
Many folks have reported trouble when switching from the brand AED to the generic, and also when going from one manufacturer to another. It has to do with the disruption the switch may cause. There may be small variations in the active ingredient, and how quickly/evenly it is absorbed. If you're sensitive to such variations then making a switch can be problematic.

You may find this link interesting:
http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/03...leptic-drugs-could-increase-risk-of-seizures/

And the link below will take you to some of the CWE threads that discuss the issue:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/tags/generic.html
 
I've had to change from generics back to original drugs in the past because they didn't quite do the job as well. My doctor has also had problems with some patients who just don't agree with the preservatives or colourants in originals or generics. Those needn't be identical.
 
Since generic drugs use the same ingredients and work the same way in the body as their branded versions do. So Generic drugs have the same risks or benefits as their brand name counterparts.
 
When I first changed from Keppra to the generic, my pharmacist recomended starting while I still had about a week's worth of the brand name so that I could transition gradually. Sometimes it's the sudden change from one to the other that's the problem, not the generic itself. She had me take a brand name Keppra in the morning and a generic at night for a week - It doesn't matter which you take when - before going on generic full-time.
 
I didn't notice TOO much when I switched from brand Lamictal to generic Lamictal. Maybe a bit more drowsiness, but that's it.

It may be a different story if the switch occurs early on however (within a few weeks or a month when you first start it) but I might be wrong.
 
My insurance would only pay for generics because they are cheaper unless the dr said that I had to have the name brand. So I've basically only been on generics from the start.

One of the meds that I was taking, I can't remember which one, wasn't available in generic yet so I was taking the name brand. When they started making it in generic then I was switched over. I never noticed any problems.

I know that some people have problems with the generics though and have to take name brands. My husband was taking a medicine for something, sorry can't remember what that was either because it was so long ago, and he had problems with the generic and had to take the name brand.

Everyone is different when it comes to meds.
 
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Since generic drugs use the same ingredients and work the same way in the body as their branded versions do. So Generic drugs have the same risks or benefits as their brand name counterparts.
Not entirely true. Generics are allowed to vary the amount of active ingredient to some extent. There can be variations from batch to batch within the same manufacturer, or from one manufacturer to another. For those folks who are very sensitive to small changes in their doses, this inconsistency can be problematic.

According to the American Academy of Neurology, "The Food and Drug Administration has allowed for significant differences between name-brand and generic drugs. This variation can be highly problematic for patients with epilepsy. Even minor differences in the composition of generic and name-brand anticonvulsant drugs for the treatment of epilepsy can result in breakthrough seizures."

It you have to take a generic form of your anti-seizure med, find out if your pharmacy can obtain it from TEVA, a firm which has the best reputation for manufacturing generics with high standards. Walgreen's orders from them. (Unfortunately, I'm forced to use CVS Caremark's manufacturer of choice, Zydus Pharmaceuticals, which has a less rosy reputation. See: http://lamictal-lamotrigine.blogspot.com/2011/10/walgreens-its-where-to-get-decent-teva.html and http://epilepsyu.com/blog/consumer-affairs-patients-report-issues-with-new-version-of-topamax/
 
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