Brand or Generic

[stilldancing_98]

Its going to be a very slow change. Italy has been around for a long time. America is new.Don't get me wrong, but we have a lot to accomplish in this country.It is going to take a while.

[justPassing]

Its going to be a very slow change. Italy has been around for a long time. America is new.Don't get me wrong, but we have a lot to accomplish in this country.It is going to take a while.

I love you, but you are blinding yourself. Healthcare systems around the world did not exist as serious public organisation before the mid 20th century.

Canada is not much older than the USA, Salem is almost as old as Quebec city, and do have a much better health care system.

Other newer countries like Finland do have a yet much more complete social coverage. So after more than 300 years, a modern country should be able to better care for its people than France use to do until very recently. Finding a worst example is no excuse.

But hey who am I to talk I just happen to have lived in a few countries.

Cheers,

[borgolibero]

I love you, but you are blinding yourself. Healthcare systems around the world did not exist as serious public organisation before the mid 20th century.

Canada is not much older than the USA, Salem is almost as old as Quebec city, and do have a much better health care system.

Other newer countries like Finland do have a yet much more complete social coverage. So after more than 300 years, a modern country should be able to better care for its people than France use to do until very recently. Finding a worst example is no excuse.

But hey who am I to talk I just happen to have lived in a few countries.

Cheers,

Yes, our health system last not from Roman Empire's times... in Italy there are politic men like our president Silvio Berlusconi that look to american health system ... well, I do not know if it is because he is one of the richest men in Italy... I do know, i tried to be ironic...

[chinchillachic18]

definitely brand only! Generic has different ingredients than the brand and usually has alot of fillers too

[stilldancing_98]

I am on a new drug that has only been out for about 3 years and the paper work says only to take the brand name methsuximide.

[borgolibero]

I am on a new drug that has only been out for about 3 years and the paper work says only to take the brand name methsuximide.

I don't think there is a generic for methsuximide.. it's too new.. I think i would try a so new drug only if my epilepsy could not be controlled by old drugs..

[lhenchak]

The biggest problem with generic for epilepsy is that they are only required to consistently maintain between 80% and 120% of the active ingredient. This means that one generic company may manufacture their's consistently at 80% and one may be at 120%. If a person with seizures gets switched to a generic or a generic company at the 80% active ingredient level, this will dramatically decrease their level of effectiveness and possibly cause a seizure, which has been evidence by the large numbers of people with epilepsy having to be switched back to their brand-name drug in order to maintain seizure control. I am just afraid that it is going to take the death of a person who has been switched to generic and had a seizure because of it, which then causes their death either due to Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy or the incidental factors involved with a seizure. Generic is not the same. It can be anywhere from 80% to 120% different. This can be verified by googling government standards for generic medications. The Epilepsy Foundation is fighting to change this.

[stilldancing_98]

Well, I found out the drug is not new. It was taken off the market years ago for blood reasons. It was made in I believe 1960. Celontin is the name for it. It is one that I have to keep monotored on for low blood platelets. anemia. It works for me though. Better than anything I've tried. Also, they are coming out with a couple of new ones in a few months and we are going to change again. It sounds tough but it is so worth feeling better.Not all generics are bad.Some are not the same as brand. Some are. I just go one by one with my pharmacist.

[walksalot]

Ihenchak is absolutely right in my opinion. In fact, I spoke to my neurologist just this morning and she was adamant about my taking Lamictal instead of lamotrigine. My Part D drug provider won't cover Lamictal and she's having a really difficult time with them getting them to allow the Lamictal, first because it's a Brand name, and then because of the quantity limits. They allow 2 a day, I take 4 1/2. They won't allow more than one tablet of Tomapax a day either and I take two.

I have 8 more days of both prescriptions now and they are fighting the doctor. They want to know why I need to take a Brand name instead of generic and personally I think it's a life and death situation simply because of the chemical composition between one generic company to another. It's too big of a chance.

I would take generic drugs for just about anything else, but not for anti-seizure medications.

[stilldancing_98]

Topamax and Depakote are 2 of them I would not take in generic form. Just because my doc explained to me why.

[walksalot]

stilldancing. I'm glad your doctor feel the same way. My neurologist said most doctors feel that way, too.

[brain]

I don't think there is a generic for methsuximide.. it's too new.. I think i would try a so new drug only if my epilepsy could not be controlled by old drugs..

Methsuximide is the generic name, the
brand name is Celontin.

Hope this helps; but keep in mind, brand
names sometimes differs from Country
to Country.

[RobinN]

Katie Morgan and her mom Janet spend a lot of quailty time together. The 28-year-old cannot wait to finally get her own driver's license. Diagnosed with epilespy when she was eight, her seizures have been the major road block to getting one.

Kathleen Morgan said, "You're a teenager, you're 16 and all your friends are getting your licenses and you're not, it's very disappointing."

In 2007, she had been seizure free for 14 months.

K. Morgan said, "I had the manual, I was studying and I was just so ready to take the test."

But about six months ago, the seizures came back.

K. Morgan said, "Yeah I was frustrated."

Frustrated, after realizing she received a refill of the generic form of Zonegran that was from a different manufacturer than the one she had been taking. Mom, Janet who is a nurse in the neurology department at Albany Med, pinpointed the problem quickly.

Janet Morgan said, "It was when the change went from one generic to another generic."

Most drugs out there have multiple generic substitutes, that are often much cheaper and just as effective as the brand name. In fact New York law requires the substitution to be made. Neurologist Dr. Michael Gruenthal says it's a lot different when you're talking about drugs that deal with epilepsy or other neurological conditions.

Dr. Gruenthal said, "In each pill there are so-called non-medicinal ingredients as well."

Which he says can change the way the body absorbs each type of pill even though it's the same drug. In the case of Katie, a switch from one generic to another was the wrong move. This year, what's called the Patient Protection Act, was introduced in the state legislature.

Dr. Gruenthal said, "It would allow physicians in combination with their patients to decide on a case by case basis. Is this going to be safe for me or not."

Currently the only way doctors can ensure their patients get a specific brand medication is to write DAW or dispense as written on the bottom of the prescription but there's no way for the doctor to specify a certain type of generic drug.

Dr. Gruenthal said, "There's no way to control which generic, which version of a generic they're going to get."

The legislation never passed. but Katie and her mom continue to fight.

J. Morgan said, "It's still, people are unaware of what the effects epilepsy does to a person."

Katie's back on the right form of Zonegran, and has been seizure free for six months.

K. Morgan said, "It's so nice to wake up and not to have had a seizure during the night and be rested and not have had one during the day and continue on to the next day."

The best part is after one year of no seizures, she can get a driver's license.

K. Morgan said, "I'm halfway, halfway there, again."

http://www.fox23news.com/content/hea...hjLkbIIMg.cspx

[stilldancing_98]

The epilepsy foundation states that if you are already taking a brand name epilepsy drug stay on it. I am so mad because my seizures are changing and the just changed me to a generic brand.It is Keppra. It better all be brand or they can keep it. I have had epilepsy way to long to take any chances any more.

[maureen]

I work as a Pharmacy Technician and have always felt that generics are the same as brand name. After reading the troubles many have with brand vs generic or 1 generic and another, I find it very scary. You might have a bad reaction to one, write off that whole series of drugs when it might just be the fillers in that particular one.

[walksalot]

I just got back from seeing my neurologist today. I spoke about generic or brand name and he told me if I was started on brand name to stay with brand name.

Most pharmacies get their generic drugs where ever they can get a better deal, and not always do they use the same company. As a result, you might get your Lamotrigine from one company one month and a different one next month. The chemicals strengths might be just a teeny weeny bit different from one company to another. If you can be sure your pharmacy gets its drugs from the same company every month, a generic drug would be the course for you, but it would be scary for me right now.

[nana1]

Hate to tell you all . I went to pharmacy about 10 days ago to get my Keppra. Well i found out then i had to get the generic form of it (that name is - LEVTIRACE). wELL BETWEEN GOVERMENT AND MY DOCTOR I HAVE TO WAIT 20 MORE DAYS TO GET BRAND(kEPPRA) AGAIN.

[tonialpha]

When I was pregnant w/ my first son. I needed to get my medication of Tegretol and they gave me the generic. I started to have gen'l seizures and I had pretty much under control. I was sent to the ER because I was pregnant and my husband couldn't stop me from seizing. They doctor asked if I was taking the generic of brand name. My husband went back and told them it was the generic. I now always take brand.

That was 16 years ago. I still comply w/ that idea. My husband is a pharmacologist and they sometimes put different fillers in the generic and sometimes don't.

[brain]

The epilepsy foundation states that if you are already taking a brand name epilepsy drug stay on it. I am so mad because my seizures are changing and the just changed me to a generic brand.It is Keppra. It better all be brand or they can keep it. I have had epilepsy way to long to take any chances any more.

Bingo! You said it!



Even my Primary and Neurologist are very blunt
when it comes to major anti-epileptic drugs,
they flatly refuse to mulley around with the
"generics"....

Great Post there!