Generics - switching/having brands switched on you

[gnault]

My pharmacy ran out of the lamotrigine brand I normally get, Mylan, their supplier tried to substitute it with Teve-lamotrigine. Pharmacy didn't let them and waited for the same brand. Any stories or experiences having generic brands switched on you?

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[BIGMAN131307]

About 1-3 years ago I had to have my then neurologist to make my AEDs Rx DAW (Dispense As Written). Because my insurance like many have the pharmacy's dispense
the cheapest medicines (generics) when possible. That in itself isn't really bad.

But if the pharmacy keeps switching generics with each Rx renewal, refill, sometimes in the same bottle, problems ensue. With these changes my seizures frequency got worse. So I had my neurologist step in. Since then I have had my AED Rx DAW, even with a new neurologist. It will stay like that until I am finally off the AED.

I even need to have the neurologist fill out a yearly waiver stating why I must remain on the name brand.

 

[Matthew74]

You have an awesome pharmacy. They want to make sure you get the same thing. I've never heard of a pharmacy sticking with one generic brand before.

I have my doctor write brand name only so that I get the same thing no matter where I go. Even so, I have had pharmacies try to switch me for various reasons. You have to stand your ground.

 

[valeriedl]

My insurance will usually only give me generics unless the dr states that the med has to be name brand.

When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy one of the meds, I'm sorry I don't remember which, wasn't made in generic so that's what I had to take. After a few years it came out in generic so that's what I started taking. I didn't have any trouble switching over.

My pharmacy always gives me the same brand of generic too. The only time I've gotten a different brand is when I've been in the hospital. These were for both epilepsy related and non epilepsy related things. I took them for probably a week at the longest and didn't have any trouble switching back to the brand that I usually take.

The only thing that made me mad about the hospital was that they would give me my meds hours late!!!!!! I'm surprised because I didn't have any seizures?

 

[Zara-Newman]

That is something that is sure to make my seizures worse, not to mention I am allergic to a lot of tablets, so once I find one that works I have to stick to it.

I am allergic to colourings and some other things used in some brands.

When they change on me I always have more seizures, it is difficult, because my doctor is useless.

I am currently down to my last week of lamotrogine tablets because I cannot get any anywhere.
If I can't find any then I will have to start taking the kind that give me seizures, which sucks, because I have broken my "seizure free" record. I don't want to start again haha!

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[gnault]

You have an awesome pharmacy. They want to make sure you get the same thing. I've never heard of a pharmacy sticking with one generic brand before.

I have my doctor write brand name only so that I get the same thing no matter where I go. Even so, I have had pharmacies try to switch me for various reasons. You have to stand your ground.

I just found out the other day that I will have to go with a different brand at least until the end of the month as they can't get my normal generic. They also need to get from other pharmacies to fill my current prescripton.

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[Nakamova]

I think there can be a tangible qualitative difference between generic manufacturers. Teva has a better reputation than other manufacturers of generics, though that may change (it's been buying up other manufacturers). In my case, I'm limited by my insurance to the manufacturer used by CVS/Caremark (currently Zydus). If you read through these threads http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2009/04/06/lamotrigine/ and http://www.crazyboards.org/forums/i...e-manufacturer-change-from-teva-to-dr-reddys/ you'll find stories of folks whose symptoms have changed in one way or another when the manufacturer has changed. I have no way of knowing for sure, but it seems as if the lamotrigine became less effective when the manufacturer changed, and I had to increase my dosage as a result.