Brand name Keppra v. generic

[travel bug]

I know everyone's response to meds is different, but I still wondered if anyone has been on Keppra and then switched to the generic version. When it was first available I didn't bother making the switch because there wasn't enough difference in price to make it worth risking the change; for a long time Keppra seemed to work well for me without any side-effects. But for the last 6 months or so I've felt sooo sleepy and though it could be several different causes, the most likely is the Keppra. A doctor once told me that generics only have to have 80% of the active ingredient of the name brand, so I was thinking (I know, that can be dangerous) that if generic Keppra is 20% less potent then maybe it might make me 20% less sleepy I suppose that's hoping for too much. I was on generic Keppra in the hospital after my craniotomy and it worked okay, but then I was pretty out-of-it and not doing anything active. Does anyone have experience comparing the two?

 

[Nakamova]

Hi travel bug --

If you're at all sensitive to variations in dosage levels, then it's probably too risky to try the generic. It's not only the potentially lower amount of the active ingredient in the generic, it's the inconsistency and variability from batch to batch. If you're interested in minimizing sleepiness, then it's probably better to ask your doc about backing off your regular Keppra dose, rather than counting on the generic Keppra to do so.

That said, I'm now on the generic Lamictal (after having been on the brand for two years). I CAN sense a difference -- mostly a slight dizziness that I've noticed at other times when I've been transitioning up or down on the regular Lamictal. I am not particularly sensitive to changes in the active ingredient -- so so far so good in terms of seizure control. But I am paying very close attention to how I feel -- at the first sign of anything odd, I will ask my doc to switch back to the brand, regardless of how much more it costs me.

 

[dfwtexas]

During my first year on Keppra, the generic came out and my pharmarcy just changed me over without talking to me. I figured it was worth a try. Within a few days of starting it, I started waking up everyday with a headache. After a week, it got worse and I actually had seizure in my sleep. I talked to doc and he explained the difference of generic seizure meds and said a lot of his patients didn't get full benefit of drug when changed to generic. He changed me back and puts Brand name only on my rxs now. I do wonder now that my Keppra levels are finally at theurpedic level if I could go generic...but figured it's not worth the risk.

 

[SeizetheNight]

I had to switch from the brand name Keppra to the generic Keppra, and it didn't seem to make any difference to me. However, the drug didn't seem to be helping me any in the first place, so I guess it might not mean as much coming from me. The side effects pretty much stayed the same though. I am now switching to generic topomax.

 

[travel bug]

Thanks for your responses. I guess things are never simple when dealing with seizure meds. I suppose I'll just have to talk to my doctor or else suck it up and deal with being sleepy all the time which, when compared to what many others go through, isn't all that bad.