Mfr change - topiramate

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Ravensong

Stalwart
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I was switched over to topiramate some time ago when, on my insurance, the Topamax I had been taking for years jumped to $1500 a month. I have occasional seizures on it, but I don't have a choice. I went to pick my refill up last week, and now they've switched manufacturers on me. I didn't really think much about it until I noticed yesterday that pop tastes funny again. That's a side effect I had with the brand name stuff. I'm wondering if it's possible that a mere switch of manufacturer could also put me at risk for more seizures?
 
It depends how sensitive you are to shifts in medication. For some people, they've found the switching around -- even the tiny differences from batch to batch -- to be triggering. It hasn't been a problem for me -- I made the switch from brand Lamictal to generic lamotrigine without any issues, and haven't been aware of any differences in manufacturer.

It's also possible the taste-related side effect is a temporary reaction to the different manufacturer's stuff, and may go away over time as you get used to it.
 
It can.

The generic drug has the exact same active ingredient as the brand name. However, the active ingredient in the generic can be as much as 20% higher or 20% lower than the name brand. That much of an increase or decrease can be significant. It can either cause more side effects (like when you increase your dose), or you could have break-through seizures (like when you wean off a med).

Some pharmacies are better than others about sticking with the same generic supplier.
 
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