switching Generics?

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CallMeSam

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I've been on Teva Lamotrigen (150 2x a day) for over a year, i can't remember the one I was on before that but today when filling at a new pharmacy (insurance switched) I was given Cadista. Same med, same levels, different look/name.

I'm worried because I don't know if this will affect me, if I'll get more side effects or less. I'm going to call my neurologist on Monday to ask about it but I'm just having a mini panic attack right now because I've heard horrible horror stories about switching med brands - on top of already having a crummy day!

Any of you have experience with Cadista or switching brands?
 
I wouldn't get yourself worked up about it. It happens to everyone all the time.

At first many of the meds that I took only came in name brand. When they came out with generics I was switched to them, also by the insurance. I think they do it to find the lowest costing one.

About 3 months ago when I picked up one of my prescriptions (which was a generic already) it was changed to another generic. I never had any problems with changing from name brands to generics or the generics changing to another generic.

You can ask your neuo about it and he will probably say it's ok. If you do find yourself having problems not taking the name brand your neuro can write on the prescription that it MUST BE NAME BRAND. I know with my insurance if this is done then they have to give me the name brand.
 
The biggest problem I have with generics is the bio-equivalency (amt of drug in your bloodstream) must be between 80 & 125% of the bio-equivalency of the name brand. For must drugs this is not an issue. I take Dilantin however and I can easily overdose or under dose if the amount in my blood stream fluctuates. My doctor told me there can be differences between the different generics so to play it safe I stay with name brand only.

Talk to your doctor about your, keep a record of your blood levels (the actual number, not just that they are okay) and like Valerie says your neurologist can specify that it must be name brand.

Most of all, don't stress over it as that will tend to mask the real side-effects if any.
 
I thought a change in generics was the cause of new seizure activity. So when the pharmacy changed yet again, I told them I worried that it might cause me to have another seizure. I was surprised I didn't get the old, "generics all have the same active ingredients" speech; the pharmacist just went ahead and ordered generics from the previous supplier which came in the next day. So it may be possible to make sure you get generics from the same supplier if you talk to your pharmacist.

It turns out that a change in generics wasn't the problem. I've since had more seizures even after going back to name brand and upping my dosage.
 
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