Trileptal and Generic

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Our insurance company will no longer cover brand name for my 5 year old so we are being forced to switch to generic. I know everyone is different, but has anyone had experience with Oxcarbazepine or struggles with going generic? I haven't heard good things and I'm terrified.
 
I tried the generic Trileptal a couple of weeks ago and after one night, I woke up with my chest feeling like it was tightening when I would breath in and out, my heart was racing a million times a minute... and my vision was very cloudy and I couldnt walk straight. I was told to get off of it ASAP and not to take it again. But thats for me. Ive never tried the name brand medication.
 
Our insurance company will no longer cover brand name for my 5 year old so we are being forced to switch to generic. I know everyone is different, but has anyone had experience with Oxcarbazepine or struggles with going generic? I haven't heard good things and I'm terrified.

I have been on Trileptal and it's generics for over 5+ years. Between my insurance & pharmacy I was on a merry-go-round of generics for some while. With that constant changing of AED manufacturer source my seizures would be worse at times. Finally I was able to get a hold on the problem when I was able to get my Neurologist to Rx Trileptal DAW (dispense as written). Since then my seizures have "stabilized" somewhat. I still have my seizures but they aren't AED related.

Yes just recently I had to deal with that problem. My insurance wanted to have me switch to generics under their new plan. In laymens terms push the cheapest for the
low end insurance patients. But to avoid that I needed to have my Neurologist file an exemption form stating it was medically necessary for me to get the name brand only.
My Neurologist supplied the information they requested without any problems. The only hitch is that the exemption needs to be refiled each year.
 
Good question! My daughter is on the generic and Ive noticed the manufacturer has changed also between scripts which I have heard isnt always safe either. The FDA allows a 20% difference in the active ingredient of generics so you may be getting too much or too little of what you need which is not cool when dealing with seizure control. My pharmacist assures me its fine but my research leads me to believe it may be a problem. We see our Neuro in a few weeks and I will ask her about this and going to see if she can dispense brand name only on our next script.
 
Thank you for all your input!! We see his neuro next week and I'm going to talk to her. She is not opposed to him trying generic, it just worries me. I don't get why they have to mess with seizure drugs! Even if we do win the appeal and. Get brand, I don't know how we're going to afford it. We are having a hard time finding Rx help because we have private insurance. Thank you again!
 
My daughter was switched to generic when she went from liquid to pill. We never had any issues with her medications other than some weight gain the first year but that was the liquid. We have been one of the lucky ones.
 
My son takes Trileptal as well and he's had the generic before (when we had to go through a different pharmacy for some reason...they didn't have the name brand or something?).

He was fine and I didn't see any side affects more than with the name brand.

However, I am pretty sure your doctor can fill out a "medically necessary" form in order to get the name brand drug at the same price as usual. THat's what we do for our son's ADHD med.

Good luck!!!
 
My son is on the generic of Trileptal as well. We haven't known anything else since we are new to this seizure disorder. I've noticed his moods are better, and he seems like my 'son' again. He is somewhat tired, however. But, it hasn't affected his desire to want to get out and keep busy. Today, he had another major seizure, and it did lessen the effects...he didn't convulse and drool as he has in the past. It's helping...but, we're still not there yet. :(
 
I started on the brand name Trileptal before a generic was available. I was on it for about a year until the generic came out. I just switched over without issue at the time and haven't looked back.
 
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