Different Manufacturers

[Shelly06]

Today is day 24 of me taking Citalopram and I've just been to get my prescription and my next box of pills and it's different, different manufacturer, colour box and it says that it contains Mannitol which my others didn't.
I know I shouldn't have googled I know but I did and some say that when they took the same medication made by a different manufacturer they have noticed a difference, worst side effects, the pills not working where they were before etc.

Has anyone else had this and is there any difference you've noticed?

[Marty_67]

Hi again

I have taken different types of Cit before and not really noticed too much difference.

Regards Mannitol, I found this on the web from Ask.com for you (not sure of accuracy of course but sounds feasible):

'Many drugs are alkaloids that have to be paired with an acid to be put in a pill. This is the case with citalopram. It's paired with a hydrobromic acid molecule. This HBr molecule has nothing to do with the rest of the drug. (Bromides were once used as anticonvulsants and sedatives, but at much higher doses than you'd get by eating a few bottles of citalopram every day. We have better meds for this indication now.)

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol that's a component of the pill. It was probably used as a lubricant and as a pill binder in the factory. It's safe and has no effect.'

Hope this helps.

[Catherine S]

Hi Shelly, I know that different pharmacies use different manufacturers when ordering their meds and it usually all comes down to cost, and its the pharmacists, not the doctors who dictate which make of meds they hand out to patients, perhaps your pharmacist has changed manufacturers of this particular drug. Might be worth asking them. They may also take them back and dispose of them if they think you're not happy to take them, and change them for your usual pills if they are still buying them, or find out if another pharmacy in your area still stocks your usual brand.