View Full Version : pharmacy switch my generic brand and freaking out!
I take the generic klonopin daily and have been using the same brand for a few months. Last night I picked up my prescription and the tablets were blue (not the green I am used to). They don't work as well (not as potent). I called the pharmacy and they are giving me a hard time about doing an exchange. They claim they are out of stock of my regular brand and that they were only sent this new manufacturer brand (Sandoz), instead of what I normally take. The potency is much, much lower. Has anyone else had this problem. Is this all in my head??? Am I just worried because they look different. I am trying to get the pharmacy to order my regular brand, but it may take a few days and I have to talk to the pharmacy manager to do an exchange at the store. Ugh.... so frustrating.
nomorepanic
04-01-18, 20:10
Hi
How do you know the potency is much lower?
I'm not sure how it works in the States but could you ask your physician for a frsh prescription and go to a different pharmacy that would dispense your usual brand?
I have similar issues, not with potency but due to allergies to certain colourings used in manufacturing.
Generic drugs have to meet very strict criteria. I've had manufacturer changes for many of the meds I take. Change of shape, color etc. is common. Dosage doesn't change nor does potency.
Positive thoughts
Do you realise how much testing has to be done before a drug can be released for human use. They'll be identical. It's like getting store brand ibuprofen and prescribed - exactly the same. Colour is irrelevant
Mindprison
04-01-18, 20:51
Agree with all of the above, just because something is generic doesn't mean they get to mess with the potency. The brand of my mirtazapine has changed 3 times now and they aren't any different to me.
Thank you all for responding! Why do I feel like it's not working as good. It's not calming my anxiety like the other pills would. Is this all in my mind?
Is this all in my mind?
Being that the drug dosage and active ingredients are the same, I would suggest that it most certainly is.
Positive thoughts
Annaboodle
04-01-18, 22:39
Thank you all for responding! Why do I feel like it's not working as good. It's not calming my anxiety like the other pills would. Is this all in my mind?
Hi. Klonopin is a benzodiazepine (I had to venture onto Google to check - it's called something else in the UK) so hopefully your doctor has discussed tolerance issues with you if you're taking it every day as you say? Their effectiveness is reduced over time as you develop tolerance. They are normally only recommended for short-term use (4 weeks is normally the recommended maximum). Might be worth talking to your doc about it if this might be an issue.
MyNameIsTerry
05-01-18, 01:45
Your FDA have tightened up on this. Anyone wishing to read about what has happened in the past can find where they investigated drugs to find some were out of tolerance when it came to generics vs original, but this brought in new legislation in the US to stop it going on.
Even so, some people seem to find changes in brands cause problems. Part of this might be the additional substances added as they fall outside of legislation about the required tolerance %'s of the active main drug. It's sadly an issue, doctors have commented about it over here but it's more about heart or epilepsy drugs and a bit of an unknown outside of those.
Obviously, one issue is us. When I was so scared I couldn't even change my meals you can imagine how a brand change would upset me. So, try to be open minded about it and if you experience problems, go back to your GP about it and see what they can do.
If you aren't happy with the generic, have the pharmacy get the one you're used to. I had a problem years ago when they switched my generic paxil to another generic brand. Whatever they used as the coating or as a filler caused burning in my esophagus. It was weird. Now I just take the name brand paxil and don't have any issues.
braveinfiction
05-01-18, 06:12
I think the potency is likely psychosomatic. Discuss increasing your dosage with your doctor, or at least voice your concerns of this with him.
Thank you my name is Terry!
I'm trying to figure out what the real issue is. I woke up shaking this morning and my heart was pounding. Of course i'm worried this is from not having my regular medicine brand. I'm still taking the new generic since it's impossible to get a hold of the manager and my new pharmacy. I will talk to the doctor about this on Monday. I'm so dissapointed. I've taken a step backwards in my recovery.
---------- Post added at 17:57 ---------- Previous post was at 15:18 ----------
Yeah, my anxiety increased when the generic was changed :( ugh. so frustrating.
No you haven't, the generic will be identical. It'll differ in name only. It would be illegal to supply you with a different drug. Any differences are imaginary
Well my pharmacy has agreed to switch out the generic I currently have to my old one. They special ordered it for me and will be in around 2pm today. I hope I can get some relief. Anxiety and panic stink.
-positive thoughts, as fishmanpa would say
The Same thing happened again to me. My pharmacy says my brand of klonopin is back ordered and they don’t know when or if they’ll get it back in stock. I am using a different manufacturer. The pill is so strong and is making me shake causing me to be anxious. I just don’t know if it’s in my head....... I have such bad anxiety and I know the green klonopins are smoother for me. Not too strong and not to weak. So depressed . I called like 3 pharmacies and none of them have my regular generic. I guess I’ll just deal with it
I've been told they are all made exactly the same? Every month when i get my Mirtazapine it's a different maker. I'm sure i can feel a difference though.
ServerError
11-03-18, 15:16
I asked my pharmacist about this and he says there are sometimes small differences in how a drug is formulated by different manufacturers. However, the active ingredient is the same. So there wouldn't be any noticeable difference in terms of how brands make you feel. I've never noticed any difference in how sertraline makes me feel and I must've taken about ten different brands over the last two years.
That said, I've also seen people say that there are sometimes discernible differences, so I don't know what to believe. I trust my pharmacist, though.
I asked my pharmacist about this and he says there are sometimes small differences in how a drug is formulated by different manufacturers. However, the active ingredient is the same. So there wouldn't be any noticeable difference in terms of how brands make you feel. I've never noticed any difference in how sertraline makes me feel and I must've taken about ten different brands over the last two years.
That said, I've also seen people say that there are sometimes discernible differences, so I don't know what to believe. I trust my pharmacist, though.
I take a plethora of meds daily. The brands have changed at least a dozen times over the years. In the US, the FDA tightly controls this. The manufacturers have to jump through so many hoops and spend millions just to be able to sell a generic drug. You're correct Server. While some of the fillers may be different, the active ingredient and effective dosage is the same. Other than the color or shape, I've never noticed a difference in effectiveness nor my body's response. That being said, due to the different fillers and coatings, the drug can be absorbed slightly different than a name brand and perhaps that, in addition to a psychological response to a fear of change and the hyper-vigilance of anxiety sufferers, elicits a response.
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
11-03-18, 15:52
It depends which drug classes. Doctors are on record acknowledging it is a problem with such as anti epileptic drugs.
Basically it's an unknown. The active drug is regulated to fit inside a tolerance. The fillers differ and tend to fall outside of this.
Worth remembering also that many of these drugs piggyback another generics technical licensing and the first generic entering markets seems to do the heavy lifting. So, what exactly have they measured other than "yes, this contains x drug in x quantity".
I think if your anxiety is severe you are so sensitised that little differences can show up. For instance, I can tolerate caffeine fine now (and many anxiety sufferers are fine with alcohol) so I'm less likely to feel the subtle differences as my CNS is going less ape shit. And there is always the issue of more severe meaning more focus too.
Generally differences in generics seem to affect people's side effects, probably due to different binders, but not the effects of the actual drug itself. I know there was a big scandal about a Wellbutrin generic not being as effective a few years ago, and the manufacturer had to pull the drug off the market at FDA request.
The only thing Ive ever noticed a difference with was Prozac, and I'm not sure about that one. I took the brand name years ago when that was all there was. Then I stopped taking it, and many years later I tried taking it again in the generic form. The generic seemed to not have the same effect, but who knows? I was in a different place in life when I took the generic, maybe the brand name wouldn't have worked either then. It was too darn expensive to try.
Thank you all for responding. All of your comments are very valid. My anxiety is pretty bad, so that could be part of the reason that Im freaked out about the med not working as good. Right now I’m on Cymbalta as well. So far that’s not working on my anxiety. It’s hasn’t been long enough though. I’ll end this with positive thoughts
Yes - I have to agree with some of the previous posters. If the dosage is the same and the active ingredient is the same then yes it's in your head. Will you go back to your old meds when they get some in?
Hope all is going better for you.
Will you go back to your old meds when they get some in?
There's also the economic factor to consider. I have to take Plavix for my heart. It's a blood thinner specifically geared to people with heart disease that have had a heart attack and/or surgery or stents. When I started taking it, there was no generic. Even with insurance it was over $75 a month! Now, I can get a generic for less than $30 for a 3 month supply. I have no problem with that! :D
Positive thoughts
MyNameIsTerry
12-03-18, 02:40
Thank you all for responding. All of your comments are very valid. My anxiety is pretty bad, so that could be part of the reason that Im freaked out about the med not working as good. Right now I’m on Cymbalta as well. So far that’s not working on my anxiety. It’s hasn’t been long enough though. I’ll end this with positive thoughts
The Duloxetine being increased to the noradrenaline threshold can bring side effects so if you have found yourself worse since, my money would be on that and the fact using meds to compensate will be less effective due to the ramp up of the new drug.
Duloxetine has a pretty short half life so it will stabilise very quickly and this can be part of the problem as it's a bit of a sharp shock compared to some others.
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