Different brands of Sertraline

[Lizzyg]

I have just got my new prescription but went to a different pharmacy.
My tablets are in a different box, made by a different company and are white instead of blue.
Now I am worried to take them because they are different.
Can swapping brands cause problems?? Should you stick to the same brand of medicine??
I am over the initial side effects of Sertraline and scared to go back to square one!! :huh:
Any one had experience of this please??????

[Alabasterlyn]

I get quite paranoid when my meds change, so I can understand how you feel. I've lost count of the amount of times my benzos or my anti depressants have changed colour, it's almost like they are a different med in my mind. I always use the same pharmacy and quite often have asked my OH to take them back and get the same brand I usually have. However there have been times when my pharmacist isn't able to get the same brand and I have no choice but to take a different one. Each time I get myself all worked up worrying that something will be different with the meds, but each time I am fine. As far as I know when you take a generic med the active ingredients have to be the same, but the carriers can be slightly different.

[haz]

I have just got my new prescription but went to a different pharmacy.
My tablets are in a different box, made by a different company and are white instead of blue.
Now I am worried to take them because they are different.
Can swapping brands cause problems?? Should you stick to the same brand of medicine??
I am over the initial side effects of Sertraline and scared to go back to square one!! :huh:
Any one had experience of this please??????

YES! I was prescribed 50mg Sertraline whilst in hospital about seven weeks ago. It was a white generic tablet, then they changed it to a blue tablet. The blue tablet made me feel more sick and I complained and subsequently filled out a "Yellow Card". This is a form you send to the government if you experience more or different side effects from a drug. Since being discharged I have been taking LUSTRAL, the "original" sertraline manufactured by Pfizer.

Last week I had to phone 18 different chemists and Pfizer themselves as I could not get Lustral anywhere. I was told that due to a problem with one of the other manufacturers of Sertraline patients were being given Lustral. This then led to a shortage of Lustral, basically the guy from Pfizer told me that the "usual demand had been larger than supply".I was determined to find Lustral and eventually found a wee chemist that had some on their shelf.

I live in Glasgow and could have got hold of crack cocaine easier!!:ohmy:

I really hope I don't have the same problem with my next prescription.

Incidentally, this problem was UK wide which might explain why you were given sertraline from a different manufacturer. If I'm not happy, I simply ask for my prescription back and go to another chemist. I usually use Morrisons.

What a carry on though:huh:

[Patsta]

Hi Liz,
Call the pharmacy and ask them if they are the same. If they tell you they are, just a different brand...then don't work yourself up over it...as you have come such a long way in the last few weeks. I'm sure you won't have any problems with it!
Cheers
Patty:)

[Lizzyg]

Hi Haz

Funny you should mention a shortage of Sertraline I took my box back to my original pharmacist and she told me the same thing. Apparantly a difficult drug to get hold of at the moment :ohmy:

My original prescription was my Teva and were blue pills. I have now got little white pills produce by Bristol. The pharmacist told me there should be no problems with a different brand as the ingrediants are the same.

I am more anxious tonight but dont know whether it is the pill or just me worrying again, I had got used to the other ones.

HAve to wait and see how I feel tomorrow :weep:

[kibbutz83]

It's all the same stuff, you needn't worry :)