POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Questions About Treatment & Side Effects => Topic started by: jm1953 on June 01, 2013, 10:02:54 pm
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From what I understand our HIV meds are under patent for I want to say 20-25 years, so at least in this country, I don't believe there is a generic for any of the HIV medications. Please let me know if I'm wrong. However many of us take other medications to fight the side effects of HIV or other conditions most of which are generic. I noticed recently my pharmacy was sending two of my medications, Clonazepam for anxiety, and Losartan Potassium for high blood pressure which did not even resemble the ones I had been taking for years. Apparently they were switched out, probably because they could get a lower price, the pills having the same active ingredient supposedly, but who knows the inactive ingredients. Almost immediately after the change I began breaking out in a terrible rash as stated in another post here, headaches, and they were not doing what they were suppose to. My panic attacks began again, and my blood pressure began to rise at a significant rate. Once we made the connection I called the pharmacy and requested they put me on the first generic I had been on for years as I knew what was in it and it's strength. They did and now I have no problems. A year back or so I also changed from the generic to the branded Wellbutrin for the same reasons. As well as the generic Ambien to the branded. Fortunately my insurance company allowed this change as they are much more expensive than the generic.
Bottom line, keep an eye on the generic meds you are taking. If the pills are a different color, shape, call your pharmacy. I've read that generic's can have the same active ingredient, but some with more or some with less than the branded or other generic forms. Also the inactive ingredients vary. With respect to the Clonazepam and Losartan Potassium, I was allergic to one or more of the inactive ingredients, also the strength had changed resulting in more anxiety and higher blood pressure. The generic form of Wellbutrin was like I wasn't even on an anti-depressant. And the generic form of Losartan Postassium had hardly any effect on my high blood pressure.
God knows when the HIV meds go generic. Thought this might be helpful information for members.
Take care,
Jeff
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I've discussed this same issue here. I was taking a generic pain med. Almost every pharmacy switched to this other generic, obviously for cost reasons. I noticed immediately that it was not working as well. It seemed like I was taking a placebo. I asked some patients at the neurosurgeon's office about it. They reported the same thing.
When I was picking up my prescription one day, the pharmacist asked me what I thought of the changed med. I said it was crap. He said he asked, because he had gotten so many complaints. He said while generics have to have the same active ingredients, he said the fillers can be much different. He speculated that the new generic was not breaking down properly--breaking down very slowly. He said generics are not studied for effectiveness. I'm not sure how true that is. I went online and found so many message boards of people complaining about this particular generic.
My mom was switched to this generic Coumadin. She noticed her INR labs were always off-- her blood was either too thin or too thick, when they had been stable before. So, I'm convinced that not all generics are created equally. The inactive ingredients are important; the fillers are key. I noticed this with a generic form of Lotrimin. It would not rub in the same way as the brand Lotrimin. It was messy and greasy. So, I've thought the same about life-saving meds. Will they work as well? If the pharmacist was correct that generics are not studied for effectiveness, then that seems like something that needs to change.
Btw, I recently read how you cannot sue generic companies. The story I saw discussed a med I can't remember right now. People on the brand name could sue, but those on the generic could not sue. That is something that should change as well.
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Jeff, I'm moving this topic from the Living forum over to Treatments for the simple fact that people looking for information on meds, be they name-brand or generic, will usually go to that forum rather than Living.
Ann
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I´ve been under generic for all my time under meds, this is a short time, less than a year... The best I could take was Viraday (it is the same as Atripla), but I usually receive my meds in two pills and often from differents brands from India, it is also the case for other HAART medicaments, sometimes we have weeks shortage and this generate a lot of anxiety for anyone here with HIV. I´ve been very lucky because I believe my body tolerate very well these medecine, my VL and CD4 are wonderful and I do trust in them...
It is almost impossible to know what are the differences with the brand one, if there are any. I work in quality management and product testes so I understand very well that kind of matter, but I´m also in a third world country and these medecine are really a great thing for people here, I would be completelly impossible to afford brand pills, we just don´t have choise... but I´m so so happy to be able to get these generic medicaments here...
For now, I just don´t understand why it seems so hard to have a proper access and low cost to medecine in a country like USA. I think there is clearly a problem in our world with pattents and the way business and healthcare are managed. For sure, profits help science to find newest cure but it is also really inmoral in many point of view, the way this is working now should be changed radically and the states should have more power I think... We are in the case that here, in Ecuador, for lack of money and technology, many amazonic plants cannot be investigated, and foreigh scientics from the north comes and made a pattent on molecules that directly comes from plants in regard to "TRIPS" mechanisms and WTC, some of these plants are used by native people for centuries (but not pattented for costes matters and knowlage) and who cares? Is this normal or moral? Southen countries are right to demand in regard to this... Those who make profits are in the northend countries and manage these organization (an interesting link expose the matter: a speech from the WTC Director : http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/sppl_e/sppl266_e.htm ... Sure, it is just a speech but expose the problem...).
I just think we are enterring in a two gears medecine, one for those who can pay, a "brand" one and one for the others, with generics, with their lower costes and quality problems. Profits of a few are more important than moral aspects? Clearly for those who allow that kind of policies...
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Generics should be as good as the brand name versions. The FDA has to approve them in the USA and similar arrangements are in place for Europe. I'd happily take a generic. It would save the NHS a shed load of money. Provided it doesn't restrict treatment options, I want the best combo for me, and I agree the change in shape, colour etc is confusing. 2-3 pills v 1 pill, don't care. The drug cos do a good job in sowing seeds of doubt about generics, but most people I know are on them, and they's doing just fine. - matt
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Here are two stories that discussed generics, after it was learned a generic company's version of Wellbutrin was not effective. It seems the FDA does not do their own efficacy studies. Apparently, they let the companies do that.
When a brand name goes off patent, it is pointed out how they do not give over the entire recipe. Generic companies have to take the info that is made public and determine how to make a similar product. They often don't use the same inactive ingredients, or they use inferior ones. And, those inactives could be very key to how the drug performs.
While I'm sure most generics work just as well, I am concerned how many don't work nearly as well. How many people have unexplained lack of improvement and cannot figure it out? If the Wellbutrin situation happened with an HIV med, then I would think that could lead to possible resistance.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-to-serious-problems-at-the-fda/
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/10/generic-drugs-quality/
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Here are two stories that discussed generics, after it was learned a generic company's version of Wellbutrin was not effective. It seems the FDA does not do their own efficacy studies. Apparently, they let the companies do that.
When a brand name goes off patent, it is pointed out how they do not give over the entire recipe. Generic companies have to take the info that is made public and determine how to make a similar product. They often don't use the same inactive ingredients, or they use inferior ones. And, those inactives could be very key to how the drug performs.
While I'm sure most generics work just as well, I am concerned how many don't work nearly as well. How many people have unexplained lack of improvement and cannot figure it out? If the Wellbutrin situation happened with an HIV med, then I would think that could lead to possible resistance.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/10/10/fda-recall-points-to-serious-problems-at-the-fda/
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/01/10/generic-drugs-quality/
Totally agree with you tednlou2 on this one having been the author of this topic. I learned about it the hard way with my anti-depressant and high blood pressure generic switching by my pharmacist as I stated in my post. I am not saying all generics are bad, I'm sure the majority are fine. But I learned about this a few months back watching Dr. Oz and it was very alarming. Especially anti-depressants, like Wellbutrin which was one of the generics I was switched out to after being on branded. I fell in the worst depression ever on the generic. And after being switch back, I'm much improved and more balanced.
From what I understood on Dr. Oz the FDA does not do their own efficacy studies like you said. It does seem like they allow the companies to do that. The recipies will have the same active ingredient, but what the expert says if I remember correctly, it may be 85% less than the branded or up to 125% more. Both instances could create problems. Not to mention the inactive ingredients.
My post was not attacking all generics, just to question any changes in those you may be taking especially anti-depressants and high blood pressure medications. Tendnlou2 is right, if the Wellbutrin situation happened with an HIV med, we could face possible resistance due to not enough of the active ingredient in the recipe, or too much so we can't tolerate it. Also the inactive ingredients may be ones we are allergic too or we don't absorb as well. Lots of questions out there.
This was just an FYI post based on my own experience.
JM