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Generic Medication Insights?

MildredHubble

MildredHubble

Well-Known Member
V.I.P Member
Ok, sorry this is a super long post, TLDR basically I think my generic meds sometimes don't have any active ingredient in them and I think this is making me unwell...

This is a bit of a weird one I guess. As some of you may know, I am diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I have been prescribed a medication known as Quetiapine Extended Release for over a decade. When I was first prescribed this med, I always was given the branded version Seroquel when my prescription was dispensed. I think this was because they didn't produce any generics at the time.

The effect this medication had on me was fairly miraculous. It seemed to fairly quickly stop the depressive episode and prevented my highs getting beyond the "useful phase".

Around 2013, I started getting generics, this didn't bother me. I've never been fussed about brand names. I always opt for the budget version of anything, unless I find there's a genuine difference in quality.

But around the time I started getting generics, I experienced an episode of prolonged depression for the first time in years.

Then I started getting generics all the time and things never seemed to get back to the way they were.

So after all that preamble, I've noticed something last night. I've not been well at all for quite some time and I'm a bit of a basket case when it comes to being organised. I was pushed by a friend to get a dossette box to help me keep track of my meds as I felt sometimes I might have gotten forgetful or confused and taken my meds twice.

I KNOW I took my med last night, I remember taking it and that days dose compartment is empty. But, I don't feel any of the effects. Literally nothing, none side effects that I usually get that are actually pretty horrible at times. It's like I haven't taken it at all.

In the past before I got the dossette box, if I noticed I hadn't had any side effects I would wait another hour and if I still hadn't noticed any, I would conclude I must have forgotten to take my med.

I have always felt that the way these generics work is just not right. I think, essentially, I've been deprived of the medication that made me so well in the past now for almost a decade. I think (if I'm right) it's little wonder I've been really unwell for quite some time. I now strongly believe that there have been times where I've taken my meds and they basically had none of the active ingredient. I should at this stage be feeling sick, dizzy, sedated as the average night on this med goes for me these days. But I'm wide awake without any effects at all. It's like I took a sugar pill!

So, what do you guys think? Have you had experience with useless generic meds? What do you think I should say to a doctor? I have raised this tentatively in the past, but just got the boilerplate "oh they are exactly the same" response.

But I do know that generics only have to deliver their dose within a certain time frame (well it's slightly more complicated than that), so they could deliver almost all of the therapeutic dose in the first few hours and hardly anything at all for the remainder of the day. These are "extended release" meds, which means they are supposed to deliver a steady dose over the course of the day. I don't think they are doing that. I wish I could get Seroquel again to compare.
 
The dosage of effective ingredients is supposed to be exactly the same (unless you’re getting placebo pills delivered) regardless of whether it’s brand or generic. So not getting any active ingredient in your meds is unlikely, unless there’s been a mistake manufacturing them.

However, the chemical substance of the pills can differ which can cause people to have side effects to the one brand and be fine on the other. Regardless, if you feel like your depression has been getting worse since switching to generic, the meds aren’t working for you. From personal experience, I had days with bad side effects on quetiapine and days with zero side effects.
 
MildredHubble said:
Ok, sorry this is a super long post, TLDR basically I think my generic meds sometimes don't have any active ingredient in them and I think this is making me unwell...

This is a bit of a weird one I guess. As some of you may know, I am diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. I have been prescribed a medication known as Quetiapine Extended Release for over a decade. When I was first prescribed this med, I always was given the branded version Seroquel when my prescription was dispensed. I think this was because they didn't produce any generics at the time.

The effect this medication had on me was fairly miraculous. It seemed to fairly quickly stop the depressive episode and prevented my highs getting beyond the "useful phase".

Around 2013, I started getting generics, this didn't bother me. I've never been fussed about brand names. I always opt for the budget version of anything, unless I find there's a genuine difference in quality.

But around the time I started getting generics, I experienced an episode of prolonged depression for the first time in years.

Then I started getting generics all the time and things never seemed to get back to the way they were.

So after all that preamble, I've noticed something last night. I've not been well at all for quite some time and I'm a bit of a basket case when it comes to being organised. I was pushed by a friend to get a dossette box to help me keep track of my meds as I felt sometimes I might have gotten forgetful or confused and taken my meds twice.

I KNOW I took my med last night, I remember taking it and that days dose compartment is empty. But, I don't feel any of the effects. Literally nothing, none side effects that I usually get that are actually pretty horrible at times. It's like I haven't taken it at all.

In the past before I got the dossette box, if I noticed I hadn't had any side effects I would wait another hour and if I still hadn't noticed any, I would conclude I must have forgotten to take my med.

I have always felt that the way these generics work is just not right. I think, essentially, I've been deprived of the medication that made me so well in the past now for almost a decade. I think (if I'm right) it's little wonder I've been really unwell for quite some time. I now strongly believe that there have been times where I've taken my meds and they basically had none of the active ingredient. I should at this stage be feeling sick, dizzy, sedated as the average night on this med goes for me these days. But I'm wide awake without any effects at all. It's like I took a sugar pill!

So, what do you guys think? Have you had experience with useless generic meds? What do you think I should say to a doctor? I have raised this tentatively in the past, but just got the boilerplate "oh they are exactly the same" response.

But I do know that generics only have to deliver their dose within a certain time frame (well it's slightly more complicated than that), so they could deliver almost all of the therapeutic dose in the first few hours and hardly anything at all for the remainder of the day. These are "extended release" meds, which means they are supposed to deliver a steady dose over the course of the day. I don't think they are doing that. I wish I could get Seroquel again to compare.
Click to expand...
I would ask the dr again, because whatever the reason, they are not working for you. I would tell the dr that it is either that the generic is not as effective (which is true of my cat's asthma inhaler. He gets more attacks on the generic inhaler....and nocebo effect does not happen in animals. This was also experienced by a friend who also takes the medicine..so it DOES happen)... or perhaps this medicine is no longer effective for you. In either case they have to change your prescription. It would be easier to try the name brand again first, before venturing out into the land of trialling meds, which I know is tough. So maybe your dr will agree to do that first. I have 2 family members with bipolar disorder whose medicine stopped working for them and they had to change. I am not sure why that happened. One suggested it was a natural change in body chemistry that happens a few times over the human lifespan
 
Thanks for your replies! I have mentioned several times in the past that I feel like maybe something changed with my body chemistry or the medication had changed. It definitely has and effect but for a long time it's been inconsistent.

This is where the doctor's habit of gaslighting patients comes in here in the UK. I've suggested exactly what you said your relatives had been told @MC1Rcat . The doctor will always smirk and tell me I'm talking nonsense. But I kinda know that it's a perfectly reasonable hypothesis.

But as a little recap, I waited and waited, it took nearly 12 hours before I got the usual bunch of side effects that reassure me I have taken my meds. Normally I would have assumed after 4-6 hours that I must've forgotten to take it. So I'm pretty sure there have been times I have inadvertently taken double the dose!

I'm almost certain that this never happened with Seroquel.
 
If you have different effects upon using generics, file a complaint with the FDA and manufacturer. (added - during inspections the FDA first reviews the complaint file for the manufacturer.) I am very leery of generics from India. results for quality attribute assays of drugs there are frequently falsified and sanitation practices are truly miserable. An indian firm is responsible for distributing adulterated eyedrops containing drug resistant pseudomonas Global Pharma: FDA says India firm linked to US eye drop deaths broke safety norms Such behavior of non-compliance to 21 CFR 211 is common in India.
 
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MildredHubble said:
Thanks for your replies! I have mentioned several times in the past that I feel like maybe something changed with my body chemistry or the medication had changed. It definitely has and effect but for a long time it's been inconsistent.

This is where the doctor's habit of gaslighting patients comes in here in the UK. I've suggested exactly what you said your relatives had been told @MC1Rcat . The doctor will always smirk and tell me I'm talking nonsense. But I kinda know that it's a perfectly reasonable hypothesis.

But as a little recap, I waited and waited, it took nearly 12 hours before I got the usual bunch of side effects that reassure me I have taken my meds. Normally I would have assumed after 4-6 hours that I must've forgotten to take it. So I'm pretty sure there have been times I have inadvertently taken double the dose!

I'm almost certain that this never happened with Seroquel.
Click to expand...
I know more than just my 2 family members who have had to change medicines after a few years. Several people, that I have known over the years, have mentioned to me that their medicine stopped working for them. And it is definitely associated with body chemistry changes, especially for women, due to pregnancy, changes in the monthly cycles, etc. (especially in the 30s and then again with perimenopause). Estrogen acts as a neurotransmittor and has an effect on the release/ action of other neurotransmittors and their receptors. There are several reputable articles available in doing a simple Google search on the many ways it does this. Progesterone level is also something that changes throughout the life cycle which has an effect. Your doctor should know it is a real possibility and if they don't, maybe you could see someone else? I can't believe they wouldn't know. In the USA we can change dr if we want to. I don't like the sound of how yours is treating you. I think it is scary that you might be double dosing sometimes, although maybe it wouldn't be dangerous...idk anything about the medicine you take. I have cognitive problems and can never remember if I took my medicines or not. Since I take it every day, I have memory of doing it. I just don't always remember if I did it today. Since some of the ones I take are really dangerous to double up on, I keep a calendar just for that. I always write it down w/ the time I took it, so that there's no question later on. I don't know if that would be a good tool for you as well. I definitely think you are right to want to pursue getting a solution for this and any dr who does not cooperate is being irresponsible in my opinion.
 
If you had diarrhea, the substance might not absorb.

Did you get them ordered online? Some meds can be fake pills if their provenience isn't secure.

Other meds or herbs can lower or enhance the effectiveness of some pills.
 
My friend is starting to go off her depression medications (her therapist and her have been slowly working on it, she didn’t randomly stop taking them out of the blue). My birth control pills aren’t generic name brand but for some reason cause me to
bleed a rust color, sometimes straight up period blood
. I was tested for PCOS after I thought my weight gain and longevity of my period could be a cause for concern. I didn’t have PCOS.
 
Also , do you take anything that may react adversely with your meds? I know grapefruit can be a issue. Do you take other meds with bipolar meds? Or supplements etc? Do you take them at the best time of the day? As others stated, sometimes we do end up having to try something new because the body builds up a tolerance to the meds. Some doctors are great at figuring out and recalibration of your prescription in a timely manner, but not all doctors excel at this.
 
There is no question that for some people, some generic meds do not work the same as the brand name. Your doctor should be aware of this. I have meds for which generics are fine and others for which I must pay a premium because the generics don’t work the same or come with unpleasant side effects.

I also have had clients with the same issues.
 
Thanks everyone for your thoughts :) I think I feel a bit more confident now stating to a doctor my feelings that either my body chemistry has changed or the generics aren't being absorbed the same way.

I haven't taken any supplements that I can think of that could effect the function of my meds @Aspychata . I have been very careful to keep up to date with anything that can change the function of my meds. I keep away from grapefruit and anything that contains it. Which is a shame as I liked a few soft drinks that contained it.

What is kinda interesting, and I'm not sure if this is listed on the packaging for the Seroquel brand, but in recent years my meds have come with a label warning not to consume food before or after taking the generic meds. This is weird as back when I used to get Seroquel it always said "Take with water with or without food". It would be interesting to find out if this applies to all quetiapine including Seroquel now.

Another interesting thing is that the Seroquel tablets were very soft and it was easy to break them when removing them from the packaging. If they did break, the tablet was like loosely binded powder, wrapped in a paper like film. But the generics are hard and although you can still accidentally break them, they completely lack this paper film. They are tough but brittle. As far as I was aware, it was this paper film substance that slowed down the absorption of the medication. This was the part companies other than Seroquel couldn't reproduce.

I think it's time to have a serious word with my doctor. This has gone on for too long.
 
Here is a listing for all of the manufacturers of Seroquel and quetiapine available in the USA from the NIH. There are 11 listed. Maybe yours is there?
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...SEROQUEL&pagesize=20&page=1&audience=consumer
If you can find the one you currently take...click on the maunfacturer's info page and there will be a link for the medication guide for their version of the medicine. That will tell you if you should have it with/ without food, etc. It will also give a description of the pill and the packaging, often with pictures.
 
MC1Rcat said:
Here is a listing for all of the manufacturers of Seroquel and quetiapine available in the USA from the NIH. There are 11 listed. Maybe yours is there?
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...SEROQUEL&pagesize=20&page=1&audience=consumer
If you can find the one you currently take...click on the maunfacturer's info page and there will be a link for the medication guide for their version of the medicine. That will tell you if you should have it with/ without food, etc. It will also give a description of the pill and the packaging, often with pictures.
Click to expand...
That's awesome! I will definitely check it out! Thanks @MC1Rcat :-)
 
MC1Rcat said:
Here is a listing for all of the manufacturers of Seroquel and quetiapine available in the USA from the NIH. There are 11 listed. Maybe yours is there?
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailym...SEROQUEL&pagesize=20&page=1&audience=consumer
If you can find the one you currently take...click on the maunfacturer's info page and there will be a link for the medication guide for their version of the medicine. That will tell you if you should have it with/ without food, etc. It will also give a description of the pill and the packaging, often with pictures.
Click to expand...
Can you do this for other meds?
 
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