“If a rose was called by any other name would it not smell as sweet?” Shakespeare, “Romeo & Juliet”. Medications: Generic vs. Brand Name

How much difference does it make if you take a generic brand medication instead of the brand name?

Does it matter? If it doesn’t matter, why do different companies make the same medications to sell for a various amounts of money? Why are they allowed to?

Why do we ever buy Brands? Is it all because of advertising?

What is the opinions of the pharmaceutical companies? physicians? nurses? parents of sick children? patients?

One lady states that when her husband gets the generic form of his medication it doesn’t work nearly as well (Indocin SR. 75mg, generic name is Indomethacin SR 75mg). This medication is used in osteoarthirits, gouty arthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, & ankylosing spondylitis. It is an apirin-like medication.

My son had a very bad cough for a few weeks. He had spasms as he coughed that he appeared as if he was choking. His face turned red, saliva spurted from his mouth and nose and it seemed as if he couldn’t catch his breathe. He reminded me of how a person coughs that has a tracheostomy. I finally took him to the doctor because I was worried that it was lingering and I was worried about his lungs (he had a brief encounter with asthma when he was an infant from a viral infection). His Pediatrician office prescribed Bentyl. The NP gave me a sample that tasted like Root Beer. When I gave it to my son he actually took it since it tasted like Root Beer and it seemed to work immediately. I finished the sample and had the prescription filled. I was given the generic. The pharmacist at CVS never asked me if this was OK but I took it thinking it wouldn’t be polite to ask. It didn’t taste like Root Beer. I put it in a little bit of Root Beer soda and that was sufficient for my son to take it. His cough did not appear to be getting better at the rate it was previously. In fact when I cut it back to 2x day it got significantly worse and took a much longer time to improve after I increased it back to three times a day. I called the store and asked for the name brand. They said,”OK, but I would have to wait 5 days since that is when they get their orders in…they didn’t have it in stock”.” “OK”, I said. “ I’ll continue with generic until then”. It didn’t feel polite to complain. When did I become so polite?

On Monday, I picked up the name brand and had to pay an extra $10.00 for it since it was not covered under my health insurance (only the generic was covered with the co-pay plan)!

What is your experience with generic medications? Why are we not asked when having scripts filled? Does it matter? Does it matter at some times and not others? Why does the insurance company have the right to tell me what type of medication I can get under the plan…I pay over $800.00 a month for my family health plan! I’m investigating and I’ll wait for your responses.

Clones of some drugs are allowed to be made and sold by other companies after the originals have been on the market for 17 years…that is when the patents run out. There are some medications that should not be used in generic form (it’s dangerous to do so)such as blood thinners since they are hard to regulate.

Generic medications should have the same basic formula as the brand medication but fillers & coloring is sometimes added and flavors may be different. Overall quality is SOMETIMES not as good as the brand name. The FDA does regularly check the manufacturing plants of generic drugs for safety.

Some insurance companies will only pay for the generic brand. Check with your insurance company and pharmacy. You may have to pay for the brand name yourself but I would write to your insurance company and complain about the policy especially if taking the generic brand is not in your best interest (problems of your own taking it or your doctor’s or pharmacist’s opinion). When dropping off prescriptions ask for the brand name if that is what you want.

Acupuncture:  Many people have found migraine pain relief and less frequent episodes through the administration of acupuncture, although it is not widely endorsed.

Vitamins and Supplements:  There have been multiple research studies that have explored the relationship between migraine pain and digestive health. It is very interesting that the evidence appears to support the fact that poor digestive health can cause an increased occurrence of migraine pain. Because of this, migraine sufferers looking to improve their diets are supplementing them with magnesium and riboflavin, as well as this herb. MigreLief, a product provides a triple-therapy approach. It is a daily medication for migraine pain and does not require a prescription. In addition, the use of this herb, Feverfew, in prevention, is known to stop the function of platelets within the bloodstream, lower serotonin release as well as inhibit inflammation. These, on their own, may be worthwhile as a therapeutic approach to stop migraine pain.

Using ice packs is one of the usual ways to relieve the pain of migraines, since it is a known method to make headache pain symptoms better. Providing a new spin on the old idea of placing ice in a bag and wrapping a towel around it, come some new innovative options. Migracap and BeKool are over-the-counter products that can give you the cooling effects traditional ice packs do. BeKool is a simple gel-like pad that can be positioned either on your forehead or the nape of the neck; MigraCap, on the other hand, is exceedingly more intensive. There is a soft cap that can be put over the head during a migraine headache. It comes in several colors and is called a MigraCap. Surrounded by a black lining, the MigraCap will not only block out light, it also has cool gel packs, strategically positioned inside the cap, to allow optimal cooling and soothing relief to areas most frequently affected by this migraine pain.

No matter what choice you make in how to treat your migraine, alternative medicine options should not be ignored. While doctors can provide a number of prescription medications to help treat this condition, using over the counter products may enhance the effects of the prescription medications. It may even be possible to stop taking prescription medications completely. No matter which path you choose, migraine sufferers should see reduced pain and a better quality of life.

Tramadol prescription drugs are typically taken to help with bad long lasting pain, like arthritis. Research has proven that tramadol medications can be good for helping depression and anxiety since it focuses on the noradrenergic and serotonergic systems, with the purpose of seeming to be able to stop painful feelings.

Side Effects

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of the following serious, dangerous side effects such as red, peeling, blistering skin, a seizure, or shallow breathing with a weak pulse. Less harmful side effects consist of: feeling dizzy, sleepiness, feeling week; upset stomach, less of a desire to eat, hard stools; unclear eyesight; skin flushing (hot feelings), problems sleeping, and itching in the facial area.

Withdrawal

As was the case with many medications, Tramadol, when introduced, was considered a harmless non-addictive substitute for more dangerous pain killers. Only in this current time, medical experts and society in general have realized how harmful and habit forming these medicines are, specifically following a long time use and an elevated dose. Several withdrawal problems from tramadol are: seizures; excessive  sweating; bad nerves and feeling anxious; sensations in extremities; upset stomach, vomiting, bad diarrhea; sleeping problems; decreased appetite; and elevated blood pressure. People who are overusing tramadol and desire to stop taking it should look for medical help before they switch their usual daily dose. A doctor-supervised “taper” – defined as the resolution to gradually decrease intake over a set period of time depending on use history – is the method advised for weaning oneself from the medication; since dramatic changes in the dosing routing or quitting abruptly carries serious, dangerous hosts of medical issues.

Tramadol drugs are selling at online pharmacy, without a prescription.

Some additional Tramadol brand names are Ultram and Ultracet.

In the U.S., generic Metronidazole with the trade name Flagyl, while internationally Sanofi-Aventis provides it using the same trade name. It is also marketed by assorted generic makers, and thus is available at more affordable prices.

Uses:

The following conditions can be treated using Metronidazole:
– Gynecologic infections (endometritis, endomyometritis)
– Bacterial vaginosis
– Endocardit
– peritonitis, intra-abdominal abscess, and liver abscess
– Lower respiratory tract infections (against microaerophilic Streptococcus)
– skin structure infections
– Bacterial septicemia
– Adjunct treatment for gastritis and duodenal ulcer associated with Helicobacter pylori
– Central nervous system infections (meningitis and brain abscess)

How it works:

Metronidazole gets inside of an aerobic bacterium and, using the electron transport protein ferrodoxin, it reduces it. Then attaching to the DNA, the drug breaks it up. Shown by in vitro data to generate antioxidant activity, metronidazole may block and reduce rosacea symptoms.

Advantages

The advantages of metronidazole include:

– It kills bacteria quickly
– Penetrates tissues well
– High percentage of sensitive Gram-negative anaerobes
– Very small risk of causing C. difficile colitis
– Available in oral or intravenous forms
– Cost

Disadvantages

– Metronidazole hydroxy metabolite can potentially cause cancer. Additionally, metronidazole has caused cancer in animals. Do not use this drug unless necessary.
– Nausea, vomiting, flushing of the skin, tachycardia (accelerated heart rate), shortness of breath, and even death may occur when one consumes alcohol while taking metronidazole, since it causes a disulfiram-like reactions. Do not consume alcohol while going through ametronidazole treatment procedure as well as the 24 hour period, minimum, following the end of treatment.
– Gastrointestinal tract symptoms may arise due to a high level of toxicity. Neurological damage is caused by chronic toxicity. Peripheral neuropathy and convulsive seizures are other potential risks.

Inquire about using narcotic type drugs for pain when the level of discomfort from an injury becomes too much too handle.

Inform your physician of any past drug use or addiction since narcotic medications have this potential. Although they can be effective for brief periods, there is the tendency to build up tolerance and even become addicted with prolonged use.

Remember that narcotic type drugs must not be taken longer than 2 weeks, since the system develops tolerance, making the drugs no longer effective.

Think about taking muscle relaxants as a remedy for neck discomfort resulting from spasmodic muscles. This is particularly effective for those suffering intense stress who can be helped by the general soothing effect of muscle relaxants.

You do not want to take muscle relaxants if you need to drive, pay attention to detail, or need to do something that requires balance. Your ability to perform can be dramatically reduced if you use this kind of medication.

Doctors and consumers sometimes worry that generic blood pressure medications are not as effective as brand name medications. In particular, they are concerned that they may not really be clinically equivalent. It’s easy to see why lots of people initially think that less expensive products lack quality.

Brand name and generic blood pressure medications, however, produce equivalent chemical actions.  For this reason, they are called “bioequivalent”. The only difference between generic medications and brand name medications is appearance, such as shape and size, and the types of inactive fillers that are used. Sometimes this is confusing for consumers.  They are used to looking at their brand name medication, and the different appearance of the generic medication can be startling.

As far as generic heart medications and blood pressure medications are concerned, there seems to be no difference in the effectiveness of generics when compared with brand names. You can find an analysis of a number of drugs used for cardiovascular disease and hypertension by looking at this month’s Journal of the American Medical Association.  They published a study of these drugs. The AMA analyzed 47 different studies that compared generic and brand name blood pressure medications.  All of these studies indicated that the two were equivalent in efficacy. Generic blood pressure medicines and brand name blood pressure medicines have never been compared in terms of their equivalency in this manner befor`e.  This analysis, the first of its kind, is comprehensive.

According to this study, you can expect to reap the same benefits from generic blood pressure and heart medications as you would get from the brand name equivalent. Regardless of this, a lot of doctors resist turning to generic medications.  This is especially prevalent when they prescribe blood pressure and heart medications.

Ask your doctor about generics if you want to save money on your medications. Once you have your doctor’s agreement and you have switched medications, be sure to closely monitor your blood pressure for a few weeks to be sure the medication is working as well as the old one. After a few weeks, if all is well, you can stop monitoring them as rigidly.

The Why: Pharmacists commonly hear complaints from their customers about the high cost of prescription drugs. You have a number of options for reducing your prescription drug expense, but first you have to consider WHY.

* Be prepared at your visit to the doctor. Think of any questions ahead of time and write them on a piece of paper. Bring a list of questions and make sure that you ask all of them.

* The most important question you should have for your doctor is why they feel that prescribing the medication is necessary.

* Could a change in lifestyle get rid of the problem? If you are carrying some extra pounds, could losing weight allow you to keep off the medicine? Would it help to start a physical fitness program?

* Is there a generic drug on the market that awill produce the same results?

* Ask your prescriber if the new medicine will have negative interactions with any medication you are already taking.  Keep you medications listed on a piece of paper, and carry them with you in your wallet so you can refer to them when you need to.

* Once you are sure the new medication is needed and there are no samples available to you, ask for a month’s worth of the medication. This should give you enough time to find out if there are any adverse drug reactions, and if the medicine is truly doing its job.

The Buy:  People commonly select the pharmacy that is most convenient for them to use. Don’t allow that to be your only reason. Find a pharmacy that you are comfortable using, and don’t be afraid to ask any question you may have.  When it comes to your health, the more informed you are the better.

* Inquire about the working staff there, and find out if they have substitute employees regularly.

* Find out about their methods for detecting drug-drug, drug-food, and drug-OTC (Over The Counter) medication interactions.

* Find out if they are super busy all of the time, or if they feel like they work at a nice steady pace.

* Find out if they will help you out in reducing your medication bill:
• When presented with a new prescription, do they automatically fill it with the generic version?
• If there is not a generic version available, will they go the extra step and call/fax the prescriber with recommendations for a less expensive medication?
• Will they let you know when generic becomes available?
• Do they price out a three month supply versus a one month supply, to help determine the most economical for you to purchase your medication?
• Will they automatically get in touch with the prescriber if you present them a refill prescription that has expired?
• Will they work to resolve problems with your insurance company, and if the problem can’t be solved, will they get in touch with the prescriber and inform them?
• If they change manufacturers, will they tell you?

The best thing would be for you to drop off, or call in you prescription no less than one day in advance. This will:

* Give the pharmacy time to order more medicine if they happen to be out of stock.
* If there is a problem with your insurance company, it will allow the problem to be resolved.
* If the prescriber must be contacted, it will allow them time to get in contact with them.

A word on personal responsibility: You only get one body, so you need to make sure that keep it in good shape. If you weigh more than you should, seek assistance. If you feel depressed, don’t ignore it–talk to your doctor about it. Don’t make a small problem into a large one: a doctor, pharmacist, or other health care professional would rather call on what you believe are minor issues, than wait until the treatment is extensive, and costly.

Your pharmacist is quite knowledgeable; use his knowledge to your advantage. Go to just one pharmacy and become acquainted with the people working there. They will care more about your health if they see that you care about it and take it seriously.

Ask questions, study the literature he gives you. Know the reason why you are taking the prescription and how long you will be taking it. Ask:

* What time of day should you take it?
* Can you take it with meals?
* Is it safe to take with the other medications I take?
* Is it okay to cut or crush this medication?
* If your symptoms have disappeared, should you stop taking the medicine without telling your doctor?
* What are some of the possible side effects?

Keep in mind, you get what you pay for, and the cheapest isn’t always the best option. However, the most expensive is not necessarily always the best either. Familiarize yourself with the WHYs and BUYs of decreasing your prescription drug expenses.