Report Generic Drug Problem

I had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 for about two years and it was working great.Suddenly my insurance company said I could only get it in the generic form. Well this is when everything turned into a nightmare. My life felt like it was spinning out of control. I spent many days sitting and crying, depressed to the point that I didnt want to do anything. Despite my doctors orders that I was to remain on the 300 XL, the insurance company changed it to Bupropion 150 twice a day. I'm still wondering how they can just ignore the orders of my doctor.I would love to be able to buy the Wellbutrin at name brand but it is out of my economical reach with out the insurance coverage.

I have been taking Ambien 10mg for several years on a nightly basis because after a day/night sleep study it was shown that I am unable to sleep for more than an hour or so at a time. Tonight is the first night I took the generic Zolpidem 10mg. I didn't think much about it, expecting the results to be at the very least SIMILAR to Ambien 10mg. In the past two hours (between 11:00 pm bedtime and 1:00 am)I have dozed off and woken up four times, had two nightmares as well as an hallucination, and have lain awake in bed, twice, with my whole body shaking. Now I am wide awake and am unable to return to sleep. So what do I do now??? This is horrible, it's like it was when I couldn't sleep at all, before I started taking any medication. I can't take anything else at the moment because I'm quite obviously already spaced out to a certain degree. I'll be calling my doctor tomorrow so he can make my prescription non-generic allowable.

I was taking Budeprion 300 and had serious complications. Within one month of my medication switching to the generic I had a complete nervous breakdown due to the fact that my depression medication was not working. It turns out this medication is not the same as wellbutrin 300 which I was supposed to be on and as a result it was if I was taking nothing. This can not be allowed to continue. I filed a formal complaint also with the FDA.

I just had a nightmare experience switching from brand name Wellbutrin 300 mg to the generic "wellbutrin" called Budeprion 300mg. I wanted to add my voice to a long list of others.

I have no history of suicidality, but a day after switching to the generic, I went into a week of steadily rising panic. Then I hit rock bottom this last Saturday. Like some demon took over my body. I wanted to die, felt like someone was holding me by the throat and pressing me against the wall. I was psychotic, self-loathing way WAY beyond anything I have ever experienced.

I made it through the worst of it, called a suicide hotline, took two Ativan, and didn't take any more of the budeprion. The next day I felt much better and today I'm back to my normal self.

The pharmacists and the drug companies are adamant that the generics are THE SAME. This is, I believe, wrong, and dangerously so.

My problem has been with budeprion, which is the generic for Wellbutrin. I have been taking Wellbutrin XL (300 mg) for a while and it has worked wonders for me; recently, however, my insurance provider substituted budeprion for the Wellbutrin XL and my experience has been awful.

Soon after starting the budeprion I started having feelings of despair, hopelessness, disorganized thinking and anxiety, falling into a depression. I have had physical problems as well: migraines of prolonged duration and greater intensity, sleep disturbances, night sweats, rapid weight gain, low energy and abrupt and painful changes in my menstrual cycle.

All of these changes coincide with my taking budeprion instead of Wellbutrin XL. I have just resumed taking Wellbutrin XL (300 mg) and I am already feeling better and thinking more clearly. My experience with budeprion has been horrendous, and I will never take it again. It is my sincere hope that this generic drug will be taken off the market immediately.

I had been taking Zoloft for about 2 years with good results. Our prescription plan switch me to the generic last year. After 90 days on the generic - I feel depressed and lethargic. Sometimes I even want to take a higher dose. This last winter was awful. I am gaining weight also. I am going to ask my doctor to resume the name brand of ZOloft.

A local doctor prescribed Toprol XL (25 mg 2xday) several years ago. All went well. Last week my pharmacist refilled my prescription with generic "metroprolol succinate" -- per BCBS senior Plan B. Two days later BP shot sky high - 190/100. Found leftover pill of brand Toprol XL. Hour later, 140/90, high but okay. THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS NEW GENERIC FOR TOPROL XL. This has never happened before.

My experience with the generic Valium was so horrible that I hate to send any info about it. It was Diezepam 5mg tablets. After what happened to me, I didn't think anyone would be interested in trying that particular medication in any generic form. I would never do it again, it robbed me of three months of my life, and that is a price too high to pay for generic. I only wish the pharmacies would listen to a patient with a severe problem like mine and not "force" them to try generic before they will give us the price break.

Some day there will be a death caused by forcing generic meds on people and I hope it ends up in a big law suit. Generic meds have no place in the medical field. They are not what they claim to be and never will be. As you can see I am still very upset over this and I am still having a bad night now and then and wonder if I will ever be back to normal.

My Restless Leg problem is very severe and should be looked at very closely before doing something stupid like making me take generic meds for it. Thanks for listening, I only hope you understand and try to picture yourself going through what I went through. It was pure "hell".

I thought that the generic Wellbutrin (Bupropion) 75 mg BID I take for bipolar had stopped working after my last prescription. I was sinking back into depression and raising the dose didn't help. I felt better after stopping the drug. Several people had reported problems with the generic Wellbutrin XL, and I suspect the same has occurred for the non-XL generic. Is the FDA paying attention to making certain that generics indeed have the same active ingredients as the brand name drug? If not, then why not?

My high blood pressure Rx cost $4 per month at Walmart
and three times that through
our insurance plan - so I went to Walmart and was sold
Mylan generic for Lisonopril
10mg/12.5 mg. I gained 4 lbs
and had dreadful headaches. I switched back to the company generic Lisonopril
and no more headaches.

I have had problems with 2 generics. The first time was when I was on synthroid. I have very difficult to control hypothyroidism as my body seems to absorb the medication erratically. I was sent to a specialist who continued to adjust the dose and was finally able to regulate me to within somewhat acceptable levels on synthroid. My insurance company then decided I needed to be put on the generic. After 3 months, my numbers looked like I wasn't taking any medication-my hair had started to fall out again, my features had become puffy looking again and I felt terrible. I switched to Armour thyroid-no substitutions and I pay out of pocket and I am healthy again.

The second time was this year when generic Wellbutrin came out and my pharmacist changed me as required by insurance. I have been taking 300 XL for years and have been fine. Within 3 days of taking the generic, I was a wreck. It felt like the medication was being released erratically and I was experiencing "rushes". It was a very unnerving, scary, feeling. I discontinued it and called the doctor, who called the pharmacy and requested no substitutions-of course I pay a premium for this. I do not think that insurers should have to pay higher co pays for "name brand" drugs when generics do not work.

I took Allegra for allergies for years then it was changed to a generic drug. I took it at bedtime just like I did Allegra. The large tablets were almost 2 x's the size of Allegra and tasted like Formaldehyde smells! As I slept it started coming up into my throat and I'd wake up coughing. It awoke me from a deep sleep every night PLUS they didn't work! I'm now on Zyrtec and dread the day it too will become a GENERIC drug.

My problem was with a generic form of Wellbutrin. I just felt as if the drug was no longer working at all. My doctor believed me and requested the name brand and I was OK.

It was suggested by my therapist that I try Wellbutrin XL for depression and anxiety. So my Dr. gave me a two week supply of the 150mg tablets. I increased my dose to 300mg after the first week. I couldn't believe how great I felt, it was awesome. Then my samples ran out and I picked up the prescription and it was only $10. Awesome! When I got home and opened the bottle I saw these big yellow horse pills and the name on the bottle was 'budeprion.' So I called the pharmacy and my Dr. to make sure I had the right medicine and they said yes, its just the generic version. I took it for 4 days and I was a wreck. I was more depressed and anxious then before. At times I felt like a wired drunk guy. I was also sweating alot. So after some research, I called my Dr. and demanded to be put back on the brand name. This time my perscription cost is $40 because Wellbutrin XL is a Tier 2 drug. Anyways, I started back on the brand name today and I feel 100% better. I don't care how expensive it is, I'm not going back to the generic version.

Only the name brand Syntroid works for me; and a lot of my friends that take thyroid medication can only use the name brand like myself. The generic brands are like placebos...they don't work. Why can't a generic drug company step up and get the formula right? I'm all about saving money, but generic drugs that don't is just stupid.

I was switched from Wellbutrin XL to the generic about 4 months ago. I have tried to ween off of all depression meds before and it only takes a few months and it returns. The generic is no longer working at all. I have a hard time getting off the couch and motivating myself to do the simplest of things. I just called the pharmacy and I have to wait another 2 weeks to switch back.

I had been taking Zoloft for almost 7 years and felt great. I was switched to a generic zoloft 6 weeks ago and I totally went down hill. I struggle to sleep, wake up in a panic state- I had 3 panic episodes just last evening. I went to my doc today and demanded to go back on real Zoloft.

I started off on generic Wellbutrin which brought on episodes of projectile vomiting that came with about 10 seconds warning.

Turns out my Medicare HMO covers Wellbutrin XL brand name. I changed to the brand name and had no more vomiting

I was just browsing the internet for information on the differences between WellbutrinXL and the generic, and I was relieved to find all of these comments that back up the way I have felt in the past month of taking the generic. I found extreme differences in mood, particularly anxiety (the reason I was put on the medication) that had not been present before switching. I experienced very bad headaches and changes in my menstrual cycle despite the fact that I am on oral contraceptives. I also found that the medication made me far more hungry (though, I suppose that could be attributed to the change in menstrual cycle). In general, I just felt depressed in a way that I had not felt since taking the name-brand medication for nearly 8 months. I am relieved to find others experiencing similar things, as I was becoming nervous that the medication was no longer "working". As for requesting the name brand, I just asked my pharmacist directly, they can check for you immediately if your insurance will cover it. As mine did, I plan on requesting only name brand.

My experience with Budeprion XL was terrible. I had been taking Wellbutrin with which I experienced no problems.. Budeprion wrecked my normally happy self. It had me wanting to cry at work--not like me at all! Worse yet, I couldn't sleep. I realize not sleeping is a side effect of Wellbutrin, but I never had problems with it. After 3 days I quit and am fine.

I've taken Zoloft for about ten years and credit it with saving my life. Last refill was a generic which, I assumed was the same. As the weeks rolled on, I became aware of all the pre-Zoloft symptoms recurring. Since I was faithfully taking the generic, I thought I must really going insane. A People's Pharmacy column on the subject of others' generic problems sent me to a pharmacist. She agreed, saying that she has had several complaints about the problem.

I have suffered from mood disorder and severe depression for fifteen years. I have tried thirty different types of psychotropic medications during that did not improve my quality of life. I began taking Wellbutrin in 2001 and I was finally able to have control over my mood and lessened my depression. About 2003 I began to recover completely. I maintained the Wellbutrin at a low dose for the past several years and have been very happy with the results. This past September I was told that my insurance company had changed their formulary and that the now available generic Budeprion was the only drug that they would cover. After two months I felt like something was terribly wrong. My depression came back with a vengeance. I also experienced stomach aches, headaches and vomiting and became very sleepy. In January I began to feel suicidal and severely depressed. My physician appealed the insurance company for a third time and was still denied. I have purchased brand-name Wellbutrin from other sources and have been back on it for three months.I feel much better with energy and drive to live my life. My depression has gone back into remission and my job, my personal and family life are much improved. Wellbutrin is a medicine that keeps me alive and even though I have to spend a lot of money and actually break the law to obtain it-I will continue to do that so that I do not become suicidal again. I pray for the day when psychotropic medications and mental health issues are given the same fairness as physical health problems.

I also take 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL. I have twice been on the generic form and I get very depressed on it. It has very little therapeutic value. I have to pay the difference between Wellbutrin and the generic, and runs me about $45 per month, but it is worth it. I am another person who is very sensitive to any medication, and I take 1/2 a dose of Wellbutrin and 1/2 dose of Effexor (which I squeeze a few of the little particles out of the capsule), but that handles my depression. I also can only tolerate 2/3 of a Norvasc tablet. I sure hope someone takes notice of the Wellbutrin generic problem.

I was prescribed the generic version of Darvocet-Propoxyphene- for pain after a root canal. I felt like I had taken absolutely nothing. No pain relief, no expected drowsiness- nothing. I'm very sensitive to most medications, and I was very surprised not to feel any effects of the medication at all.

I have been on Zoloft for 6 years. I too say it saved my life. Two mths. ago I was switched to generic. It was awful, all symptoms reappered and i was in a constant state of panic. I have panic disorder and severe depression
I have been back on name brand for three days and wish that the generic would be taken off market. It has caused me to be in a terrible state for one mth.

I've been on Wellbutrin XL 300 mg for a year to treat symptoms of fibromyalgia (depression, fatigue, muscle pain.) The Wellbutrin worked well and I felt better than I had in years.

Last month my pharmacy dispensed Budeprion XL, the generic drug, instead of Wellbutrin. In less than 30 days of being on this generic, my fibromyalgia symptoms have worsened noticeably, I'm very fatigued, and I've gained ten pounds (even though my diet and exercise programs haven't changed.) Honestly, it feels like I'm not taking any medication at all right now. Budeprion XL simply isn't effective.

My insurance covers Wellbutrin (at a higher co-pay), but obviously is pushing pharmacies to dispense the generics whenever possible. That's fine if the generic is effective, but in my case it simply doesn't work. I've asked my pharmacist what I need to do to get back on the name brand Wellbutrin and am waiting for his return call.

I was so pleased when I found out that Wellbutrin XL was now available in a generic. I have never believed anyone's allegations that a brand name was inferior to the generic...until now.

When I first made the change, I suffered dyspepsia, for which there seemed to be no cause. I have progressively become more depressed. I'm nervous and irritable. If I get more than 3 hours of sleep, I've had a really good night. If anything in my life goes badly, it takes me weeks to stop obcessing about it. They should call the generic Hellbutrin.

Unfortunately, my insurance company provides a three month supply, and I can't afford to replace the bad stuff with the brand name without insurance assistance.

I asked my pharmacy to supply me with information about the drug they supplied. They told me it was produced by Teva, but were unable to supply lot number or other information because they threw away the bottles the pills came in and repackaged them in their own container. Is this good practice? How on earth would they be able to identify products if there were ever a recall? Should I discuss this with the manager of the pharmacy?

I have been taking generic Zoloft 50 mgs for the last 10 years. In November of 2006, my insurance company said i had to take the generic. I absolutely hate it. I am tired all of the time. It tastes awful and dissolves in my mouth before i can even swallow the pill. Tonight I am upping it to 100 mg to see if it will work any better. I am also anxious about everything. I just want to lay in bed and close the world out.

I have been on Wellbrutin for quite a while. I tried the XL which gave me more energy & the depression lifted. Then the generic came along. I questioned it but I tried it. It did not work the same!
Budeprion XL 300mg tablet should be taken off the market. I suffered with depression, stomach aches such that I thought I was having a gallbladder attack.
I went back to the Wellbrutin & have been back to normal. It excelerated my Gurd reflex so much I had problems for 6 weeks afterwards! It doesn't look the same nor does it work the same. I think it is wrong for pharmacy to request you to change just because the generic just came on the market. My prescription said Welbrutin XL & had to get another script DAS.

I had been taking Ambien for a number of years with no side effects. When given the generic form of Ambien, I woke up an hour or 2 later, with horrible nightmares, was so dizzy that I had trouble walking, and had horrible diarrhea and urge to urinate. I took the generic form for several days before putting the side effects together with the generic form of Ambien. I only took the generic form for 5 days, I then returned the pills to the pharmacy, and got the brand name of Ambien. The symptoms were alleviated immediately. I did report the occurance to the pharmacy and the FDA.

I have taken Ambien and now that the generic is out, I've been trying it. It just doesn't work like the brand name. I usually only need to take 1/2 of a 10mg and I'm tired and can get a full nights sleep; not so with the generic brand.

The pharmacy substituted generic amplodipine for Norvasc...I wasn't expecting anything different, but I feel tired, queasy and my blood pressure is up. I called the pharmacy and they say that it is identical to Norvasc. What's up?

I started up on Wellbutrin for the second time. On 150mg, no problems. When I went up to 300mgs, the pharmacy gave me budeprion instead of brand. I steadily deteriorated into a suicidal crisis. I had never been suicidal before! My therapist (coincidentally) gave me a new prescription for brand and within a week, I was better. I have no doubt it was the budeprion.

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL 300mg for a couple of years and felt really good. I was happy and energetic. About 3 or 4 months ago I was given the generic budeprion XL. My depression came on full force and then some. I was crying, feeling hopeless and discouraged. My appetite was insatiable and I put on 10 lbs quickly. I have my own business - which I love and I was finding it hard to even carry on with that. I found that I was sitting and watching TV instead of enjoying life. I visited my doctor and he was surprised that I was taking a generic and he promptly gave me a script for Wellbutrin XL. Since this was in the last day or two I cannot say if the Wellbutrin will put me back on track but I have a sneaking suspicion that I am going to find a major difference.

Since starting Generic Wellbutrin XL, Budeprion XL, several months ago I have noticed a change in the way I feel. Many of the symptoms of depression have returned. Symptoms that I have not felt in a very long time. I don't care about anything. I am functioning at a basic level to just get through the day. I don't experience joy. I don't want to get off of my couch. I don't care that my normally spotless house is beginning to look like a pigstye. I go through all of the logical arguments with myself to try and get motivated but none of the behaviour techniques I've learned in therapy over the years have helped. After hearing of problems with Budeprion XL I have contacted my doctor so we can change my meds around to find some kind of relief if my insurer won't let me go back to the name brand. I hope the FDA pulls this stuff off of the market before it causes someone to committ suicide.

After some devastating life events last year my husband and I were put on Wellbutrin to help us come through it and it was very effective. Not long ago we were switched from Wellbutrin XL to the generic. We both inexplicably gained weight, he got night sweats, I'm experiencing insomnia, and we are both more anxious and depressed. I'm sorry others have had to go through this, but glad to know it isn't all in my head as my Dr. seems to think. The generic costs $10 for 30 at Walgreens and I was told it would be $110 for Wellbutrin. Who can do that?? The generic is ineffective and could cost someone their life. Is anyone out there listening to what people are saying?

I was taking Wellbutrin XL 300 for about 8 months and felt very good. about 45 days or so ago i was switched to the generic Bupropion by the Pharmacy. i had noticed that my depression had come back and i was having daily headaches constant up and down feelings, feeling hopeless and lethargic, drowsey, stomach and digestive problems, as well as some other side effects, and did not care much about anything. i called my doctor this past Monday to explain it to him and he wrote a new prescription for the name brand Wellbutrin XL 300. I started on it on Tuesday and have been feeling better since, not all of the way back, but much better. I don't think that the generic is released in the same way and I hope I don't ever have to take it again. Until I searched the internet over this past weekend, I did not even think it could be the generic Bupropion may be causing the problems.

I have to echo the complaints others have had with the Budeprion XL. Wellbutrin XL has worked for me for a couple of years, and about three months ago I switched to the generic. I didn't notice a difference at first, but gradually my depression returned to its former heights (or depths, really). This morning I had my regular med check-in with my doctor, and he told me that about 75% of his patients who've switched to the generic have suffered increased depression. I just picked up some Wellbutrin, and I hope to see some improvement over the next couple of weeks.

My doctor prescribed Ambien and my pharm. gave me zolpidem tartrate. I have been up every two hours then just gave up and got up at 4a.m. I should have been given the drug I ordered.
The same thing happened with Percocet. I got endocet. It does not work.

I've been on Wellbutrin and Wellbutrin XL (300 mg)for several years. It has really helped my ADD and made life much easier. After hearing about the generic for Wellbutrin XL being available, I asked my doctor to switch my prescription to save money. I've been on the generic for about a month. I haven't noticed much difference (gained some weight, some trouble sleeping), but my wife has noticed that my ADD symptoms have gotten worse. I'm less attentive, more forgetful and more anxious. I'll be switching back to the brand-name now that I am aware of the generic's short-comings. Who woulda' thunk?

I was amazed at all of the comments concerning the generic form of Wellbutrin. My doctor prescribed it for me about a year ago to help quit smoking. The first few days were fine, and then I started to notice that I couldn't sleep. After about two weeks I became only what I can classify as insane. I was up at 2 a.m. talking to a man in my living room who wasn't there. My husband came into the room and said I never even looked in his direction. He then picked me up and put me in a tub of cold water. Only after he did this, did I snap to. Needless to say, I immediately quit taking the medicine! I have no history of any form of mental problems and can not understand why a drug like this would even be put on the market!

I recently switched from Cymbalta to budeprion (I was using the Cymbalta for depression and chronic pain) and am experiencing extreme anger, agitation and am on a emotional roller coaster with suicidal thoughts. I was doing well on the Cymbalta but had some weight gain from it and wanted to change. I came online to research budeprion and found many people experiencing the same problems with this generic form of Wellbutrin as I am. I am stopping the budeprion today!
I have an appointment with my doctor in a week and will discuss the problems with this drug with her then.

I had been on Wellbutrin XL for a couple of years & doing very well. When my mail-order prescription plan substituted the new generic I noticed a difference after just a few days. My depression has steadily been getting worse & I will try to budget enough from now on to pay for the real thing. The generic simply does not work. I was quoted $250.00 for a 3 month supply of Wellbutrin XL 300mg.

I have been on Ambien for many years for insomnia related to fibromyalgia. About 2 weeks ago, my pharmacy changed it to the generic zolpidem. I have been having a lot of trouble sleeping and thus more pain with the fibromyalgia. Called the pharmacy and they said they couldn't do anything and to call the doctor to get it written as "dispense as written". The doctor's office said I should call the pharmacy. What a run around. What can a person do?

I'd been taking TEVA nefazodone for quite a while without problems, but then one refill I got seemed to cause heart palpitations. The palpitations started the day I got this refill, and stopped within a couple of days after I stopped it.

I'd told all the doctors that the palpitations started with the refill, but only one of them suggested I go off the medication to see if that was the cause. This after about 3 weeks of trying to diagnose the cause, a Holter Monitor, and a trip to the emergency room. The cardiologist confirmed these were Frequent Premature Ventricular Contractions (several per minute, continuously).

I submitted two reports to FDA's MedWatch, but I've not heard back from them. At the recommendation of Marvin Shepherd, safedrugs.org, I contacted TEVA. They were not convinced it was a quality problem, nor did they seem inclined to do any internal testing or testing of the remainder of my prescription. I sent the remainder of the prescription to the People's Pharmacy for testing. I'm anxious to hear the results.

i was just switched to generic zoloft today i notice a big difference i am jittery and feel high and dizzy and just panicy...... i am going to the pharmacy tomorrow, i refuse to take any more of this stuff by mylan.

I RECENTLY WAS GIVEN A REFIL FOR MY AMBIEN AND FOUND IT WAS THE GENERIC VERSION ZOLPIDEM (teva) I HAD BEEN ON AMBIEN FOR NEARLY 7 YEARS NOW, AND WAS ALWAYS ABLE TO SLEEP, OFTEN ON JUST HALF A DOSE OF THE 10 MG, HOWEVER I HAVE BEEN ON THE GENERIC OVER A WEEK, AND HAVE NOT SLEPT YET. I AM TIRED ALL DAY, FEEL SOMETIMES OUTSIDE OF MYSELF, AND HAVE BEEN VERY UNCONFORTABLE AND TIRED. THERE IS NO WAY I AM ABLE TO BELEIVE THIS IS THE EXACT SAME MEDICATION.

I had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 for several years. I was astonished when I got my refill and the pharmacy and insurance company took it upon themselves to give me the generic Budeprion XL 300mg(TEVA), thus overriding my doctors written prescription. I have been taking the generic Budeprion for almost a month now and have notices a big difference. My symptoms are coming back fast. I'm always sleepy, I gained weight, I am very irritable, cranky and just don't feel like doing anything anymore. I contacted my insurance company mail order pharmacy and had my doctor call in a prescription for the brand name Wellbutrin. Unfortunately, I was informed by the insurance company that it is going to cost me $275 for a three month supply because not only do I have to pay my copay, but they add in the price difference between the brand and generic. I was floored!! Needless to say, as much as I would like to pay out that money, I just can't afford it. I had tried quite a few anti-depressants before Wellbutrin and they all made me sick to my stomach. And it never subsided over time (like I was told it would). The last one (Lexapro) made me have horrible headaches and severe vomiting. Who wants to have that???
I have made an appointment with my doctor to discuss other options because I can't afford the brand, but the generic doesn't work. I don't know what else to do. It's also good to know that I'm not the only one that thinks this generic is a bust. I have tried other generics and never had a problem, so I wanted to give the generic Wellbutrin a shot. What a waste of time and money (thank goodness it was only $10)!!! It definitely needs to be pulled off the market!!

It's strangely a relief to read all these comments. I had been taking Wellbutrin XL for about a year, very successfully. Then in February, the pharmacy filled it as Budeprion XL. I am on a high deductible health plan so even this generic is $122.74 PER MONTH.

I've been taking it for several months now, and things have just been going steadily downhill. I didn't want to recognize that the symptoms of depression are back, but I just couldn't understand why I am so unhappy. I even started crying in a bagel store when a senior citizen cut in front of me in line! Ridiculous. I slowly came to the realization that perhaps my faith in generics is misplaced, and maybe the symptoms really are back because the Budeprion isn't working.

After a few google searches, I found this site (and a healthboards message board) and I just started bawling in relief -- it's not all in my head, and it's not my fault. The drug really isn't working the way it's supposed to.

Now I have a 60 day supply of Budeprion (cost $244) that I guess has to be trashed, and I need to come up with more money for Wellbutrin and perhaps another doctor consultation ($250).

It's only money, and I HAVE to go back to Wellbutrin. This morning I had the thought that if a car hit me while I was riding my bike at least I wouldn't have to go through life anymore :(

I have been taking Wellbutrin for 3 years. It has been great. This month the pharmacy switched me to the generic and I feel like I'm developing gastric ulcers. I didn't make the connection until tonight when my stomach was fine until I took the generic wellbutrin. I will never take it again. The pain is so severe I thought I would have to go to emergency . This stuff should be taken off the market TODAY.

I have been taking questran one scoop daily, i was to cholestyram my I.B.S went wild i called my Dr. He said it was the same thing. I tried to call mfg. Sandoz they are not listed in princeton, NJ to tell the co. my problem. I had to get my Dr. To write me a new Rx. for brand name only.

I've been on antidepressants for approx. 13 years now and have tried (all with little/no success): Prozac, Zoloft, and Celexa. Prozac=NO SEX, Zoloft=DRYMOUTH, Celexa=HORRID HEADACHES.

I am treated for a combination of clinical depression and ADHD, so I finally got a good doctor who decided to put me on Wellbutrin 300mg XL which has been like a gift from the heavens. I now have my life back and in control and can function as a productive member of society once again.

WARNING: My stupid pharmacy/insurance co. refilled my RX with generic Buprion in March 2007 and when I started taking it, thinking nothing of it until ALL OF MY SYMPTOMS RETURNED WITHIN A FEW DAYS!! It was like night and day - the Buprion is supposed to be the exact same formulation, but I was so severely dysfucntional and depressed that my relationship with my husband crashed and burned, nearly ruining my marriage, since we both had no idea what the hell was going on. I put up with the nightmarish experiment for a month before I pleaded with my doctor to be put back on the pure form instead of the generic. I have been back on the good stuff now for about three months and everything is completely stable and normal once again.

Good news: REAL Wellbutrin really does work!

Bad news: I'll likely be on it for life and many more people will likely suffer as I did with the effects of a poorly-manufactured facsimile as more pharmacies randomly substitute without warning. I'd like BethG to please post a link or other information to the place where people can log formal complaints with the FDA so we can all be heard and eventually force the FDA's hand to take action.

I was switched to the generic (Buderion made by Teva) for Wellbutrin XL 300mg in March. After a few weeks I began to notice that it did not seem to be working as well as the Wellbutrin from the manufacturer. My daughter said to me one day "Mom did they change your medication?". I told her just from the orignal to a generic. I finally called my doctor and he said he would put me back on the brand name. I just started today with it but feel that I will be doing better within a week or two.I only wished I had called earlier.

I had a bad experience with Budeprion XL, the generic for Wellbutrin XL. I've been taking 300mg of the Wellbutrin XL for 3 years, and decided to switch to the generic to save money. My doctor advised against it. He was right, I was wrong. The generic's time release isn't steady. It peaks early and then stops working. After two weeks it stopped working completely. I missed 4 days of work laying on the couch, depressed with no energy. I'm saving the rest of the prescription in case of a lawsuit. It was manufactured by Teva.

I was doing great on Wellbutrin Xl until one day the pharmacist gave me another prescription. I immediately checked online to see if it was the same and it was the generic kind. I didn't mind until I started noticing that i had gained weight and that terrifies me. It also makes me cry and have a lot of depression. Please don't give us Budeprion any more. I hate it and feel horrible and my self confidence has gone down. It is certainly not the same as Wellbutrin.

My insurance company puts pressure on me and on my doctor each time I get a refill of OrthoCyclen. I had been taking it for years but when I tried the generic I had all kinds of cramping and a lot of bleeding. It turned out that I had more secondary expenses than when I paid for the name brand OrthoCyclen. Since then, I (and my doctor) have insisted on the name brand OrthoCyclen. Since then I have been very skeptical about the effectiveness of generic medications.

I had an awful experience with the Ambien generic. I've been taking it for about three weeks. I woke up this morning so dizzy and nauseous that I could hardly walk. I've had bad nightmares and just couldn't seem to sleep deeply for several nights. I also have a burning sensation and itchy skin rash. My husband had to drive me to the doctor's office because we were both afraid for me to drive after this bad experience. I've never had any problem with the 'real' Ambien - one half tablet makes me sleep soundly and awake refreshed.

I was recently taking Toprol XL for a heart rate problem call SVT and was doing fine. Our drug coverage changed and the mail order drug company sent me the generic Metoprolol Succ ER tabs. About a week after starting the generic drug i was awakened at 5:00 am with a heart rate of 188. We went to emergency and they got it under control. This happened 3 times within a 4week period, and finally my husband and I told the doctor the only thing we could think of that had changed was the geneic drug. She immediately wrote a new presciption for brand name Toprol XL. Never had another problem. I understand the generic is a immediate release and is in the system for about 6 hours and that the Toprol XL is 24 hour time release. I am 54 years old without a blood pressure problem, but soem one eldely could have a real serious BP problem on this generic.

I have been on ambien 10 mg for several years. When I went to pick it up at the pharmacy, I was informed that I would be receiving the generic, which I was happy about because it was a little cheaper. I took it at my usual time, 9:00PM and I am usually asleep by 9:30. Well I was still wide awake and I mean wide awake at 2:30 in the morning. I almost felt stimulated, I maybe slept 2 hours that night but the thing I really noticed was that I could not reacall anything from the previous day, I felt like I had amnesia. It was as if I had taken a sugar pill, it did nothing for me except give me the amnesia. These generic Ambien are nothing like the real ambien. I am not going to take any more of the generic pills because they really make you feel bad, not like yourself.

I was feeling really good on Wellbutrin 300 for a couple years - then a little more than 3 months ago my insurance co sent me 90 days of the generic. It was 90 days of hell. I was sick to my stomach and vomited in the morning for no reason. I was depressed, cried a lot, and had a lot of anxiety attacks. I felt like like I had before Wellbutrin. I now have 90 days of Wellbutrin 300 and am starting to feel better, but my insurance co. will not refill unless my Dr. requests it as "medically neccessary", which I believe she will. It is such a relief to be feeling like myself again, and to know it's not "just me".

I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and depression in 2004 and put on Wellbutrin XL. I started to feel relief almost immediately, and within months I felt like a new person. Several months ago I went to pick up my prescription and saw it was a generic, budeprion XL. I immediately called my doctor and he said it would be just the same, so I didn't think any more of it. But after about 2-3 weeks, my symptoms started coming back, and within a couple months I felt worse than I ever had. I was missing about 3 days of work per week, gained 20 lbs (but was forcing myself to exercise more to stave off depression) and had no motivation for anything. I didn't even want to leave my house. I was crying all the time and just felt like my life had no purpose. But it never occurred to me that the budeprion xl might not be working because I have taken other generics before and they were fine. Instead I spent the next six months hopping from specialist to specialist to try to figure out what was wrong. I was even told I might have breast cancer! Then about 2 weeks ago my friend, who had been taking Wellbutrin XL but stopped because she didn't need to anymore, gave me her leftover BRAND NAME WELLBUTRIN XL prescription pills (not the right thing to do, I know, but she was trying to save me money). I started taking them when my month's supply of budeprion xl ran out and--I am not kidding--withing THREE DAYS I felt like my old happy healthy self again. My appetite decreased, I had a ton of energy, and everyone was commenting on how happy I seemed. I have not missed a day of work since then either. BUDEPRION XL MUST BE TAKEN OFF THE MARKET. I never had problems with generics before but from my experience and everyone else on this web site, it obviously DOES NOT WORK. Do not let your doctor give you the generic--you will feel terrible!

I just startred back on Wellbutrin XL only to find I'd been given the generic Budeprion. I was happy to get a generic, as it's nice to save money, but there's nothing nice about this. I have terrible headaches everyday. My stomach is terrible. I have chronic indigestion. I am reaping no benefits at all. I'm edgy, whereas I wasn't before. It's crazy! This crap needs to be banned!!

I have been on Zoloft for 8 years and it has changed my life for the better. Two months ago I was automatically switched to the generic version (IC Sertraline HCL.) Within two - three weeks I started feeling extremely depressed and now experience frequent panic attacks. It is as though I am not even on an antidepressant. I tried to convince myself that it was not b/c I switched to the generic version of Zoloft...but nothing in my life has changed except this prescription. After finding this site and reading others experience with generic versions of SSR's I am convinced genric Zoloft is non-effective. Thank you for all who have shared their stories...I am calling my Dr. to switch back to Zoloft.

Can I tell you all how glad I am I found this site. I am sitting in the dark, crying for no apparent reason. But, the more I cry, the better I feel..so I just keep crying. It occurred to me that I havent done this in a while. Among many other things...I'm a COMEDY WRITER for crying outloud!!!!

I JUST called CVS...at 3:35am...to have the my NON-GENERIC Wellbutrin XR filled so that I can pick it up first thing in the morning. Of course I thought the generic would be just as good...and it was only $8.00. Well, I saved $15...but I have been sitting in the dark listening to the saddest sad songs I could find for two nights in a row! I've had Mariah Carey's "Outside" on repeat for the last 20 mins. I'm clearly not sleeping anytime soon, so let me find a link to the lyrics so you can see what I'm dealing with...
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/mariah-carey/outside.html

RANDOM!

I've been on XR for at least 5 years. I tried the generic SR and that didnt work, so I dont know why I was dumb enough to thing the XR would be any different. I am, for all intensive and practical purposes...USELESS...and have been for the past three weeks. Looking back on it now...I've had a perfect "Text Book" depression since I switched medications.

My house is a wreck. One of my friends called to ask me to go out, and I told her I needed to stay in and clean a bit because I was afraid the people from DHEC were going to come put yellow caution tape around my kitchen. I told her that my house looked like I was depressed. I KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE! It looks like I came home after barely making it through the day at work, and sat in one spot until it was time to go to bed! Just about every dish, spoon, knife, fork, etc. I own is in the sink waiting to go in the dishwasher. I just couldnt be bothered with any of it.

In addition to that...I have made some really 'questionable decisions' at work lately. When I think about it now...I think that I was just being paranoid...and maybe everyone in my department WASN'T plotting against me. And...I REALLY lashed out at this chick at work (and questioned her mother's...and grandmother's parenting skills) because she was clicking her gum. Granted, she should know better...but I'm not the world police.

Taking this medication has been the closest thing I can think of to PMS. Ladies...you know how you see that commercial where the dad is dancing at his daughter's wedding...and you start crying...and you don't realize until 18 hours later...while you are crying from an episode of NCIS...that it's PMS. THAT'S what this has been like for me. I thought I was loosing it. I am guessing you might be able to tell that by the fact that I am typing at about 85WPM...and have decided not to edit the stream of thought...just so everyone could see what this PLACEBO has done to me in three small weeks!

I really think this is dangerous. I think someone somewhere should say something about this...because if tens of thousands of people just got switched to generic instead of the normal XR...I cant imagine that all of them realize that they are nervous wrecks...and this so called 'just as good medication' is the reason. It seems sooooo irresponsible that drug companies can be allowed to make these claims when they are clearly UNTRUE. Everyone on this message board is taking that same gigantic worthless yellow pill that I am taking...and we are all having the same problems! Is anyone paying attention!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE listening to music. It's the one thing that can put me in a 'better mood'. For the past three days, I've been skipping all of the remotely happy songs...because I was not in the mood for them...but I've been avoiding the sad songs...because I'm not sure I can deal with them! "When Sunny Gets Blue" is me right now. I am SOOOOO glad I found this site...and that I'm not crazy!!!
Maybe I will get to sleep before Tuesday...so by Thursday, I can have a normal day again.

I will be at the pharmacy FIRST THING in the morning to get my regular prescription.

I hope...hope and pray that this generic gets taken off the market. I could just as well have taken Flintstone Vitamins.

Thanks for listening...Best of luck to you all. SPEND THE MONEY FOR THE NON-GENERIC!!!!
Just pretend your life depended on it...Mine apparently does.

For EVERYONE who hasn't had to go through this...would everyone on this site copy and paste their complaint on the FDA's website??? It only takes a second...and it might save a life...literally. These idiots don't pay attention to ANYTHING until a few hundred thousand people die. After that, they MAY "add more stringent packaging requirements with BOLD LETTERS". At least we can say we tried. The e-mails we send will probably end up on the desk of an intern whose only there for the summer...but you never know! The drug companies will not let this drug 'go'. It is up to us to talk about it...and give it a 'bad reputation' so that everyone knows!

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html

SK!

I also had a terrible experience with generic Wellbutrin. Back on brand for $145 at Walgreens but immediately feel better. I am going to tell my Dr, the pharmacists and anyone else I can this needs fed investigation.

I have been successfully taking Wellbutrin XL for about 5 years. Around the middle of March, my mail-order pharmacy changed my prescription to the generic bupropion hcl by IMPAX (Teva). Although I was immediately nauseated by the smell of the pill, I did not anticipate any other problems. All of the symptoms of my depression returned--sadness, hopelessness, lethargy, slow digestion and reflux, weakness, weight gain. Typical of depression, I blamed myself for the problems. When I read in the newspaper about other people having similar experiences, I immediately notified my doctor. After a complete physical, my doctor wrote another precription indicating "brand name medically necessary." I am slowly beginnning to feel better, but now, once again, I must start over on my exercise program, lose the weight I gained, and get the relux under control. In addition, I am waiting over the July 4th holiday for the results of my breast biopsy that I had on Monday. Is there a connection with the generic?

My husband experienced similar problems when he began taking the generic, and he blamed it on his job. Even when his doctor indicated "name brand medically necessary" on a new script, the online pharmacy still sent the generic. When he questioned the pharmacy about their mistake, they sent the name brand for 5 times the price of the generic, but they refused to give us a refund for the generic.

I have been taking brand name Toprol XL for quite some time without any problems. Last week, I ran out and my doctor phoned in the refil for a generic prescription. I received Metoprolol ER. I took it for 7 days - this is absolutely NOT the same. I have a blood pressure cuff wich records my last 100 readings. During about the first 12 hours after taking it, my blood pressure was way too low. During about the last 12 hours, my blood pressure was much higher than it ever was. I am on my way now to pick up a new prescription for the brand name, at an additional cost to me, of course.

I had to switch from Celexa to the generic, which did not work well. My pharmacist said to report this to my doctor, as he had heard the same complaint from other people. My doctor upped my dosage to see if that would help and for economic reasons I've stayed with the generic. I think this has slowed down my recovery.

I was not going to add my experience to the long list of those who had difficulty with the generic form of Wellbrutin XL, but my boyfriend said it was important for you to hear all of our stories. I too got switched to the generic and it was one month of hell. My world crashed and suicide began to feel inevitable. Fortunately, between my psychologist and my clinical nurse specialist, we determined that the issue may have been the generic drug. Within 3 days of returning to Wellbrutin XL, my life was returned to me. This was a VERY scary experience! I now have to pay $45/month instead of $10/month, but I really don't have a choice. I feel that this particular generic is dangerous!

I also have been on Ambien for nearly a decade. And I thought that the generic would be the same as the original. But it is not -- I have a minimum of 2 hours of sleep and then I wake up. So I am now taking 2 pills a night and still don't feel rested. I will be calling my doctor Monday AM after reading all the other comments. I was told by my doctor last month that if you get Ambien CR and crush or break it -- it works the same as the regular. For those of us who need to buy it with our health insurance, because my policy no longer allows me to buy the non-generic version.

It is a big relief to know that the cause of my recent irrational behavior and lack of energy is because of being changed to Budeprion xl! I have suffered from depression for many years and always did very well on Wellbutrin. My story is the same as so many others, my Insurance switched me to the generic and my symptoms of depression have returned with a vengeance! I have not talked to my doctor or Insurance Co. yet but will do so immediately! The generic version is NOT the same! It should all be flushed down the toilet!

I'll add my experience to the long list of generic Wellbutrin nightmares. I've never given my input on the internet, but Budeprion seriously needs to be investigated! Because of family history, and the genes I inherited from my grandmother (thanks!), I need to be on an antidepressant for life. I started with Zoloft about 5 years ago, but didn't like the sexual side effects.

My doctor switched me to Wellbutrin XL, which I've been on for about 3 years, and like everyone else, it's worked wonders. I've always taken generic medications, and they've always worked fine (mostly antibiotics). So when my pharmacy gave me Budeprion XL 3 months ago instead of Wellbutrin XL, I thought nothing of it.

Within the first week, all of my symptoms, and then some, came back. At first I passed it off as worse-than-usual PMS, but when the symptoms got worse instead of going away, I knew something was up. By the end of the month's prescription, I was extremely moody and irritable, couldn't sleep, couldn't think or communicate rationally, was gaining weight despite eating less, had absolutely no interest in my husband or children, felt completely overwhelmed by even the slightest thing, and felt like I was emotionally and mentally being sucked into a black hole. I wanted nothing more than to physically crawl into that black hole.

I had problems before starting antidepressants, but I never FELT this bad! I could hardly get myself off the couch or out of bed, and I had to force myself to eat. Whenever my family (gently) asked if I was feeling okay, or if they could help, all I could do was lock myself in the bathroom, lie down and curl up on the floor in a corner, and cry.

I had never given serious thought to suicide before taking Budeprion, even during my worst episodes as a teenager. But by the end of the month of taking this medication, suicide was starting to look like a good way to escape this nightmare. Thank God I hadn't yet got to the point where I could actually do something so selfish.

My next refill was the name brand Wellbutrin again, without my requesting it, which puzzled me, but I didn't care enough at that point to ask why. Within 2 weeks of taking the Wellbutrin again I realized I was having no more thoughts of suicide, had my appetite back, was sleeping better, thinking clearer, and just generally felt SO much better. My kids said they felt like they had their mommy back. The following month's refill was Wellbutrin again, but I forgot to ask the pharmacist why I was given the generic that one time.

Yesterday I picked up this month's refill, didn't check it until I got home, and (yikes!) it's Budeprion!! There's NO WAY I'm taking that stuff again! The pharmacy is closed today (Sunday), so I'd rather skip a couple doses and get the real thing on Monday. I don't think they'll switch it out, even though I didn't open it, so I'll probably end up paying the full price out-of-pocket. But I don't care; I need something that works, not something that exacerbates the condition!

I think this is serious and widespread enough of a problem that Budeprion should be taken off the market until the FDA figures out why it isn't working. Out of the HUNDREDS of posts I've read regarding this med, only ONE person stated that it worked for her. I feel strongly enough about this to start contacting people and get something done; I urge others to do the same. The more people who cause a commotion, the more likely it will get proper attention. The FDA needs to take a closer look at this stuff before someone pays the ultimate price because the insurance company wants to save a few bucks.

If anyone reads this before they've taken the generic for Wellbutrin, PLEASE consider the experiences of many others. Until the generic is changed to something safe and equivalent to Wellbutrin, have your doctor insist on the name brand for this prescription - no substitutions! It would be better to take nothing at all than to take something that will likely make you feel worse. This stuff is dangerous; don't risk it. For the sake of saving some money, it could cost you your life. What's your priority?

I'm reading all of these comments concerning the generic version of Wellbutrin XL and I've experienced the very same side effects: sudden weight gain, nauseau, migraines, anxiety, excessive sweating,and severe depression. This is really scary! Please pass this on to the FDA or to anyone who can get Bupropion off the market ASAP!!!

What a relief to read about the problems with generic Wellbutrin. I thought something was wrong with me. I have used Wellbutrin for a number of years with good results.

Since changing to the generic several months ago, I have noticed many of the same syptoms as others have mentioned. My sleep is disturbed, I have gained a lot of weight, and quickly. I am always hungry. I have become very irritable and short tempered - almost aggressive. I had a stressful situation to manage, and I became an emotional wreck over it - beyond what is normal and what I would have experienced before being switched to the generic. I have lost initiative at home and at work. The thought of exercising seems out of reach.

I am going to switch back to Wellbutrin asap. I'm only sorry I didn't put the pieces together before the damage was done.

Even within generic brands themselves there can be difficulties. When I was originally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my doctor at the time prescribed Trazodone for sleep disturbance. The drug didn't work at all, so I stopped taking it.

Several years later, a different doctor re-prescribed Trazodone. I told him about the problems I'd had the first time; he urged me to give it another try. I noticed the pills were different in size, and had different markings, from the pills I'd had the first time around. This time, the pills worked great! I fell asleep quickly, stayed asleep, and woke up feeling refreshed and not lethargic and painful.

I recently switched mail order pharmacies due to a change in health insurance. The new pharmacy refilled the Trazodone with the original pills I'd had all those years ago. I've emailed them to ask about switching me back to the generic I'd been taking, which worked, as opposed to these other generic pills, which don't. I'm still waiting to hear back from them.

I'm currently reading a fascinating book, "Inside the FDA". Apparently generics aren't held to the same testing standards brand-name drugs are, which would certainly go a long way towards explaining why sometimes the brand name really is better.

One more comment about Wellbutrin--the doctor who originally prescribed the non-effective Trazodone pills had also prescribed both Wellbutrin and Neurontin for me, even though he knew I have a history of seizures and I've had multiple brain surgeries. When I told that to the doctor who eventually prescribed the effective form of Trazodone, he literally did a double take in his chair. Needless to say, I no longer take either Wellbutrin or Neurontin--I weaned myself off of both drugs after I complained to the first physician that I felt sick on the Neurontin, and his suggestion was to take *more*!

I had taken Celexa for years as well as a generic version. When I was switched to a different generic version, it did not work at all causing much distress.

I also had a horrible experience when my pharamcy switched me to the generic wellbutrin (BUDIPERON) earlier this year when it became available. I never thought twice taking about generic drugs and believed them to be true equivalents and I've never had a problem. But this BUDIPERON is NOT the same.

I had serious depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation like I've never had before. I had alot of muscular tension and strange ticks developed around my left eye.

Like i said, I never questioned generics before so it took several miserable weeks before it occured to me that it might be the BUDIPERON. I told my doctor who wasn't aware of the switch and he immediately called the pharmacy and insisted they give me the name brand. Shortly after returning to the real wellbutrin the bizzare and frightening syptoms went away.

There is no doubt in my mind that BUDIPERON was the cause of the severe worsening of my depression. It should never have been allowed on the market and shoould be banned immediately.

It seems so many people have refused to use Budeprion that the sales are taking a noticible hit.

"Wellbutrin XL. Generic product sales to Teva Pharmaceuticals were less than expected during the second quarter and are tracking well below underlying prescription trends for the primary products in this portfolio. Biovail is working with Teva Pharmaceuticals to better understand this inconsistency and resolve the situation expeditiously."

Gee, do you think the disappointng sales have anything to do with a terrible product? I hope they lose a lot of money for the hell they put so many of us through. At least word is finally getting out about this toxic mimc.

I am having the same problems with Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. I was put on it 3 years ago because my husband and all 3 children got diagnosed with a disabling illness. It was too much for me to deal with and needed help.

OMG! Wellbutrin was wonderful. Since my husband hasn't worked for 3 years (fighting Social Security - another reason for the meds) we are on Medicaid.

On the first of this year my insurance switched to generic. I had surgery on my ankle on Jan. 9 and didn't walk or do anything for 4 months. My depression came back but this time it was worse. I had weight gain, mood swings, anxiety, tired all the time, got none of my house work done, etc. I thought it was all from the surgery and being shut up for 4 months in the winter. But I have noticed that even now that it's summer and I can get out now, I haven't gotten any better. I asked my MD yesterday to up my Wellbutrin because it didn't seem to work anymore. He gave me a script for xanax and told me to try that.

I am so glad I came across this site because I thought I was going crazy. Now I am going to call my MD ASAP and try to get back on the name brand. I'm just not sure that Medicaid will pay for it. If it doesn't, I guess I will have to ask my parents to help pay for it because I can't take the generic any more. It's ruining my life and my family's life.

I have been on Wellbutrin XL300 for over 3 years with great results. My mailorder pharmacy changed me to Teva bupropion HCL XL 300mg on my last prescription. I have been on Impax (Teva) buproprion for 45 days.

Approx 30 days ago I started to experience significant depression, hopelessness, cramps in my legs and ringing in my ears. I have also had fatigue, excessive sleeping and increased appetite. Three weeks ago I experienced vaginal bleeding (I am in menopause) and my gynocologist ordered a uterine biopsy which is negative. I did a web search and have found that my symptoms can be associated with bupropion. I did not experience any of these symptoms with Wellbutrin XL 300.

As of yesterday I am back on Wellbutrin XL 300. I am mailing my prescription to my mailorder pharmacy today with my Dr.'s direction that they cannot subsitute generic. Has anyone else had any cramping, ear ringing, vaginal bleeding or other symptoms in addition to the return of depression, hopelessness, fatigue and weight gain? This site has helped validate that the issues are not "in my head". Thanks

I too am very happy to have discovered this website. I am curious as to other people having similar problems with a generic (TEVA) form of oxycodone 80mg ER.

I have had a series of back surgeries over the past 12 years with another one coming up this fall. As a result, I am in constant unbearable pain. Having been through every form of physical therapy, traction, massage, accupuncture etc...medication management is the only thing that ofers a certain degree of relief. Over the years I have been prescribed every possible medication. None offers the degree of relief that Oxycontin has. Here's where the "problem" begins.

Originally the patent held by Purdue Pharm was still in effect, thereby guaranteeing all Rx's were filled Brand name. Eventually, the patent expired whereas my insurance carrier would only cover the generic equivalent. This was fine! For about two (2) years the generic was manufactured by "watson" I am not a chemist/pharmacist but that (watson) generic was the same as brand. No diference.

Unfortunately, about four months ago I was informed by my pharmacy that a new vendor would be taking over (TEVA) and that there shouldn't be any difference...WRONG!!!... The first thing wrong was that in my 1st fill (80mg ER/120 tablets per month) many of the oblong shaped pills were broken. It clearly states on the label that at no time should one injest any tablet that is broken. It further states that it could be fatal to do so as a large amount could hit your body at once defeating the time release mechanism. I reported this to the drug Store. They told me there was nothing they could do. They said to dispose of the broken tablets. There was 5 of them.

I also noticed that the tablets did NOT seem to offer the same amount of relief. They seemed weaker. The next refill was for two (2) months. A total of 240 tablets. I double checked them at the pharmacy. No broken tabs...BUT...after 40 or so days into the Rx, I noticed that several had become fractured, perhaps from simply picking the container up 2x daily? Again, I do believe this brand is not as effective as watson or Purdue.

If anyone has experienced the same with TEVA oxycodone, please let me know, or just write a note in this forum. THANK YOU: GARY

ps: I have called al the local pharmacies in Buffalo NY...apparently TEVA is the exclusive brand of choice

Thank God I read tonight's paper and read the Wellbutrin article. I've been on Wellbutrin XL for 5 years since my daughter's death. About 3 months ago, I noticed too, that it was generic. I, too questioned my MD who assured me it was the same, so I took it.

What I feel now, is absolutely awful. I too, started gaining weight for no reason, but I didn't have the energy to exercise. I can't even leave the house except to babysit my beautiful granddaughters and lately, more than enjoy them, they've been getting on my nerves. I haven't been to the cemetary, and I always used to go there to plant her flowers and keep her grave up. I don't even want to do anything I used to find at least somewhat enjoyable. I eat very little, I don't even get off the couch anymore unless I have to. I cry, I won't even talk on the phone. My daughter called me too, after she read the article and asked me if I wrote it. I too, just was hoping a bus would run me over, I don't care right now about anything.

I told my therapist today, if you wire my emotions, they would be flatlined, I have none, don't care about anything or anyone. I am so glad you all wrote, you don't know how you have all relieved my mind. I thought it was just me. I told my daughter this morning if I continue to feel this way, I want to just die.

Thankyou to People's Pharmacy. My late daughter's birthday is next week and it's almost like she wanted me to see this, maybe now I can get off this horrible stuff and feel better about life again.....

I was taking the Brand Prozac for clinnical depression for years. Once it became available, my insurance companies would pay for the generic verson. I have tried various manufacturer's products of the generic equivalent and each time, my depression became out of control.

The last time I tried it I had to increase the dosage of the genric to get the same results of the brand named product. I am convinced that there is definitly a differnce in the brand vs. generic. Usually insurance cos will prior authorize the brand name product but my insurance through the state of WI makes it very difficult to get a prior authorzation for a a drug that is available as a generic.

Thank God I found the article and other comments regarding Budeprion XL. I started on Wellbutrin XL 150 about 2 months ago and was raised to 300 about a week later. When I went for my refill 2 weeks ago, the pharmacy had used Budeprion XL 300. I hesitated and almost had them redo it with the brand name, but didn't want to wait. Now I've spent the last 9 days trying to figure out why I am so nauseous, having headaches and my leg muscles are twitching. It looks like the culprit is the generic drug! Luckily I met with my doctor today and she gave me a new prescription to get another 2 months filled, so I will insist on having the brand name.

I have been on Synthroid for 12 years and recently through insurance change opted on my own to try a generic thyroid drug. (forgot name) Over a period of a year and a half, my dose was increased 4 times!! I was going through alot of stress with a house build and trying to sell a house, and through it all I started having issues with anxiety. Contributing it to stress, I just treated the stress and moved on.

I wound up in the ER one evening over the stress and they told me my thyroid was off again!! After yet another increase in dosage, 3 months go by and come to find out I was over stimulated with thyroid hormone!! I made the connection, got back on regular Synthroid (back to the original dose before generic started) and after 3 blood tests, I am fine.

I am thinking the inconsistancy of my drug maybe caused me to experience anxiety. I have never had a problem with stress or anxiety. Then again, I have never built a house before!! Things are fine now, I am feeling good, no anxiety, and NO GENERIC THYROID MEDS!!!

Approximately 5-6 months ago, the company that I get my RX from informed me that would no longer cover Paxil CR (which I have been on for 4 yrs) I switched to the generic form Paroxetine and have been feeling the way I used to prior to taking the antidepressant.

I thought I just needed something stronger until I read your column July 10th! I too have painful menstration and had to be put on birth control to help the pain. I never had this problem. I've been sad, withdrawn and my face has broken out since.

While taking Paxil CR 20 mg, I never felt this way nor experineced any problems with acne, or especially the menstration issues. My doctor told me there is no real difference between generic and name brand medications but I DO NOT believe him.

GENERIC DRUGS ARE ABSOLUTELY INFERIOR!! Assertions that generic drugs are just as good are outright lies! Just read the responses here.

Generic drugs must prove the quantity of active ingredient, but there are many other factors that affect a drugs quality. The initial FDA approval is difficult, so brand name companies make the best possible product to get approval. Generics aim for the minimum standards, and you can be sure that anything that is not explicitly required is ignored.

First, we must be concerned with contaminants from incomplete reaction products. Any chemist knows that there are many side reactions, and the effect of this mix of chemical contaminants is ignored.

Second, most drugs are purified into crystalline form. Unfortunately, there are often multiple crystal forms for a given chemical, with different properties that can drastically effect absorption.

Third, generic drugs use cheap fillers, which can also affect absorption accuracy, and can cause other side effects. My wife gets allergic reactions to nearly every generic drug, which we think is due to cheap fillers, but she has only had one such reaction to a brand name drug.

I know that generic drugs can be seriously inferior to brand name drugs. Instead of a political lobby like the Generic Pharmaceutical Association trying to push bad drugs, we need more research into why generic drugs are crap, so that we can work to have good generic drugs.

What I would like to see is brand name "generics". Just because they are not the original company doesn't mean we should limit them to being called generic. A given person may have problems (i.e. allergies) with one brand of generic drugs but not another. A user should be able to pick a good brand of 'generic'. This might also help promote better quality from generic drug makers.

Wow, I thought it was just ME! I started taking Zoloft 7 years ago and felt sooooo much better, it was like night and day. A month or so back, I noticed I was grinding my teeth at night and clenching my jaw during the day. Then I noticed - due to the massive price drop! - that my Zoloft had been replaced. I upped the dose to 2x day instead of once and the symptoms subsided. Am now back to my lower dose, but really don't feel as if it's doing anything. Guess it's time for this uninsured person to get back to the MD, huh?

I have been taking Lotrel for a couple of years and it effectively lowers my BP. This last month, I was given the new generic for it: amlodip-benazepril. Now I not only get headaches but my BP is higher than ever before even without medication.

I HAVE BEEN TAKING PROLIXIN FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS FOR TENSION HEADACHES. THE PATENT HAS EXPIRED ON THE ORIGINAL AND NOW IS ONLY AVAILABLE AS A GENERIC. I HAVE TRIED NOT 1 BUT 3 DIFFERENT GENERICS AND CANNOT GET THE SAME RESULTS AS I DID WITH THE ORIGINAL. IF I TAKE EXTRA DOSAGES OF THE GENERIC, I WILL GET SOME RELIEF, BUT I WILL SUFFER SOME SIDE EFFECTS.

I used Wellbutrin successfully for years and was, in fact, one of the testers before it even came onto the market. Later on, my insurance plan called for a generic bupropion.

The pharmacy gave me the one from Eon Labs, which I did fine with for years. Lasst year, I had to switch pharmacies due to a change in work hours and when I went to pick up the first refill from the new place, I noticed the tablet was not the usual mauve-taupe color but white. I asked about it, and they said this one was the same thing, only from Watson Labs instead of Eon.

Well, folks, I spiraled downward into the worst depression since the time I was taking no pill at all. FINALLY I figured out it was the generic from Watson and reported it to my doctor. My pharmacy agreed to order the generic from Eon that had worked well for me, and within three days of taking the old standby I was headed back on track.

ALL GENERICS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. It may be one thing to take a generic for some minor issue, but generics that are not using the correct amount of potent ingredients, or are using the wrong mix of potent ingredients, for maladies that can lead to suicidal thoughts should not be allowed on the market.

I have been on Zoloft since 1998 for Obsessive Complusive Disorder. It took a long time to get my dosing right to reduce my symptoms. I was excited to hear that there was a generic coming out because my co-pay would be much lower. I have never had problems with generic drugs so I did not anticipate any problems.

I was on the generic for about a week when I felt an increase in my anxiety. I did not relate this to the medication and thought it was part of my disorder. I was on the generic for two months and felt I was sliding back into a mental crisis. I had severe anxiety, restlessnes and an increase in obsessive compulsive symptoms. Feelings that I had hoped I would never have to experience again.

I'm not sure why but I considered maybe it was the generic medicine. I spoke with my daughter who is also on Zoloft and she told me she was having the same problems since she started taking the generic for Zoloft. I went to the pharmacy and told them I NEEDED the brand name medication. I got some strange looks but they ordered the name brand for me. (They no longer kept it in stock) I felt I was about to lose my mind.

My daughter and I have both been back on the name brand Zoloft and have had a thankful return to reduced symptoms. I can not emphasize the danger this generic must pose to many patients. Especially those who may be too depressed to recognize the source of the problem. I was fortunate to have a doctor who believed me and a daughter to discuss my suspicions of the generic with.

Generics that are not exactly the same as the name brand can not be tolerated. People's lives are stake. I can't believe the mental decline I went through trusting I was getting the same medication I needed.

At present I am on generic Wellbutrin and am angry with my insurance company for filling the prescription with generic rather than the real drug. This is the second time this has occurred and I am now stuck with 3 months supply of this inferior version of Wellbutrin.

This past Sunday's article in my newspaper made me realize I wasn't crazy!

I stopped taking Wellbutrin during my second pregnancy in 2004 and after my son was born, I was happy to learn that the Wellbutrin I had been taking was available in a generic. I was taking Wellbutrin SR, not XL. In about 4 months, I asked my doctor to increase the amount of Wellbutrin I was taking because I was having a hard time dealing with the stress of what I thought was "the holidays."

Things seemed fine until last September when the drug store filling my prescription switched to a different generic. I had been sad more, quick to blow up and lose my cool...things that had subsided while taking Wellbutrin.

I didn't realize that all generics weren't the same until I read one of the articles in the People's Pharmacy. That was when I began to see the pattern. I continue to take Bupropion SR twice a day, and the negative effects have seemed to subside (maybe my body accustomed itself to it), but I will be certain to watch for changes and quick to request a change back to Wellbutrin.

I took Welbutrin XL for depression with great results for several years. Then my insurance company switched to the generic. I started having mild anxiety that finally developed into full blown anxiety and crying spells. I didn't make the connection for a while, but eventually went back on the brand at my doctor's suggestion. Although I got better very soon after switching back to the brand, it took about two months before the anxiety and crying spells stopped completely.

Generic of Zoloft (Sertraline - Greenstone) doesn't seem to be working for me, either. After taking it for a few months, I requested brand name Zoloft. (I have to pay through the nose for it, of course, as my insurance pays less toward it.) I was back on the Zoloft for one month when I ran out and decided to try using up some of the old Sertraline (Greenstone) I had, but again I don't feel it is working and plan to order the brand name tomorrow. In addition to feeling all those "old familiar" feelings of being overwhelmed and irritable, I also experience unusual dizziness, nausea, and headaches -- which I think is suggestive of withdrawal.

Just wanted to add my recent experience to this growing list of horrible results of taking the generic Bupropion HCL rather than the brand Wellbutrin XL. I had been stabilized for my depression on 300mg q day since 2004. My last mail order prescription was filled with the generic at the end of April. Within 2 weeks my depression was back in full force with the addition of paralyzing anxiety and agitation. I had NEVER had a panic attack and now had to take Xanax to make it through many days (At my yearly MD checkup I was so visibly anxious, my GP suggested it. I had never taken any kind of sedative before).

In the 2 months I took the generic, I lost 15 pounds. I had to force myself to eat. The early morning awakenings and night sweats happened almost every day. I was miserable & even began cutting my arms for the first time @ 37 because I was in so much agony. I went to my GP and started going to a new therapist because I thought I was really losing it. Then it hit me...could it be the generic? I immediately went and counted how many pills of the generic that I had taken and it was 77, basically coinciding with my descent into the abyss.

I asked both my GP and my therapist if they thought this could be the reason. My therapist had been thinking that the Wellbutrin "pooped" out and just wasn't working anymore for me and was suggesting that I might need to switch to another med (back to a SSRI which I had taken before and hated because of SE and it wasn't that effective in treating my symptoms). Then when I told her I had been taking the generic for the past 2 months, she changed her plan. She suggested that I go immediately back on brand and see how I felt.

Well, I have only had 6 brand doses of Wellbutrin XL 300mg and I am completely stable again. I feel like it is CRIMINAL that I had to experience a relapse complete with panic attacks and suicidal thoughts due to perceived cost savings! What will happen when someone kills themselves and their families sue the makers of the generic...where is the cost savings then! I am very fortunate that my insurance will cover the brand for a higher copay. I am outraged to read that some insurers refuse to pay for brand, this has to be changed! I encourage anyone who even thinks the generic could be a contributing factor to their decline, to go back on the brand immediately! There is no need to suffer even one more day. Wellbutrin XL is an amazing medication that has helped so many, it's reputation is being damaged by this generic! Kind regards, J

I have been suffering with a depression and had this problem 6 years ago and was on Welbutrin. When this reoccured recently my doctor ordered Welbutrin and the pharmacy gave me the generic budeprion. I kept wondering why my moods were fluctuating. I have episodic interupted sleep, carbohydrate cravings, continued depression and weight gain and increases memory disbubance. The generic definitely does not work for me. My doctor has asked that I be given the brand Welbutrin and my pharmacist is in the process od finding out whether my insurance company will okay it. Michael Moore keep up the good work!

Since switching from Wellbutrin XL (300mg) to Budeprion I have noticed the following symptoms: migraine headaches, weight gain, and low energy. Prior to this, I was feeling great taking Wellbutrin XL. Unfortunately, my insurance will only cover the generic version.

I was given generic Ambien and it DID NOT WORK--I thought it was just my imagination (and still being awake at 1am) that made me think it wasn't as effective. After reading these comments, I know it's not just me!

A new insurance company switched me from Wellbutrin 300MG XL to Budeprion 300MG XL. Within 2 weeks I was experiencing shortness of breath, feelings of nausea and fainting, hallucinations, lack of energy and motivation. It finally occurred to me that my generic might be causing the trouble.

I asked that my doc switch me to brand necessary Wellbutrin. Within 2 days I noticed a huge difference. Whether some alternate filler is used in the generic that didn't agree with me, or I might have been metabolizing the generic at a slower rate with increasingly bad side effects or what -- I don't know, but this seriously affected my well being for several months. Please ban this generic or warn users that this drug may react differently for them than Wellbutrin.

Hi Joe and Terri! Here's my story. A few years ago my endocrinologist prescribed Synthroid to treat my hypothyroidism. Prior to taking the medication, my TSH levels tested at about 7.5. My doctor recommended that my TSH levels should ideally be at levels between 1.5 and 2.5 in order for me to keep from becoming symptomatic. For about a year or so, we gradually increased my Synthroid dosage to keep my TSH levels in the desired range.

While my doctor recommended that I stay on brand when the dosage was increased from .88mg to 1.0 mg, I requested to try the generic form of Synthroid (levothyroxine) because the copay was half the cost (and ultimately became a no-pay co-pay). Over the next several months I noticed that I was once again very fatigued and some of the other symptoms of hypothyroidism were reappearing. When I got my bloodwork checked again, my TSH levels had shot up to 4.5, even though I was on a higher dosage of the generic than I had been on the name brand!

I told my doctor that I wanted to go back on brand, and the problem was solved. Ever since I have been back on the name brand of Synthroid, my TSH levels have remained in check and I am not experiencing the negative symptoms of hypothyroidism. I will never go back on the generic version again!

Hi, I'm an FDA employee in the Office of Generic Drugs so I cannot possibly leave my name on this site.

First, no one in my office knows of my mental health issues, plus, for obvious reasons, I can't make my name public, but I can say that we do work very very hard to ensure that we approve safe, effective drugs. We are thorough, diligent, and extremely careful with all the data we handle. That being said, I know that there are bound to be isolated problems out there. Unfortunately I have come across two on my own.

My problems have been with:
generic budeprion (Teva)
generic clonazepam (Purepac)

Recently my insurance changed and I now get the manufacturer Wellbutrin, but I still get the non-working clonazepam despite my protests. I have a small amount of Klonopin and I break the pills apart to make that bottle last until I figure out what to do. Luckily Klonopin is not terribly expensive so I may just start buying it on my own.

I just read the comment from "anonymous" concerning generic Rx for Klonopin; "Anonymous states that the generic is not working!

My sister had to switch to generic Klonopin and ended up with a seizure that lasted at LEAST 5 hours(that I counted);

In the ER it took three people to hold her down and get her IV started! I watched her whole body jerk; her eyes were wide open and it was horrid!

When I told the medical person on staff in the ER that my sister's Psychiatrist demanded that all his patients use BRAND NAME prescriptions ONLY, she seemed incredulous! I told the Nurse that my sister had (more than once) warned me that if she ever had to go on GENERIC Klonopin she might end up in the hospital, AGAIN, as she had tried before (financial reasons). The nurse insisted that being on the generic Klonopin was NOT the cause, as all generics are "The same in every way"; my sister warned me and she (my sister) was right; the generic did not work. Those seizures were the worst thing I have ever seen. Her whole body shook and shook.
Sheila Henderson

I started taking bupropion hcl a few months ago and my life has been a wreck. I was way better off before i took this stuff. I cant stop crying, feel unmotivated and suicidal and angry. I dont understand what is happening to me. I am stopping this poison asap.

I had been on the orginal Ambien for a number of years and had no problems with the medication. When I picked up my latest refill at CVS I was given the generic Zolpidem, manf. by TEVA. My copay was the same as Ambien $50.00 for a 30 day supply, and I was not told I was getting a generic. I started to have chest pains, pressure feeling around my heart, when I went to work out my starting heart rate has been 85 or higher, before taking this generic brand I had to work to get my heart rate up to 80. There is something seriously wrong with this medication. I do intend to see my family doctor today and have BP and heartrate checked, as well as blood work done to see if this medication has caused any other damage.

I just called my MD to ask about being switched back to name-brand Zoloft. I've been feeling more lethargic since being switched to sertraline, and also have a MUCH greater problem with excessive perspiration. Maybe it's due to my changed work schedule, but now that I know others have having problems, I'm beginning to wonder.

I have alway been sensitive to mediactions but my experiences with generics have been a mix of scary and life-threatening. As an asthmatic at one point they gave me generic abuterol puffer - one puff didn't do anything at all and two was an overdose. I was also doing well on Wellbutrin SR. We tried XL whern it came out but decided that SR just worked better for me. THen the insurance and pharmacy switched me to Buproprion. Needless to say I could have been taking a sugar pill for all the help it gave. At one point I was taking two other antidepressants with it just to stay up enough to avoid hospitalization. My depression is still severe enough to require 2 antidepressants but since my dr petitioned the insurance company for Wellbutrin SR I was able to drop one and my depression is slowly getting better. The buproprion smelled like vinegar and even tasted of it at times. I opened a Wellbutrin SR so the coating wasn't blockng things and after 2 weeks on the counter it still had no acid smell. Tells me there is something seriously wrong with buproprion.

Back in 1990 I was diagnosed with a chemical imbalance and was given the drug Pamelor 50mg. I have been on this drug ever since and have had no problems. A couple of years ago the medicine's cost tripled to $450 a month. The pharmicist suggested I try the generic form because it was only $15 a month. I tried the generic form of it and within 3 days my anxiety and depression showed up again. I immediately went back on brand name Pamelor and have not had any problems since. I do not believe that generic drugs are the same and I will never use them again. I always request brand name only and have my physician write it on all prescriptions.

I have been a nurse for 27 years & I've given patients alot of medications in my job. Some would tell me about effects of generics & I would think "no way, the companies must offer an exact duplicate" Oh how wrong I was.

I have a heart condition Ive had since I was 16 yrs old. It's a heart rhythm problem, A-fib with rapid ventricular response, PVC's & tacchycardia. So I had been on Cardizem ER 120mg for a long time. Then the insurance company said I had to take the generic brand if it was offerred so I received a purple pill of Diltiazem Hcl 120mg(Inwoo) generic for Tizac & I adjusted to the slight differences in it's performance not too bad. I had a few heart flutters for 3 days then it acclimated to it.

Well then the pharmacy ran out of that generic & substituited it with another generic called Diltiazem hcl 120mg By Purep to replace Cardizem CD, it is a grey capsule. I got it on 2-27-06 & by 2-30-07 I was in the hospital admitted for cardiac instability & I was scared to death, had to undergo some tests like a doputamine stress test with some bubble substance into my veins. The only diffrence in my 30 yrs on calcium channel blocker was that grey pill.

They found no problems except that my calcium channel blocker wasnt doing its job. I went back on the purple generic pill by Inwood & the symptoms again disapeared. I will never accept another generic-generic substitution, it could have put me into a cardiac arrest.

Also in response to Lisa R. posting on Oxycontin generic put out by TEVA. I was on the name brand and had good pain control but with TEVA's I have had breakthough pain & the time release is not as good. It only lasts approx 8 hours instead of 12 hrs, I know when it stops releasing because I start getting withdrawal symptoms like anxiety and nausea, excessive salivation and tearing of my eyes and nasal drainage. So if your on the TEVA the dr may want to consider changing doses from twice a day to three times a day to avoid the symptoms.

Thank you for your site to allow us to share information. Not all drugs are created equally it seems.

I went to this site after hearing about it on one of the morning shows recently. I wanted more information on real medicines vs. generic because I had recently had a horrid experience going to a generic(round and purple)from my other generic (oval and white)form of Wellbutrin.

I had taken the real Wellbutrin successfully for awhile but then I switched to generic to save money. The oval white generics seemed to be working fine for me. But then at refill time the pharmacy switched to the purple brand because that is what they had from their supply source. Same drug, different company they explained. I didn't expect any problems because I had been taking a generic.

Then I began my decline into depression. I was physically sick but thought it was the heat or what I ate or whatever. I had headaches and was hungry constantly. I cried at the news and couldn't let go of sad thoughts. I had to force myself to leave the house. I should have caught it sooner, but didn't. Finally after about a month it dawned on me that it might be the darn purple pills (the three month mail order supply I had in my cupboard). IT WAS!

I am now on the real Wellbutrin XR and am myself again. It cost a bit of a fortune for the new supply, but a most necessary expense. After reading comments of others it was a relief to discover it wasn't just me and/or "all in my head." I am guessing that some and perhaps most generic drugs work for some and perhaps most people. But how effective can that possibly be for our health????

I had been on synthroid for many years with my hypothyroidism well controlled. I switched six months ago to the generic thinking it would be the same medication, just cost less. Over the winter I developed dry skin and hair, gained weight despite not increasing my food intake, was cold all the time and tired. I brushed it off as just being due to winter but things did not improve come spring. I happened on some information that suggested that the generic form might not be as efffective and decided to switch back. Within a few weeks I felt so much better and I had lost all the weight I had gained. I will definitely pay the extra for Synthroid.

I posted to this site in early May and my gosh it has exploded with the problems with the generic Wellbutrin XL. I experienced all the symptoms mentioned in all the other comments. It was awful, I was ready to kill myself. Once I realized it was the that nasty smelling generic drug that was making me feel so bad I asked my doctor for a prescription for the name brand Wellbutrin XL. In two days I started feeling better.

I reported this problem to my doctor, my mail order pharmacy, TEVA Pharmacuietals, the FDA, and anyone who would listen to me. I suggest everyone report it to the FDA. The form has lots of questions but they are not hard to answer. We have victimized by system. Our doctors write prescriptions and the insurance company makes the decision for us, which is the cheapest priced drug. Get the word out, the generic Wellbutrin XL is bad before one of us dies from it, if it hasn't happened already.

FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/medwatch/index.html
TEVA website: http://www.tevapharm.com/

My mother has taken the generic Clonidine for many years to control high blood pressure. She began having problems with spiking blood pressure in early March, but did not associate it with a refill of her prescription obtained from Sam's Club. She ended up in the emergency room on suspicion of stroke when her blood pressure continued to spike out of control, despite best efforts by her cardiologist and nephrologist, and increases in her medication, which had previously been stabile in dosage for many years. She has had probably permanent damage to vision, but thankfully no stroke.

In June she got a new refill from Sams' Club, which had switched from the Mylan generic to another company which used a blister pack for its pills. Her blood pressure went so low after one day of using the new pills that it was dangerous! She cut back over a couple of weeks to her old dosage. Appears that the Mylan generic was to blame. This was reported to the FDA three weeks ago, and still no response at all.

This is a shameful situation.

Thanks to Joe and Terry for this site.

In May 2004 I developed a rash on my lower leg. Nothing at home seemed to cure it so I went to one of my two dermatologist practices that I respect (one covered by my ins and one wasn't). I was given the generic of ultravate cream .05%(I no longer have the generic tube to give more specifics) with diagnosis of eczema. I used it repeatedly for a long time and nothing happened.

Finally, on March 30, 2005, nearly a year later, I went to the second doctor and showed him the rash and my medicine. First the result - he prescribed the brand ultravate cream .05% and after three days the rash was cleared! Now the explanation from the second doctor: Brand name medicine cream production is done in a very controlled setting with very small batches. Generic production can be likened to a giant cement truck with the medicine dumped in, swirled around and the tubes filled. Clearly, I got a tube with no medicine in it. I learned a valuable lesson about dermatological medicines/creams.

In September 2002, after several short occurances of left eye vision losses, I was diagnosed with carotid artery blockage (100% left and 60-70% right). I was placed on Lipitor and 75 mg Plavix daily. Following with routine six month ultrasound and blood tests showed no blockage changes, improved cholesterol levels and no other problems. On 12/6/06 I was switched to the generic for Plavex (CLOPIDOGREL,75mg mfg by APOTEX). On 1/1/07 I was taken to the hospital after an occurance of shaking and passing out. No stroke or other reason was found. During the following two months I had other short cases of weakness and almost passing out. On 3/15/07 I switched back to brand Plavex and to date none of the above problems occurred. I strongly believe that the generic does not give the same protection as Plavex.

I have taken Zocor for several years for high cholesterol and my cholesterol levels were not only within the acceptable range, but good. My insurance company switched me to simvastatin, the generic. My cholesterol started to rise even though nothing else in my life had changed. After 6 months of my cholesterol levels continuing to rise, we (myself and my physician) petitioned the insurance compnay and they agreed to allow me to return to Zocor. The blood results after only three months shows my blood cholesterol level going down. I would have been happy to take the generic if my bloodwork results had been the same.

I’ve been taking Nefazodone ever since the brand (Serzone) came out about 15yrs ago. It is the only thing that works for my severe depression (nausea, migraines, motor skill problems etc.). About 4 years ago my pharmacy switched to the Teva generic. I did not have a problem with this until about a year ago when after a refill I noticed I started getting my old symptoms back and I was getting heart palpitations. By the next refill I was very sick. I was beginning to narrow it down to my generic medicine so I decided to try a different pharmacy chain. It used Teva also (I have later found out that Teva is the only manufacturer of the drug anymore) and I continued to get worse so my Dr tried me on Cymbalta which I tried for about 3 months. Cymbalta did not work for me so I tried another refill of Teva Nefazodone. This refill WORKED! Finally after a couple of weeks my symptoms were a lot better, I was like my old self again. The next couple of refills continued to work then I got another bad one again. Now it is a 50/50 chance I will get a good refill. I have tried talking to the pharmacist, Teva, and the FDA but everyone says I am the only one having this problem.
DRP

I am so glad I found this web site, I was beginning to think that this was all in my head, that I must be going crazy. My insurance company informed me that they wouldn't pay for my name brand Zoloft after 4 years of taking it.

Three weeks ago I switched to generic, and I have not felt right since. I am in a constant state of anxiety and depression, although not a severve form of depression. I find myself worrying all of the time now about all things, big and small. I told my husband last night that I did not think my meds were working because I feel down in the dumps. I can't sleep soundly at night. My head feels "foggy".

And the one thing that I have noticed is that although it initially sounds like a good side effect, my sex drive has been higher in the past couple of weeks, which actually tells me that the drug is NOT working! Not that I don't want the sex drive, but reduced sex drive has always been a side affect with the Zoloft, so it tells me this drug is not getting into my system correctly.

After about a week on the generic, I spent an entire day with the most horrible headache that also included a dizzy, foggy feeling. Could this have been a withdrawal? Plus I have had tension in my body that is so much more than usual. I am going to insist I go back on the name brand Zoloft, because paying a lot less for this generic is not worth feeling this way. GENERICS ARE NOT THE SAME!!!

For some reason my pharmacy has been giving me TEVA Clonazepam. It is not working correctly. I take 0.5 at bedtime and I have to go back to bed around 8 A.M. I take 1/2 of 0.5 around 12 noon and I am very anxious for about four hours....then I have to sleep. It does not matter where I am or what I am doing....I have to sleep for about 20 minutes. I have been taking 0.5 at bedtime and a half in the mornings. I have noticed in the last few refills the TEV after the word tablet.

I have been taking Neurontin for Fibromyalgia and nerve problems in my leg. When they offered generic Neurontin, I said sure and soon after I started taking it I developed horrible headaches and other problems. My doctor told me to switch back to name brand Neurontin and the headaches, etc. went away. Now, I pay out of pocket $227.00 a month for name brand Neurtonin (yes that is with insurance) and Medco pays $12.00. Something isn't right about that. My insurance policy can charge whatever they want and it goes up every month since I am getting brand name pills instead of their generic.

I occasionally take Levsin (hyoscyamine) for symtoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. One form of Levsin can be taken sublingually or swallowed. Placing a tablet under your tongue supposedly cuts the time it takes to work from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. I have never had a problem with the brand name product dissolving, but some of the generic tablets dissolve so slowly it actually works quicker to swallow it!

I take Coumadin for arial fibrillation. On generic Warfarin my clotting tests were very unstable. On brand name Çoumadin (DuPont) for the past 5 years the INR and PT are excellent. Brand name is very expensive. My co-pay is $40, a month for brand name versus $7, for generic.

I have been suffering with depression and OCD for years. About two years ago I made the decision to start taking medication, which was not an easy decision for me. Within four weeks of taking the brand name Zoloft, I felt better than I had in years. My symptoms had for the most part disappeared.

I became pregnant and lowered my 50mg to 25mg. After the birth of our child, I increased the dosage back to 50mg, in hopes to escape Post Partum Depression, as my OCD and depression put me in a higher risk category for developing. I felt great and enjoyed motherhood immensely.

A few months later my pharmacy informed me that my insurance co. no longer would cover the brand Zoloft and that I needed to switch to the generic. I took the generic thinking that it was great that I only had to pay ten dollars as opposed to the hundred and seven the pharmacy would now have to charge. After the first four weeks I noticed a huge change in my mental state. Anxiety returned with a vengeance, OCD symptoms returned, foggy feeling in my mind, loss of sleep, no energy... the list goes on.

I recently had my yearly check up and explained to my doctor the events that had taken place since the switch to the generic brand, and within our conversation, she immediately had me switch back to the brand name, which she deemed "medically ness.". It has only been one day back on the brand name, but I swear as the night goes on I can feel a difference. To think that I have suffered for months now due to a generic drug makes me want to cry. I have seen personally what Post Partum Depression can due to families and how depression and anxiety can effect the lives of children and their families.

Someone needs to fix this problem, everyone suffering from mental illness must understand that these insurance companies are literally taking our lives into their hands and speak up. It is not all in your mind, as I had previously thought. Our symptoms are not a coincidence.

I have been using Wellbutrin XL 300 for 2 years and back in May I had it refilled and I was given the generic brand buproprion. I noticed a difference in my moods with the generic brand that I did not have with Wellbutrin. I was moody, no motivation, night sweats, headaches and some weight gain. When I was done with that month's supply and went to refill for June I insisted that I get the Wellbutrin XL brand they said I could get the Wellbutrin brand , but it was going to cost me $80 + for that perscription!

So I am now continuiong with the Buproprion and still am experiencing night sweats, irritatility,crying bouts, feeling worthless and no motiovation.

This is an outrage!!!! I do not care the the FDA approved Buproprion. They have been wrong before and I ask that they recheck the drug and bring Wellbutrin back.

When I took Fluoxetine the generic for Prozac (40mg)my OCD and depression was back to square one. My doctor had to write to my insurance company and insist that I get the brand name. He had several complaints from other patients. My sister had the same problems but her doctor would not give her the brand name. She switched doctors.

Both my father and myself have had problems with generic version of the pain killer Darvon.

The lighter the color pill - the less effective it is. Both our doctor's have recognized this problem as well.

Very bad for those of us who only have generic drug coverage.

Five years ago my insurance company insisted I take generic prozac after nine years of taking the brand name. After a few months I noticed depression/anxiety symptoms returning. Another very bizarre thing that happened was I nearly had an extra-marital affair after 10 years of a very happy, stable, rewarding relationship. I can't be sure it was related but it was so not me-and I loved my spouse very much. I've heard some people have gambing issues when they take Mirapex, having something to do with the reward center in your brian. My doctor wrote my insurance company and I have been back on brand name ever since.

i had been on plavix for 2 to 3 years when i was switched to clopidogrel. In a couple days i started itching all over so i talked to my druggist and said to stop clopidogrel that it was either the filler or the dye as the medicine was the same and my doctor agreeded with him.

Interesting comments, to which I add that years ago when I switched from Wellbutrin to a generic, I thought it had a lack of oompfh.....but thought it was all in my head. From the commenting here, I'd venture to guess it was not. Several months ago, I switched physicians and was placed back on Synthroid after having been on generics for years. It's made quite a difference. My current problem is my generic for Allegra 180. I switched pharmacies recently and was given a different company manufactured generic and, basically, it doesn't work AT ALL. I researched the company and it's headquartered in India, making me all the more suspicious. The generic I used from the other company worked well enough....but I'm going back to the original, which I know works!

Thank you for this website. I too was taking the generic Budeprion. Unlike everyone here, I had not taken Wellbutrin XL and was OK. So, I concluded that maybe I would have to try another drug. I decided to tuff it out.

For 2 months I had extreme jitters, felt like I wanted to die, pains in my stomach in two places. Thinking I had an ulcer, I have been taking the purple pill. My symptoms did not fit many of the maladies that effected your stomach but I was desperate to find an answer. I even went as far as to see a gastroenterologist. His answer was to take 6 or 7 different tests until we find the answer. Not! Then I found this website. Thank the lord.

Since my health plan decided not to cover "nervous system disorders" anymore, I was forced to find a cheaper alternative. I sent away for my prescription and got the name brand not aware of the generic problem link. Then I found this website. I just got Webutrin XL 4 days ago and I am so much better. I revisited this website and noticed that there were people like me who had the stomach problems. I am so relieve to know it is not in my head. Shame on the Doctors and drug companies who have not figured this out. This stuff is poison and I hope it gets taken off the market soon.

About 3 years ago, I was placed on Wellbutrin XL 300 for depression. I was amazed that after 3 weeks, I felt like a new person.

That feeling continued, and I was able to function at 100% until about one month ago, when I re-filled my prescription via my mail order pharmacy and received the generic version. I've never had a problem with generics, so I thought, no problem, I'll save money. That was until I noticed that I no longer felt like doing anything and felt sad.

My friends started to tell me that I had a short fuse. I also was very anxious. People started asking me if I was okay, and when I said yes, why, they said I appeared very agitated and sad. I have just contacted my doctor for a new prescription, stating not to provide the generic.

I just can't believe that the same drug could make me feel so different.

I have been using Ambien for some time, quite effectively. When I switched to the generic Zolpidem Tartrate (PRAS), I was awake for several hours. Now I am trying to take the generic earlier in the evening with mixed results. But the cost to go back on the name brand would be more than 8 times the generic.

I had a bad experience with a generic antibiotic several years ago. I was diagnosed with strep throat in college and given Keflex. It killed the strep effectively and had no side effects. A year or so later, I was given Cephalexin for mastitis. Not only did I have vaginal itching, but I also felt generally unwell. Since then, I have been a firm believer in non-generic drugs.

I was switched from Wellbutrin to the generic Wellbutrin. I thought that was most cost-effective, and I was happy to do so.

It has been many months, and I feel sad, I have no energy, thoughts of "not worth living," and just fel all-around lousy. I assumed it was just ME.

Thank goodness a friend of mine and I walk 5 miles every morning and talk. We compared our quality of life, including work and relationships, and we realized that they could not be worse. We noted that we were both on the generic Wellbutrin, and also noted we had felt wonderful when we started on the original Wellbutrin. She then found this site. Unreal!

I have had problems with several generics, the latest being Methlphenidate HCL (Methylin 20MG Tablet Mallk Chem). It is a generic for Ritalin that has recently been prescribed for me in addition to Cymbalta.

I had it filled at a Sam's Pharmacy, and it worked well, but I then ordered it from Prescription Solutions, a mail-order RX center for AARP Prescription Insurance, because it was cheaper this way. After less than a week, I realized something was very wrong. I began to decline to where I was before I started taking the Methlphenidate HCL.

I contacted Prescription Solutions, and was told that the generic I was taking for Ritalin had the same MAIN ingredient as the brand name, but that the other ingredients probably were not the same. I was also told that Prescription Solutions buys from the drug company offering it the lowest price, so the company they purchase from could very well change from month to month.

I don't understand why generics are said to be the same as a name brand when they are not necessarily the same. The MAIN ingredient is there, but the rest of the ingredients differ.

Since the death of my daughter 12 years ago, I have taken an antidepressant. After trying almost every one on the market, Welbutrin XL 300 finally worked for me. I have taken it for approximately 5 years.

Recently I was given the generic brand when I filled my prescription. Within a week, I began to feel the depression coming back, and it took me a little while longer to begin to suspect that the generic brand was not working.

I asked for Welbutrin XL when I refilled the prescription, but even with the insurance company co-pay my part was $125.00 per prescription. I am unable to pay that much since I take several other prescriptions too, so I have continued to take the generic brand.

I hope that as more and more people report their experience with the generic brand, the insurance companies will realize it is much less expensive in the long run to pay for the Welbutrin XL rather than the results of the generic not working.

I have been taking Toprol XL 100mg since 1997. This week when I picked up my prescription, the pharmacy warned me not to be alarmed about the new tablet, as it was the new generic brand.

On Toprol, I have not had any problems with my shortness of breath or tachycardia for years. At first, I was just going to pay to keep the brand name, but being a nurse, I said, "I will try it" and be an example.

NEVER AGAIN!! I do not believe for a second that the newest generic Toprol XL treats symptoms as well as the brand name. For the last three days, I have had moderate to severe shortness of breath, tachycardia & angina.

So tonight I gave in, and I had my husband pass by the pharmacy on his way home to pick up another 30-day supply of BRAND Toprol XL to see if the generic was indeed the problem. Guess what? Four hours later, I was having no shortness of breath, angina nor tachycardia.

My insurance company last week switched me from Ambien to the generic, Zolpidem. Every night this week on Zolpidem has been filled with very bad nightmares. I wake up in a sweat and can barely function all day because I only get 4 hours of sleep a night. On Ambien, I would get 8 hours of undisturbed sleep a night.

I was switched from Wellbutrin 300 xl to the generic. I immediately felt more anxious, and my anxiety grew daily. I couldn't take it anymore, and asked to be changed back to the brand name. This was done, but my insurance will only cover the cost of the generic. My anxiety decreased the first day that I was back on the brand name Wellbutrin.

I just recently purchased the generic for Ambien (5mg.), 30 pills from Costco Pharmacy in Sequim,WA. The price was $12.47. They didn't work as I could not get to sleep. I tried taking them on two different occasions. I usually take one at 11 p.m. and within an hour I'm asleep. I told the pharmacy what happened and had to purchase regular Ambien (same dosage,30 pills) for $135.00. I don't have insurance. The regular Ambien worked as it always does. I thought I could save money by going generic. I'm very concerned about these generic drugs. I think the public is being screwed!

I take furosemide, 20 mg. tablets, and for a long time took Mylan brand generic. Then the pharmacy switched me to Sandoz brand generic. I immediately began 'drowning', and my weight jumped 5 lbs overnight. I fortunately had some Mylan brand still on hand, switched back, lost the water, and three days later tried the Sandoz again. Same result. I am on an assigned Medicare Part D Plan, and as a result the Mylan has to be special ordered, and approved for me to get it.

These are both generic forms of the drug, but even among generics there are big differences. A major concern is that while I recognized the problem and took immediate action, (and then tested the problem out again), there are a lot of eldely people on furosemide, for instance, who would not understand the pill could be 'bad', and who could end up seriously ill, with their doctors blaming them for 'non-compliance' problems. "Mrs. D is not taking her furosemide as directed," when in fact it was the drug manufacturer at fault.

For several years I have take the generic "budeprion" because it was less expensive than the Wellbutrin which had normalized my life for a long time. I was thinking it was "just me", but after reading of other people's experiences and hearing about them on NPR, I realize there is something very, very wrong here. Last November I bottomed out, quit my job, went with another company, lost a beloved pet to cancer and it has been a most difficult year so far. The generic has produced all the ill-effects I have heard of others experiencing. Weight gain, night sweats, sleeplessness and frighteningly increased depression. I am wondering if there is a potential for a good healthy class-action suit here.

Alice is my mother who was taking Zestral until the insurance company made her switch to the generic brand. After two weeks on this new pill she woke up about 2AM with a swollen tounge.
After a trip to the ER she is now on a new medicatiion. After this she will no lnger accept any generic drug.

The FDA doesn't seem to hold generics to the same standards that they hold name brand drugs to. If I understand correctly, a generic can use anywhere from 80-125% of the active ingredient that's in the name brand, and the delivery mechanism doesn't have to be the same.

Wellbutrin XL, for example, uses a patented time-release technology that the generic doesn't use. The pharmaceutical company had to do years of clinical studies to perfect the delivery method for the name brand, but the generic doesn't have to have the patented delivery method, and is only required to use 80-125% of the active ingredient.

A generic can be quite different from a name brand in many ways (pill size, inactive ingredients, etc.), and without the manufacturers having to do clinical studies. The active ingredient in the generic may be the same, but the pharmacokinetic profile may not be.

The FDA should require the same studies for generics, and should be honest with the public about the possible differences between generics and name brands. And the public should be smart enough to know that generics may not act in exactly the same ways as name brands.

This weekend, I took my generic Ambien to my pharmacist, because I thought he had given me the wrong drug. I had gotten it 4 days before, and it was not working at all. I've been taking Ambien for over a year with the same results every night until now.

It turns out that the manufacturer of the ineffective generic is Teva, which is what Walgreens normally stocks. Before this, I had gotten generic Ambien from Medco. Their manufacturer is Apotex, and it works fine.

I was taking 37.5 Effexor for hot flashes (nothing else worked). It took 6 months for me to get used to it, and I was groggy in the mornings. My hot flashes weren't totally gone, but Effexor helped.

Then I got a generic, "Venlor" 37.5, and it works even better than the name brand. I have NO flashes unless I forget to take a pill, and I wake up less groggy. Also, the cost of the name brand was $2.65 per pill, but for the generic, I only pay 62 cents per pill. And while Effexor made me a little more depressed, the generic is better. I have more motivation.

I also believe that rice bran oil is helping to decrease my hot flashes.

I've taken Ambien for several years with great success. I've enjoyed greater daytime energy, increased immunity, and 8 hours each night of restful sleep. Not so with the generic Zolpidem. As others have written, I have awful nightmares, and can only doze, waking up every hour. It's almost worse than taking nothing.

I'm joining voices with Wellbutrin XL 300 users whose prescription drug insurance switched them without authorization to the generic form called Bupropion XL 300 (manufactured by Teva). I've had profound sadness, crying, extreme fatigue, panic, and weight gain, and my symptoms became even worse with the generic than they were before I started a program of antidepressants. I had excellent results taking Wellbutrin for over a year, and I did not know that the generic was causing this emotional nosedive.

I went to the doctor, who prescribed an entirely different antidepressant, Effexor XR 75, which just added migraines and nervious disorders to my list of symptoms. I felt over-medicated. I stopped them abruptly, thinking absolutely nothing could be worse... but three days later, things were worse - and I could hardly hold myself together.

At that time, the doctor and I agreed to try the name brand Wellbutrin XL 300 again, and it's beginning to work. Even though I'm no longer so depressed, I AM very ANGRY, because I needlessly lost seven months to depression, losing valuable time, and worrying my family and friends.

We have been defrauded by the manufacturing company and wronged by our insurance companies. How did the FDA approve such a hoax?

Two years ago, my insurance company refused to cover Allegra anymore. After a month on the generic, I noticed that my allergic sinus headaches increased from a few per year to a few per week! The only affordable solution was to switch to Allegra D. Two months ago, that, too, went generic, and I was forced to switch to generic. Again, my sinus headaches have increased; out of the past 7 days, I've had 4 with sinus headaches. I'll be asking my doctor for a brand name alternative.

I have taken Synthroid for years. Last year, my doctor retired, and the new one suggested a generic to save money. With the generic, about 15-20 minutes after taking the pill, my heart would race and feel "fluttery". I would sweat profusely and feel that the room was stifling. I am not menopausal. Within another 30 minutes, the sensations would subside and I would feel normal again.

I called the doctor, and he said it might be a temporary adjustment, so I continued on the generic for the entire supply of 30 pills. My reaction to the medication never got better. In addition to the discomfort, the episodes of racing heartbeats scared me, and I returned to Synthroid.

With the first dose, the reactions disappeared and things were normal again. I will never take another generic for Synthroid.

For 2 months now, my husband's doctor has been trying to get him adjusted to Warfarin. After every blood test the result is: his blood is still not thin enough. Now he is supposed to take a 7.5 daily and a 10 twice a week.

I just recently caught up on the generic drug discussion and personally, I think that the Warfarin is just not doing the job. I told my husband to insist on the brand name Coumadin next time he sees the doctor. Let's see what happens... I sure will do a follow-up on this side.

Generic Budeprion XL is horrible. I started on Wellbutrin XL and was actually happy after many years of depression, and trying different antidepressant after antidepressant, Wellbutrin XL worked wonders for me.

Well, I went to go get it refilled, and they gave me the generic Budeprion XL. I noticed a change in myself within a day or so. I cried, and cried, and cried some more, very irritable, can't sleep, very anxious, terrible headaches, short fuse, tired, etc., etc. I am way more depressed now than I was before.

I am going back on Wellbutrin XL. Budeprion is NOT the same as Wellbutrin XL, it is horrible and should not be dispensed to people.

Yet another comment here to add to the extensively long list of complaints about TEVA's Budeprion. I too was surprised to receive the generic via mail order, when before I'd taken either Wellbutrin or Bupropion - both of which worked great for my ADD and depression.

I postponed taking this new generic for weeks becuase I'd read so many negative things about it from other people. However, I couldn't postpone it any more and decided to give it a go.

After only taking it for about a week, I've already put on a couple of pounds, and that right there is enough of a reason to flush this crap down the toilet.

I am disgusted that the insurance companies won't pay for the name brand when it's apparently worked for so many people. I'll be calling my insurance, TEVA (if possible), the FDA and my doc to try and remedy it. How pathetic the US healthcare system is.

I did not realize my problems during the past three months were due to my switch to the generic Budeprion XL. I have gone back on Wellbutrin and feel fantastic! I can't believe TEVA is allowed to sell that generic as anything remotely related to Wellbutrin.

I'm glad I read about it in your column.

Medicare would not pay for Pravachol, which
I had been on for several years, so I was made to take Pravastatin. After about 2 weeks, I was so weak I could barely move--could not lift my arms to comb my hair! My doctor stopped the drug after a month, and I was put on Lipitor. Now I am okay.

I recently thought I'd try generic fluoxetine instead of Prozac because it's much cheaper. I've been paying $50 for 30 capsules of Prozac, which is just ridiculous. This medication has been out for years and I see no reason why it should cost so much, other than big pharma greed. I was delighted to pay $10 for 60 pills of the generic, and it worked fine for the first four days. On the fifth day, I felt like I hadn't taken anything: my anxiety, OCD and depression returned with a vengeance. Last night and today I have taken twice the dose of the generic to get reasonable relief from my sx.

Generics are NOT the same; whether it's the Sandoz company's inaccurate chemical compound or the particular fillers they use, this medication is crap! I totally resent having to pay five times as much for brand name; what a rip off. I don't know whether to go back to Prozac and pay a fortune, or continue to double the dose of the generic. I'm disgusted.

Those doctors and pharmacists who say generics are exactly the same as brand name obviously don't take these medications.

I was prescribed Wellbutrin SR 150 mg twice daily. My mail-order pharmacy filled it with Bupropion ER 150 mg tablets, which worked great. These are mfg by EON Labs.

I ran out once and had to refill locally, and was given Bupropion SR 150mg, mfg by Watson, which absolutely did not work at all. Another time I had to refill with the name-brand Wellbutrin, and it worked about half as well as the Bupropion made by EON.

So--in addition to paying attention to generic vs. name-brand, it is also important to pay attention to the name of the manufacturing lab.

I originally was taking Accupril for my blood pressure. I was later changed to the generic Quinipral, and started having headaches. I am now on Enalipril, which worked fine for about 2 years, but now I'm beginning to have headaches again. Has anyone experienced this problem?

I just had to add my agreement to all the posts above for generic Wellbutrin XL. I have been so much worse the last few months after switching to the Budeprion XL (especially the last few weeks).

I had no idea what was going on, just that I cried all the time, had no joy, and wished I would just die. I wasn't exactly suicidal, but I think I may have been heading in that direction. I haven't cried so much since the death of my husband almost four years ago.

The brand name I was first prescribed was like a miracle, but lately I just thought it had quit working. My sister mentioned she noticed a huge difference in her chronic fatigue after they switched her to the generic. She improved right away when her doctor put her back on the brand name.

I decided to research it on the internet. I am so glad I found this message board. I am calling my doctor in the morning and intend to report this to the FDA also. At least I have hope again.

I started taking Wellbutrin years ago for extreme PMS symptoms. It was the third medicine I tried before my doctor and I found something that would work for me without any side effects.

A couple of years ago, my doctor wanted me to try Lexapro. It has worked fine, but had side effects, so recently, we agreed to go back to Wellbutrin.

Like so many letters above have mentioned, I was given Budeprion XL 300 mg instead. After just one month, I was a completely different person. I would fly into a rage over something insignificant on occasion. As if that wasn't enough, I cried over everything. I simply could not stop. I own my own business, and one day I even broke down crying because I did something very nice and out of the ordinary for a customer. I thought to myself that I was just so sweet for doing this and actually started to cry over it! She thought it was nice and really appreciated it, but probably thought I was a nutcase when I started to cry.

My roommate then suggested it was time to meet with my doctor again, because something was definitely wrong. When the P.A and I sat down to talk, she assured me that generics were the same as the original drug, and we both assumed Wellbutrin just wasn't the medicine for me any more. We switched me to the generic for Zoloft.

From that day on, I have not shed a single tear or lost my temper in any way, shape, or form. Here is what is strange though. I cannot complete a thought with my customers at all anymore. I get tongue-tied and switch words. Sometimes I think I am starting to lose my mind. Reading all of these stories here makes me think that, once again, it may be the generic.

My mother showed me your article in Raleigh's News and Observer in July. I have a follow-up appointment with my doctor in a week. I am taking the article with me and am going to refer them to this website. I am also going to ask to be written the prescription for actual Wellbutrin. I think it is written PRN...is that right? Whatever, I believe it means to give me the brand drug and not to substitute a generic. I think this Budeprion is dangerous and should be removed from the market, as should many generics if everything I am reading is true.

MY STORY:
Three weeks ago I filled my prescription for Zoloft, which I take in combination with Wellbutrin, with the generic because my co-pay was lower and the pharmacist assured me it was the same as the brand name. Once I made the choice, I really didn’t think anything of it.

The last three weeks, however, I have been absolutely BONKERS--there’s just no other word for it. Quasi-manic, totally unable to focus on my work in an office, but completely consumed by large, physical, busy-work type, self-created “projects.” I was sleeping through the night, but not too keen to get into bed. And worst of all, I was so irritable--very quick to anger, very road-rage-y.

I was driving to work when I had my Ah-Ha! Moment--“This feels like a whole lot of Wellbutrin and not a whole lot of Zoloft.” Suddenly it all made sense. I did some googling and learned I’m not alone. I also learned that I was taking what is considered the worst of the generic Zoloft brands out there; the company that makes it is called Teva Pharmaceuticals.

For the past three days, I’ve been back on the good stuff and am slowly starting to feel like myself. And don’t give me that “It takes two weeks to feel a difference” line. For me, it’s always about three days to feel the effect or absence of this drug.

MY HISTORY:
I've been taking Zoloft (50 mg, sometimes 75 mg) for about 12 years; the last six or so in combination with Wellbutrin (300 mg SR; mostly to counteract the side effects of Zoloft). Last summer, I weaned myself off both drugs b/c I was trying to get pregnant. I exercised and took vitamins and worked hard to keep depression at bay, but it was tough. About four months ago I went back on the anti-depressants and it made a huge difference--I felt like myself again. My reason for mentioning this is to point out that I REALLY know how these drugs affect me. I’m very in touch with my mental health, my mood and my body.

MY PROTEST:
I am ABSOLUTELY APPALLED that in the United States of America, an advanced nation with so-called consumer protections, I was sold a completely ineffective drug and as a result had to go “cold turkey” off of a medication that I rely on and that has really horrible withdrawal symptoms.

I have been taking Zoloft for postpartum since last September, and before that had been on it for previous post-partum depression episodes. It has always been extremely effective in reducing all of my depressive symptoms.

A few months ago, my pharmacy switched my prescription and gave me the generic. I was excited that it was only ten dollars, and I figured it MUST be the same as the regular Zoloft, because I figured there's no way the drug companies would mess around with anti-depressants! So I began confidently taking the generic.

Well, over the next several months, things started to go downhill. My moodiness, lethargy, irritability, and overall depressive state all came back with a vengeance. It finally dawned on me to consider my setback as a result of the switch to generic. Now, after reading up on this on the internet, I am convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that the generic is ineffective for me.

So I called my doc, and she called in the name brand Zoloft. Unfortunately, I have to pay 50 dollars a month, but I don't care, it is worth my sanity. I began the name brand Zoloft today, and I look forward to feeling functional and being able to take care of my family the way I was able to before this horrible switch. JC

After being diagnosed with clinical depression 7 years ago, I had found RX treatment using Wellbutrin SR and later Wellbutrin XL to have renewed my joy for living. It was not my wish to need these RX for life, and after 5 years chose to see if I could do well without them. Well, that was not to be the case for me. I am a lifer. Starting again on Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, life was again good.

After a few months when I was renewing my RX, I found the generic had been approved. I am one of those who feel they should be the same. Feb 2007, I began using the generic Bupropion HCL XL.

Because I was not looking out for problems, when they began to occur I did not attribute them to the new RX. But when my thoughts and attitudes began to resemble those I had in the past before taking RX, I began to suspect something may be up with the meds. I was having suicidal thoughts, feeling irritable, had decreased interest in sex, felt more tired, and had occasional panic attack symptoms.

When I spoke with my doctor, he was not aware of any issues, but wrote my new RX for the brand Wellbutrin XL 300 mg as medically needed. Well, when I saw my mail-order pharmacy price changes since generic, I wanted to know if maybe I should continue on the generic, typical since I still tend to think it is all in my head. $251 for brand and $35 for 90 days of generic.

Here is when I thought to see what I could find out in the web. I want to thank all those that have taken time to voice their mishaps with the generic. I am a lucky one, I can get it, but will need to make some changes to afford something I had not planned to require.

Several years ago, I was put on Wellbutrin SR 150 2x a day. I was doing very poorly and this was the fourth medication my GNP tried me on. After a few weeks on it, I was doing better than I had in years. I've fought depression my entire life and that was the first time I'd had any control.

After over a year on it, I lost my insurance, and my pharmacists told me it was now available in generic form. My mom's a nurse, so I had grown up a huge fan of generic meds. I was very excited to be able to save money on my anti-depressants.

Within a week, though, I was a total mess. I don't believe for a second there was anything Slow Release about the generic formula. Each day was a roller coaster of highs and lows, twice a day. High and happy within an hour of taking it, and draggy and depressed as it wore down. After finishing that bottle, I've never taken the generic again. I do better completely off meds.

I have taken Metadate ER for my adult ADD for several years. This is an extended release form of medication. My pharmacy dispensed me generic Methalyn. Methalyn did not break down properly and would create an "all at once" effect with subsequent wearing off of the medication before the next dose. Furthermore, the pills literally broke down in the bottle. The outer coating disintegrated and there were fragments of the pill in the pill bottle. Needless to say, I only will take the name brand of this medication, and I have to have my doctor write such when he prescribes.

I take Lisinipril for my high blood pressure. When I was first placed on it, I was overseas and the medicine worked great. I came back to TX, and the generic brands of Lisinipril were not working. Every 2 to 3 months I'd receive a different type of generic when I asked for a refill.

I walk, and I would have spells of my blood pressure spiking to the point of head and eye disturbances. It was scary, and I completely quit exercising.

I went to my doctor and showed him my blood pressure readings that I'd been taking. He switched me to the brand name drug, Prinivil, and increased the dosage, telling me that the U.S. way of making this drug was weaker than the pill I was getting from Europe.

I was having great results with Wellbutrin XL 300mg. Had been taking it about 3-4 months, having gotten through the first several weeks building up to therapeutic levels.

When the generic form became available, I was switched to it as my prescription drug plan defaults to generics. No problem, it was going to be less expensive than the co-pay for a “name brand”, and generics are just as good as the original, right?

Wrong. I began falling back into the depression I thought I had tamed. It finally dawned on me that perhaps the generic was the problem.

After research online, I found that the generic form of Wellbutrin XL was coming under fire for not working for many people. I called my pharmacy and prescription drug plan and was given approval to switch back to the original, which after a break-in period, began to provide the relief I had previously gotten.

However, I don’t know that I will be able to continue, as the co-pay for the name brand increased the moment the generic became available… now nearly $100/month. Matters not that the generic, for me, is nothing more than a placebo.

I’m begging the FDA to look into this generic. I had intolerable side-effects with other antidepressants. Now, due to financial issues, I will have to stop taking the only one that works for me. That’s depressing.

I started generic Lamisil for a nail problem on 7/21/07 (it was approved by the FDA around 7/7/07), and 10 days later I started having dark urine and stomach cramps, which were listed as side effects. I went back to my dermatologist who had prescribed it, and he said I had symptoms of kidney stones, so told me to stop taking it. I told him that I was diagnosed with kidney stones 7 years ago, but they hadn't moved, so he said that the Lamisil dehydrates you and could have affected the stones.

I then went to my urologist and he did a cat scan and found one stone had gotten stuck in my tube and was causing my kidney to swell. I then had to go to the hospital to have a stent put in my tube to drain my kidney, and 6 days later I went back to the hospital to have lithotripsy to blast out the stone, and when my kidney recovers I have to have the rest of the stones blasted out.

I will never know if the generic Lamisil started all of this, but I researched it online and it did say that it can affect your liver and kidneys. Several years ago I took regular Lamisil and had no problems. Has anyone heard of kidney problems with regular or generic Lamisil?

I have been taking Toprol XL 50 mg for 6 years since my open heart surgery/using it for arrythmias. This month, my pharmacy dispensed the generic Metoprolol Succinate Oral which is making me very sick, fast heart rate, chest pain, burning in my neck, 7/24 headache (I never get headaches!) blurred vision and general ill feeling! This by NO MEANS is the same as Toprol, & personally I think this is going to make a lot of people sick. I never felt this way before on Toprol.

Took generic for zestril 20 mg. lisinopril 20mg was totally ineffective.

I have been taking Toprol XL 100 mg for several years, and it has controlled my blood pressure very well. Last week, the drug store gave me the generic Metoptolol SUCC in place of the Toprol XL. Ever since, after taking the generic, I have strange feelings in my head and symtoms of mild stomach upset. I have not taken my blood pressure, but intend to tomorrow. I do not believe the generic is the same as the brand name.

I was so pleased to see so many complaints re: Bupropion vs. Wellbutrin XL. I, too, like so many others, was given the generic, due to my insurance company's willingness to pay the lower cost vs. the higher cost.

I had tried the generic form sometime ago, and it absolutely put me into a spiral downward within three days. My doctor ordered no generic and switched me back to the trade "Welbutrin XL", and it worked very well for several years. My dose needed to be raised from 300mg \ day to 450mg\ day.

Again the generic was given to me. I hesitated in taking it, but decided I would try to give it a second chance. Maybe the Generic was better than it used to be. I tried it for three days and thought I might be felling better. Wrong. On day four, the feeling of sadness was starting to sneak in. Day five, my insides were shaking, the feeling of despair and extreme sadness was much greater. Day six was hell day. I felt like completely destroying everything in my shop that I work out of. Feelings of worthlessness, sorrow, outrage. I hated everything and everybody. I was begining to feel like I felt 10 years ago before I ever started taking anything for depression.

My wife is a nurse. I went to her and said, "it's not working." She said, "What's not working?" I told her how I was feeling. She said do not take the Bupropion, take Wellbutrin XL. (We had a few of those left.) Two days after I started taking the Wellbutrin again, I was feeling better.

Do not give generic when the doctor has written a prescription for a trade name drug. There is a reason for this. Please FDA investigate these many testimonies re: the above drugs. This is cruel and inhuman treatment. Certainly with investigation, one would have to determine the savings would have to be very small in offering generic vs. trade name. Especially when it comes to insurance companies paying out large amounts of money for these pt's visiting ER's for suicide attempts, and being hospitallized for days \ weeks.

I have taken Ambien successfully for two years. I have recently been given generic brand (Teva). It is awful--does not work. It is like taking a sugar pill, but far worse, because it makes you dizzy and restless--not tired, not able to rest.

Please take this off the market. It is simply unbelievable that a company can make millions and millions of dollars, all the while deceiving the innocent public and depriving them of much needed medication. FDA please ACT!

Since I have been switched from brand name Lotrel to its TEVA generic, I have developed some severe contact allergy patches on my face and lips. It could be something else, but it started about when I switched to generic Lotrel. Any similar reactions?

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg for several years to treat depression. I get it prescribed yearly due to how my insurance works, and when it ran out this time the insurance said my doctor approved generic brand BudeprionXL 300 mg. I was not happy with this, but seeing when I first started on Wellbutrin I had asked for generic and it was not available, I decided to give it a try. I am not one for changeing medicines once something is working well, but I wanted them to still pay, so I changed.

After a few days I started to notice I got kind of weepy, but being under some stress I figured it was just me. Perhaps adjusting to hormones or having three kids starting school. Over the weekend and on about the fourth day, I started feeling self loathing and a bit paranoid and distrustful, and situations I already felt comfort and trust in, I completely wanted to run away from. I wanted isolation, and self harm started to run through my mind. The next day suicide ran through my mind constantly.

I knew this was not normal, nor a correct response to anything in my life. I could not come up with one thing in my life that had changed that would make me feel the way I was feeling and my thoughts scared me. Why was I feeling this way? By the next night, I was ready to call off my new marriage of one month, send all of my three kids I love so much away, sell my home, quit my job or slit my wrist. I woke up after a couple hours sleep crying and crying, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, suicidal and hating everything about anything. With no reason for any of this.

I kind of thought perhaps the medicine was causing this, but not thinking quite clearly I took my morning dose. I was afraid perhaps if I did not I might be messing something up in the opposite way. I called the doctor from work, and then the doctor's assistant said they have a lot of patients that have this problem with generic drugs. Go figure! What if I had not been a stronger person and went ahead and went with the feeling and slit my wrist? Or trashed my new marriage? Hurt my kids' hearts?

I am telling you, this medicine really had/has me messed up. Right now I am waiting for it to wear out of my system and for word from the doctor and pharmacy/insurance that they will switch my medicine back to where it was.

I suppose a stay in the mental institution would be cheaper than paying for my prescription? Or perhaps life insurance or having to cash out my 401 pension and all the rest that goes with it? I swear, it makes no sense to put MY life at stake with a drug this risky. This drug really had me feeling absolutely insane. I have no idea how it was approved as a substitute.

How do I petition the FDA to re-investigate this? If I did not know myself this well, I could have truly harmed if not killed myself from the way I was feeling last night. I am afraid to sleep tonight knowing I have to get it out of my system. I will be all right, but I refuse to take anymore Budeprion. I am a new bride and have nothing to be depressed about, let alone suicidal. Even when I have forgotten to take my medicine (Wellbutrin) when on trips or such, I don't get suicidal.

I strongly warn against taking this as a substitute. What is a shame is that unless they agree to pay for the Wellbutrin, I cannot pay full price. Now what?

I was on Prozac, switched to the generic, and within about 6 weeks, my depression was worsening. We upped the dose, still nothing. My psychiatrist said there is absolutely a difference in bioavailability of these drugs, so I am now back on name brand and doing fine.

Over the past several months I've gone from brand name Allegra to generic, Wellbutrin to generic and Ambien to generic. It was at that time I started with a rash on my forearms. Now my palms are itching, red and swollen. My internal med doctor said this has nothing to do with the switch to generics. He sent me to a dermatologist who said it absolutely has everything to do with taking generics, she sees it several times a year and also learned about this at a recent conference.

I have to contact the prescribing doctor to get all my scripts changed to DAW. I know it's gonna cost a bundle, if he'll even do it. But having itching painful hands is going to drive me over the edge.

As many here have experienced, my switch from name brand Wellbutrin XL to generic Budeprion was a rude awakening. I had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg (with Concerta 18 mg, to treat Adult ADD) for a short period of time, but I was impressed with the difference it made in my ability to concentrate and achieve. I too expected the generic to be a less expensive version of the medication which made such a remarkable difference for me.

I noticed right away that the pill was much larger--though I never thought to question why--and more difficult to swallow. Okay, no big deal. However, I found that taking the generic led me first down a spiral of despair, which only rebounded when I stopped completely.

Around the same time, I lost my health insurance, so I considered my next options carefully. I found a provider who was willing to not pre-exclude my treatment, but the default for treatment was the generic, so back to Budeprion again. Again, I felt the same downturn in mood, and vowed that on my next doctor visit, I'd insist on the name brand.

My physician was very supportive, and made the pharmacy instruction explicit. I then spoke to my plan, and they agreed to honor the cost for the name brand, albeit at a higher co-pay.

I consider myself lucky to be back to my Wellbutrin XL. Oh, and the manufacturer of the Budeprion was Teva. I'm not sure what they're putting in the generic, but it's not working. And just in reading previous posts, it appears they're having the same poor track record with their other generic 'equivalents.' Buyers beware!

My doctor wanted to save me money, and perscribed omeprazole 20 mg instead of Prilosec for terrible stomach problems following four knee surgeries in one year (intubations, pain rx.,etc.). I could have taken a spoonful of sugar and gotten the same results. I bought my own Prilosec until it got better.

When it was discovered I needed Rx. for hypothyroid, I told the pharamacist I would NOT accept generic. Of course I have to pay it myself. Fortunately, it isn't as expensive as some people's meds. But what about THOSE people who haven't been blessed with a living wage/retirement??

The companies that produce these worthless drugs are getting THEIR profit and the insurance companies are getting a cut rate. Something wrong with this picture. How many of them take generics??? Hey, thanks for the good work you do. I read your column in the paper and have learned a lot. JK

I have just recently discovered why my husband and I have been experiencing diarrhea for the past 6-12 months! The main generic drug, "levothyroxine" not only sent my TSH off the map, and all of the other primary symptoms that may accompany "hyperthyroidism", but I found out that the "fillers" in a lot of these generics contain lactose, wheat gluten, colors, and alot of other ingredients that have made us very ill. Then after that I researched further, and discovered that our other meds that are generic, contain alot of similar fillers eg. Soma, motrin, lomotil ( also known as "lonox" )and levothyroxine}. Now my husband and I have to decide how we may remedy this problem, as the insurance companies today do not want to use anything but generics as they are cheaper. Are there any suggestions how we may handle this problem? We are being treated for fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, TX. for post operative thyroid disease (thyroid replacement), and now the diarrhea that is now chronic. The only change that I'm experiencing, is how my condition and blood work are improving now that I'm taking "Synthroid" .

My husband and I have never been so ill from any of the meds in the past

I WAS PRESCRIBED 10 MG OF PROZAC MANY YEARS AGO. Originally it was supposed to help me with my unbearable menstruation cycle, (ie moods of melancholy, intense anger, and overwhelmed with every day occurances and 2 daughters still in diapers.)

As I got older I also found out that it is used for patients with ADD & ADHD. That is why I have been taking it for over ten years & have found that the dose never needed to be increased.

When the generic brand prozac came out, I was happy to try it, as a lot of my meds are generic. Unfortunately the generic brand was like I was taking nothing all. I immediately had to have my doctor write "do not substitute on the prescription to ensure I got the name brand.

Does anybody have any information regarding Prozac & it's effects on FMS?

I am so relieved to have found the comments on this website. I have taken Wellbutrin for about 6 1/2 years. I addressed most of my depression issues with minimal side effects. I still struggled with motivation sometimes, but didn't have the crying spells, rage or self-hatred.

About 2 months ago - maybe a little longer - I started receiving the generic version. I didn't think anything of it because, afterall, the FDA says its exactly the same drug. I started feeling a little less motivated and maybe more anxious - but attributed some of that to changes in my life.

However, in the last 4 weeks I have seen a severe deterioation. My family has not seen me this depressed since well before I was on ANY medication. Its almost like I'm taking nothing.

I thought I was a crazy - or maybe well on my way there. Now, it appears it might just be this change in meds. I have samples of the Wellbutrin (from previous visits) and will try them again over the next few days. I hope it is this simple to fix my problems.

I should also mention I am much more distracted, have gained weight (although I am a fitness nut - 6 days a week at the gym), tired all the time, feel like I'm working in a fog, cannot focus to read a a book...

If its just a switch back to brand name - you guys have given me my life back.....

I was put on Toprol XL 25. It is great, and I felt normal and could do my normal day-to-day activities with my children. Recently my doctor put me on the generic Metoprolol. I thought that it would be the same, but boy was I in for a suprise. It made me so sick to my stomach that I actually started vomiting, and I had headaches, felt very dizzy and faint. Oh yeah, and had major anxiety. I would not recommend this generic medication to anyone. I right away got back on Toprol XL and I feel great again.

I had a terrible experience with OMEPRAZOLE (a generic version of Prilosec). I had taken this medication for at least three months without any problem. However, when I had the prescription refill I began to run a low-grade fever and had flu-like symptoms evey night. The next morning I would feel ok. It took several days to figure out that the Omeprazole was causing it.

I stopped the medication for four days and all symptoms went away. I took another pill on the fifth day and within six hours all symptoms returned with an even higher fever. So, I stopped the medication again this time for nine days and then tried it one more time to be absolutely sure it was causing the problem. Again, within 6 hours all the symptons returned and worse than ever before with a 101.4 temperature.

Needless to say I never took any more. However, it took several months to get over the after-effects, which consisted of very low blood pressure, weakness, dizziness, etc. On the advice of my doctor I had to stop all blood pressure medications that I had taken for years to control the blood pressure. I filed a report with the drug manufacturer and the FDA. It is now months later and I have not heard a word from either one. Is it possible I just developed an allergy to this medication? I honestly believe one more dose would have killed me.

I am currently taking a generic of Paxil. I've gradually noticed strange symptoms that have started appearing without explanation. These include "fogginess" in the morning and feeling as though I never get enough sleep, feeling dizzy at times, and short-term memory problems. Recently, I changed pharmacies and received yet another generic of the same drug. The symptoms intensified. I am currently being tested for other possible medical reasons, but in the meantime, I am gradually weaning myself off of the drug. Each night I do not take the generic leaves me fairly symptom-free in the morning. My wife and I are starting to suspect this may be the cause, as otherwise I am in excellent health.

Thank you to all who shared experiences with the generic versions of Wellbutrin! I've felt awful for the past two weeks or so, or about a week after I switched to the generic. I tried a generic version before when they first came out, and told my doctor back then it did not help me. He said to stick with the brand-name, but when my co-pay went up July 1, my pharmacist urged me to try a generic again. She assured me the generic and brand-name are "exactly the same."

I've been tired and depressed, drowsy during the day but awake all night. As soon as I get home from work, I lie on the sofa and stare at the TV. Doesn't matter what's on. My house is a mess, I don't go out, I don't return phone calls. I'm hungry all the time but nothing satisfies.

I wondered if it could be the meds, so I searched the Web for info regarding generic vs. name-brand drugs and found this site. I'm truly sorry others are going through this too but so grateful you were willing to share your stories. I'm going back on the name-brand no matter how much I have to pay.

I had taken Toprol 25 for about 3 years and got switched to the generic version per the pharmacy. About 4 weeks later, my heart rate was up enough to make me feel sick. I started having chest discomfort, went to my doctor and scheduled all the necessary tests, and switched back to REAL Toprol. And even before my first appointment I started feeling better, after 7 days I was back to normal! Metoprolol is NOT the same as Toprol.

I had been taking Zoloft for 5 years, only 25mg per day for fibromyalgia and depression. It worked great. Since my insurance company switched me to the generic several months ago (my doctor ran out of Zoloft samples), I have been very drowsy and exhausted all day and the depression has crept back into my life. There is a difference!

After reading all of these comments, my past year finally makes sense to me. I have been taking Welbutrin 300XL for the past three years. Last year, however, I was switched to the generic form Budeprion. I had many changes in my life right around the same time, so it was confusing to me at first knowing what exactly was causing the instability in my life.

When my meds were switched to the generic form, my depression was extreme, anxiety very high (I had never experienced anxiety before with my depression), my feelings of self worth were at an all time low, I felt like everyone was against me. I couldn't figure out what was going on. I thought that the medication no longer worked for me.

So, I went to my doctor to see about a different from of depression medication, and she now fills out my Welbutrin prescription as needing the original brand, no generic form. I have been back on Welbutrin XL now for the past four months and feel great. Even though I have to pay $90 every three months as opposed to $30, to me it's worth the stability it gives me.

This generic drug did more damage than help for me. Has it been proven to help anyone? This website was very alarming for me to read, I had no idea others were going through what I went through.

I couldn't wait for Norvasc, a Calcium Channel Blocker B/P pill to become generic. I wanted to save money!! It came out a few months ago, I started taking it, and ended up in the hospital two weeks later!!! My blood pressure went up to 170/100, and would not come down.

First of all my doctor told me to stop the generic Norvasc and go back on the brand Norvasc, and then I had to go overnight to the hospital for a Cardiolite Stress Test, EKG's, Chest X-ray, and multitudes of blood work. All the tests were normal, and my doctor told me to totally stop the generic Norvasc, and go back on the brand Norvasc.

I did, and the B/P came way down! However, I have been taking generic Ziac with absolutely no problems. My insurance negotiated with my employer to make a brand name medicine non-preferred if it comes out in generic Form. Sixty dollars was bad enough for the brand Norvasc for 90 days, but as of 2 weeks ago when I ordered Norvasc again, it was now considered non-preferred and would cost me $100 for 90 days!!!

I feel I have been penalized because I had a severe problem with the generic Norvasc, and cannot take it. I am now appealing this with the mail order drug company; if anything, I want them to know how upset I am about this. I told my doctor that I might have to change B/P pills, even though I've tried doing this in the past, and Ziac and Norvasc are the only pills that keep my B/P down, without bad side affects, or adverse reactions! Now I'm hearing most if not all generics are coming from China with non-regulation of their drugs!!!

Thank you. Judy

I was on Wellbutrin XL for over a year...and was doing great. My insurance company changed me to the generic version Budeprion XL earlier in the year. For months now, I've been depressed, moody, edgy, easily irritated, and sometimes just down right hateful. I've had migraines, anxiety attacks, and difficulty sleeping. Until my behavior was brought to my attention, I guess you'd say I was just in denial. I went to the doctor today and now have been changed to the generic Wellbutrin SR (which I will now take 2x a day)...as my insurance wants me to pay an outrageous price for the brand Wellbutrin XL. I'm hoping that the change in medication will get me back to my old self. How I'd love a good night's sleep and not to get irritated at everything.

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL for over 5 years. My prescription insurance service switched me over to generic a couple a months ago. I started feeling depressed, crying at the drop of a hat everyday. I was becoming really depressed and had thoughts of hurting myself. I looked on the internet and saw a lot of posts of people with bad experiences on the generic. I switched back to the name brand, and have felt so much better.

I couldn't believe how the generic made me feel like that. My husband took Ambien years ago and did fine. He has had the generic and it has caused bad side effects. I don't understand how the companies can say it's the same thing, yet there are probably thousands of people who have been affected by generics. Get this figured out!! It is causing major problems for people!!

I suggest people be careful of the new Sandoz Metoprolol Succinate ER 50mg. This product is defective. I have never experienced anything like it. Considering it is supposed to help my heart and it is only making it worse I am flabbergasted. If you have a choice, stick with Toprol. Even my pharmacist is hearing bad things about it. He also mentioned I can go to them tomorrow and exchange my prescription back to the name brand. I fully intend on doing just that.

I too was switched from Wellbutrin XL 300 mg to the generic version about 6 months ago. I have not felt the same since, but since I was reassured that generic drugs were exactly the same, I decided that something was seriously wrong with me. Irritability, inability to concentrate, fatigue, hopelessness--all the things that practically went away when I was on Wellbutrin had returned due to this generic version NOT WORKING!!! IT SHOULD BE PULLED FROM THE MARKET!!!!!

I've taken Wellbutrin XL 300 mg for depression for about 5-6 years with tremendous success. On the drug I experienced virtually no symptoms of depression. A few months ago my insurance company switched me to the generic Budeprion XL 300 mg, which I was happy about because it's so much cheaper.

I didn't have any side effects so I thought everything was the same, but after about a month I had obvious symptoms of depression and after two months things were getting pretty bad. There were no stressful life events that coincided with the depression-–it just came out of nowhere.

A switch in health insurance resulted in my receiving the brand name Wellbutrin again, and within a week the depression was entirely gone again. I’ve been taking Wellbutrin again for about 3 months and the depression hasn’t resurfaced.

I should also mention that when I first began taking Wellbutrin I had some side effects, including the jitters and dry mouth, which ultimately went away. When I returned to Wellbutrin after a couple months on Budeprion I got the jitters and dry mouth again-–another reason to think that the Budeprion really wasn’t doing anything for me.

My blood pressure was well controlled with the brand name Lotrel at 130/80 and I recently started generic Lotrel (Teva) and have noticed that my blood pressure is now very out of control--running at 170/100. I took another pill to decrease it and found that 2 hours later it was even higher at 180/110!! This is ridiculous and dangerous. The generic by Teva is not the same as brand name!! Absolutely not. I do not know what to do except to change my blood pressure medicine or pay out of pocket for the brand.

My doctor prescribed lisinopril bcause she said that I had high blood pressure, which I had never had before. The drug made me feel like my feet were glued to the floor. This was not a documented side effect. I complained and was told to double the dose. Then I felt worse and switched to Zestril, believing that the chalk in the generic was making me feel so bad. I was nauseous, sweaty, my face felt hot, and I was, shaky and depressed. It seemed to me that suicide was the only way out, since my doctor would not believe me.

I talked to a different doctor, and she didn't think that Lisinopril would cause problems. I had quoted information from a book on drugs, which stated that lisinopril should not be first choice for a patient's first time on blood pressure medicine. Your comments please.

All I need to know is how to withdraw from this miserable drug. I have cut it down to every other day. Now if it is okay to cut a pill in half, I can withdraw myself and then resume a health food diet and lose weight and feel better. My blood pressure is normal when measured at home. I had learned that if I took a teaspoon of salt I felt better. I have never salted any thing other than the occasional popcorn.

Several months ago I switched over to generic Wellbutrin. Within two weeks I experienced the worst case of depression that I ever remember feeling. It was the most severe suicidal thoughts I had ever had. I had experienced suicidal thoughts before but never to the point that I actually wrote a letter to my therapist and sent it to an email that would not be found until after the fact. Fortunately I called him about 30 minutes later and he reminded me of a story we had talked about in the LA Times weeks earlier about a person who had actually gotten extremely depressed after switching to the generic.

I immediately called my pharmacist and got a refill of the regular Wellbutrin and within two days I was fine.

It is incredibly frightening to me that this is not being addressed. It simply is not the same drug.

In my experience generic drugs are not the same as brand and some are worse than others!

I was prescribed Prozac 20 mg for depression and PMDD (severe PMS) in 1999. It was working wonderfully. Went off Prozac to get pregnant. Returned to using Prozac after having a miscarriage and becoming very depressed again. This time it was the generic fluoxetine HCL (made by Barr Labs) because it was cheaper and mandated by my insurance company. I noticed my PMDD symptoms were worse than before but attributed it to changes due to age, etc and just decided to live with it. I stayed on the generic this time throughout a successful pregnancy, delivery and 18 months of breastfeeding with no signs of problems in my healthy infant who is now a healthy 3 three year old.

Last winter (2006) I was switched again to a generic from a different manufacture (Teva Pharma) again due to an insurance company preference for mail order and a reimbersment policy that practically mandates generics.

I started getting daily long-lasting severe migraine headaches immediately (which I had never experienced before). After a month and a half of this pain I went to my doctor who right away changed my prescription to brand medically necessary Prozac. The migraine headaches went away in 2 days! Unfortunatelly, my insurance company will not pay full price for brand and it cost me $134.00 per 1 month supply!

I went back to the Barr Labs generic to save money. It dose not work as well on my PMDD but at least I do not have daily migraines.

I feel that as long as the insurance companies refuse to believe what patients and doctors are reporting and refuse to pay for brand medically necessary prescriptions nothing will be done to solve this generic drug inferiority problem as they hold all the power!

Sincerely, Donna Beers

I have been taking Budeprion XL 300 mg since April 2007 for depression. This medicine seems to work great for me, but I need to know if anyone else has experienced the following symptoms with this drug.

A couple weeks ago I got a refill of the medication, and I immediately started having the follow side effects: at first, to get to sleep I had to rub my legs together as fast as I could to calm down; the next day I had involuntary movements all over my body. I can not be in large crowds with lot of noise and the movements start right away. Anxiety is really bad at night. I have to go for a speed walk (only three blocks) and then it takes me 20 mins to get back home. I can't drive due to too much stimulation--I start to shake and my muscles contract.

My doctor sent me to a neurologist and we are doing tests for other things as this may not be related to the drug, but I wanted to see if anyone else is going through this. if you are please post info to this website. Thanks.

I was excited to learn when had my medication refilled last Friday that there is now a generic Toprol XL because I knew it would save me a lot of money with the insurance drug plan I have. Now that I have been taking it a couple of days I wish someone would take the generic back off the market. I have bouts of tachycardia, atrial fibrilation, and severe PVC's and PAC's which have been controlled with Toprol XL for years, now it is like I'm not taking anything. The generic does not work like the name brand Toprol XL.

Because of the drug plan I have, now that there is a generic form it will cost me more than I can afford to buy the name brand because it is no longer a preferred drug. Now I don't know what to do because I have tried other beta blockers and they didn't help me. The only thing that has ever helped me was Toprol XL.

I took Zoloft for 15 years with excellent results in controlling depression & anxiety. When the generic version was made available, I switched. After about a month, I realized almost all of the S/S of depression & increased anxiety had returned. Even though I am a mental health counselor myself now, I was miserable and unable to bring myself out of the depression. After two months of misery, my physician agreed to increase the generic prescription by 25 mg, and the depression & anxiety quickly lifted. It appears that the dosage of name brand Zoloft versus the generic is not always the same to everyone's body.

I'm so glad I found this site. My comments are about Wellbutrin XL 300 mg generic. I've been taking Wellbutrin for a number of years and XL since it first came out. I take 300 mg and 150 mg for a total of 450 mg/day. I've had generic versions of the 300 mg before, but the one I recently received from Wellpoint RX, the mail-order pharmacy my new insurance uses, is not very effective or not effective at all. I don't know who manufactured the previous generics I've taken but the pills looked different and seemed to work ok. The 150 mg is ok--it's the brand version.

After I got the medication from my new mail-order pharmacy, I started noticing that I was slipping into depression and my ADD was worsening. After about 3 weeks on the 300 mg generic and 150 mg brand version, I began to suspect the generic. Since I'm on 450 mg/day, I tried taking 3 of the 150 mg brand-version tablets and noticed a difference right away. The generic is from Anchen Pharmaceuticals.
Unfortunately my mail-order pharmacy does not carry any other generics for Wellbutrin nor do they carry the brand version.

My sister refilled her prescription on 8/29 with the TEVA Budeprion XL. She immediately had a reaction of sporadic muscle movements throughout her body. These tremors are still occuring. She is taking medicine to counter the tremors--but the problem remains for 2 weeks. The doctors think it is Chorea, but the tests were clean, MRI is clean, now they are waiting to see if it is Huntington disease.

How can the drug itself be tested to ensure a poison has not caused this reaction? Anyone else suffering out of the blue with these symptoms from this drug? By the way, no family history of any of these diseases they think she has--we are a very healthy family--she is 38 and cannot drive or work till this is resolved. Any help here would be GREATLY APPRECIATED.

I am another person who has been taking Bupropion XL 300mg. I have been taking the med for about 6 weeks, and I have become increasingly depressed and have been withdrawn and having sucidal thoughts. Did not have this on Wellbutrin. MD suggested generic doesn't deliver enough active ingredient to be effective. I also thought I was having a "breakthrough" depressive episode. I'm going back to the brand name and see if I feel better in a few weeks. The FDA should really do some testing on this med.

I took the name brand Wellbutrin XL (300 mg) for at least two years until the generic became available a number of months ago. The first generic pills I received were yellow caplets, and they seemed to do a good enough job. In late August, though, I received a different type of generic, which were white tablets.

It was the start of the academic year and I was taking on several new roles as a young faculty member, so I figured my developing irritability, unrest, and nervousness were related to that. After 7-10 days, however, I found that the ever-present and growing well of anxiety and panic wouldn't go away. Also, I started becoming weepy five or more times a day (any weepiness is unusual for me), even at the office. I found myself feeling resentful over little things and was angry at everyone. I also felt a distinct sense of hopelessness.

I am generally pretty thrifty and so I didn't want to pay for the name brand at first, but this past weekend I realized that things were getting out of hand. My psychiatrist was very helpful and called in a prescription for the name brand Wellbutrin XL 300 right away. I started taking the name brand meds Monday morning and found a difference as early as late Monday afternoon. Now, four days later, I feel like myself again.

I always thought generics were the same as the name brand but now I'm realizing this isn't true. This experience makes me wonder how many other less-effective medications I've been taking....

I wished to share my update since returning to brand Wellbutrin XL 300. As of 8/22/07 I had left the generic. My emotions improved in days. I did not want this to be wishful thinking. I can say as of today 9/13/07 my emotions are back to being very healthy. I had been having a lack of focus, annoyed with others without real reason, unable to lose weight even with working out and watching diet, suicidal thoughts, loss of hope. I had been suffering while taking the generic without knowing it was the generic. I plan to shout this to all I know and complain everywhere possible. Thank you to all who have shared and good health to you.

I've been a long-time Wellbutrin user. It's been a life-saver. Over the years, though, I've had insurers push me onto generics. Gotta save money for the investors, y'know.

Like others here, I've run afoul of the horrible junk put out by TEVA, namely Budeprion. TEVA's product is downright dangerous, if not life-threatening. Taking Budeprion was like flipping a switch...in a very bad way. Luckily, I was able to get back onto brand Wellbutrin after that incident.

Recently, I had to move to another generic. This time it was Bupropion made by Eon labs. Not only do the pills look like brand Wellbutrin, the effect was nearly identical. I seriously recommend anyone having to use generics shop around until you find a pharmacy that carries the Eon Labs version. It might be marketed under the Sandoz name now, as Sandoz acquired Eon recently, I believe.

Unfortunately, my son, who also takes Wellbutrin, recently ended up with a prescription of Budeprion. I didn't realize the switch until he had gone off to school. I'm crossing my fingers that he doesn't suffer any problems.

Unfortunately, healthcare in the US is not about your health. It's purely about profit. So, as long as pharmas and insurers run the show, dangerous situations like this are going to continue.

I take Levoxyl for Hashimotos Thyroiditis. I was switched to the generic Levotyroxine. My well maintained disease which was in check began to take what I considered a nose dive: hair loss, depression, significant lethargy, weight gain (all symptomatic of the disease). My doctor attributed all of this to my busy life. I'm a full-time working mother of 5-year-old twin boys.

This went on for months. My numbers (TSH, t3, t4) began to rise. My GP, not well versed in my 5-year struggle to be properly medicated, could not understand why I was dissatisfied with a TSH of .8 (I was used to a .1 maintenance). I mentioned to her the feedback on generics. She told me not to believe everything I read on the internet, and again she reminded me that my life was busy and exercise was necessary.

The problem with that is my disease is insidious in its ability to obliterate my forward motion. Additionally, the symptom of depression began to rear its ugly head again. I went back to my specialist, an endocrinologist who took blood work. My TSH was a 7.0. She increased my dosage of the generic assuming I was not med compliant. My response to the increased dosage was sluggish at best. She prescribed name brand only and I have stopped losing my hair and I am again back on the road to recovery.

P.S. I no longer see my GP for disease management. I’m interviewing new Dr’s for my family and me.

Hello-

fyi Flagyl now approved for all stages of pregnancy.

Leslie Dixon
Pharmacist
Seattle, WA

My cholesterol 6 months ago was 276. My Doctor gave me Lipotor, and I got terrible back pain and was very sleepy all the time. I would fall asleep at the wheel of my car waiting for the traffic light to change. I stopped the Lipotor and immediately returned to normal. I made up my mind to reduce the cholesterol on my own using information from your column. I started taking niacin, red yeast, fish oil, grape juice with vinegar, ginger, oatmeal, and blueberries, and stopped eating ice cream, crackers, bread and biscuits. In 6 months my cholesterol dropped 104 points!

Thank you so very much,
Bernie Kellogg

My doctor put me on 300 mg Wellbutrin XL for depression. I had some left from a presciprtion 9 months earlier, so started on that. (It was the real thing, not the generic.) Within a week, I felt a little better. At 3 weeks, I actually was having positive thoughts about old situations that I had been crying over for years... and felt calmer and the weeping had stopped. I thought, it's amazing, this is really working.

When I refilled my presciption, I was given the generic by TEVA. I didn't even know there was a generic. I have slowly been going downhill this past week. This is 10 days into the generic. I am up and down emotionally all day. Really in a panic. I called my doctor this morning and he said to take another half of the generic because sometimes they aren't as easily absorbed or that the medication inside is not as evenly distributed, and to take an extra pill for anxiety today and then just the additional half of the generic pill tomorrow and call to make an appointment to come into the office. I asked him if this could just be caused by the switch from the real one to the generic. He said he didn't know, was trying to give me Sunday morning advice and to make an appointment to come in first thing in the week.

I spent the first few days feeling bad, blaming myself for thinking all these negative things. Then I realized that the up and down nature of the moods was unusual for me. Usually if I was sad, I was sad... not sad and in a panic at various times of the day and then fine at other times. Realized the blaming myself for the negative thoughts was part of the whole depression thing and then started to think about what had changed... that could be causing this and thought of the prescription being filled as a generic. Also, the cravings for food like donuts totally disappeared with the Wellbutrin XL and came back with the generic.

I think something is really wrong with this generic. I was thinking things would just be simpler if I ended it all... I was not having these thoughts prior to taking any medication, not having these thoughts while taking the Wellbutrin XL and they started when taking the generic. It's frightening.

Does anyone do any studies when people kill themselves to investigate if they were on the generic version of a medication? It's frightening for me because I have a tendency to blame myself for things and repress what I am really feeling. I had a long conversation with a friend yesterday and I never told her how I was feeling. I hope I can get back on the real Wellbutrin and I hope my insurance company will pay for it.

This is in reference to generic drugs vs. the brand drug being prescribed. My wife had been taking Celexa for quite awhile. Then the pharmacy started giving her the generic drug. After a couple weeks, she noticed she had become more irritable and short-tempered with outbursts of anger. The only thing that had changed was the switch from the standard Celexa to the generic, called Citalopram.

After a couple visits to the doctor, she finally discovered that after going back to the original prescription, the earlier symptoms had gone away.

Anyone who thinks generics are "the same thing" as brand names is not totally correct. SOME are okay, but they do NOT all produce the same results. As for myself, I can safely take the generic of Dilantin for siezures, and I have had no problems.

I have dealt with depression for a large majority of my life. I've been on a couple of different antidepressants and after the birth of my daughter, I started on Wellbutrin XL 300 mgs. It was working wonderfully and I have been very happy with it.

A couple of weeks ago when I filled my prescription, I noticed that they gave me the generic brand of Wellbutrin XL, Budeprion. I wasn't really sure why they gave me the generic, but I didn't question it.
Within a few weeks, I was feeling hopeless, angry and in the last 10 days, I have gained 8 lbs without changing my diet. My hands and feet are swollen from water retention and I am very tired. The other day, after feeling depressed, I had my first encounter with feeling suicidal, which is not me.

At that point, I contacted a psychologist thinking that something was not right. She had asked me what had changed so recently in my life that I would have these feelings and the only thing I could think of was the fact I was now on generic Wellbutrin.

After realizing that, I scrolled through the internet to see if there was anything that could tell me if generic Wellbutrin was not as good as the name brand and then I came across this site.

Thank you! I'm glad I found this because instead of feeling this for a long period of time, I realized this within a few weeks of the switch and have called the pharmacy to change my prescription.

I have been taking Zoloft for several years now, but was changed to generic (tramadol) earlier this year. Ever since I have been taking them, I have had headaches every day, as well as tiredness and lethargy, which never goes away. I have tried 2 at a time and that does not work either.

i have been taking Wellbutrin XL for 5 years, and when my husband went to pick up my prescription last month, they gave him budeprion. I have been taking back the generic and switching it out if I picked it up, because I was worried about switching to the generic.

I decided to try it, and then found this site. My depression has been increasing daily, I don't want to get off the couch, and have gained 10 pounds. Everyone has been asking me what's wrong for a month, and I didn't put two and two together until I started researching before I filled my script again.

I can't believe that every pharmacy has been telling me that they are the same even when I protested. Budeprion should be taken off the market, and I'm happy to pay the $45 to get my life back. Something must be done about this.

I've been under 0.88 Synthroid medication for about four years. When I came to Fayetteville, my doctor and the pharmacy changed to the generic. I may say how in the world they can give a patient a medicine that is going to worsen symptons or have such side effects like anxiety? We really take a medicine to alleviate a problem we already have.

With the generic Levothyroxine I got anxiety, my heart beat was so high, my hands started to trembling so, and my upper lip too. I could not fall asleep at night, and a rash covered my skin from my neck to the bottom of my legs. Due to the rash, I wrongly went for allergy tests and medications. Hypothyroidsm went up to the next higher dose.

I went back to the brand name, and I did not have those problems anymore. I thought I was going nuts.

My husband recently had an oxygen machine delivered for his use. The delivery man warned me that if my husband's nose becomes dry with the tube inserted DO NOT use Vaseline in his nose. He actually had a patient catch fire doing this. Fortunately the patient was not hurt.

Have you heard of this before?

Mrs. Doris Hannon
Downey, CA.

I have purchased Toprol XL for several years from the same pharmacy. This month, without informing me, they substituted my prescription with the generic version, Metoprolol. I called when I discovered the switch, only to be told it was the same medication, only a generic version. I agreed to try it for the month, but requested Toprol XL for future refills.

I tried the generic version for 7 days, during which time I experienced rapid heartbeat & pulse, headache in my temple area for 3 days, dizziness and chest/back sharp pains.

I called the pharmacy on day 7 requesting to be switched back to Toprol XL immediately and was told that I would have to call my doctor for a new prescription.

Needless to say, I was upset. I had to make the contacts to correct a problem that was caused by the pharmacy, which leads me to question how many customers (elderly) have prescriptions changed and are not aware of the change, and end up having medical problems that could lead to a bad outcome.

I just want to say that I am so happy and relieved to have found this website. I started taking Wellbutrin XL 300mg about one year ago and was delighted with the outcome. It took away my depression and gave me additional energy throughout the day.

My pharmacist suggested I go on the generic version about 8 weeks ago. One week after taking the generic I started falling back into my depression and experiencing extreme irritability. I thought the medication had just stopped working for me. I had no clue it could be due to the generic version.

Thank you so much for sharing all of your experiences. I am going back on the brand name version tomorrow!

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL for several years now, along with Zoloft. When they mandated that I take the generic Zoloft, I noticed no change from how I felt on the brand name. Naturally, when the generic Wellbutrin came onto the market a short while later, I was thrilled that I wouldn’t have to spend so much. Also, judging by the effectiveness of the generic Zoloft, I thought it was my lucky day. BOY WAS I WRONG!!

IMMEDIATELY (as in day 1) I felt the difference. I became depressed, withdrawn and extremely edgy. I was so weepy that the smallest thing made me cry. In fact, I felt that my depression had gotten worse than it was pre-meds! I might as well not have taken anything at all. I agree with other testimonies I have been reading when they say that it might as well have been a placebo. Totally useless!

I have been taking Ativan generic for a few years and recently noticed it was not working at all. I talked to my doctor and he said the standards are not the same between generics and brand name. For example, for a 1 mg pill, generics are allowed a window of .80 mg to 1.05 mg while brand name's window is .95 to 1.10
I went back to brand name and everything is fine.

I am so glad I found this site. I have long had suspicions about generic drugs.

I recently got a prescription for penicillin, codeine, and also lorazepam to deal with a very painful tooth infection, all of which was given to me in generics by my provider MediCal.

I am familiar with the effects of the brand-name versions of these drugs from an earlier occasion, and I found that the generics didn't do the job. I had to take the stuff by the fistful to get through the night, a dose that with the brand-name meds would have knocked me unconscious for a week.

MediCal is for low-income people and operates on a shoestring as is. Painful to imagine that on top of that they are maybe also being defrauded by the generics manufacturers.

I have also taken Prozac for many years, and at least my psychiatrist is aware of the generic version not working and prescribes brand-name weekly Prozac instead. There is no generic for that, so if you want real Prozac for less, ask your doctor to prescribe the weekly version for you too.

I have been taking Toprol XL 50 mg since January when I was diagnosed with an ascending aortic aneurysm and continued on it after my aortic root replacement in March with NO problems. When I picked up my refill this month my pharmacy dispensed the generic Metoprolol Succinate ER. I have been taking it for 2 weeks and it is absolutely NOT the same. I have had a migraine type headache almost every day with blurred vision/sensitivity to light/aura (spots, wavy lines, or flashing lights) and nausea (about 12 hours after taking the medication). Last week I forgot to take it on Thursday and waited until my Friday evening dose and did NOT get the headache during the day on Friday. I saw my doctor today and I am switching back to the Toprol XL.

I was just put back on Wellbutrin SR after being off of it for a few years. But due to some major changes my depression has started up again. When I went to pick up my prescrpition I found that it was generic Wellbutrin sr (Budeprion sr) and as soon as I started taking it I began to notice side effects that I didnt have on Wellbutrin perviously. I have been getting head aches and really bad stomach pains, as well as becoming incredibly tired, it seems like even less energy than before I was on the medication. My depression has not improved, and only seems to be getting worse. I am seeing my doctor on monday and am going to talk to her about this. (There is also a constant ringing in my ears.) No good.

I have been using Ambien for 2 years. I was switched to a generic form and since then I have not slept over 2 hours at a time. When I wake up I can't go back to sleep. This generic stuff is awful and ought to be investigated! With the real Ambien I would sometimes wake up after 4 or 5 hours but was alway able to go back to sleep. This generic medication is for the birds! The cost savings isn't worth the health costs! I will ask my doctor to prescribe as written at my next visit. Stay away from generics!

I obtained a prescription for Atenolol/Chlor 50/25 recently where this particular generic came from Mylan Pharmaceuticals. I found out from Mylan Pharmaceuticals that my previous prescription came from Teva Pharmaceuticals based on the tablet imprint. The present prescription has caused numerous side effects that I did not have with any previous prescriptions with the same dosage. I have filed an adverse event complaint with Mylan and am interested to see what their investigative testing shows.

Our doctor prescribed my 9-year-old son Loratadine, which is an equivelant to Claritin for his allergies. He was to take it daily, year-round. Instead, he only took it as needed, until he had a very bad allergy attack. Then I had him take it every night for a week. After he had taken it for one week, he had his very first seizure. He collapsed, and stopped breathing.

The hospital ran several tests, which all came back normal. He had no other illnesses, and didn't take any other medications. The doctors couldn't tell me what caused his seizures. I found it odd that he had a seizure after taking Claritin for a week, so I did some research on the internet. Every time I mentioned Claritin to any of the doctors, even our pharmacist, they denied any connection, but I learned differently.

According to the FDA, seizures are possible, though rare, but they can also cause many other health issues. I was irate! My son nearly died in my arms, and it seemed as if no one was listening to my concerns. That's when I decided to take action and speak out. I am determined to stay active on this issue in order to prevent this from happening to anyone else!

I have fungus on my hand nails. Do you have any suggestions?

Generic Valium (diazepam) has no effect at all for me. Only the original "Valium" works.

Generic Klonopin (clonazepam) has no effect at all for me. Only the original Klonopin works.

Generic Ambien (zolpidem) has no effect at all for me. Only the original "Ambien" works.

Folks, something is VERY, VERY VERY WRONG here.

I'm so glad I ran across this website. I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. and I was finally functioning normally. I was doing so well on the Wellbutrin xl, and all of a sudden my refill was the generic form. I just assumed it was the same and started taking it. These last few weeks have been pure hell. From the second day I didn’t feel right, but I didn’t think it could be the budeprion. I have never felt such an overwhelming sense of doom in my life. By day 10 I didn’t know if I wanted to live anymore, and if I did, I’d be alone, for my behavior was so outrageous it scared everyone (my husband and children) including myself. I have somehow managed to control the desperation, but not the severe mood swings and crying. If I didn’t come across this website I would have had no hope. It’s Friday so I couldn’t get ahold of my physician yet, I’ll have to wait until Monday but I have hope!
Thank you

I had been taking Norvasc for my blood pressure for about 3 years with no real problems. When the generic was approved, my insurance insisted that only generic be used. After about 6 months on the generic, I began to have bouts of severe chills/fever with muscle aches and joint pain. This was a familliar reaction to me, as several years ago, while on another calcium channel blocker bp med, I had the same reactions. At that time it took several months to find the cause. After that I stopped taking bp meds but was persuaded by my gp to try again. Now I can't get my insurance to approve the brand, so I'm going to have to either pay the high price for the Norvasc or take my chances with my bp.

Wellbutrin XL generic. Awful nausea, vomiting, bile constantly. Bad reaction must be to whatever they are "mixing" the drug with. I am not waiting to find out if it affects my depression or not. I am going back to brand name Wellbutrin XL. This is very bad. Insurance required I use this.

I have been taking Toprol XL for a couple of years for PVC's. While I understand I won't die from this condition, it does interfere with work and sleep. When your heart seems to stop, it is weird, no matter what the condition. My doctor has prescribed Toprol XL at smaller levels to which I have leveled off at 200 mg with all symptoms in check.

Recently my pharmacist announced the change to the generic metoprolol 200 mg. Within about one week, symptoms began returning. I mentioned it to my doctor and I said I'd give it another month and see but that my doctor would write a script for just Toprol if necessary. Today (a month later) I spoke with my pharmacy, which has just said that I'm probably experiencing "the placebo effect." It's in my mind. That was upsetting. But, after reading concerns on the internet, I am more apt to believe that it is the time release agent that is not working for me. That would explain the intermittance I am experiencing.

I will ask my doctor for a prescription for just Toprol XL 200 mg and pay the MUCH higher copay. (But I will save some by purchasing 3 mo. by mail.) Thank you for this opportunity and I hope these experiences influence drug makers to be more diligent to manufacture generics more precisely.

I began taking Wellbutrin XL 150 and had been on it for about a month, doing very well. I was energetic and the drug was effective at reducing depressive episodes. I then was bumped up to the 300 mg dosage, but when I picked up the rx from the pharmacy it was filled with the generic version. I'd been taking the generic for about 1.5 weeks and just had my doc re-write the rx for name brand only, no substitutions. (Interestingly, the pharmacy tried to give me generic again last night when I went to pick up the meds, and I had to argue with them to get Wellbutrin even though the script was clearly for name brand only.)

The generic 300 mg were not nearly as effective as the name brand Wellbutrin XL 150 mg -- even though they were ostensibly twice the dosage. They didn't have any effectiveness in regard to reducing dark moods, they made me drowsy and lethargic all day, and I had a constant low-grade headache and an odd metallic taste in my mouth.

Today is my first morning back on the name brand Wellbutrin XL 300 and I am so glad to not be using the generic any more. I can feel the Wellbutrin running through my system, and am noticing a certain initial "brain buzz" this morning just like when I first started taking it, an effect that the generic did not have -- I believe it is my body getting acclimated to a new chemical. It is very clear to me that Wellbutrin and the generic are not at all the same medication.

I've been on Wellbutrin XL for several years, very happy with the effects. For the second time in 6 months I've tried the generic Wellbutrin XL. I have a new insurance company that won't cover the brand name, which is considerably more expensive.

The pharmacist suggested that my first experience with Budeprion XL was maybe "all in my head," so I thought I'd try the generic again. That was less than a week ago, and I'm starting to feel really bad -- hopelessness and crankiness and a little panic. What do we have to do to get the insurance companies to listen to us?

My son starting taking Zoloft (Liquid Form) 3 years ago for his panic attacks. He suffered from panic attacks ever since he was 3 years old. Zoloft made his life so much better. He was doing great in school, sports and socially. He was full of life with no more fear for unknown reasons. The insurance switched him to generic two months ago. At first, he slowly started to go downhill. Now he can't even attend school and his sports activities. He cries and cries and wants to be better. I too, his mom, realized too late that the generic could be the cause. As of today, he is back on Zoloft, and I hope with all my heart that my son will be happy again!!!

While there are lots of comments on other scripts, it seems that most complaints are centered around Wellbutrin XL. I'd love to hear suggestions on how to pressure FDA or Insurance Commisioners to consider investigation or further study.

I am not on Wellbutrin for depression. My neurologist actually wrote an interesting note on my file that my GP commented on, "patient is clearly not suffering from depression". I am on it for migraine headaches.

I got the same, "they are the same drug" story from my insurance company and pharmacist. I tried it. I am all for saving everyone some money.

I started grinding my teeth at night from being anxious. I developed oral ulcerations almost immediately (which is a very rare, known side-effect) that I never experienced in the five years that I took the brand. I was short with friends and co-workers, etc. The reason that I stated before that I was not using this for depression is because I believe that one of the side effects for me WAS a sort of depression, or at least the closest thing that I can imagine as depression. I had an overall feeling of irritation and sleepiness that was caused by this generic. It happened every time. I know that this can't be proved, but the ulcers sure can!

I made the pharmacy refill it with brand before I even finished the first month.

I tried it again after a few months to see if maybe it was okay, as I have noticed varying side effects from the brand, too, such as insomnia, from one bottle to the next. Immediately, I experienced the same batch of side-effects as before. I tried it several times before deciding that I could just not tolerate the generic.

My biggest issue is that my insurance company charges me so much for the brand. I would be willing to use generic, but I do not believe it is a quality product. I know there is a lot of injustice in the world, but is it possible to get any help on this? Does anyone know a process?

It has been 4 days since I was switched from brand name Zoloft to the generic. It feels as though I have been going through a dosage change even though dosage remains the same. In fact, I am feeling so disoriented that I'm going back to the doctor this week to have the brand name re-prescribed.

I was prescribed Wellbutrin XL 150 mg a year ago and have taken 1 each day in the am. My new insurance plan does not cover the Wellbutrin XL, so I had to start taking the generic Bupropion SR a couple days ago. The new Rx is for 150 mg, 1 tab twice daily, because it is not extended release. I take the first one around 8 am, and the first day I became very dizzy, shaky and hot flashes around 4:30-5:00 pm. I took the 2nd dose and felt fine within half an hour. I have never experienced any side effects from Wellbutrin, so I wasn't sure if it was related. The 2nd day it happened again at the same time, so now I am wondering if I am experiencing some kind of withdrawal as the new Rx is not the extended release and I just need to take the 2nd one before I feel like that. I have also had terrible night sweats the past 2 nights and had to get up to change my shirt, as it was soaked. When I looked online and started to read all the posts, I realized how different the generic really is from the name brand. I would gladly pay extra if my insurance covered the Wellbutrin XL, but only the generic is covered, so I will wait this out and hopefully my body will adjust to the changes.

I have never had a problem with generics except for when they switched my Wellbutrin XL 300 mg to Budeprion XL. It didn't seem to work for me and gave me horrible headaches. My insurance won't cover it at all and I'm stuck paying it out of pocket, but it's worth it for my quality of life. I've filed a report with the FDA. This generic is not bioquivalent.

I've been taking budeprion SR 150 for 3 weeks now to quit smoking and I have trouble doing anything. The jitters, panic attacks, inability to sleep, night sweats, depression, feeling of hopelessness and the dizziness has basically put my great life on hold. About two weeks ago while driving home on the turnpike I began to have a worried feeling... This soon turned into a full blown panic attack with dizziness at 65 MPH. I was forced to pull over and sit in my car... then I began to cry... thinking, what is wrong with me? AM I going crazy? Not getting any relief, I got out of my car and sat on the side of the turnpike as the giant trucks and cars went flying by. I was forced to lie down in a drainage ditch along the road and covered my ears to calm myself down because I had uncontrolable thougths of running into the traffic. I was so confused about what was happening to me. I actually kept visualizing myself running in front of a semi truck and it seriously freaked me out. Finally, I was calm enough to enter my car and travel the remaining 2 miles home which was very difficult.

Two weeks ago on a Saturday morning, I woke up and began to watch TV but I couldn't because the TV and room were spinning clockwise. It took 20 minutes for it to stop and once I got out of bed, I stumbled around like I was drunk.... For the past two weeks, panic attacks, mild and severe have affected me so much I am afraid to get behind the wheel. Today was the worst, a severe panic attack on the freeway again!! So bad I began to cry as I was looking to exit. Later in the day, I stopped at the mall for lunch, feeling anxious during the drive there, I was relieved to exit car to enter the mall. While eating, I started to get that worried feeling again... so I finished, got up and decided to look around in the mall to try to get my mind off of how I was feeling. Two minutes walking time, the mall floor looked as if it were coming up, floating... Once again, I started to get dizzy and had to sit down. This happened twice, and I am 15 minutes from work where I have a meeting in 20 minutes and I am an hour from home. Once I was able to get back to work, where I missed my meeting, I spoke to a friend and asked for a ride home. I told him I wasn't feeling well, was getting dizzy.

That was 3 hrs ago and now I am writting this to all of you. Something is so wrong with that medicine. I think the dizziness causes the panic attacts while driving.... I frighten myself because I cannot pull over. I get the feeling I am going to crash or run into the walls or other cars. My vision gets blurry, dizziness sets in and then the final PANIC ATTACK kicks your butt. But on the side streets or back roads, the panic attacks aren't as bad... more controlled because I know I can pull into someone's driveway or pull over in a parking lot. That is my thought anyway.

I am 40 years old and never had a thought of suicide ever, never depressed, happy go lucky person in perfect health and have a motocycle and sports car where high speeds mean nothing. Now I feel like a crazy person, afraid to leave my house.

I've taken my last BUDEPRION SR 150 yesterday at 6pm... Oh I have more, but they are not going in this body. I advise anyone who is taking this medicine to be careful with it. Don't take any of the listed side effects lightly. Talk to your doctor...this MEDICINE needs to get off the market.

One more thing!! This is the second time I used it. The first time was for 3 months to quit smoking and it worked well but it wasn't the generic... it was the real deal and I had no side effects at all. In fact, I became really funny to my freinds.....This generic stuff is not the same no matter how many case studies they do and no matter what the FDA reports. This stuff almost killed me or made me kill myself...

Keep in mind, you are not crazy... If this stuff is making you feel like this, please speak to your doctor..... Good luck to all of you and thank you for this site!!

Mike

I have taken Toprol XL 100 mg for mitral valve prolapse for 10 years - not one single problem. Walgreens substituted the generic drug (WITHOUT ASKING MY PERMISSION) and within 2 weeks I had a big dizzy spell, 10 days later I was woken up in the middle of the night with several heart palpitations that lasted two hours, and then again 7 days later it happened again. When I discovered the generic drug Metoprolol succinate extended release had been substituted as a generic I immediately got back on Toprol xl with no further problems - there is definitely a problem with this drug.

I've been taking Wellbrtrin SR for many years. It brought immediate relief from severe clinical depression.

My drug plan requires that generics be provided whenever available. I was given the generic, Bupropion, starting about a year and a half ago.
My depression returned ... gradually so that I didn't realize the extent of the problem. Within about 4 months I was seriously depressed again. The depression itself made it difficult for me to contact my doctor to ask for help. [my specific symptoms can be provided if useful for your FDA correspondence.]

I was so depressed that it took me almost a year to gather the focus to explain my problems to my doctor. The doctor agreed that I was seriously depressed again and issued a prescription for the brand name drug.

Within about 6 weeks my depression has disappeared. The change in my attitude and energy level are amazing.

Thank you for your columns pointing out the impact of improperly formulated generics, and for providing space for individuals to comment about their reactions to generics.
Comments of others who have been transferred to generic Wellbutrin XL or SR were the key I needed to identify the cause of my problems and to take action. Without the information your column I'd probably still be depressed without any clue about either the cause or options for alleviating it.
best regards,
MEA

My wife has been taking Coreg (Carvedilol-25 mg) for 10 years and doing well. Last week she was advised that a generic version of the drug was available. At the advice of the CVS pharmacist who insisted that the ingredients were the same since FDA approval..... Yada, Yada Yada, she went for the generic. Within 5 days, her blood pressure went from a 10-year average of 135/80 to 155/96, she had sore throat, pains in extremities, tiredness, feelings of irritation... (several of the side effects for carvedilol, which she had never had before). We went to the pharmacy and insisted on Coreg. Within 24 hours of taking name brand Carvedilol-Coreg, symptoms began to subside with a major improvement in the first day.

I have had personal experience working with Chinese manufacturers in the electronics industry. I am quite sure that the lack of quality control, need to drive costs down, and lack of regard for how the product affects the customer is true of the pharmaceutical industry as it is in the electronics industry. I hate to sound prejudiced, but it is a given fact that countries the likes of India, China, Vietnam, Mexico, etc have a completely different perspective of product quality and regard for the impact on the end consumer. In these countries, warrantees do not exist. You buy it, you own it. As a result, many native consumers in these countries only buy open box, operating items knowing that they have no recourse once they walk out the door. Knowing that this is the reality of day to day foreign environments, it is reasonable to see how this difference of quality and care for the consumer perspectives can easily invade the word of prescription drugs.

Joe and Terry, as a single person, I feel my voice cannot be heard, and quite frankly I’ve grown tired of all the stories of tainted imported food, toys, etc. In these products, effects are usually more evident and definable. In the prescription drug markets, as evidenced by this site alone, adverse symptoms or lack of effect of imported generic drugs are not as well defined or understood even by the medical professional which we trust, leading people to believe they are just imagining or having psychosomatic responses to the generics. As a group we have strength. I beseech Joe and Terry to help us band together to shed light on this matter such that we can have a voice with our elected official and have their focus shifted from the unimportant issues of who did what to whom to gain political posture to that of addressing the issues of imports that can be killing Americans.

DAS

Short story: Wellbutrin 300 works for me. The generic doesn't. The insurance company believes the FDA, so I had to do extra paperwork to buy the Wellbutrin without paying a $69.00 penalty.

I was maintained beautifully on Wellbutrin for 17 years after it saved my life. Within 3 weeks of switching to the generic form, I could not stop thoughts of suicide, obsession with fears, helplessness, etc. Nothing was happening in my life which could explain these feelings. Thank goodness I found this website and can go back to my doctor for the Wellbutrin. Affording it will be the problem.

I was/have been taking name brand Xanax since 1992 (it's now 2007). Company changed drug plans and they no longer would allow name brand. Generic caused break-through panic attacks and withdrawal--now I buy a week's name brand supply at a time while trying to adjust to generic. My doctor sent in an appeal 3 times saying Xanax medically necessary; still no. The difference is 36 for 3 months supply for generic and over $800 for name brand. One doctor told me FDA says ok if 10 % difference in generic's active ingredients; pharmacist told me up to 20% difference. Unbelievable and especially seeing how many others are having problems. It has caused my financial downfall and much angst (adding to already diagnosed anxiety disorder). My psychiatrist told me other people have problems with other anti-depressants/ anti-anxiety pills. Next step I understand is to take the insurance company to court. Anyone with any information out there? It seems criminal that this is allowed: if promised that generic drugs are exactly the same--and it's not true--isn't this deceptive and dangerous? Will FDA see this? Shall I write to representatives, senators and more? I'd love to know what steps are being taken to change this horrid situation.

I was taking Verelan PM for several years without problem. I asked my doctor to let me try the generic of this medication to save some money. Unfortunately, it gave me a severe headache. All generic medications I have tried in the past have the same effect on me. There has to be something different about it that would cause this reaction.

Please add me to the long list of people who, after years of doing well on Wellbutrin, did poorly on Budeprion. I recognized the source of the problem only after reading Joe and Terry's article about it. In addition to lowered energy, "brain fog", GERD and weight gain, I discovered, after going back to Wellbutrin, that my singing voice had also been impaired. I know two other musicians who have had much worse responses to Budeprion than mine, and who also have returned to the original drug, to great benefit.

For months I have been struggling on generic Zoloft, after years of success on the real thing. I became so anxious and depressed recently that I had to go to the doctor. I had done some internet research and decided to go back to brand name Zoloft two weeks ago--the difference is incredible. I am already getting back to my 'old self'. There is no doubt of this in my mind--I am self-aware enough to know that these generic tablets caused the problems 100%.

I was first prescribed Zoloft six years ago to treat severe postpartum depression and within one week it gave me my life back! I've been on Zoloft ever since. I have realized that it would have benefited me a lot sooner in my life. About a month ago when I last had my prescription filled, I was given the generic form. I was happy because I only had to spend $10 a month versus $40 a month (it adds up!). During the last few weeks, I found that I've been very touchy and snapping at people. I've made comments to people and then cried because I feel so bad that I said such things. It dawned on me recently that my mood swings could be related to taking the generic form, now I am convinced! I am going to speak to my doctor about this and insist with CVS Pharmacy that I get the "real" thing. Thank you, this site has been very helpful for me!

generics are the same. the other added ingrediants are not the main ingrediants. if you truly have problems with the generic most insurance companies will charge the higher tier. so pay it! if you don't want to be sick pay the bill! before insurance had co-pays people paid for their medicine!

About 2 years ago my doctor prescribed 20mg of Celexa for anxiety and depression. All was well for awhile until United Health Care would not cover it anymore due to a generic brand being out. So I tried the generic and it affected me in the totally opposite of what it should have. The anxiety was awful, couldn't sleep at night and felt like I was taking a medicine for more energy. Was awful, so I contacted my insurance company and they would not not cover the other due to the generic regardless if the generic affected me that way or not. So I'm back to paying full price for the real Celexa.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21142869/

I'm pissed! I just now found this information! I thought the depression was coming back full force but my experiences since being on the generic are exactly the same as what's been described in these comments. I'va had severe depression for 20 years. Finally Wellbutrin XL came along and I got a life back. A new job and new insurance forced me onto the generic Budeprion XL 300mg. I've gained weight, my sex drive is gone, suicidal thoughts have returned as well as the depression that keeps me in bed for days at a time. I'm going back to the brand name no matter what it takes, this isn't worth it.

My experience with generics has been dismal. My thyroid med was changed to generic and my numbers went up to 7.5. As soon as I got back on Levoxyl they came down.

Same thing with Prozac. The generic did nothing.

Pharmacy tried to change my lotrel to a generic and before the month was up my blood pressure was not regulated. It took the dr over 4 months to find the right combination of drugs to control my bp so you can imagine how I felt when this happened.

I have NO faith in the FDA. I feel it is just like other government agencies that are run to please drug companies, or return favors etc.

This is a terrible situation when drug companies are allowed to play with our health and well-being.

I knew it! I've been taking Wellbutrin xl for three years , with good results. This spring, my insurance switched me to the generic version. Within a week I was moody, depressed, angry, couldn't concentrate or act. A total wreck. After two months of fighting with the insurance, and changing pharmacies, my doctor got me switched back to the original. It took several weeks to get back to normal.

I have also been on Wellbutrin for many years and when the generic came along I was willing to try it as the cost savings were significant. However I was concerned if it would work the same as the name brand. The reasons for my concern were twofold. One, I had tried a generic for birth control a few years back, and I had a severe reaction in extremely painful breasts. The pharmacist assured me it couldn't be the generic as it was "identical". But I asked to switch back after two weeks of pain and the pain immediately stopped! The second reason I had concerns was I was a pharmaceutical rep for a veterinary distributor, which means I represented multiple lines of drugs, most the same as human drugs. I constantly had doctors switch back to name brand when the animals didn't respond to the generics the same as the name brand. If an animal is responding differently, it's not because it knows you switched it to a generic!

I too suffered a difference with the Wellbutrin XL generic. I was on it for about three weeks and noticed my concentration had dropped, I had the depression come back, and I also experienced the nausea each morning I took it. As a pharmaceutical rep, I found out that yes, the main ingredient has to pass FDA inspection within a range of the name brand, but the binding ingredients were dependent upon the generic manufacturer--tthe explanation of the generic XL dissolving more quickly from Consumer Labs makes a lot of sense with the reactions I encountered. Obviously I went back to the name brand Wellbutrin XL!

Both me and my son had problems with generics. He has hormone problems due to brain surgery and generic DDAVP did not work at all. He has to use the brand name. I had problems with generic Mobic. One generic from one lab was ok, but the mail order pharmacy we are required to use sent a different generic. It was like I wasn't taking any medication at all. The pain that was gone with the other medication came back, and I couldn't walk. When I complained to the mail order company (Caremark), they told me it was the same. But how could it be the same if it didn't relieve the pain? I switched back to the other generic at CVS and had to pay a higher amount.

I have been taking oxycontin for years for chronic pain. I had surgery four years ago and as a result I have a lot of nerve damage. I take 40 mg twice a day. When this drug finally went generic, my prescription drug company would only pay for the generic. I noticed right away that something was wrong. I had breakthrough pain immediately. The medication did not last 12 hours like the oxycontin. If I got 8 hours out of it I was lucky. I went back to the drugstore and they told me that the generic was exactly the same and that there should be no difference. I constantly had pain as well as withdrawals and, as I am sure those who take this medication know, the doctor prescribes exactly the amount you need and there are no extras to take for the breakthrough pain. It is supposed to last the 12 hours. It was never a problem before. The generic was oxycondone (TEVA) 12 hour release.

After dealing with this for several months, I finally went back to my doctor and explained what was happening. He now prescribes only the original oxycontin, and I had to jump through some hoops with the insurance company, but they now pay for oxycontin and I no longer take the generic brand. I don't care what any tells you, the generic does not work the same. There is something wrong with the time release. You get too much in your body when you first take it, then it no longer works after 8 hours. It does not last the 12 hours. I am very surprised that there haven't been more complaints. Maybe people are like me and most were able to go back to the original oxycontin. I feel for those who still have to use the generic brand because their insurance companies will not pay for the original brand.

I took generic Prozac for awhile and was right back to square one with panic attacks, etc. Only the brand name Prozac works for me. I pay more and that's not right.

I received a generic substitute for Prozac earlier in 2007. I noticed the generic was really big, 2 times larger than the normal Prozac pill size. I took the generic for three weeks. It did not work for me. I had a tough time of it with the return of symptoms for about 2 months before getting stabilized on original Prozac. I never want to experience the return of symptoms. My prescription now reads no generic substitutes.

Yeah! NPR finally reported problems with generic Wellbutrin today... Now what about generic Zoloft?! I filled a Zoloft prescription with the generic (turns out mine was made by Teva Pharmaceuticals), thought nothing of it, but my mood became increasingly unstable... I got increasingly revved up and manic and irritable--just as one would imagine if you went cold turkey of a drug you are NEVER SUPPOSED to stop abruptly (note: I also take Wellbutrin, and think the revved up feeling was the lack of balance between the two drugs).

Finally, about 3 weeks in it dawned on me "Wow, this feels like a whole lot of Wellbutrin and not a lot of Zoloft." I went back to brand name and in a short period was fine.

I held on to the remainder of my generic prescription and would LOVE to submit them to a lab for testing as I have NO DOUBT they will come up faulty.

Great for NPR to discuss the problems with generic Wellbutrin--now let's move on to Zoloft and probably all the rest.

I was switched from Loestrin 120 to a generic. I had breakthrough bleeding for 2 weeks, PMS and severe cramps.

I requested to be put back on the name brand and after 3 days no more symptoms... it is entirely possible people could get pregnant on this stuff.

I think insurance companies should be sued for forcing people to go to generics. I have a higher co-pay if I insist on the name brand when there is a generic for it. I dont necessarily think that is fair, but it is more reasonable than just arbitrarily switching someone to a generic without any choice.

I was on 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL for 7 months. It worked very well but I began to feel that I needed a higher dose as the depression and mood swings were coming back. My doctor prescribed 300 mg of Wellbutrin XL and the pharmacy issued the generic Budeproprion instead. I thought nothing of it other than that I was happy I only had to pay $10! Within 24 hours, I knew something was very, very wrong. I was seized by severe suicidal impulses, I was crying hysterically and completely lost control. I don't know how they make this "medicine" but it was very harmful to me and I will never allow it in my body again.

My partner has taken first Wellbutrin, then Teva buproprion SR150 generic, for several years as a treatment for depression. Last year, he was prescribed a "proton pump inhibitor" antacid to control reflux. Within 48 hours, he had an extreme emotional reaction--crying, panic, etc.

Because the emotional response was so directly connected to this new antacid, he immediately stopped it. His emotional state returned quickly to normal. He has not taken anything but "tums" since.

We never considered the mechanism that might have caused this interaction, but on hearing the program on NPR this a.m., I suspect now that the blocking of stomach acid either prevented or accelerated the dissolving of the buproprion tablets.

Recently went to 10mg generic Ambien from 10mg brand name. Effectiveness is reduced as I usually wake up every night around 3:00AM
now. Have to take another half dose to make it through the rest of the night. I think the potency of the generic medication is not at the level of the original brand medication.

I made it clear to my doctor a few years back that the generic brand for Xanax does not work effectively. It is at best 50% effective. I first realized how poorly it worked about 3 years ago when I was given alprazolam in the place of Xanax. I noticed the different shape of the pill and asked if it was correct and the pharmacy told me it was exactly the same medication in a different design.

My panic attacks came back and I kept thinking I had missed a dosage or simply was having a rougher time. After 3 refills over 3 months and another visit to the doctor I asked him if he had ever heard a patient complain before and he had. Anyway, I switched back to Xanax only and it made a noticeable difference. He would have to write Xanax only on the prescription or they'd give me alprazolam.

However, my insurance company recently stopped allowing this and now I can only take alprazolam. I'm dealing with it and having anxiety/mental health issues. My guess is that the pharmacy/insurance company views any complaint about a difference as a symptom of my problem and not a problem with the medication. Yet, I can assure you they are incorrect.

I take 4 mg Cardura for hypertension and I cannot take the generic brand. It doesn't work. I get very symptomatic. Even increasing the generic 1 mg didn't work.

However, what makes me angry is that the insurance companies punish you by inflicting an ancillary charge if you choose the brand medication over the generic. So you pay more than the regular tier price than if there were no generic brand available.

MY EXPERIENCE IS WITH THYROID MEDICATION. MY DOCTOR EXPLAINED THAT NOT ALL MEDICATIONS ARE ABSORBED THE SAME. THE SOURCE OF THE GENERIC IS UNKNOWN, THEREFORE ONE TIME YOU MAY GET SYNTHROID AND THE NEXT MONTH IT COULD BE SOME OTHER BRAND. SINCE YOUR BODY TAKES A WHILE (ABOUT 6 WEEKS)TO REACT TO CHANGES IN THYROID MEDICATION CHANGING EACH MONTH CAN MAKE IT GO CRAZY. IT HAPPENED TO ME AND ALSO MY HAIR HAS THINNED, A LOT. IT'S NOW TAKING ABOUT A GALLON OF BLOOD TESTS AND HALF A YEAR TO FINALLY GET MY LEVEL BACK TO NORMAL!

Several years ago, my HMO switched me to generic Wellbutrin. I went through 3 days of SSRI withdrawal. By the end of those 3 days I couldn't even sign my name. I even tried doubling my dose to stop the withdrawal, but was not successful. I am a pharmacist, and I was not expecting any problem with the change over to generic.

I have taken the pain medication Oxycontin for about 10 years for serious chronic back pain, failed back surgery syndrome, fibromyalgia etc....I never had a problem being on the same dose for five years until my insurance said I have to have the generic brand.

I am here to tell you that is does not work the same; you feel like you have not taken your medication with bouts of severe pain, feelings of withdrawal and the pain cannot be described. Yet if you take extra you will not make it to the end of your cycle and get in trouble with your doc.

I think serious thought should go into investigating why these drugs do not metabolize or work the same way that the original does. It is not fair to people like me who are trying so hard to be treated for pain so I can have a small portion of my life and go to work, only to be scrutinized by drs who are terrified they will get into trouble. I need the medication I could not function without it. So let's fix this generic problem.

I have taken Allegra 180 for 8 years, then went to a generic 3 years ago that was long and peach colored. There seemed to be little difference.

Now they have changed the generic and it is oval and pink. The allergy headaches, swollen eyes, tiredness, weight gain, sneezing and coughing are all back. But the pharmacy says this is what there supplier has and cannot even get the old generic.

I had been taking Celexa for chronic major depression for about 2 years before the generic came out. I switched to the generic (citalopram) as soon as it was available because it was considerably cheaper.

I started getting horrible migraine-like headaches and my mood declined after a week or 2. The only thing that had changed in that time was the switch to generic. I went back to my doctor who was willing to write me a "No Generic" prescription. After returning to the brand name, the headaches disappeared and my mood improved. I really believed that they would be the same and I've taken other generics without any problems, but this one didn't work for me.

I was switched to Budeprion XL and had a recurrence of cluster headaches, which I had not suffered from for over two years. My doctor requested "brand name medically necessary". Once I was on Wellbutrin XL again, the headaches ceased!

Budeprion is NOT the same as Wellbutrin! Budeprion also caused significant taste distortion. I feel fortunate that I can still get some coverage from my insurance for the brand name.

I have been taking Paxil for nine years, initially 20mg and later 25mg CR. Last year I was switched to paroxetine generic and started to suffer discontinuation symptoms within a week or two. These symptoms are very specific and consist of a wave of feeling light headed with a concurrent buzzing sensation in my head; like FEELING blood flowing through the brain. When I was switched to Paxil CR these sensations stopped within a few days.

- thought it was ME ! Took Wellbutrin for awhile and noticed the change when the generic version came out.

I also had the VERY SAME PROBLEM with ms-contin- msir 30mg, for chronic back pain.

I asked for a brand MSIR 30mg telling the pharmacist I would pay the difference, because they had switched to whomever made the cheapest generic each month all that did NOT equal the brand.,. NO ONE MAKES A BRAND MSIR 30MG-anymore. I guess Purdue is making more with oxycontiin/oxyir

I work in a pharmacy and was hesitant to switch from the brand name Zoloft to the generic due to the problems our patients were having with the generic. I finally gave in when I could no longer afford the high copay for the brand name. What a mistake. I realized how badly I was feeling when I was contemplating the most painless way to die including jumping out of a hot air balloon. I have since switched back to the brand name Zoloft which I have been on for around 10 years and am feeling like my old self. I will have to continue paying the high copay charged by my insurance company, but I will be alive and well.

I began taking Wellbutrin XL after the SR version did not work well for me. I took XL for approximately 1 year. XL helped me to feel human again! For me, the despair and darkness were eased by XL.

Unfortunately, we are in the military (yes, you read that correctly). We had the rug pulled out from under us earlier this year - our orders were changed and we were forced to move 1 year early. I had no idea how long it would take for us to get settled and find new doctors in the new, remote area we would be going to. In light of that, I asked my military doctor for a written prescription so I could have it filled at a national chain pharmacy.

Military Treatment Facilities (military clinics and hospitals) will provide prescriptions to Active Duty members, Retirees, etc. I was able to obtain name brand Wellbutrin XL from them in a 3 month supply; with one refill. Unfortunately the military health insurance does not like to pay for such an expensive drug...it has become "non-formulary". Due to this, I had to have special paperwork filled out to explain why I can’t tolerate any other anti-depressants and need XL. This is quite humiliating to say the least.

Once you move away from the Military Treatment Facility to a new region, your prescription becomes null and void – they are non-transferable. I knew the bottle of XL that I had would run out during the middle of our move across the country. I had no desire to deal with withdrawals while doing the sick & twisted relay race of driving a few hundred miles a day, checking into a hotel, and so on until you reach your destination. This is why I asked for a written prescription to be filled elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the military health insurance has a rule that say non-formulary drugs are $22/month; and they must substitute generics whenever possible. So I had to unexpectedly pay $66 for a 3-month supply of Budeprion. At the time I thought “at least I have a back-up”.

With all the insanity of our trip across the country I forgot to take one of my last few XL pills. Boy, did I feel it! Dizziness and irritability immediately set in. When I began taking Budeprion I noticed that it didn’t have the same effects of wiping away the despair & keeping the dark thoughts at bay. I’ve found that I can skip Budeprion pills left and right without any side effects. Now, I don’t see the point of even continuing with the last few pills I have.

I have become so afraid of going to the doctor that I have anxiety attacks. There are no Military Treatment Facilities where I currently live so I know that the only thing I will get from a civilian physician is generic Budeprion, and I now know that this doesn’t cut it. I tried many, many anti-depressants before I began Wellbutrin XL so I already know that those won’t do the job either. My current situation feels pretty darn hopeless.

Generic Celexa, citalopram, does not work! Depression & anxiety returned after a few months; upped the dose and still not working.

Going back to brand name Lexapro (less expensive than Celexa).

I have mild congestive Heart failure and real bad edema with my left leg especially. I take 80mg Lasix twice a day. The brand name works quite well. Some of the generic furosemide seems to work but it seems to have a wide range of effectiveness from manufacturer to manufacturer.

However, the generic furosemide that my mail order pharmacy seems to do little or nothing. I may as well be taking chalk tablets. On this stuff I retained so much water that I would gain about 15-20 lbs or more and have shortness of breath. My legs would swell up badly. I have to keep a Lasix prescription at the local pharmacy and pay for it out of my own pocket to avoid problems.

I'd taken Prozac successfully and with great results for almost 10 years, when I was switched to its generic (Fluoxetine) by my insurance company. I had an adverse reaction that was absolutely frightening - my skin started to get very hot and you could actually see a bright red rash working its way down my face to my neck and chest. The whites of my eyes looked as though they'd hemorrhaged; they were so red you could no longer see my iris.

I also experienced what I could only describe as heart palpitations along with a severe migraine. Fortunately, I was at work which has an exceptionally good healthcare center. I was given two shots of benadryl. I've never taken the generic again, and have never had those physical symptoms either. Please report this to the FDA!

After taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg for 4 months I was feeling like myself again: no depression, no suicidal thoughts, no desire for compulsive eating. After 2 weeks on the generic it ALL came back. All of it.

After another week I got my next refill for the brand name and threw out the remaining week of the generic. 3 days later, I was feeling back to normal. There is something wrong with this generic.

One side effect I have with the brand name is hand tremors - which is a small price to pay for not wanting to kill myself. Those went away with the generic and came back when I started back on the brand name. It's not the same stuff.

Wow, I found this website after reading the MSNBC.Com article online today 10/12/07. The article was: "Report Questions generic antidepressants" Man was that an eye opener!!

My husband was initially started on bupropion ER 100mg, and then was switched to Wellbutrin SR 100mg, and then with his med increase he was switched to Budeprion XL 300mg. His life and our relationship has been in shambles ever since!!! He has been extremely irritable, moody, down right mean, somewhat psychotic, delusional, extremely agitated, obsessive thoughts, suicidal, irrational, made poor decisions, was overly confident and floated around with an inflated ego, and self esteem. His behaviors have been irrational, bizarre and down right ABNORMAL for him.

It escalated to the point the Psych MD put him on RISPERDAL which helped with the delusional thoughts and obsessions. This has been the worst experience imaginable!!! I have contacted Teva Pharm and informed them we'll be on the bandwagon for a Class Action Suit when one comes about. The sad part of all this--my spouse’s behavior, actions and thoughts were changing and I never thought about it being the medication. Now that his mind is clearing-it's obvious he was not aware of the changes and I was in denial. I hope something good comes out of all of this. Our next RX will be Brand only!!! Fortunately for us my INS will allow Brand for the higher tiered co pay.

I had been on Dyazide and Norvasc for high blood pressure since 2002. In 2005 they switched me to the generic Dyazide. I started having problems right away. I would be dizzy and irritable and a tingling feeling in my hands.

The generic Dyazide did not control my blood pressure; my blood pressure started raising and after 5 months on generic Dyazide I ended up in the Emergency Room on Xmas Eve; my blood pressure was over 150/100, I had a terrible neck, head, and chest pain, I had trouble thinking.

After this I was switched to Cozaar. Recently they started sending me generic Norvasc and I asked my doctor to instruct the insurance company to send me the non-generic. Even if it costs me more, since the insurance will not pay for the difference in cost, I am not taking any risks. I already had a very bad experience with generic Dyazide.

I have taken Norvasc for 15 years without any problems. The new generic Amlodipine Besylate caused me to have every side effect listed, headache, dizziness, nausea and swelling of the feet and ankles. Unfortunately since there is now a generic available the cost of Norvasc is sky high.

Used generic form of Zoloft for a while and my symptoms returned. Switched back to brand name and got positive results. The generic definitely did not work.

After reading all of the postings about generic Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, I have realized why I was feeling as if I was becoming immune to it. It really wasn't working so I stopped taking it. While I was on it, I all of a sudden I started having a terrible fear of heights. I couldn't even go on escalators anymore, or go into the mountains while on vacation in Tennessee. Now that I have quit taking the generic Wellbutrin I haven't had any problem with this. What a relief!!! This generic med should be taken off of the shelf before something horrible happens to someone.

I read the MSNBC report today, and realized it was not just my imagination about the generic Wellbutrin. About a year ago, I had an excellent response to Wellbutrin XL, but like so many others, switched to generic bupropion SR because of the cost. The generic by Sandoz is not as great, but pretty good nevertheless. On the other hand the generic by Teva is nearly worthless. I see a huge difference in how I feel and function. I now refuse to buy the Teva, and insist on the Sandoz brand generic (bupropion SR 150mg BID). Ideally, I'd take Wellbutrin XL, it's the best one.

Today i read an article on MSN.com that explained a lot of problems I have been experiencing. I was switched from Wellbutrin XL to the generic form. My mood swings and anxiety continued to increase, especially at night. My doctor added two prescriptions for anxiety, but the combination still does not have my emotions under control. Looking back, everything got worse when I was switched to the generic form. I will be calling my doctor tomorrow to request a switch back to Wellbutrin XL instead of the Teva generic version. Thank you for bringing attention to this and helping me recognize what is really happening to me.

I was taking Wellbutrin XL 150 once a day at night and doing great. Then the generic version came out and due to the price adjustments by the insurance coverage, I switched to Bupropion SR 150, twice a day.

The first day or so was fine. Then I started getting sick and nauseous between 10 and noon every day. After dinner I would feel really down and blue. I took the evening dose right before bed so I noticed less of an effect but if I woke up, I felt sick until I could get back to sleep.

I told my doctor and he tried to get me back on the brand but the insurance company would not budge. I tried it for a few weeks to see if things got better but they did not. Now I have to pay an outrageous price for the brand myself. Then today I hear the news story about these medications and I was so shocked but relieved that I am not alone.

The story indicated that the generic dissolves quicker than the brand. That explains why it was always two to three hours after I took my dose. Please can't someone do something about this and soon! Do we really think it is right to make people suffer in this way or else pay very dearly not to suffer? Why can't insurance companies understand that we are all unique and variations about how an individual reacts to a medication should be expected? You should not be punished and forced to pay a lot more because you react differently to a medication. Do we really want people who are helped by this medication to be forced to stop taking it? Surely someone is in a position to remedy this and make a difference.

While seeing an allergy/asthma specialist a few years ago, I was prescribed Claritin-D. After a few years of shots, I didn't need pills anymore, but my allergies have come back. Claritin-D is now over the counter, and works to clear up my symptoms.

I have been using Jewel/Osco's generic Equaline, but it doesn't seem to do anything. My symptoms are just as bad with the generic as they are with no medication at all. Taking the pills regularly(3-4 weeks straight, according to directions) doesn't make a difference. Taking Claritin name-brand (at any time, regularly or not) always works.

When the formulation for inhalers changed, I was given ProAir Albuterol Inhaler in place of Proventil. The new inhalers don't give the burst of medicine that Proventil did, and I have to use twice as much to get the same effect. The pharmacist told me the reason for switching to a different med was the propellant in the inhaler. He said it was because it was depleting the ozone layer!?!

Using the Proair, I find more of the stuff in my mouth than in my bronchial tubes! And, I AM inhaling at the time, I press the top to release the med.

Another generic I take on a regular basis is LorTab for chronic pain. (hydrocodone/APAP, 10/325 mg). I found that several of the generics don't work near as well. I have to drive cross town to pick up the yellow colored generic as it is the closest to the Brand Name's effectiveness. My pharmacy carries the cheaper alternative by another pharmaceutical company, and it simply doesn't work. It feels like I have taken a 5 mg as opposed to a 10 mg.

More and more of the pharmacies are using subgenerics as they are cheaper and when one is totally disabled and on Medicaid, we are given no choice as to what is dispensed! I don't mind taking a generic medicine, but there SHOULD be a REAL standard for all generics and subgenerics! Every pharmacist I have ever got a generic from states, "They are identical to the brand name!" NOT TRUE!!!! If they were, they would work identically, and not so POORLY, in many instances.

Because I also sleep poorly, my doctor prescribed Lunesta and I lay in bed hallucinating all night and felt drugged the next morning. We switched to Ambien 10 mg, and it worked very well, but I had a problem with sleepwalking and finding myself waking up in the kitchen, standing at the counter eating ice cream straight out of the carton, with a gallon of milk sitting next to the carton! Of course, I put everything up and went back to bed and straight to sleep. There was no drug 'hangover' and I felt rested, but after hearing about people leaving their homes, driving their cars, etc... I quit taking it. Sleep is good, but not the side effects.

I was prescribed the brand name drug Oxycontin for chronic pain and had been taking it for months when the generic hit the market. When I took the generic I suffered from severe flu like symptoms and had pain relief less than 50% of the time. I took it for over 9 months and during that time I suffered sweats, I lost 50 pounds, I was constantly sick to my stomach-so my doctor switched me back to the name brand-my symptoms went away within 24 hours!

Unfortunately, I got a new insurance company and they required me to take the generic, or they would only pay the generic cost-I ended up paying the difference to the tune of over $500 a month-it's a crime! Some generics just don't work-and it's the sick and the frail that have to suffer the consequences for that!

I was on name brand Wellbutrin XL 150mg/QD and felt great, lost some weight. After 2 months I was changed to the generic and within two weeks I felt myself spiraling down, gained weight, very moody. I called my pharmacy and reported this to the pharmacist. I had to wait 2 months to get my prescription renewed and to request the name brand. Within 2 weeks I was feeling better, sleeping better, appetite under control again. This generic definitely does NOT work as the name brand and should be pulled off the market!

My son had been taking Zoloft for OCD for a few months with great success. The pharmacist then switched us to the generic form. I was thrilled with the cost savings, but very soon our son's OCD behaviors and anxiety had returned in spades. Since we were still in the process of slowly increasing his dosage, we tried decreasing it, in case we'd inadvertantly gone too high. Nothing happened. Our psychiatrist then recommended trying the name brand again. She said it was unlikely to be the cause, since they're supposed to be identical, but it was worth a try. Wow, was it ever! Within a week he showed radical improvement and was soon back to his improved state. Before we made the switch, he knew something was wrong with the medication--he wanted to stop taking it. But we persuaded him to try again in case the generic form wasn't working. The change was so dramatic, we were all convinced the generic form simply wasn't working for him. We would be feeling pretty desperate right now if our doctor hadn't thought of this. It's been several months since we switched back, and he's fine now.

I too had a negative reaction to the generic for Wellbutrin. My depression and FMS pain came back and it was as if I was taking no medication. In addition, generic percocet did not work for me or for my mother-in-law. Thank you for this site, hopefully it will help the many people suffering needlessly and get the FDA's attention.

Joe and Terry: have just seen the article on MSNBC.com and glad to see some emerging science about this issue.

As prescribers we are seeing problems with generic Wellbutrin XL also, after having great results with the brand name product. Had actually felt that the XL was a major improvement over the SR when it came out.

We are also seeing alot problems with generic Celexa ( Dr. Reddy's lab)--citalopram and a few with generic Zoloft, and now many patients who are finding that their Ambien is not nearly as effective and we don't believe that all these folks are suddenly developing tolerance! Thanks for your good work as always!! E and M

I've been taking Ambien for a few years now, and was switched to the generic by Prasco Labs in April. I definitely notice a difference in the behavior of this drug. Ambien was very fast-acting (within 30 minutes), but with the generic, I will sometimes still be awake after two hours, and need to take extra medication in order to finally go to sleep. For a while I thought I was just becoming habituated, but I don't think I take it often enough for this to be the case. (I only take it about 2xs a week.) I think there must be something different about the generic drug.

I had been using the generic bupropion I got from Sam's Club pharmacy for years without incident, it worked just fine. But I switched health insurance plans, and Aetna required me to get my bupropion by mail instead of at the pharmacy. But shortly after I started using the pills they sent, I started having cigarette cravings, which I haven't had in years, so I was suspicious. Then I started feeling down, and craving alcohol as a pick-me-up, just like before I went on any meds for depression.

When I described all this to my doctor he said it sounded like the medicine was leaving my system and not being replenished by the pills. So he prescribed the brand-name Wellbutrin for me, which I got mail order from Aetna, and that works fine. But of course now I pay a higher price for the brand-name drug, and I wouldn't mind going back to the generic I got from Sam's Club, but my plan doesn't allow it, and they weren't sympathetic when I told them the first pills they sent me just didn't work. Maybe with this in the news, they'll give me a refund for the difference.

I took Wellbutrin SR for a couple of years with moderate success and then switched to XL when it hit the market--and with significant improvement. I had been taking it for a few years when I got a new insurance provider who flat-out refused to continue the Rx. They said there was no generic for the XL and, instead, gave me the generic for the SR. Then, out of the blue, I attempted suicide. *I feel it's important to note that I was 35 and had never, ever been suicidal before.* As a result of course, I was hospitalized, fired, and then lost my home--but, on the bright side, at least the $13,000 hospital bill convinced my (now self-paid) insurance to cover the Wellbutrin XL.

Unfortunately, nine months later, there was a delay in my prescription delivery and I took one of the old, 'generic' pills to tide me over--and, that night, I attempted suicide again. I have, of course, disposed of that prescription since then. Too bad, it might have proven useful evidence.

In summary, I firmly believe that I would have been better off with no drug at all than with the God-Awful 'generic' that nearly took my life--twice.

I have been depressed for as long as I can remember. I almost got used to it--the anxiety, the lack of control, the crying, the inability to think or make decisions--I actually thought everyone lived like that and I just wasn't able to control it as well as everyone else.

I was very reluctant to take any medication, but I agreed to start on Wellbutrin in November 2006. I started on 150 XL to begin with, and I remember even on the first day of taking it, I actually felt the knot in my stomach that had been there for over 10 years loosen and melt away. I was boosted up to 300 XL, but had the tinnitus side effect and some muscle twitching at that dose, so I asked my doctor to take me back down to 150--I was taking that smaller dose the first few weeks and felt okay; I think that's actually a sub-therapeutic dose for most adults but maybe it's because I'm a very small person, but anyway I felt comfortable being taken back down.

At that time, my doctor decided not to take me down to Wellbutrin 150 XL, but to put me instead on the generic Budeprion 150 SR (she told me there was no generic form of the XL at the time; not sure if that's still true). I was wary about this, because I knew that the SR was meant to be taken twice a day, and I was only going to be taking it in the morning, so I was concerned that it would wear off in the afternoon, leaving me with hellish evenings until the next day's dose. My doctor assured me that the SR would last throughout the day (which I know now is not true; my doctor should lose her license for some of the things she pulled with me) so I went with it.

It happened gradually, but I realized after awhile that I was sliding back into that old familiar state of physical and emotional agony. I contacted my doctor (thinking it was because I was on SR rather than XL that this was happening, not knowing it was because it was the generic form) with my concerns, and she basically cast off my concerns, and told me that if my medication was no longer working that I would need to go on Paxil or Prozac (I won't take SSRIs for a multitude of reasons, which I discussed and were summarily ignored by my PCP), and as I was unwilling to switch medications, I ended up doing nothing, continuing to refill my generic script, and see-sawing between thoughts that my change in mood was "all in my head" and that my medication simply no longer worked, and I was doomed to feel the way I did for the rest of my life, as there was no other anti-depressant I was willing to take. During the time that my medication was not working, I went through the dissolution of an abusive relationship, the loss of my apartment, stalking/harassment, and the loss of most of my friendships. I continued to spiral downward, crying, hating myself, feeling worthless, and (although not technically suicidal) thinking of death as a preferable alternative to day after day of feeling this way every single day.

Eventually I felt like the generic Budeprion I was faithfully taking might actually be making me WORSE so I stopped taking it about 2 months ago. I found an article only yesterday about the ineffectiveness of Budeprion and I finally feel like I have answers. I know I can survive without my medication (and even survive MASSIVE amounts of stress, as I am currently medication-free and still dealing with not having my own place to live and the self-loathing and despair that comes in the aftermath of being abused), a fact that I am quite proud of, but I also feel that knot in my stomach back, I feel sad/stressed/worthless a lot of the time, and I still think about death and dying on a daily basis. Although I am currently surviving, I know the quality of my life could be much better, and I think I want to give Wellbutrin another try. I know now that what I was feeling wasn't all in my head and I am not crazy--my medication ceased to work. It feels good to know this.

There's nothing I can do to get on name-brand Wellbutrin now, because my PCP doesn't believe anything that comes out of my mouth and won't switch/adjust my medication unless I agree to take an SSRI, but I am searching for a new job (and thus, new insurance) and I am going to see a qualified psych about all this mess once that happens. I hope I can manage to hang on until that happens.

I am so angry that this generic medication is being given to people and also angry at any doctors who aren't willing to listen to patients who insist that a switch to the generic wasn't working for them. I am lucky that when I was being abused, stalked, and subsequently homeless, that I was picked up and taken in by a wonderful friend and my now-boyfriend. If he hadn't been there, I probably would have committed suicide by now, since I had no effective medication helping me through one of the hardest times in my life. I still struggle every day, but at least now I know that it isn't my fault and I can try to do something to change this.

Sorry this was long; I just needed to get my story out, and I feel better for doing so. Thanks.

I have been taking ZOLOFT for several years but switched to the generic SERTRALINE a few months ago.

I find that my depression has returned--admittedly it's not as pronounced as pre-ZOLOFT but I am considering switching back to ZOLOFT in the hope that it will relieve my symptoms.

My son was switched to Wellbutrin 300 XL generic and his depression worsened, his doctor added Celexa... Then, he developed nausea, headaches and was very irritable. His GI problems meant he could not go to school. He was tested with brain scans, HIDA scan had GI biopsy, MRIs and related CAT scans. Ultimately, he was hospitalized for suicide.

He is now better. He is off the Celexa and still takes the generic 300 XL Wellbutrin and 150 mg Wellbutrin was added to this. He takes Nexium for the nausea and trileptal for the irritability and pills for his headache.

Thanks to the research from CL, I am reasonably certain that my son's bizarre symptoms were the result of the switch by my insurance company to the generic, and that his current other medicine is needed to manage the failings and side effects of this generic.

I am getting his doctor tomorrow to prescribe the brand name Wellbutrin and we will then know more. If so, a young person was made to suffer needlessly and in the process he consumed thousands of dollars worth of medical tests because of the substitution of an apparently non-comparable generic that evidently released the medicine too quickly, resulting in reports of nausea, headache, irritability and the lack of medication after a number of hours in the increase in depression.

After my insurance company switched me from Wellbutrin XL to the generic, my depression came back - within days of the switch. I had had problems on other forms of the generic and prior to switching to the brand xl, I was paying for the 75mg. brand wellbutrin ( insurance would only cover generic). When it became unavailable, I switched to the Wellbutrin xl (brand). I was doing ok.

Then the insurance switched me to the generic. I immediately noticed a difference and became more and more depressed. Then I got switched to a different generic of Wellbutrin XL, and my life was destroyed. I became suicidal. I had not been this depressed in years. I researched methods to commit suicide - I wanted to make sure that I did it right - it had to work. I did not want to risk surviving. My relationship of 5 years was completely destroyed.

I marked a date on the calender to commit suicide. My mood disorder became completely destablized.

On oct. 1st, my insurance approved the brand Wellbutrin XL , I immediately started it and noticed a difference within days. I have a long road ahead of me -just to get back to where I was - but then I'll never get back, because my experience with the generic destroyed everything in my life that was important to me.

I had been taking Wellbutrin 300 XL for 10 years, and my ins
provider, Express Scripts, changed it on me in Jan., 2007.
Budeprion was not effective for me at all, raising my BP, causing GAD and ADD exacerbation. It took me three months to fight to get the brand, and now they are charging me a copay of $182 for a 90 day supply. I will see my MD to try to get a cheaper antidepressant, but it has been working for 10 years and I am hesitant to change.

I am a psychiatrist in private practice, and have had three patients in the last few months have problems with generic fluoxetine, specifically the Sandoz 20mg. The reports are consistent - lost efficacy, sedation where there had been none in the one patient who had been on brand-name fluoxetine in the past, and SSRI discontinuation syndrome after missing one dose, which should not happen with fluoxetine, given its long half-life. I went so far as to try both the Sandoz generic and Eli Lilly Prozac myself, and I would agree, based on side effects, that they are not only different strengths but different drugs. The Sandoz appears to be a short-acting sedating weak dose SSRI (paroxetine? fluvoxamine?). All three patients improved within two weeks on brand-name Prozac with resolution of all side effects, including one patient who had been sedated by the Sandoz product qhs, yet was so stimulated by Prozac qAM that she required sleeping medication after the change.

I have reported this to two pharmacists in my area who have contacted Sandoz but not had any response beyond that it will be looked into. For now I am prescribing brand name fluoxetine only, something I hate to do since I do not like to support Lilly given their ethical violations, and try to avoid prescribing Lilly products when possible.

I'm raising this now because of the recent reports about Budeprion, since I've had to change patients back to Wellbutrin XL in several cases, and now there are numbers to prove why. I hope someone can look into the Sandoz fluoxetine. Meantime, I will keep in mind that what I prescribe is not what my patients may be taking, and this is no way to practice medicine.

All I can say is *wow* I'm not going crazy. I too was suddenly switched to generic Wellbutrin last February, which by the way was the same time I had to go on prescription Xanax. Now it all makes sense to me. The lack of energy even though my eating is free of most junk foods and I work out daily. The 10 lb weight gain, the feelings of despair, and my nonstop anxiousness. I experienced the night sweats most have spoken about, eye twitching, and inability to organize my thoughts or make a decision.
Thank goodness a friend sent me a link that aired on NPR about the problems linked to the generic. I went to my doctor today, and she called the pharmacy with instructions to only refill with the name brand, not the generic. She also told me that I'm the 5th person in the past 2-3 months who has come to her complaining of the same symptoms since having been changed to the generic version.

Is it going to take a suicide before the FDA realizes what this drug is doing to people? I hit rock bottom last week, tomorrow I will be back on the name brand Wellbutrin 300. I can only hope it kicks in quickly.

I have taken Zolpedem 10 mg for over a month (the generic for Ambien), and it seemed to work okay for the first month, but now my new refill of Zolpedem does not work. It takes several hours to fall asleep. I talked to the pharmacist, and he said he would change to the real Ambien, but my insurance wanted to charge me over $130 for the prescription, so I decided to wait, but I am frustrated. I shouldn't have to even have to ask for the real Ambien when a generic is supposed to be equal. Zolpedem does not work!!

I have panic/anxiety disorder and had been taking Klonopin for years. My insurance company no longer allows brand name meds, so I take clonzapam now (generic). I have lost all my body hair and the hair on head is getting thinner every day. I have also lost 20 lbs and suffer from severe depression and anxiety. My insurance company will not allow me to go back to the Klonopin so I suffer on even though my doctor has sent letters saying this change is medically necessary. I also have three friends who have experienced the same symptoms on clonzapam and are also unable to switch back. If there is anyone else out there with this problem I'd love to hear from you. Someone has to make the insurance companies stop making medical decisions when doctors say no. Help.

I recently began taking the generic version of Toprol XL and have noticed that I'm not feeling as well as I normally do. I'm a little "buzzy" and a bit anxious.

I've been taking generic amitriptyline for years. The brand name used to be Elavil, but the drug now only exists in generic form. A year ago, from one refill to the next, I immediately started waking in the middle of the night, with depression symptoms re-appearing after a few days. I went to a different pharmacy and got a different batch of it--the symptoms stopped. However, this happened again in 3 of the following 4 refills. I wrote to the manufacturer--Mylan--and to Walgreens. Walgreens never replied; Mylan asked for the product back "to test". However despite frequent letters I've never had a written response from them about the results of these tests, if they even did them, nor did they answer my question about whether the drug is manufactured in the USA or just marketed here. (They bought an Indian company last fall, I discovered.) Walgreens only buys this drug from this company so I went to an independent pharmacy. They switched to a different company. The pills were the same size and shape, with different markings. They were fine one month--but the problem recurred the next. I'm now on yet another company's amitriptyline. Again the pills are the same size and shape. So far the problem hasn't recurred, but I'm wondering if these companies really do manufacture the stuff themselves or simply import, mark and market them. It seems odd that the same size pills are appearing from different companies, and producing the same problems, which I've never had with this drug until last last year.

RE: Ambien and generic Zolpidem.

My experiences have been similar to others'. Ambien works great--to sleep in 10 minutes for 7 hours. Even 1/2 works fine.

Zolpidem does not work. Takes 1-2 hrs to get to sleep, and sleep is neither of high quality, nor uninterrupted.

I was relieved to hear the NPR report by Joanne Silberner on generic Wellbutrin and how it doesn't work. While that report blamed the sustained/extended release aspect of the drug, I myself take the regular version of the drug and when I was switched to the generic of the regular drug (not SR or XL, just regular brand name to regular generic) I found that that generic did not work. I became very depressed, cried easily, had blood sugar issues, and extreme ADD-like symptoms. When I went back to the brand name, I was fine.

For those who may not know, Glaxosmithkline (and many other drug companies) have programs where you can get the brand name of their drugs for free from them directly if you are low-income and your health insurance won't cover prescriptions, or won't cover the prescription you need (in this case my insurance would only cover the generic, which did not work, thus it did not cover the drug I needed). The program is called Bridges to Access. So you can still get the brand name drug you need, for free.

I came across this today and thank goodness! I take Toprol XL (or was) as a daily "preventative" for migraines. I started on a different beta blocker around 9 years ago but switched over to Toprol XL when the first one prescribed was not being manufactured any longer (can't remember name, sorry). Anyhow, Toprol XL 50 mg has been a life saver. Without it , my head is in constant fuzz, depression is fierce, face and neck pain, anxiety and so on. With it I can be a normal person. Several weeks ago I called, my mail order company for a refill and they sent Metoprolol ER 50 mg ( EON Labs/Sandoz). In the past I haven't had problems with generic substitutes, so my doctor writes that I can take a generic to save costs.

Over the past couple of weeks, I haven't slept well and all the daily bad symptoms started creeping up. I've rewashed all my laundry, stayed away from smokers and really watched my diet (perfumes, smoke and certain foods are triggers for my migraines as well as lack of sleep....). It finally dawned on me this morning that my medicine has changed and this has been going on since I started this bottle.

I've called the mail order company and my doctor's office to correct this and have even asked for a small prescription filled of the Toprol XL until the mail order supply comes in. I know the insurance company will say something, but what's the point of taking a medicine that doesn't work, and also, if the pharmacy is going to change to generic even if the doctor has said generic is OK, shouldn't they say something before they send it out to you or you pick it up at the pharmacy so YOU can decide whether or not you want to try?

I can say that I would have said yes to the generic since I have not had previous problems, but then I would have discovered the problem much more quickly and not suffered for the last three weeks.

I am eternally gratefully for the medicines that I take for my migraines and appreciate the companies that manufacture them, and my doctor who has helped find the paths to feeling better. However, poor substitutes pushed by pharmacies and insurance companies is not practicing good health care.

I just read the article about how you folks reported that a lot of people were having trouble with the generic Wellbutrin XL 300. My insurance company switched me this past winter to the generic, and within weeks the symptoms of my depression returned. I was weepy and lethargic and didn't want to get out of bed.

My doctor contacted the insurance people and demanded that they let me take the real Wellbutrin XL, and I felt the difference within a week! It is more effective--there is no doubt in my mind. I will NOT take the generic again, even if they "improve" it.

Bless you for advocating for people like me.

RMT

I switched from Wellbutrin XL 300 to the fat, yellow generic pills. I too had many problems falling asleep. I didn't like it at all. I had some 150 SR pills, so I went back to those 2x a day. I've found that using the generic SR pills 2x a day is much better--no problems with the generic SR pills. I've been taking those for some time now and it's a little inconvenient to take the pill 2x a day but I have no more problems. Unfortunately I got a 3-month's supply of 300 mg generic XL at $100 so I'm going to have to use them at some point. I may alternate days w/the 300 XL generics to use up all the pills. But what a rip-off. Next time I get a Rx I'm going back to Wellbutrin XL.

I had a horrible experience with the generic product Wellbrutin XL. I went back to using the non-generic Wellbrutin (150ml x2). The difference was immediately apparent. I felt better. I feel that the generic product should not be proscribed.

I find the generic of Effexor XR 75 mg is far less effective than the brand name. I began treatment on samples of Effexor XR, and stayed on samples for quite some time.

Recently I've switched to the generic provided by my Maintenance Drug Plan and it's just not the same. There is an effect, but it's muted.

One question I would raise is that it is known, I believe, that antidepressants that once worked well can decrease in their effectiveness over time. The longer a person is on an antidepressant the more likely they are taking a generic, so the decrease in the effectiveness of the generic may be at least partially related to the length of time a person is on a particular drug. And just as one drug is effective for some but a different one for others, the decrease in effectiveness over time may be person specific.

However, it may just as well be that subtle differences in the generic do not fit the particular chemistry of the person. We still don't know precisely how these drugs work so it's entirely plausible that a generic and the brand are just different enough to lose whatever magic the brand's chemistry provided.

Thanks for your site.

My doctor prescribed Budeprion XL 300 mg as a smoking cessation aid. Within 30 minutes of taking the first tablet, I became agitated, nervous, & anxious. I thought this was strange, as I had taken this medication five or six years ago to quit smoking and it did not affect me this way. In fact, it had the completely opposite effect as what I was currently experiencing. I then remembered that when I took this medication previously, I used the brand name Wellbutrin, NOT the generic. I kept thinking the symptoms would go away, but they did not. After experiencing an additional symptom of rapid heartbeat, I stopped taking the medication on day five. However, I ended up in the ER two days later, thinking I was having a heart attack. My heart checked out fine and I was told that my symptoms were caused from anxiety related to the side effects of the Budeprion.

Since the Wellbutrin XL 150 is not available in generic form yet, and the 300 XL is--why don't you ask the doc to write you a script for Wellbutrin XL 150 with the directions "take 2 tabs daily"? Then you will get the therapeutic dose without the non-preferred co-pay. Also, there is a generic out now for Wellbutrin XL 300 by Watson pharmaceuticals that closely resembles the brand-name--including the hydrophilic coating that regulates the time-release mechanism. Watson is a subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline--the maker of Wellbutrin brand. Try asking the pharmacy for Watson generic instead of budeprion.

I agree with everyone's comments on the generic Wellbutrin I switched about a month ago and have been having continual bad headaches, which I never get, experiencing extreme forgetfulness and inability to concentrate. Also feel very insecure at work. I am very grateful I heard about people having problems with the generic because who knows how long it would have taken me (or a doctor) to figure it out. It should be taken off the market now!!

My insurance company, in their infinite wisdom, decided I should have Bupropion instead of Wellbutrin. I immediately started a slow slide back toward the state I was in before I started Wellbutrin. I needed more sleep, but I had less energy. No matter how much sleep I got, it wasn't enough and I yawned repeatedly throughout the day. My energy level was way down and my weight started to climb back up. I had lost 30+ pounds on Wellbutrin and now, thanks to Bupropion, have gained about half of it back. My frame of mind tended more and more toward hopelessness and despair.

PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS DRUG! It's ineffective at best and dangerous at worst.

I've been on name brand Wellbutrin 300 XL for years with very good results. I have now tried two different kinds of generic Wellbutrin 300 XL that don't work for me. Teva, the yellow pills and then a white pill that looks almost the same as the name brand. My insurance company decided that they wanted this so my doctor went along. A month later I'm in his office totally feeling anxious, having terrible dreams, feeling so depressed that every stimulus hurts, etc. Nothing else changed but the Wellbutrin. So, they change me back to the name brand for three months and I feel better pretty fast, and then when I refilled it, lo and behold it's a new generic without anyone telling me. Guess they thought I wouldn't notice, hopefully. Well, I wish I could say I didn't. Now it's waking up at 4 AM and crying. I'm upset because I get to feel so bad just so someone can save $50.00 a month. Not very happy with my doctor either. Please note that some people can feel the difference with these drugs in just a week or two.

I have been taking budeprion xl for the past eight months, since my insurance company would no longer pay for wellbutrin. I was ok for a few months, then started to go into deep depression for a period, followed by feeling ok again. About two months ago, I felt so desperate that I literally thought of driving off a bridge or into a tree, I felt like I did ten years ago in the depths of despair. Unfortunately, my doctor is no longer in practice and I must wait almost a month for an appointment with a new psychiatrist, even though I explained how I was feeling. Don't know what I am going to do, but I do know that the generic form does not work.

I am absolutely amazed with the number of complaints regarding Budeprion XL. I, too, was switched to the generic form of Wellbutrin XL in June of this year. The first thing I noticed was the different appearance of the pills (Budeprion was a horse-pill compared to Wellbutrin). I had been on Wellbutrin for 5 years and had no signs of depression.

On Budeprion, I was moody, irritable, flying into rage for no good reason, and had been steadily gaining weight with no changes in my eating or exercise habits. I was miserable. It wasn't until I choked on a Budeprion pill, that I realized that this pill could be the reason for everything I'd been feeling.

I called our mail-order pharmacy and was told that a switch was made to generic, apparently by my INSURANCE company. I called my doctor, told her about my experience, and she is now writing DISPENSE AS WRITTEN on my prescriptions. Within days of being back on name-brand Wellbutrin, I was my old self. It's been 6 weeks back on. I'm feeling so much better and I've lost 10 pounds. Amazing.

Something must be done. These are not the same drugs.

My neurologist introduced me to Ambien CR 12.5 mg last year, and he advised me to use it every night. Recently, he switched me to generic Ambien 10 mg. The one maker of generic Ambien that fails to work reads "Car" on its label. All other generic brands are effective.

I have had to take medication for cardiac symptoms related to MVP for a number of years. Several years ago my insurance switched me to a generic from my brand-name, long-acting beta blocker. It didn't occur to me that a generic would make any difference. However, my symptoms (tachycardia, frequent pvc's, breathlessness) began to reappear. When I was switched back to the brand name, they once again disappeared. Since then, my doctor has always prescribed the brand name of long-acting medicines, particularly.

When I related my experience with my temporary trial of a generic to my dentist, who previously had also been a pharmacist (with a ph.d), he was not at all surprised. He mentioned that generic quality of long acting drugs, particularly, suffers badly because of the greatly diminished quality control factor during the production process as compared to the brand name. Apparently, when the brand name is put together, a human superintends each capsule's progress, literally counting each spansule, whereas the generic is checked for quality only on a very random basis.

A doctor told me once that generic drugs and name brand drugs are not identical. They are very close, and in some cases the small amount of difference doesn't matter that much, like in the case of generic ibuprofen or other drugs for which dosing is not as delicate. But for some drugs, like psychotropic medications used to treat depression, bipolar disorder, etc, the tiny difference in the makeup of the generic can be extremely harmful to patients. The doctor I spoke with would not prescribe generics of certain medications.

Unfortunately, my insurance will ONLY cover generic drugs if there is a generic available. I do not think that this is ethical.

Here's a source that explains a little bit about "essential similarity," the standard set by the FDA for generic meds:

http://tinyurl.com/33evux

"For the purposes of drug approval, the interchangeability of a generic drug and the corresponding brand-name drug is based on the criterion of "essential similarity," which requires that the generic drug have the same amount and type of active principle, the same route of administration, and the same therapeutic effectiveness as the original drug, as demonstrated by a bioequivalence study. However, bioequivalence and therapeutic effectiveness are not necessarily the same."

I occasionally take 1/3 of a 10 mg Ambien for jet lag when I travel overseas. I place the piece of the pill under my tongue and let it dissolve for rapid onset. I noticed that the generic Zolpidem was not creating the same rate of sleep initiation or no sleep initiation as the Ambien. There seems to be some differences in the dissolution of the tablet.

I had taken Ultram Tabs more than a year. When our insurance increased my co-pay for it significantly, I accepted the generic Tramadol HCL Tabs. I didn't notice the gradual changes until I noticed that I still had some of the Ultram and thought I should use it up. Immediately I noticed a difference. The Ultram was much more effective and I was no longer constipated. I willingly paid the extra $50 to have Ultram rather than the generic although this doesn't seem fair to me.

I have been on Wellbutrin XL since my wife passed away in 2001. It has worked great for me and provided me with energy and a lift in spirit that I needed. Recently, I went to pick up my prescription and was told that I was going to save money because a generic form was available. Since taking the generic, I have noticed that my energy level dropped tremendously around midday. Of course, this makes sense if a larger amount is being released early with the generic form. I do not believe that the generic is as effective as the brand.

I have been taking wellbutrin for about 7 years. I was switched to generic 6 months ago or so. I also suspected the generic was different--I felt psychotic, jittery, out of control very frequently!! I just switched back to the regular after a month, and I already feel better. I am so glad I recognized this before too much more time went by. The generic is terrible and scary.

I have been on Toprol XL since I've had my ICD installed a little over 5 years ago. I had a heart attack and suffered cardiac arrest 14 1/2 years ago. I am very active and exercise at the YMCA 5 days a week. Since this drug went to a generic (metoprolol succ er), my pulse rate has gone up 12 points at the same level of exercise. Swimming 1/2 mile twice a week, my pulse rate went from 102 to 114 and when I work the machines, it went from 72 to 84. My cardiologist is giving me a prescription to go back to Toprol XL to see if there is a change. I take 200 mg daily.

I have been taking Lotrel for many, many years and it's kept my blood pressure under control. On my last visit the NP changed my prescription to amlodip/benazepril, without consulting me. The pharmacist assured me that this drug contained the same ingredidents as the Lotrel I had been taking. I started feeling extremely dizzy and one day at work I nearly passed out. The paramedics came. I went to see my doctor immediately and was told they couldn't find anything that may be causing this dizziness. Well lo and behold right on the bottle it says MAY CAUSE DIZZINESS. Yes, shame on me for not noticing but shame on them for not recognizing this is one of the symptoms! I'm seeing my doctor tomorrow and I'm demanding to be put back on Lotrel. Genetric equivalent! You can keep it!

I have had several bad experiences with generic Ambien. I take it one night, sleep soundly about four hours (I slept 8 hours on the name brand), and the next night I don't take it and I have horrific panic attack dreams all night.

I was prescribed Detrol LA for bladder control. My insurance company made me use the generic. It worked so well it constricted the muscles in my esophagus to where I couldn't swallow solid food. After being sick of choking on my food, I stopped taking it and the symptoms left. When I told the doctor, he documented this and sent a letter to my insurance company so I could get Detrol LA, and everything is fine now.

About two months ago, my pharmacist notified me that the generic brand for toprol xl which is metoprol was available, so I decided to try it. After a few weeks, I was having severe stomach pain, but thought this would go away. It didn't--it got worse, and I also experienced vomiting and diarrhea. So I went back to my doctor and got the regular brand toprol xl which is much better, no problems.

Nearly two years ago, my 15 yr old daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The medication prescribed to her included mood stabilizers that worked almost immediately to improve the extremes in mood and suppress her aggression. However, nothing seemed to touch her depression. She has been taking the generic form of Wellbutrin with no success. Last week she attempted suicide, frustrated that nothing works to help her feel better. She is currently hospitalized. We will be insisting that she use the name brand in hopes that we see improvement. Please, if anyone has experience with treatment of bipolar teens, I would love to hear from you. Thanks

I was on Wellbutrin 150 SR and it worked really well. Then I went off of it for about 2 years. This year I felt my depression coming back on, and my doctor has put me on generic burporion. And let me me tell you--it does not work the same!
My depression has not lifted, and now I am fighting with my Insurance to cover the brand name. The FDA should take the generics off the market! I feel so much better seeing that other people are experiencing the same problems--because now I see that I am not alone in this.

I was taking Wellbutrin XL for about 2 years. Suddenly, I was switched to the generic Budeprion. It was a notable downhill slide from that point on. I suffered for months with an increase in anxiety, like never before...depression, like never before felt, no energy, no desire to do much of anything. I began having anxiety attacks to the point I felt I couldn't breathe and tightness in my chest, extreme irritability, emotional and anger outbursts and an inability to deal with anything.

My mother talked me into getting help/therapy due to my sudden and very obvious changes. She was fearful for my life. I began seeing a therapist, thinking I was to blame, that I had no coping skills and that my depression and anxiety were getting the best of me. I had an inability to make it through a day of work without a huge struggle. I ruined a relationship I was in.

Then one day in a moment of sheer desperation, I sat and thought...is this really me or what else could it be? I traced it back to maybe being the change in medication. That evening, I looked into Budeprion as a search on google. Lo and behold...almost instantly, I found countless reports on different blogs and websites..of people having similar complaints. I read some entries to my mom over the phone. I was distressed yet elated to know that this might be the problem.

The next day, I contacted my MD who called into my pharmacy for the Wellbutrin XL. I almost immediately noticed a dramatic difference...the anxiety attacks lessened (and now are completely gone), my depression lifted, my energy levels went through the roof and I was again calm, able to manage what came my way. I was astounded at the difference..as was everyone around me. It was noticable to everyone. Since this time, and actually fairly soon after I discovered the issues with Budeprion, I have seen the reports on msnbc, cnn...I am amazed. I am thankful that I was wise enough to figure this all out before it was too late for me. I can only hope that this medication is removed from distribution..before it is too late for others.

I HAVE TAKEN AMBIEN FOR ABOUT A YEAR, JUST WHEN NEEDED, USUALLY TWO-THREE TIMES A WEEK. IT REALLY HELPED ME TO SLEEP ON NIGHTS I COULD NOT. WELL, LAST MONTH I PICKED UP MY PRESCRIPTION AND IT WAS THE GENERIC FOR AMBIEN. IT NOT ONLY DOES NOT WORK, BUT ALSO MAKES ME FEEL VERY STRANGE THE FOLLOWING DAY.

My mother has been taking Zoloft for over 5 years for anxiety/depression/border-line bi-polar disorder. About 3 weeks ago, she began having severe anxiety attacks and crying jags lasting for days. She was angry, depressed, nauseated, feeling electric jolts through her body, suffering insomnia and just felt she was 'losing it'. She didn't want to be alone because she felt suicidal. She called off work because she couldn't deal with the pressure and thought she needed her dosage of Zoloft changed.

It was then she realized that on 9/4/07, she had a new prescription filled and the pills looked different. We did research and the manufacturer was TEVA. She went to her primary physician who diagnosed her with SSRI withdrawal and prescribed her Zoloft (no substitutions). It's been several days and she is still suffering from the issues--the physician said it can take up to a month to get her serotonin levels stable. Someone needs to do something about these generics, specifically TEVA for Wellbutrin or Zoloft, before someone kills themself or harms others!!!!

I was taking Metopropol 25 mgs. for my heart a few years ago and got awful chest pain and ectopic beats plus higher blood pressure. The doctor switched me to Toprol XL 25 mgs and then 50 mgs for blood pressure and heart and it worked well. The pharmacist decided to fill my prescription with the "new" generic Metopropol Succ in July without telling me AND I just switched the new to the old bottle without thinking or looking at the label. I've been having chest pain, ectopic beats, higher blood pressure, faster pulse, etc.

Today they sent me my refill of the same drug with the right label and I called them, telling them I could not take this drug. They are sending out the Toprol XL but want the doctor to write a new Rx saying no generic! No wonder I've been feeling poorly again! I can't wait to get back on the Toprol XL. Learn what your pills look like and if you see anything different, call the pharmacist and question it! Don't take anything for granted.

I have been treated for depression for almost twenty years and have tried various antidepressant drugs. I began taking 150mg of Wellbutrin several years ago and was extremely pleased with the results. My depression was kept under control with no adverse side effects.

Last January my dosage was increased from 150mg to 300mg. I do not have insurance that covers prescription drugs and was pleased to hear a generic was available. I began taking the generic. I found it was not effective in controlling my depression, but more importantly I started having headaches. As time passed and I kept taking the generic, my headaches became a constant headache, at times excruciating.

My headaches were misdiagnosed and I was prescribed amoxicillin. Within two days I was having a severe reaction to the drugs. The swelling in my joints cause so much pain I couldn’t move without crying. The reaction was so severe that it took two weeks to recover, with the help of steroids. I am once again taking 150mg Wellbutrin and life is good again.

Carol T,

Thank you for posting your comments about generic zolpidem. I find it very interesting that I also have very bad fibromyalgia pain since taking this drug. I took a tablet at 9:00 tonight (it is now 12:20 a.m.) but still can't go to sleep.

My knees hurt and swell when I take generic zolpidem and I feel hungover during the day. My insurance co-pay is $5.00 for generic zolpidem and $45.00 for Ambien. What a shame it is that insurance companies now treat patients instead of doctors.

I am so glad I decided to check about this on the web. I had taken Wellbutrin SR 3 years ago and had great results. My depression decreased, cigarette smoking tasted awful after only 6 days of being on the medication and there was the added bonus of increased sexual appetite.

Then I lost my insurance and stopped the medications. Bad time.

Anyway, I got new insurance and my doctor prescribed Wellbutrin XL...I was giving generic SR by the pharmacy, but I figured what the heck, I was on SR before and had great results.

It's been 4 months on this generic and I am still depressed, smoking like a chimmeny and no extra bonus. I had a small voice in the back of my head telling me it was because it was generic...it was the only thing I could contribute to the meds not working, unless my phisiology had changed within the last two years, which I doubted. I called my pharmacy today and asked that they renew it to brand instead of generic...I hope at last I will get the relief I have been looking for for the past 4 months...

I have taken many different kinds of antidepressants over the last 15 years, and the only one that completely knocked me off my feet was budeprion. It made me extremely anxious--I would jump at every loud noise--and worse, I had tremendous migraine headaches that would last for hours (not a problem I normally have).

I went off it after two weeks and now take Lexapro. No problems there at all. There is something wrong with this generic formulation of Wellbutrin!

I, too, have been taking wellbutrin for several years, after trying several other antidepressants. The pharmacy I typically go to closed and they transferred clients' records to another pharmacy, where they did not ask if I wanted the generic (I always said no thanks), and my prescription on October 1 was filled with the generic. I called the doctor, who said that it would be fine to take the generic.

After experiencing the worst crying bout I have had in years last night, I searched the internet and found this site, found that the FDA was going to be doing further research into the generic, etc. I also experienced binge eating, in addition to crying and becoming easily upset. I called the pharmacy today and picked up a new filled prescription for the real Wellbutrin today. I am happy to read that it only takes several days to start feeling "normal" again.

In 1982 I was put on Midrin and Vistaril to overcome chronic headaches. This worked very well. When I had a prescription renewal and picked up my meds, I noticed the vistaril looked different & the pharm said it was generic vistaril. I was an ICU nurse & and learned that I could no longer use it, as I kept falling asleep. On a drive 90 min away, it took me 5 hours to get there, as I had to keep stopping to sleep, etc. Back on Trade, no longer had problems.

I was on Wellbutrin SR 150 and then later dispensed Bupropion SR 150. Drug book said same med. With this last one, I have headaches if taken at night but ok if taken 5-6pm. Strange. I had thought my depressive moods just normal progression but now wonder. Thanks4addressing.

My pharmacy switched my Toprol XL 25 mg prescription to generic Metropolol ER 25 mg in November 2006. Since then I have experienced hair loss that never occurred before that time. Is this a common side effect of the generic? I am female.

I took levoxyl for years, and then the formula was changed to make it faster to break down. I went for six months not absorbing the new formula. My thumbnail became so striated that it was like an opaque window (couldn't see the half moon). I was tired, etc. My numbers were way off on my 6 months' blood test, and the doctor couldn't imagine why. I had to search the web to find out others were not absorbing it also.

I had a terrible experience with generic Prozac about 7 years ago. I was suffering from extremely severe depression at the time, and when I was forced by my insurance company to go to the generic from the name brand, I felt like I'd walked off a cliff. Within a week I was weeping uncontrollably and was nearly nonfuctional. When my psychiatrist intervened and put me back on the name brand Prozac, everything turned around almost immediately. After that my psychiatrist always made sure to write on the Rx that I had to have Prozac, not a generic.

A few months ago I changed jobs and thus, had to change my insurance. Where previously I simply had a higher co-pay for the name brand, the insurance company has a mandatory generic rule, which means that if I ask for the name brand, I not only have to pay the co-pay, but I also have to pay the difference between the cost of the generic and the name brand, which would have run me close to $400 and would have been unaffordable.

With great trepidation I took a deep breath and tried the generic version. The pharmacist explained that my prior bad experience may have been due to a particular supplier's generic recipe, and that I might have better luck this time. Sure enough, the generic this time seems to work just fine.

I heard your expert today suggest that I make note of the supplier of the generic product that worked, and to ask for that from the pharmacy. That's a terrific idea, and when I get my refill tomorrow, I plan to take Rx bottle with me to see if I can get the generic prozac from the same manufacturer.

Thank you for a most informative show. I've learned more about antidepressants from you and your guests than I have from my own doctors. A program you had a year or so ago on the dangers of antidepressant withdrawal was terrific.

Cathy

This is my second posting regarding problems with a generic medication. Generic Wellbutrin simply did not work. I'm paying thru the nose for the real thing (and depressed about it), but I'm not clinically depressed.

Recently I was prescribed Ambien. Same old complaint. It was filled with generic and I could obtain more value with Benadryl. It was absolutely of no help, unlike my past experience with Ambien.

I have been on Zoloft 50 mg daily for about a decade. Last month I received a shipment of generic Zoloft and I was really excited because my mail order copay was going to be much cheaper, and I thought nothing about taking a generic version, as I have taken generic drugs in the past with no problem. About a week ago I started to experience symptoms that were identical to what I would experience the few times that I had stopped taking Zoloft cold turkey in the past. I felt a weird dizziness, compulsive thoughts, and what I really noticed was an increase of a weird quirk I used to do before going on Zoloft, twirling my hair with my fingers. I started to feel anxious again which was not like me since I started on Zoloft.

I put two and two together and realized the symptoms correlated around the same time I started taking generic Zoloft. I was able to get a 30 day RX from my doc for brand name Zoloft and I can already tell a difference after just 2 days. My insurance company, Cigna, is making me pay the highest tier drug copay because they removed brand name Zoloft from their formulary.

I plan to have my MD write a letter of medical necessity based on my symptoms to my insurance company to exclude me from paying for higher tier copay level. I sincerely hope you pass this information on to the FDA as I do not want others to suffer needlessly who may not have the means or the options to go back to brand name Zoloft as I have. Thanks for having this forum!

I had a similar experiences with Budeprion in place of Wellbutrin. I cried all the time, had feelings of despair and anxiety. Today, in the mail, I read that my insurance company is forcing us to go with generics in 2008 or pay out-of-pocket. Even more disturbing is that I also take Synthroid and am reading here on this site, there are problems with the generic of this drug also. Thanks for taking on this battle and reporting this to the FDA.

Recently my insurance company moved Welbutrin XR into the "mandatory generic" category. I have taken Welbutrin for several years with success, and I noticed a distinct downward change in mood. No other variables had changed in my life so I have to attribute it to the generic. I am now forced to choose between paying a big chunk out of pocket for Wellbutrin or depression--not good!

1. As my doctor and I understand it, the FDA standard for generics allows their strength to vary considerably from brand name -- 20% +/- the stated amount of active ingredient. Are we misinformed? If this is true, it's no wonder so many generics aren't working for people.

2. I think it would be helpful if others would identify the mfr of problem generics. I suspect we'll find consistent (and probably often pharmacy-favored lowest cost) problem mfrs. I noticed someone else also had a problem with a Myla med--which wasn't the same Myla med that gave me trouble.

I take small doses of five meds, very tightly titrated, to control bipolar disorder. After I switched from brand name to the first generic of my primary mood-stabilizer (unfortunately, I don't have that mfr name anymore) I began to destabilize. When my pharmacy changed again to the Myla brand, I completely destabilized. So essentially, generic Zonesimide has thrown my eight-year treatment completely off track.

I was on Glucaphage for diabetes, and later Amaryl was added. This worked fine. The generics for both the drugs were introduced at a certain time interval, that also worked OK. The situation improved and Amaryl (generic) was dropped.

Then I noticed a change in the shape and color for Glucaphage generic so casually inquired with the pharmacist. The answer was it should be same, it came from the same supplier. I started having headaches, weakness and all good stuff that accompanies the elevated sugar level. The generic lot after a few months resembled the initial one. The blood test reflected the history of elevated sugar, so Januvia was added. I did not notice much change from Januvia, so at the visit after 2-months, it was dropped. I am back to the generics of Glucaphage and Amaryl. However one more interesting thing happened.

Based on the bloodtest results, I was also required to take Crestor for "quality of life'. My quality of life changed for sure, downwards. Within 25 days, I had to quit it: first I did not realize what was happening, but when I could barely walk with baby steps, I checked the internet;all the symptoms checked out. All those walking and other exercise are gone with muscle strength gone, just thankful I am moving around independently.

So, going back to the story of the generics, I suspect that I was taking the medicine for diabetes for at least 3 months that was not as effective--cannot prove it. However, it took me on the tour of additional drugs Januvia, and Crestor with long list of adverse effects.

When the patent runs out, what are the requirements for the generics? Are there any trials like phase1-phase4 conducted prior to permitting the production of generic drugs? What are the protocol requirements for the quality controls and how frequently are they submitted to the FDA? Shouldn't the matching of the original drug and the generic be identical with mathematical precision?

I have suffered a terrible setback with the side-effects of Crestor. It seems I am not alone. When a new drug is released in the market, it would be easy for physicians/patients if all possible side-effects are listed at the pharmaceutical company's sites. It is part of their submission. So it should be easy to post all the occurrences as they occurred in human trial phase.

I am chronic pain patient, and have taken the Name brand OxContin for two years. It worked fine. Last year my insurance would only pay for genenic brands (TEVA Pharm). I had my dose increased, because the generic is about 1/2 the strength ! Other's have noticed this also ! What can we do about this problem?

I am so happy to know that you're exposing the inadequacy of generic antidepressants and other medications. Today I read & printed (on MSNBC) the article by Jacqueline Stenson regarding ConsumerLab "Finds cheaper drug may not work the same as brand." along with Linda Douglas's story. Thank you Linda for sharing! I too tried the Wellbutrin and Zoloft and had to take generics that did not work. I just don't bother anymore...

I have known this for years--I have experienced this and nobody listens. I discussed this with my doctors, pharmacy and insurance, and I have been repeatedly told there is no difference between generic and brand name. (I beg to differ, there is a difference even with grocery products--some generics taste fine & others are gross!) Don't cha know, it is all in your head!

I quit taking my anti depressants after my samples (I get from the doctor) are gone. Please do not let the FDA bully you into backing down. This is not only happening with anti-depressants but with other medications as well.

Thank God for The People's Pharmacy news column.

After checking out your website, ConsumerLab.com and printing this article out for my doctors I am once again willing to go back to the doctors and let them know what I have found & take a "stand" for myself. These past few years have been a nightmare.

GM

Last week I called my pharmacy and told them that the generic Oxycontin I was given didn't seem to work. They told me the FDA and the DEA check this very carefully and I was probably wrong. I am totally convinced it is not as potent as the name brand. I have a chronically damaged nerve root and I cry in pain. Anybody out there find the generic to be weaker?

I have used generic Buproprion SR and it worked just as well as Wellbutrin SR. However, a new insurance company switched me to Budeprion SR. Within 3 weeks I was back at the doctor's office sleepless (horrid nightmares), anxious and about ready to quit my job due to lack of concentration.

Because I'd had a problem with generic ritalin, I knew I tended to be sensitive to generics, but since the previous generic Wellbutrin had worked I was not sure... Nevertheless I timidly asked the doctor if this brand of generic could be the issue (I showed her the Budeprion). She got angry and said "YES" that this version of generic Wellbutrin did not work and other patients had reported similar problems!

She worked with me (two letters) to get the insurance company to allow name-brand Wellbutrin only (since they would not guarantee which version of generic I would get). But just yesterday my mail-order refill was Budeprion! Here I go again...

I had three bladder infections last year and was given the $4 generic antibiotic or another generic antibiotic each time. It just would not clean up the infection. On the fourth bladder infection, I asked for the regular antibiotic and no generics. The bladder infection cleared up, and I have not had one in about 7 months. I don't think that the generics work in all cases. Also, it is a pity that they have to be used because of the expense of the regular drugs.

I had terrible problems with the Teva brand of oxycodone (20 mg). I am recovering from bone cancer, and could IMMEDIATELY tell that the Teva brand did not work. It was like taking nothing.

I told my pharmacist as well as my physician. Unfortunately, my physician was not at all understanding, but the pharmacist was -- he said he'd had SCORES of people complaining about the Teva oxycodone - he said every time he prescribed it, people said they didn't want it.

I was informed that Teva is now the only manufacturer authorized to produce oxycodone, and as "older" supplies from other manufacturers run out, Teva is all that will be available! This is an emergency for people in severe chronic pain!!

Fortunately, my insurance company suggested that my doctor enter an order saying I could not take generic oxycodone; I needed the brand name for medical reasons. (And I do! The generic Teva - the only one available - does NOT work!)

The FDA needs to do something about this -- imeediately!

A doctor prescribed Budeprion XL for treatment of depression--after a few weeks, I had to discontinue treatment due to "a paradoxical depressive reaction"--meaning it made everything worse. Has this reaction been associated with the generic drug? What about with the name-brand Wellbutrin?

I started taking the generic about six months ago. The Wellbutrin worked great but now I am having return of symptons, particularly later in the day.

My wife was on Toprol XL 25 mg twice a day for about 10 years. A generic was made available and our drug program switched her over to the generic Metoprolol SR 25 mg. Within 2 months on this generic, her system slowed down and she was hospitialized. There she was given the Toprol and she recovered withing 3 days. Her prescription has since been returned to the original drug.

The generic of the drug Ambien did not work for me at all (I tried two of the manufacturers). I mentioned this to my doctor and she reported that she had many similar complaints from several of her patients. Insurance company will only pay for generic.

My disdainful criticism goes out to the pharmaceutical company, Sanofi Aventis, for the ongoing prime time TV commercials touting Ambien and Ambien CR. They are very expensive (due in part probably to the marketing expenses), insurance companies won't pay for the name brand of Ambien. Also Ambien is not included on the drug list for the Presciption Assistance Program. My best advice for people thinking of trying Ambien--don't even go there.

I had switched to the generic Wellbutrin XL when it came out and then my insurance (Blue Shield of CA) decided that the $35 co-pay would be topped off with the "difference" in cost from the brand. I didn't really think about it not working until I just happened upon an article about this website. For the past few weeks, I've been having a really hard time getting out of the house and definitely not really enjoying being in the world. I am having all my symptoms from my pre-W days from almost 10 years ago. I should have known, because I tried to switch to the generic when I was on the SR formula and I felt like jumping off a building or driving off a cliff.

I am going back to brand name, even if it's going to cost me $85 a month... since I'm going to a school that's costing me 30K a year and now I cannot concentrate, do effective work or enjoy being there. My boyfriend just got prescribed W XL and he has no insurance and getting treated through assistance at San Francisco General. I'm going to be really pissed off if he gets the brand name for less than I do... considering I also pay the insurance premium and have a $500 deductible every year to fill before I even just get to pay less.

We all need to vote for a president that will fix health care to favor the people instead of insurance companies or drug manufacturers.

My doctor gave me the generic of Ambien. I had nightmares, palpations, sweating and did not sleep. I switched to brand Ambien and it's fine.

Also, I was on the generic of Synthroid. I had hair loss and thinning, dryness, lack of texture. I have no more hair on my legs and underarms, It does not work at all. I am now on the brand Synthroid so we'll see if this works. Will advise later.

I believe all generics are a problem.

My husband took Zocor for almost a year. He complained to the doctor about weakness in his legs and hands. He finally stopped taking it but his symptoms worsened, and he died last year of a motor neuron disease. The symptoms he suffered were exactly like ALS.

I have been taking a generic form of Wellbutrin, 75 mg (NOT extended/slow release) for years. My mail-order drug company switched from one generic to another. I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, but after a few weeks began to feel depressed with suidical thoughts. This was odd as I was not under any unusual stress, as I had been in the past when these symptoms would appear. The next time the drug company refilled the drug, probably after about 6 months, they switched back to the original generic. What a change! It was as if I was starting to take the medication for the first time and the depression went away.

The psychiatrist told me that she had very bad experiences with her patients taking generic Wellbutrin and agreed it was the particular generic I was switched to. She wrote a letter to the insurance company stating that I had to have the particular generic that worked for me. I have had no problems since.

Even different generics are not equivalent. I would recommend anyone taking Wellbutrin, any form, for the first time insist on having the brand name first to see if the drug is working. If it is, and they feel okay about it, then try a generic to see if it works as well.

I checked your site here, because after two weeks of being on generic Prozac (Mylan fluoxetine) my depression is beginning to rear its ugly head, after being free of it for many years on brand-name Prozac. I plan to switch to the brand name as soon as I can.

As prescribed by a doctor, I have been taking Milk Of
Magnesia nightly for almost 10 years. It has worked fairly well but now a doctor says I must stop because my creatinine has gradually gone up to 2.52. I am trying colace with laxative but this also contains magnesium. Where do I go from here?

Near the beginning of 2007 I started feeling nauseous, dizzy, throwing up. After almost 6 months of my doctor thinking that I was suffering from sinnusitus I finally realized it all started about the time that the generic Norvasc came out. Sure enough when I went back to Norvasc (brand name) I was feeling fine within 3 days and had normal blood pressure readings. Tried the generic and within 6 hours I was sick and my blood pressure had gone from being controlled to 169/109 average.

I was prescribed 150 mg. ranitidine for heartburn about 10 years ago and except for one or two refills consistently took the Geneva Sandoz pink pills. Several months ago I recall thinking how lucky I was that despite a lot of stress I'd been having my heartburn was so well controlled with just one daily pill at bedtime.

Then a month ago I was given generic ranitidine, and found it not nearly as effective. (Insert says it is manufactured by Apotex Inc. in Canada for Apotex Corp. in Florida.) So I've gone to non-prescription Zantac 150 because that's all I can get and it's somewhat more effective.

After calls to a variety of pharmacies in Seattle (and my daughter checked in New York City), I learned that the Geneva Sandoz pills apparently no longer are available. (Maybe someday I'll check in Canada--or Switzerland.) But it has been a confirmation of my concerns over generics.

One pharmacist told me the drug makers have to target potency "within a certain range," which would explain in part why generics are cheaper. But what a headache--or in this case "stomachache"--for the consumer.

Thanks for your column! I would be interested to know if anyone else has had this experience.

I was having stomach pain from acid reflux. My doctor siad I should use an over-the-counter heartburn acid reducer. So I bought Cimetidine 200 mg tablets. My heartburn went away after a couple days. But I noticed that I was getting nauseous and still had stomach pain. But that was not the big problem. My blood pressure went from 130/82, to 166/98. I stopped taking the tablets and two days later my blood pressure was back down.

I had been taking Lotensin Hct20-12 for a few yrs and it was changed to generic. My Bp became elevated over 200/110; I was nauseated and dizzy. My physician requested the brand name and all was well again.

However I am no longer able to receive the brand name--the assistance plan will not pay anything towards the cost, and neither will the plan of Medicare D. The prescription costs $80+ at Walmart for 60 pills--it was $60+ last year at this time. I am taking half the prescribed dose.

I have two bad experiences to report on generics, both of them are made by TEVA. One is metoprolol, a heart med my mom takes. She told me she felt horrible, I checked the RX, and I noticed it was changed to another company, TEVA.

I take clonazepam and have told my doc that it just does not work. I take 3 at night, .5 mg each and cannot sleep--the brand name Klonopin would have knock me out. She told me several of her patients reported the same problem and most important, problems with Wellbutron generic by TEVA. Many said it did not work at all and were on the brink of suicide. She convinced them to check around at different pharmacies to get a brand other than TEVA. They did with success and they felt normal again...

I read an article in my local paper today about generics, how the FDA disputes the fact that people say generics are different. I could only surmise there is some sneaky stuff going on, like payoffs to let these drugs stay on the market. The net has so much info on people having problems with generics... it's not that they know it is generic, but their body is telling them that the medicine is not what it should be...

Come on FDA, get this junk off the market and let us have the meds we are intended to have, not cheap imitations. What a sad society when we go to a doc for help, for whatever reason, and they prescribe a drug that is useless. Please FDA go and test every pill TEVA produces to see if the efficacy is as it is supposed to be.

I have been taking Budeprion SR 150mg (generic for Wellbutrin) for about a week and haven't felt well at all. I'm more depressed than before and almost suicidal. I have been crying on and off for no reason. I decided to look for information on this certain product and now I feel much better after reading that other people have experienced these same type of symptoms. I know now that I'm not going insane, it's the medicine!! I actually took one of the budeprion just before finding all of this info and decided to make myself vomit and hope that very little got into my system. I'm not taking anymore.

I was switched to the generic Wellbutrin XL by my doctor. He said it would save me some money. For the first 3 days I felt depressed and I began to have suicidal thoughts. Then I started to feel better on day 4 but still not as good as when I was on Wellbutrin XL. I told my Dr. to put me back on Wellbutrin XL with no substitutes allowed. It will cost me a lot more money but I need the non generic pills.

In 2004, my GP prescribed Toprol XL (50 mg daily) for my stage 3 hypertension and migraine headaches. It has worked perfectly; my headaches have been virtually nonexistent and my BP has been in the normal range.

Caremark refilled my last prescription with Metroprolol Succinate (without checking with my physician), which I have started taking. I am now experiencing terrible, unrelenting headaches, but have not yet had an opportunity to have my BP checked.

I hope that Caremark's zeal to save a few bucks doesn't result in my having a stroke. My doc told me that per the FDA, generics do not have to be 100% functionally and chemically equivalent, but that the standard is more in the range of 80%, ergo a 20% margin for disaster.

I started out on a generic Budeprion SR. At the third refill, all of the side effects from starting came back, dizziness, horrible head aches, thick tongue, stomach problems & etc. The pharmacy told me the only difference was a different generic manufacturer and I shouldn't feel any difference. I am now on a DAS Wellbutin SR and haven't had much side effect experience.

About 3-1/2 years ago I suffered a torn rotator cuff, which I had operated on by a respected orthopedic surgeon. In fact, he had operated on me before to replace a knee. But this time on my shoulder, he must have done some nerve damage, as I have suffered from neuropathy into my hand and fingers ever since.

Consequently, I have been on neurontin and lortab since then. I only take the lortab when I have to, and then usually take just half a pill, as I don't want to become addicted. However, the neurontin is another story, and take three capsules per day, 300mg. It has always worked fine, and has taken the pain away completely... until now.

I've been taking the generic, Gabapentin for a couple of years, and it worked ok... not as well as the brand, but passable. My last refill, however, the pharmacy gave me some pills that don't look the same, and are not working at all. They are made by APOTEX, and are yellow and white. The old generic that I was taking were yellow and tan, with the numbers 2666 imprinted on each end of the capsule ( don't know the manufacturer). The thing is, this latest refill DOES NOT WORK. Others I've talked to who are using neurontin have had the same experience with these APOTEX generics. Isn't there something that can be done?

My pharmacy switched my script to generic Ambien, and it has been terrible. I get to sleep without problem but wake up 4 hours later. Have to take another half to get 4 more hours sleep. Don't want to be taking that much Ambien. Cost of Ambien: $96. Cost of generic: $6.

I was on Wellbutrin XL 300 for a couple of years when my insurance company changed me to Budeprion Xl. I wasn't happy with the change and didn't feel as good as I had on the Wellbutrin. My prescription was refilled at the beginning of October, and I just went through a terrible week of constantly crying and depression and moodiness. I looked at the pill bottle and they had changed me from Budeprion Xl to Buproprion Xl because, they said when I called them, of the problems reported with Budeprion Xl. I contacted my insurance company and explained the problem and they are willing to accept that I need to be on Wellbutrin.

I had chest pains after two weeks while on Bupropion HCL. This continued days after I stopped. Very scary!

I have been taking Tenormin since 1980. Recently my insurance has changed to the generic. The Tenormin was prescribed for me to lower my heart rate. I also take Benicar for blood pressure.

My question is, did you ever have any feed back on the generic for Tenormin? I had a problem with my BP going extremely high about a year and a half ago, at the time the druggist gave me the generic. I went back to Tenormin and it was okay.

Could this have been a coincendense?

I have been taking Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. once daily since it came out, and have been on Wellbutrin since 2001. Recently I was switched to the generic version (Budeprion XL). After six and a half years of being free of depression, it has returned. I am filled with anxiety, burst into tears very easily, am exhausted, have constant headaches, and am severely depressed!

My insurance company will only cover the generic form. My psychiatrist is the one who figured out what the problem is. He has several other patients who are experiencing the same thing. Brand name Wellbutrin XL will now cost me $214.00 a month! I am also a recovering alcoholic who has not had a drink since May 2001. I am terrified of relapse. What should I do?

I had been taking Wellbutrin XL for years and had success with it. I was given the budeprion by Teva approximately six months ago. I noticed nervousness, edginess, not sleeping, soon after. I continued with the budeprion though, because I thought it was supposed to be the same.

I found after several months I started having small panic attacks (which I had never had before). I started having very negative thoughts about my life and was becoming reclusive. Many of my old symptoms seemed to be returning, but these new feelings were more magnified. I had never felt this conflicted in my life before. I actually started thinking suicidal thoughts and honestly believe I could have followed through.

After an extreme anxiety attack my husband and I had to call an ambulance. We thought I was having a heart attack. I didn't know what an anxiety attack was. I just know I never want to have another one. Where had this come from? It was beyond my understanding. I knew something was very wrong.

I went to my physician immediately after the episode. I had just received my new medication from Medco (it comes in three month supplies) and it was a different pill than the yellow oval Teva brand. It looked like the old Wellbutrin but was a generic. I had barely begun to take this pill and I decided I needed to look up this generic and the generic budeprion. (My sister had come to be with me and this was her suggestion. She thought my medication might need to be looked at.) I suddenly realized this was my problem.

It broke my heart to see the suffering so many people have been enduring. I have suffered beyond belief because of this medication and have given all of this information to my doctor who I went to immediately after the ambulance episode. He now plans to speak to every patient that has take budeprion.

You cannot imagine my shock when I read that this drug was now being looked at by the FDA. My final episode occured very close to the time it was announced.

I am now on Wellbutrin again and will hopefully soon be myself. This experience will leave me with scars though. What I endured was a nightmare with this drug. If anyone has experienced this they need to know that they are not alone. This drug cannot possibly be safe.

I did not suffer illness for more than 40 years of my life. I never had the flu and did not get colds when everyone else was lying around red nosed and complaining. My annual physical reports were always good.

In September of 2005 blood test showed that I was diabetic, and the doctor put me on a drug called Avandia. As a result of the diabetes I began to suffer energy problems. The 120 steps I climbed eight times daily began to wear me out. I would pant half way to the top and began to rest during and after the climb. Doc told me that there was no indication that I had any heart disease, and that I could no longer eat my daily garlic clove, as it was a wives tale without merit and could interact with my perscription. Three weeks later I had a heart attack and two stints were placed. I guess I should have stopped eating the garlic earlier.

I was immediately placed on a cholesterol-lowering drug called Lipitor. My body (everything) began to hurt to the point I could not work. I felt like I was swimming in mud and was in constant pain. During a doctor’s visit I told the physician that I stopped taking the drug and began feeling better. He became irate and told me that he could not be my doctor if I was intent on suicidally contradicting his orders. I kept with the Liptor and began testing for various other diseases including ALS.

I became so ill that I was bedridden for over one week. I did not take the drug for that period of time and began feeling so much better that at the end of two weeks I began swimming a mile four times a week like I had before I was diagnosed as a diabetic.

My new physician has placed me on Crestor and Plavix. I am again in pain. He tells me that this is all in my mind and suggested that I should begin seeing a professional for my emotional problems.

I am now seeing a professional who assures me that the physicians have my best interests in hand and that they know what is best for me. I am only 54 years old and guess that I should be thankful for the forty or so years of exceptional good health, but doggone it I felt great until I began following the doctor’s orders.

I have taken ambien for several years; I usually get by with 5 mg/night. My trouble isn't staying asleep, it's getting to sleep at all. Ambien gets me down quickly, I get restful, dream-filled sleep, and it leaves very politely--no hang-over.

I've never suffered from "sleep-eating" as has been reported, but soon after I started taking it I realized I'd get really hungry and crave a snack about 20-30 minutes after taking it. That was controllable and a minor, recognizable side effect. I also alternate taking Ambien with other sleep aids or with no drugs at all.

Then the generic became available, which I lauded at first. After taking the generic for only a few days, I noticed a complete difference.

1. Whereas Ambien acts within 20 minutes, the generic takes an hour, if it acts at all.

2. Whereas I only need 5 mg of Ambien I need 10 of the generic.

3. The generic causes me to have incredible "sleep eating"--I wake up in the morning in bed cradling an empty box of cheeze-its or bowl that once had popcorn, with crushed-up snacks sprinkled throughout the sheets. This was so intense that one night I made popcorn in my sleep and set the timer for I don't know how many minutes--I was living in a FEMA trailer and thank god for smoke alarms and my terrier puppy--we all would have died from the chemical smoke and flames spewing from the microwave if they both hadn't sounded the alarms. That was the last time I took the generic.

4. The generic doesn't leave my body nicely at all, it lingers and gives me the same drug hangover that all the others did before Ambien came along.

My doctor's nurse expressed real surprise that I would have these different responses to the two drugs, saying that no one has reported any differences. Well, I am reporting differences! I'm asthmatic and am very familiar with taking prescription drugs. A generic albuterol inhaler has a different taste than Ventolin, but it works the same. Prednisone is prednisone.

But the generic Ambien isn't Ambien at all, it's something completely different. It's a really dangerous comparison and the sleep-eating thing is really scary, plus the after-effects are contrary to the whole point of taking Ambien--I could just take diazepam and be in the same stupid fog all day.

Thanks for this site--I read about this in the paper and needed to share it with someone.

I have been on generic Zoloft since it was released, and I can say that it is not the same. I am very cheap and never pay more than I have to, but I am going to see my doctor in the next few weeks so I can try the brand label again.

I will let you know how it works out.

I was switched to generic Paxil (manufactured by Apotex) and became violently ill within 24 hours. Nausea, extreme diarrhea, fatigue. I contacted the pharmacy and was told that this particular formulation of generic paxil had been a problem. (White pills vs. pink generics by a different manufacturer.)

The symptoms abated within 2 days of being on the brand name drug. I think there should be a specific warning on all generics where there is a chance that the side effects (aside from the long list of Paxil brand name side effects) for the generic might be this dramatic.

My doctor had me on Zocor for over 3 years. I have lost strength in my arms and hands. He immediatly took me off the Zocor and sent me to a neurologist who said he thinks I have Inclusion Body Myositis which could have been brought on by the statins in the Zocor.

I had two bad experiences with generic meds. I was doing well on Synthroid for hypothyroidism when insurance said I had to go generic. Shortly after I broke out in hives on my right side up and down my body. After having a dermotoligist run various tests, etc, it was determinded it was the generic formulation of Synthroid that was causing the reaction. My doctor had to write MUST BE BRAND NAME: GENERIC CAUSES RASH on all my scripts thereafter.

Also as a diabetes patient, I was taking Glucophage when, again, I was ordered by insurance to go generic. Again, I broke out all over my face. Back to the dermotologist. Result: MUST HAVE BRAND NAME.... I'm convinced now that generics are not created equal.

Add one more to the group. After nearly 8 years of success with Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, I was switched to the generic Budeprion XL 300 MG from TEVA. I now recall the pharmacist proudly telling me she switched me to the generic to save me $10 a month, and I never really thought anything of it. What I wouldn't give to have that moment back. I had a few serious sources of stress in my life at the time, and figured my nosedive was a result of those. It was hard to understand why now, after all these years, I was back in the position of being depressed, having lost my confidence and sense of self-worth, withdrawing, and making self-sabotaging decisions. I never even thought it was the medicine, and by chance I caught a news story about it, and found my way here. The relief of learning this isn't my fault is enormous. I don't know if I can repair some of the situations I've ruined because of how I've been feeling lately. This drug should not even be an option for people, it should be removed from the market.

I have been on Oxycontin for a chronic back problem for several years. When I moved and went to a new pharmacy, I was given the generic form. It is supposed to be long-acting; the generic form gave little relief and only lasted about three hours (instead of 12). The pharmacist argued with me and insisted that was not possible, but, believe me, it is! When I got the brand name, it worked just fine.

I began taking Simvastatin in early May 2007 and initially had some muscle cramps, but they stopped after a few weeks. On July 23, 2007 the vision in my right eye suddenly went very blurry. It was as if I was trying to see underwater. I have 20/20 vision so this was very freightening. After about 15 minutes it began to clear but never fully recovered. This continued on and off for a few days so I scheduled an appointment for a thorough eye exam.

The doctor found no problems with my eyes and thought it might be a migraine with aura. I had never had a migraine so I thought that was unusual. Over the next 10 days I continued to have vision problems sometimes in the left eye, sometimes in the right and I began to be bothered by the light. I also started to have severe headaches on a regular basis. The doctor scheduled an MRI of my brain and the results came back showing that I had had migraines. The only thing that had changed in my routine was the Simvastatin so I stopped taking it.

I had the severe headache for the first two days after stopping and then the headaches gradually stopped. I am however left with the vision problem. It is markedly improved but I am still very aware that my right eye is never quite right. It has been 3 months since I stopped and I have not gone back on any medication. At this point I believe I am left with a permanant vision problem.

I am a chronic migraineur since 12 y.o. (now 57). I am unable to find Midrin or even a generic brand amidrine. I have had a backorder for amidrine for 4 weeks. Any suggestions?

Like most reports, our insurance, forced us to accept generic when available. I take Zoloft and Toprol xl. About 3 weeks into the generic meds I woke up in the middle of the night with shrills of burning sensations from my waist to my head accompanied by anxiety/panic attacks every 20-30 minutes. I was clueless. Went to the doc and they just switched me to effexor, which by the way does not work for anxiety/panic disorder, and I wanted to die, I really thought I was losing my mind!

Symptoms multiplied, so I went back on generic zoloft. Seemed like the drug worked to a point and then wore off. They then gave me xanax to carry over.

The next week there was a blood drive at work and I went to donate. To my suprise my blood pressure was 215/105--my generic toprol was the reason.

My insurance company said if I do mail order they will give me name brand as long as the doctor puts medically necessary on every prescription.

Are our insurance companies along with pharmaceutical companies making a killing (literaly) at the expense of our lives? We have to put an end to generic or force these drug companies to comply. But they lie for each other and their rich and were sick and dying, committing suicide because of the negative effect these generic drugs have on us. Where to turn for help???????

I was given the generic synthroid and that is when the problems started: shortness of breath, itching, heart palpitations and feeling like I was in a fog. I don't care what anyone says, generics are not bioequivalent; even my doctor agreed. I now take Armour and I pay for it myself, because it is a lot cheaper than when my insurance paid for my generic thyroid. Generics should be taken off the market.

I was on Celexa for depression for about 5 years. I was switched to the generic version and spiraled downhill immediately. I also felt that the generic was adding unwanted water weight/retention.

I was so distressed and asked to be switched to Zoloft because I had great success with it when I first started meds. Of course they gave me the generic version & I experienced the same problems--absolutely no relief of my symptoms & weight gain.

FINALLY, I had my doctor switch me back to Celexa (non-generic) and have to pay the extra cost that insurance doesn't cover. Annoying and unfair that I have to incur this extra cost each month but I guess it is indeed worth it in regard to my emotional health & wellbeing.

TEVA Bupropion is BAD NEWS. I started on generic Wellbutrin over two months ago, and the first prescription was made by Watson. I began to feel better each day, after about the second week.

Then when I got my prescription refilled, I was given the TEVA Bupropion. I ignored the repulsive odor of the pill, and assumed that it would be just as good as the Watson stuff. HA! Within two days, I had a throbbing headache that would come and go several times a day. I was also sick to my stomach constantly, and was very tired. The worst part was that I became very moody and irritable, to the point where it began affecting all aspects of my life. I started treating my boyfriend like crap, and finding all sorts of reasons to argue with him and start crying.

Everything started to seem hopeless and terrible again, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole most of the time. It was like I completely lost control of my emotions and my life! This was all within a few weeks!!!

Two weekends ago I wound up going to the hospital because I began having serious thoughts of suicide and it terrified me. I have since been switched back to the Watson brand, with Celexa added to it--and guess what? I'm already starting to feel better.

That TEVA stuff is a total nightmare, and those people ought to be ashamed of themselves for putting out such crap--and potentially DANGEROUS crap at that! I felt worse on that stuff than I did before going on antidepressants. And at least when I was down, I wasn't being mean to anyone. This stuff made me seriously down AND mean. Yuck.

Avoid this drug like the plague. I don't normally try to tell people what to do, but in this case I feel that I have to!!! I wouldn't wish this on anyone. It was like living in a nightmare, and now I'm trying my best to repair all my relationships that were damaged while I was on this garbage.

I've taken Toprol XL 200 mg for ten years for irregular heartbeats and have been fine. Three months ago it was switched to the generic form and although I had a slight increase in palpitations I continued to use it. Then a week ago the generic form was switched to another generic form and within three days I got continuous pvc's and rapid heartbeat and my blood pressure went up.

The pharmacy doesn't want to take the second generic form back nor do they want to order the first generic form for me. I can't afford the Toprol now that the price went up thanks to the generic form's now on the market. It took years for me to find something to help my pvc's and was very satisfied with the Toprol XL. The second generic form was like taking a placebo.

When I was switched from Pravachol (which I had taken with good results for several years) to pravastatin sodium - a generic - my LDL and triglycerides doubled in less than six months. My physician, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic, who has treated my genetic cholesteral problem for 20 years, checked out all other possibilities before saying it was the generic drug which caused the difference.

He chose to put me on Vytorin rather than fight the insurance company on using the brand name Pravachol and results were immediate and very positive. My lipid values are back under control as they had been for 20 years on brand name statins. The only reason I have switched from Mevacor to Zocor to Pravachol was because my insurance coverage changed and each had different preferred brands and I wanted to minimize my costs as much as possible

It's absolutely amazing to read all of the comments regarding generic Wellbutrin XL!

I have been on 300 XL for a number of years and recently (within the past few months) have been put on the generic equivalent. I have seen a large regression in my mood, increased anxiety, increased feelings of hopelessness, episodes of rage...I said a prayer this morning asking for help because I honestly didn't have a clue as to what has been going on with me. Not long after, I run across this site. Thank you all for sharing your experiences...I will be calling my Dr. shortly...

I too have been switched to the generic Wellbutrin XL 300mg. I too have had increased symptoms of depression. It is helpful to know that it is not just me. I will try switching back to the brand and will repost in a few weeks.

I have been taking Toprol XL25for several years.The pharmacy refilled it with the generic metoprolo XL25. It is not the same. I could count my heart beats just sitting down they were so strong. Don't know what my blood pressure was. I had numbness in my face on the left side on and off for the days I was taking it. I also had chest pains on and off during that time. I am now back on Toprol XL25 and the symptoms have disappeared. I also had shortness of breath, which has also gone away.

I have hypertension and have been well controlled on Toprol and clonodine for years. Recently, my pharmacy switched me to the new generic for Toprol, Metoprolol.

Within a week, I started having severe pounding headaches, particularly when I leaned forward. I began to monitor my BP at home each day and found that it steadily climbed higher and higher over the next week (at its worst- 225/125). And I will admit to trying something not recommended... I doubled the Metoprolol to 200mg WITH NO REDUCTION IN MY BP!!!

Soon thereafter, I went back to the pharmacy and purchased the balance of the Rx as name brand Toprol. Over the next 3-5 days, my blood pressure returned to normal ranges and my positional headaches stopped. I found the experience to be extremely frightening.

Within one week, 3 of my medications have been switched to generic by Walgreen's without my permission! The first time, they told me the drug was no longer made. After experiencing increased health issues (I have epilepsy), I contacted the pharmaceutical company, and found out the drug was still being made! I called the pharmacy and was put on hold 3 times. They finally admitted it was available and said I could get it the next day. However, they could not refill my asthma preventative medication because they had a call in to my doctor to get permission to change my medication to a generic for that as well!

After picking up the prescriptions, I noticed the nasal inhaler which helps to keep the nasal polyps in check (as part of triad asthma) was switched to generic with a prominent note that it was not identical to the brand name drug.

Why do drugs stores think they have a right to play around with their customer's health and wellbeing without permission just to increase profits?

This is appalling, and should be illegal!

Judy

Wow--like many of the people on this site, I had a problem with the generic Wellbutrin XL. I took bupropion, which I was promised was NOT budeprion, the generic that many folks have problems with...
Except it made me nauseated, paranoid, tense, and sleepless for six weeks until my body "adjusted." And then there were the shaking hands and the jaw clenching... I stuck with it and now am okay, but really... do depressives just deserve to suffer? What the heck?

I am a veteran with PTSD who has been prescribed Ambien for several years with wonderful results after years of crippling bouts of insomnia that would often last for more than two weeks. The VA originally prescribed it in its non-generic form of Zolpidem Tartrate (Ambien). I took it only as needed, and was not addicted to it. It was Ambien--the real thing.

Then I received a generic zolpidem tartrate suddenly. This was all the VA gives out now. Suddenly the pill failed to cause sleep. It is as if there is nothing in it but worthless powder. I complained, but the VA pharmacy treated me like a Zolpidem addict, and told me to talk to my doctor about something else that would work better. The pharmacy did not catch the odd and sudden transition from effective to worthless--or just didn't believe me. Who knows?

What I do know is that these purple pills are total junk, and I am now paying about $400 to have Ambien and these generics assayed to get an official lab read-out to show the pharmacy. If the generics show no zolpidem tartrate, then I am going to the media with this discovery.

If the VA is so cheap that they do not check their drugs, and give vets non-therapeutic doses then they are criminal. I am extremely angry with the treatment I've received from the VA--especially since I am a well-educated man with a sound background in human physiology, chemistry, and biology.

Who knows what other junk they're giving vets that need real drugs--or a full dosage?

Every generic Ambien I've tried fails. I compared 10 mg of the old Ambien, before it went off patent, to the newer generic Ambien. Most of these generic Ambien pills are a joke and do not make me sleepy at all. Ambien CR, both versions, knock me out, and fast. These companies manufacturing generic Ambien pills have to be doing something differently in my opinion.

I had been taking the drug Wellbutrin XL for depression and it was working well. Then one day I refilled the drug and was given the generic Budeprion. I really never thought about it much. After about a month (it came on so gradually I really did not put 2 and 2 together) I had severe neck pain. I asked my doctor about it and he said he had not seen any side effect with Wellbutrin XL. I guess the pharmacy did not notify him they switched me to a generic so he thought I was still on Wellbutrin XL.

Then months later (the pain in my neck getting so severe I just thought my head would explode) my wife showed me an article in Raleigh's News and Observer (July story on Wellbutrin) about others complaining about Budeprion and severe neck pain. I switched to Wellbutrin XL and the pain is gone.

I now see that the FDA is conducting an investigation on the generic Wellbutrin XL ie..Budeprion as announced on October 26, 2007. Does anyone have a link to the original story in the Raleigh News and Observer about the side effects of Budeprion? Please post if you do. Also, I now will not take generic drugs. It is obviously not regulated very well.

I took Adderral for several years as a very effective treatment for ADHD. However, immediately upon taking the generic I noticed that my ADHD symptoms returned and I found little to no benefit from the generic. This was especially troubling and potentially dangerous while driving.

The pharmacist said there was no difference between the generic and name brand; however, I can attest to the fact that there was a significant difference between the two.

My insurance company refused to pay for the name brand which forced me to choose between taking a drug that didn't work and contained who knows what, or paying over $130 a month out of pocket for the name brand.

Thank goodness it is not just me!! I have taken Ambien for many years and it has always worked very well. I have never had a problem with going off of it when I was trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy or when I was nursing. However, from the age of 11, I have had horrible problems falling asleep!! I loved Ambien because it made sleepless nights a thing of the past.

When the generic came out, my prescription plan insists that it be used in place of the name brand. I was fine with that until I realized that it really does not work for me. I take 1 and a half pills instead of the 1 I used to take just to fall asleep. I am not an abuser of medication, but now that I am in the "work force" I need to sleep so I do what I must!! This dosage is frowned upon, I know, but what else can I do?? Insurance refuses to give the real Ambien and I need some sleep.

I read the "experts" testimony that the generics are tested more than the name brand and that they are exactly the same, but I know in this case and for me they are not identical. I feel bad in the morning and never feel rested anymore. In addition, I too seem to have little to no memory of the night before (possibly due to the dosage increase). Can the insurance company really MAKE you switch to the generic if it is not working for you?

I am just amazed at how many complaints there are about generic Wellbutrin XL 300. I, too, noticed a return in symptoms when I was switched to the TEVA generic. How many depressed people have been switched and later committed suicide? This is a problem of epidemic proportions (due to the vast number of people who are taking wellbutrin for MDD). WHY ISN'T THE FDA TAKING ACTION ON THIS?

Geez! Am I glad that I found this site and learned that I am not imagining my difficulties. Since my last scrip refill my depressed state has largely returned along with a short temper, anxiety, and lethargy, also accompanied by some very painful and distressing stomach and digestive problems. I thought I had developed an ulcer, and I'm in the process of being worked up for that problem right now.

I finally discovered that when my most recent scrip for Wellbutrin XL was re-filled, my health plan's mail-order pharmacy substituted (without my knowledge) Bupropion HCL XL (made by ANCHEN). Since their meds come in their own dispensing bottles AND the tablets looked the same as the name brand Wellbutrin, at first I didn't realize that I had been switched without my knowledge (the tabs are the same size and appearance, only the "smiley" face logo is missing).

Finally learning that many others are experiencing the same problem(s), after being switched, is a tremendous relief. The substitution of unknown generics for the known quality and efficacy of the original meds must NOT be allowed to happen! There is eventually bound to be some very bad consequences from this practice, if there haven't been already.

My husband tried the generic wellbutrin xl and had terrible results. He had to switch back to the brand name version; however, that is a $50 a month copay through insurance. Very expensive. We need a generic drug of wellbutrin xl that works!

I HAVE BEEN ON GENERIC LOPRESSOR FOR 2 YEARS, BY THE COMPANY CARAC, AND WAS DOING FINE. I WENT TO GET A REFILL AND WITHOUT MY PHARMACY TELLING ME THEY SWITCHED COMPANIES TO SANDOV (I QUESTIONED THEM BECAUSE THE PILLS WERE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SHAPE). THE PHARMACY TOLD ME IT WAS "THE SAME THING".

AFTER TAKING THEM FOR 3-5 DAYS, MY BLOOD PRESSURE WENT UP TO 140/94. IT WAS 120/78 WITH THE OTHER GENERIC BRAND. I ALSO FELT MY HEART BEATING RAPIDLY DURING THE DAY FOR NO REASON.

I ASSUME THEY ARE NOT THE SAME! I AM GOING BACK TO THE DOCTOR TO ASK HIM TO WRITE A PRESCRIPTION FOR NAME BRAND SINCE MY PHARMACY SAID THEY WILL NO LONGER SUPPLY THE OTHER GENERIC BRAND. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THE SANDOV BRAND?
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My insurance company changed my prescription from Bupropion to Budeprion. I felt miserable almost immediately. I was irritable; had the jitters; shakes; could not sleep, and felt worse than I had in years. The worst part was the anxiety!

In my opinion Budeprion needs to be pulled; at least re-labeled as a drug that makes happy people sad. I dropped the pill after 10 days of hell; and actually began feeling better within 24 hours. Taking nothing is not good for me; but is so much better than taking Budeprion!

I had been taking Toprol XL for six years with no problems. When the generic (metaprolol succinate) came out, I was switched to that. All was well for a while, then my BP shot way up, I started having dizziness & numbness on the left side of the face. I also had difficulty breathing and anxiety. The symptom that scared me the most, though, was I would be ok, then the next minute my whole head would go numb, like I was high on something.

The pharmacist told me that she has heard a ton of complaints about Metaprolol Succinate and that it is not the same as Toprol XL. She stated that Toprol XL is a time-release formula & Metaprolol Succinate is not.

I had my cardiologist switch me back and started feeling better right away. By the second day my BP was back to normal.

I am copying & pasting into wordpad the problems that others are having. Then I'm emailing it to everyone I know & asking them to forward it to all their friends. If other people do the same thing, maybe we can get this dangerous drug taken off the market.

My experience was with Wellbutrin 300 XL. After my insurance company switched me to the generic form of this medicine, my spirits declined dramatically, and as others have stated, I felt as though I wasn't taking any medication at all. I felt great despair.

It wasn't until I read comments about this from others in your column that I realized what the reason might be. I obtained a prescrition for the brand name, agreeing to pay a much higher price through my insurance company. Within two days of returning to the brand, I felt great again.

I take another generic antidepressant and have not had a bit of trouble with it, so I never expected to have a problem with Budeprion. It is a useless medicine as far as I am concerned and I hope the FDA pulls it soon so others don't go through what we all have.

Thanks for the forum to express my experience.

Like many of the previous posters I too was thinking I was just imagining that I wasn't responding to the generic form. Ever since I was moved to the generic because insurance didn't cover the brand, I have been experiencing relapses of depression. I haven't been able to recover, as it's too expensive to pay out of pocket for the working one.

When I try the generic I get raging headaches, and I feel suicidal at times (which never happened after I adjusted to the brand). I am so happy I saw this site, and I do hope the FDA does investigate the drug as I am another American suffering due to the availability of this generic (without it, the brand name would be covered). I just hope my insurance decides to cover the name brand so I can escape from this agony.

Generic Oxycontin by TEVA. Just 2 days ago I had my prescripton of Oxycontin. It was the first time I received a generic drug in its place. I immediately noticed it's not helping with the pain. I usually take 2 tablets a day but today the pain has gotten so bad I took one, nothing happened, so I took another one, still in pain, so two hours later I took another one and still it's not helping. I plan on calling my doctor tomorrow and telling him this. I figure he's going to think I'm crazy so I thought I'd check on the Internet to see if anyone else has had this problem. It's nice to see I'm not alone! I'm so glad this site is here.

I started having ADD & depression symptoms return 2 months ago. I finally realized that was the same time I switched pharmacies. My pharmacy gave a different generic for Wellbutrin XL. It is Budeprion XL. I never had problems with generic before. Because of my confusion I almost accidentally overdosed my daughter on her antibiotic. Luckily, my husband was there to catch me. How many people are they going to put at risk for a few bucks before they pull this drug??? It does NOT work! Somebody needs to do something!

I like so many on here had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300mg for some time. Then almost a year ago my insurance insisted upon the generic Budeprion XL 300mg (manufactured by TEVA). At first I didn't notice much but after a month I noticed things weren't the same... I didn't feel like I used to and I seriously questioned the efficacy of the generic.

Then I had a talk with my close friend recently who had also been switched to the generic form and she was doing far worse than I had been. Since switching to the generic she suffered shakiness, restlessness, and an overall sense of being un-easy.

Then I found out in October Consumerlab.com called into question the efficacy of generic Wellbutrin, and in particular the form manufactured by TEVA. When will insurance companies listen to us? Yes I can get the name brand, but for hundreds more.

FDA approval cannot always guarantee a product is safe and or equivalent. When do they plan on getting back to us? Last I read they "cannot offer specifics at this time." Is it really so hard for them to accept in the history of US pharmaceuticals they made a mistake and the generic really doesn't perform as well as the name brand?

URGENT! If you know any-1 who is taking the generic brand of Oxycontin have them STOP IMMEDIATELY!!! It is called Oxycodone & I think that it might be just from the company TEVA... regardless of that just insist that you get the name brand only & if you can't because of coverage (like in my case) then please listen carefully & follow my instructions...

After getting sick to the point of constantly vomitting and not being able to eat... I took it upon myself to try and figure out why? After analyzing everything that had changed in my life at about the time when I started to get sick I thought of things like: change in pharmacy, change in my coverage which led me to think of the change of pills from name brand to generic!

I remembered a special I had seen on a news show about the quality of generic drugs getting worse every year and less & less inspections being done!--> which led me to google about the subject & then brought me to find this great site!

The story I read from Joe & Terry and Marc Kaufman from the Washington Post had always stuck in my mind---> So I took some of my pills & started to do a test of my own... I took a generic pill & put it in a cup of water & then in a seperate cup I put the name brand in... after only a day I could see the difference & then after a few days the results just totally stunned me! The name brand started to dissolve in a chalky like state (which it is supposed to do) but the generic turned into a slimy gel which wasn't dissolving!!!

Immediately I thought of the stuff that was sliding up & down my throat as I was sleeping... which I thought was just GERD at the time--but once I'd seen it in the cup I definately knew that something was unnaturally wrong! It felt like it was alive in my throat... So I stopped taking it and stuck just to the name brand which luckily my coverage still covered the 20mg size!

After 3 days I started to get my appetite back and the vomitting decreased immensely... So just to make sure I took 1 more of the generic toxic slime and I was vomitting w/in a hour or two!

I showed my doctor my pill test and she was stunned to see the gel-like slime... she poked it w/a tongue depressor and said "this doesnt look natural". I asked if she'd had any other complaints and she said no... but I said that how would people know unless they did their own test like I did? We all assume just as my doctor did that our pills are safe & they wouldnt sell us anything bad. Guess what... just as with the poisonous spinach, lettuce, chili, toys..etc., we were wrong!

If this wasn't enough evidence to convince you then when I tell you that my friend's brother in-law has the same symptoms & is taking the same medicine maybe that will show you that this is NO COINCIDENCE! Especially when he lives in Maine & I am in RI! He would still be taking it if I hadn't done my test & told my friend to spread the word... Hopefully I saved him from what I have been diagnosed with... which is esophageal cancer!

I am trying to find the best doctors possible right now although time is working against me...They wanted to rush me into radiation/chemo w/a new drug and to be part of a study... Although it might be the best thing to save my life I just had to cancel for now until I get at least another opinion or two...

PLEASE spread the word of my story so we can try to get this garbage off of the market!

Several years ago my husband was taking Vasotec for hypertension. It worked perfectly, but since he gets his meds through the VA, they switched him to a generic. We practically had to go through congress to get the VA to give him the name brand. Years later and many meds later, we are still proactive when he cannot use a generic and needs a name brand. I wonder how other vets, those who cannot fight for themselves or who suffer from PTSD, manage to wade through the VA nightmare for the proper meds.

My insurer switched me from Glucophage (a diabetic drug) to the generic metformin. I experienced increasingly severe gastrointestinal problems. My internist told me to stop taking the metformin and the symptoms cleared up. My insurer refused to authorize the brand name even with the doctor's note. Fortunately I am able to get the brand name from Canada, although they do not cover the timed release version. I take other generics with no problems, although I wonder sometimes if they are working, especially the Zocor generic.

My doctor gave me a week supply of Wellbutrin XL 150 mg to start with and then wrote me a script for 300 mg. My pharmacy prescribed me the generic Budeprion and I didn't think anything of it.

About 4 days after starting to take the generic I started itching all over my body and broke out in rashes. I had to take Benadryl just to stop the itching. My doctor said that she found it rare that I didn't break out while taking the Wellbutrin 150 mg but did when I was taking the Budeprion 300 mg. She wanted me to stop taking it for a week to see if the rash would go away. She thought that it had to be something else causing the rash since I didn't break out with the 150, but didn't want me to take a chance.

Not wanting to stop taking it, because it was helping so much with my depression, I kept taking the generic and taking Benadryl with it. After about 2 weeks I noticed that the Budeprion wasn't working anymore. My depression, anger and agitation is back just like it was before I started the medication.

After reading all the horror stories about the generic Budeprion I asked my pharmacy to switch me to the name brand Wellbutrin XL. I'm hoping that not only will my depression go away, but that my rash will go away also. I will update you in a fews days to let you know what happens. Wish me luck!

I had been taking 1000 mg Glucophage for blood glucose control for many years. My pharmacy substituted the generic Metformin HCL.

After taking the Metformin for about 1 month I started to suffer from continuous diarrhea. I have now since discontinued its use; my sugar levels are not as well controlled, but the stomach problems have been alleviated.

Has anyone else on this site suffered as I have?

After reading the comments re: generic Ambien (zolpidem), I have experienced many of the same symptoms reported by others. As a sleep aid it DOES NOT WORK AT ALL!! Problems are: increased anxiety, hallucinations, nightmares, awake every 2 hours or more and inability to fall back asleep once awake. The problems were so severe that I was hospitalized (weight loss) because of extreme concern re: the hallucinations and anxiety produced by this drug.

Just wanted to let you know that 9 raisins in gin works for restless leg syndrome. I have had RLS since childhood, have not had one occurrence since I started taking the gin-soaked raisins a few months ago. Thanks for all that you do.

I have taken Wellbutrin 300XL for several years off and on. I recently attempted to come off the drug but had to go back on when my symptoms gradually returned. My insurance company sent me the generic bupropion. This is the first time for me that a generic drug has completely failed. I am not suicidal but if I had to continue taking this awful medication, I would be dead now. It caused extreme agitation especially when I tried to sleep. I would wake up in a panic. This is not the same as Wellbutrin and I consider it a dangerous substitution. My doctor wrote me a new prescription adding that is was 'brand necessary' and I'm back to feeling well again.

I was on Synthroid for hypothyroidism and was doing well. My insurance co. switched me to LThyroxin and after awhile I began to experience all of the symptoms I had before I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I was tired, I had no energy, I could hardly get out of bed, my skin was dry, my hair was falling out, but no one would listen to me. They kept telling me I was depressed.

I finally got put back on the Synthroid and after 2-1/2 months I feel like a new person. I get up in the morning and stay up. I am getting my house back in order, I am getting things done and going out again. When will these people learn that we are the ones living in our bodies and we know how we feel.

Hallelujah! I'm NOT crazy. As I read an article re: the generic drug, bupropion XL ineffectiveness, I felt vindicated. I, too, had been switched from Wellbutrin XL 3oo mg to the generic but didn't attribute it to the return of my symptoms. I mentioned it to my Dr. who suggested and prescribed a "booster!" I didn't want another medication to boost one that had been working just fine.

I started putting my symptoms together with the time of the switch, December 2006, and realized that had to be the reason. (It was not a Merry Christmas nor has it been a very Happy 2007.) I called the Dr., requested a script for the Wellbutrin, and when asked why, I said the generic just wasn't working.

If the generic is such a widespread problem, why isn't this information getting to the doctors? Is ANYONE doing well with the generic?