The People's Pharmacy® with Joe and Terry Graedon

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.