Posted by yxibow on April 6, 2006, at 1:39:48
In reply to Re: are generics weaker, posted by bassman on April 5, 2006, at 13:19:18
> This is one of those over-intellectualized things. If a med has the same active molecule and achieves the same blood levels, then it has to have the same effects, right? So generics would always be the same as brand name, other than the fact that they can be off by 20% from the brand name in bioavailabilty.
They can be off, but they rarely are off by that much, that is just a legalese. Its really more in the binding ingredients that make a difference, if at all.
But the real-world data is different- a study I read yesterday where Xanax was changed to a generic without telling the folks on the study caused severe withdrawal-no placebo effect there; they didn't know.
Hmmm.. is this a peer reviewed journal ? I'd be curious of that study. I would say that perhaps the most sensitive of people might have that problem, only because of Xanax's short half life, which can be equal or less than 4-6 hours in some people's chemistry. I'd be cautious of such a study too, because Xanax is the only benzodiazepine currently being "patent extended" by Xanax XR.
I think for psychoactive meds, you're always better off trying them initially as the brand name-then if they don't work, it's because they didn't work.
Well, some psychoactive meds are so old that the brand name isn't even around any more.
After you have a med that works and want to try the generic, just pay attention to whether the med conitues to work in the same way-and if it doesn't-try going back to the brand name before giving up. That's my 2 cents.
But it doesn't matter if it "works" as generic or "works" as "the real thing" -- as long as you're still getting the same generic... or the same "real thing." In fact, even the real thing is allowed to vary too. I've seen oddities in things like colours of "real" Cymbalta pills varying from dose to dose.
Unfortunately its much more than 2 cents... some health plans won't cover the brand names or will charge large copayments. Just looking at the price differences between brand name benzodiazepines and their generics is astronomical.
>
> Another way of thinking about it: take alcoholic beverages: same active ingredient, so if you any of them to the same blood level, they will affect you identically, right? (the "generics are equivalent" argument). Is that your experience, that wine, beer, whiskey, etc. affect you the same way?That has more to do, at least with some alcoholic beverages, the inactive constituencies, again... the binding arguments. Some people are very sensitive to sulfur dioxide which is in most wines. Beer can have fish filings and eggs in it to foam it up. Who knows what's in a wiskey barrel.
poster:yxibow
thread:628499
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060403/msgs/629514.html