Posted by yxibow on November 15, 2006, at 1:43:14
In reply to Re: Brand Name vs. Generic Drugs, posted by valene on November 14, 2006, at 18:39:19
> While searching the web today, I found this weblog from WebMD where a doctor states that generic benzodiazepines and other drugs can be as much as 20% different:
>
> http://blogs.webmd.com/anxiety-and-stress-management/2006/02/differences-in-medications.html
>
> All I know is that after being on generic xanax for so long and then switching, I did notice a marked difference in how I felt. It was almost like having to adjust to a whole new medication. My heart pounded faster at first (never expected that), and the brand name seems to not last as
> long. Oh well. I just wish I could be off it entirely but that's another story!
This is also a possible scenario -- there's no guarantee that from individual batch to batch of a "brand name" that they also have to be 100% the same -- they ought to be for the money but I believe bioavailability also comes in for original medications, quality control, etc. I don't know the exact FDA regulations for patented medications.And you could have also had what is known as a paradoxical (opposite to expected) reaction to a benzodiazepine in the first place. Heart pounding and non anxiolytic response is not unheard of.
Its about bioavailability -- it won't always be 20% different as an absolute, these things are logarithmic from 80 to 125% under the AUC curve. They could be even more potent than less potent too.The key still is in the binding -- some generics may truly release it at a different rate, I'm not arguing that.
What I'm saying is that if your insurance company is making you pay lots of money for a non generic benzodiazepine or you have to pay out of pocket for it, one might as well start off (when one starts taking it for the first time) with a generic benzodiazepine. Then regardless whether there is a 20% difference between it and a drug, that by the way was mostly invented at least 20-30 years ago, in this class, one will already be used to the generic. And if the pharmacy switches generics, then insist on the other generic or use a different pharmacy if one is really worried about it. I can understand the concern, but the price differences are highway robbery for benzodiazepines (and similarly high produced drugs).
-- Jay
poster:yxibow
thread:702989
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061110/msgs/703584.html