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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lawrence s. on October 10, 2002, at 23:28:22
I've been taking 150mg of Luvox for months. My Dr. switched me to Lexapro. He gave me samples with no instuctions. Could I just stop the Luvox and begin with the recomended dose of Lexapro?
Posted by sjb on October 11, 2002, at 9:30:49
In reply to How do I switch from Luvox to Lexapro ??, posted by lawrence s. on October 10, 2002, at 23:28:22
I also went from Luvox to Lexapro. I stopped the Luvxo on my own for 4-5 days. When I saw PDoc he said it was ok to immediately start the Lexapro at 10mg per day. I had no withdrawal problems from the Luvox and I was also on 100-150mg per day.
As a aside, I posted yesterday on a Wall Street Journal article. It said that Luvox was pulled from the market due to misinformation submitted to the FDA. My PDOC or pharmacist never told me this and I had called because they had refilled my script with the generic instead of the brand name. I'm a little miffed, because even if it was a "misunderstanding or unintentional error" by Solvay, and it is indeed safe, I believe the pharmacists and Dr.s owe us the scoop.
BTW - I like Lexapro.
Posted by Dinah on October 12, 2002, at 12:00:18
In reply to Re: How do I switch from Luvox to Lexapro ??, posted by sjb on October 11, 2002, at 9:30:49
Oh please tell me it isn't so. That's my backup should I ever decide to go back on an antidepressant. It may have made me apathetic and asexual, but it had less side effects for me than any other AD.
Posted by Rick on October 12, 2002, at 21:23:09
In reply to Re: Luvox was pulled from the market?!!!, posted by Dinah on October 12, 2002, at 12:00:18
> Oh please tell me it isn't so. That's my backup should I ever decide to go back on an antidepressant. It may have made me apathetic and asexual, but it had less side effects for me than any other AD.
Dinah -
From what I've read, there's no indication that generic fluvoxamine is going to be pulled from the U.S. market.
Also, Solvay's May press release claimed they discontinued the branded product (in the U.S. only) because generics were killing off their sales. They didn't mention the FDA flap, even though I saw it mentioned elsewhere.
I find the Luvox non-U.S. monograph (!) quite interesting, not to mention colorful. Solvay seems to claim that Luvox can cure almost everything except hangnails with minimal side effects. I have a feeling that if I did a Luvox study on myself and had a positive outcome, I it would end up being cited in this monograph as proof of something-or-other. You sure can tell there was no FDA oversight involved here.
Which leads to this disclaimer: The fluvoxamine monograph linked to below is NOT intended for U.S. citizens, per the Solvay site. So if you're a Yankee, read it at your own risk.
http://www.solvay-depression.com/fluvox270899.pdf
Rick
Posted by Rick on October 12, 2002, at 21:26:02
In reply to Re: Luvox was pulled from the market?!!!, posted by Dinah on October 12, 2002, at 12:00:18
Posted by Dinah on October 13, 2002, at 3:21:23
In reply to Re: Luvox was pulled from the market?!!! » Dinah, posted by Rick on October 12, 2002, at 21:23:09
You're right. It's an impressive monograph. I did note however that it specifically states that no warranty is given to its completeness and accuracy. :)
However, my own experience with it would tend to validate the claim that it has one of the least effects on NE of the new antidepressants. Luvox didn't make me agitated at all, even at high doses. And I am very senstive to NE effects. And it was quite effective for my OCD. So I'm sorry it's pulled from the market. I was counting on it being there if I needed it. And I have no real faith in generics since my generic Klonopin experience. Darn!
Posted by sjb on October 13, 2002, at 6:57:57
In reply to Re: LOL - Thanks! » Rick , posted by Dinah on October 13, 2002, at 3:21:23
I, too, do not like taking generics. I have the luxury of a good health plan, so prescription prices are not a problem for me. I just read recently about Doctor who said that he would never take generics and to stick with name brand. My sister-in-law, also a physician, says in her experience with patients (she's not a PDoc), that gerectics do not seem to be as effective.
Posted by Rick on October 13, 2002, at 15:06:43
In reply to Re: LOL - Thanks! » Rick , posted by Dinah on October 13, 2002, at 3:21:23
>And I have no real faith in generics since my generic Klonopin experience.
Dinah, what was your generic Klonopin experience? I had always avoided the generic based on warnings I had heard, but then ended up with it once due to a mixup. To my surprise, it worked just fine, maybe even a little *better* than the brand. Of course, perhaps it depends which generic manufacturer you get. I've been getting Teva, and I read that clonazepam is their top-selling product, so maybe they know how to make it right. The only problem I have with it is that the .5mg pill is hard and difficult to split, unlike the brand. (The upside to this is that the Teva's don't break in my pillcase as the brand sometimes does.)
BTW, when I was researching the net for professional opinions on generic vs. branded Klonopin, all I could find was a letter to a psychiatry journal from a pair of pdocs who said two of their patients had problems because the generics seemed to be *stronger* than the branded Klonopin. That contradicted the warning I had often seen from some Klonopin users, i.e., that the generic was weaker. Again, I guess it may depend on the manufacturer and/or quality control. I believe at least four manuacturers make generic Klonopin.
Rick
Posted by Rick on October 13, 2002, at 15:17:45
In reply to Re: LOL - Thanks!, posted by sjb on October 13, 2002, at 6:57:57
> I, too, do not like taking generics. I have the luxury of a good health plan, so prescription prices are not a problem for me. I just read recently about Doctor who said that he would never take generics and to stick with name brand. My sister-in-law, also a physician, says in her experience with patients (she's not a PDoc), that gerectics do not seem to be as effective.
Interesting. So you're saying that the generics are so suspect that some doctors would switch a patient away from a medication that's working well if the branded product became unavailable (a la Luvox and Visken-pindolol)? Is the issue one of lack of potency/efficacy, lack of consistency, or impurity/potential harm?
Rick
Posted by Dinah on October 13, 2002, at 15:32:34
In reply to Re: Generic Klonopin » Dinah, posted by Rick on October 13, 2002, at 15:06:43
I'm not sure what brand. It was green and sort of crumbly as opposed to the blue one with the little K. It was a while ago, and I don't rememeber the specifics. But I do remember I started telling my pharmacy not to use generic, that I would pay the extra. And I'm positive it was because it didn't work as well for my anxiety, particularly my night-time anxiety. I think I was taking 1 1/2 instead of one at night.
Dinah
Posted by bobbyy on October 14, 2002, at 5:36:23
In reply to Re: Generic Klonopin » Dinah, posted by Rick on October 13, 2002, at 15:06:43
I just got my prescription filled with the Teva generic this time..I couldn't believe the price..I sent away for a card.. I paid money for the card but you can get it free at http://www.maturerx.com and then present it to your pharmacy..over 45,000 pharmacies honor it..I paid less than 8 dollars for a prescription of 30 1 mg... can you believe it? at least in NY the doctor needs to write explicitly brand name to get brand name rather than generic so I never have been on the brand name..I know first time I filled it without card, I paid close to 27.00
Bobby> >And I have no real faith in generics since my generic Klonopin experience.
>
> Dinah, what was your generic Klonopin experience? I had always avoided the generic based on warnings I had heard, but then ended up with it once due to a mixup. To my surprise, it worked just fine, maybe even a little *better* than the brand. Of course, perhaps it depends which generic manufacturer you get. I've been getting Teva, and I read that clonazepam is their top-selling product, so maybe they know how to make it right. The only problem I have with it is that the .5mg pill is hard and difficult to split, unlike the brand. (The upside to this is that the Teva's don't break in my pillcase as the brand sometimes does.)
>
> BTW, when I was researching the net for professional opinions on generic vs. branded Klonopin, all I could find was a letter to a psychiatry journal from a pair of pdocs who said two of their patients had problems because the generics seemed to be *stronger* than the branded Klonopin. That contradicted the warning I had often seen from some Klonopin users, i.e., that the generic was weaker. Again, I guess it may depend on the manufacturer and/or quality control. I believe at least four manuacturers make generic Klonopin.
>
> Rick
This is the end of the thread.
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