Just got home from gp's with a different brand of sertraline, has enyone noticed any differences between brands,?
The last brand I had was MEDREICH the new ones are RANBAXY.
Lots of posts here, if you check back, that show many of us have suffered when the brand has been changed...
When a drug is developed the company has a 14 year licence to produce the drug (like a patent) after that other companies can produce it as a generic.
The NHS is now buying generics from Indian companies like Ranbaxy to cut costs.
All my heart medicine has different shape tablets and different names from time to time.
We have amongst the tightest drug controls in the world and you needn't worry about your health being compromised. This is simply to save money.
You need to look at the "Sertraline" forum
Here's just one example:
https://patient.info/forums/discuss/sertraline-what-brand-are-you-taking-right-now--337262
True it's simply to save money but generic drugs are NOT the same!! Many people suffer with bad side effects if the brand is changed!
The NHS would have tested the products to make sure the generic was duplicate and had the same delivery system. Maybe in other countries but I do not believe Britain would accept inferior products.
OK, thanks guys..
seems its quite hard to get the same brand time & again, guess I'l find out pretty soon as to how they compare..
Yes you would think this is the case in the UK but in reality the ingredients in generic drugs can vary...
Please take a look at the many posts in the "Sertraline" forum and you will find lots of people have problems!
Be careful, if you experience any side effects or feeling bad again odds are it will be the change of brand!
If that's the case you need to find a chemist that supplies Pfizer sertraline (lustral) if they still make it. They developed it but the patent expired in 2006.
I'm with Walter on this, shouldn't be shy different, so if you experience side effects consult your GP.
N
Absolutely correct! Lustral made by Pfizer is reportedly the best but the only way to get it is to ask the doctor to prescribe it by name... that's the hard part because to save money they prefer to prescribe a generic!!
With Sertraline the original brand (Lustral) is more often reported to be better, the problem is getting the doctor to prescribe it in the first place. However, as many people are not aware of this they get given cheaper generic brands that can cause severe problems!
Not sure about other meds but I expect this equally applies.
This is a post from another thread: https://patient.info/forums/discuss/generics-can-they-make-you-feel-this-bad--28893
This guy was on Sertraline but a generic, read what happened after he changed to Lustral.
"My husband has had a review with his consultant last week who was genuinely amazed at his progress since taking the Lustral. There appears to be no side effects with it and his mood is much better.
The consultant admitted he wasn't aware that there could be such differences and will certainly use this case as an example to future patients, when considering the side effects.
I have to thank you for posting your experiences because without which my husband may never have continues with his medication and his recovery, surely, would have been greatly delayed because of the side effects.
We can all help each other so much by having this facility, I personally, am truly grateful.
Good luck to anyone taking Sertraline/Lustral.
Thank you for taking the time to read my updates"
Do you know it's like music to read that as I'm sure they're are different last months had no effect this month's are brilliant be interested to see others views
I suppose it was innocent of me to assume that a generic would be the same as the original brand. I know they may use cheaper binding and other ingredients to make the pill with a safe effective delivery system.
I am aware there is a lot of dodgy generics from China and India and Mexico but I believed the NHS had high standards and would have chosen very reputable foreign companies to get the drugs to us safely.
I hope you get the real McCoy as you don't want drugs that may do more harm than good
I have been prescribed Sertraline for around 8 months now and during that time, due to the distance between where I work, live and where my GP surgery is, I have had to use several different pharmacies. I have taken Lustral and also two different generic brands and never thought that there would be any difference in what I was taking; 'its just a brand name right?'
All of my common sense told me that there should be no difference between different brands supplying sertraline... However, I could not ignore the difference whenever I have taken sertraline from Medreich! Whenever I have been supplied this brand from a pharmacy I have found myself wondering 'did I remember to take my tablet this morning?' or 'why am I feeling so strange?'
This had happened to me on three separate occasions now and each time I have felt so bad that I have no doubt that there is a difference with that brand in particular when compared to Lustral or accord.
I spoke to my GP about this just yesterday and he didn't argue, he simply wrote me a prescription for Lustral without question. This worries me however, both for myself and other prescribed drugs that I may need to take at some point in the future but also for the many people that must be struggling without realising what the problem may be...
Hey, how did the change go? And what do you think of MEDREICH?
I have only been taking it for two months
the first ones I got were Cipla brand
they were brilliant ,worked quickly and no side effects
at all
the second box were another brand
and after two days I knew they were not right for me
Got another prescription for the Cipla ones
and had to go to the next town to a pharmacy
that had some,
needed my next prescription just before Christmas
asked at three pharmacies
and haven't located any yet
One of my relative takes them too
and the same 50mg
I've tried a couple of those
they are the accord brand,and they've done
Nothing for me at all
I don't know what to do next
all the pharmacists I've spoken to
said they are just sent a couple of brands
they don't know which they will get.
Anybody any suggestions
as to how I can get them please.
Thankyou for reading my post.