Teva Announces Launch of Generic Zoloft

I was shocked to see so many people on this site with a problem with the generic. I thought it was just me. I never took the brand name. I was put on generic originally for anxiety/panic disorder. I am pregnant and they say it's the safest to take. I am so mad that they don't test generic on humans, and can risk this to an unborn fetus. I just took the first brand name zoloft this morning, and already feel better. I usually have shaky hands every morning when I wake up and an almost out of body feeling, as well as anxiousness during the day. Today was the first day in a long time I didn't have shaky hands. It's ridiculous the FDA disregards this, when so many people have noticed just a huge difference. It's sad that mental conditions aren't taken as seriously as other medical conditions and make people vulnerable. I think there's somethin fishy about why the brand name is so much more expensive than the generic if they were the same. Don't you think if they worked no one would buy the brand name ones anymore so they would have to lower the price? Makes you wonder...

I have been taking Zoloft for 12 years. I know exactly what it feels like when I accidentally miss a dose of Zoloft and start to feel withdraw symptoms. I get dizzy.
About 1.5 years ago I switched to generics. When I take a greenstone lab pill, 12 hours later I have the withdraw symptoms equivalent to missing a dose of name brand zoloft. And let me be clear these are not psychosomatic symptoms. Withdraw always feels the same = I get dizzy. So I told my pharmacy to only give me TEVA generic and not Greenstone. They made a note in my "chart" and all was fine, until I had another doctor call in my generic zoloft Rx and the note was lost. All of a sudden I started to feel withdrawl again. One night it was so bad that I woke up in the middle of the night went over to my medicine cabinet, read the bottle and sure enough it said "Mfr: Greenstone lab." I went back to the pharamacy - they apologized and replaced it with TEVA. I feel fine again. No dizzines with TEVA.
I want to say that I figured this all out BEFORE I googled Greenstone lab and found site after site with complaints about Greenstone Labs. I was really quite shocked there are so many of us and nothing is being done to investigate this discrepancy.

My theory is that Pfizer (the manufacturer or Zoloft and Greenstone Lab's generic) has formulated their generic to be inferior just so patients will pay 4 or 5 or 6 times as much as the generic in order to return to the name-brand version. This is totally unsubstantiated of course, but it is my theory nonetheless.

The FDA has become worthless in recent years and can't do their job to control quality. All we can do it spread the word, which is what I am doing here.

While generic medications do contain the same amount of the active ingredient as the name brand, the fillers are not the same. Some people will react to whatever is different and will be unable to take the generic. Also generics are only required to contain the same amount of drug as the name brand. They are not required to have the same time to peak plasma concentration or the same duration and/or maintenance of therapeutic plasma concentration. Sertraline is not the first generic in this class of drug to cause significant problems in people who made the switch. Considering the length of time it takes these kinds of meds to have their full effect, doctors should be advising patients who are considering switching to the generic form of their meds to be aware of any changes in mood, appetite or anything at all out of the ordinary until they are certain they have made the transition successfully.

i seem to be the only person having the exact opposite of what you guys are describing. i have been taking the generic for about a year when i switched to the original zoloft. what i got was dizziness, extreme exhaustion and sleepiness, stomach upsets. i tried it for 3 months to see if the side effects would subside, the dizziness went but instead anxiousness and depression were creeping back into my life.
my conclusion is that you have to find the drug that's right for you.

Sunny wrote:

Has anyone just started Sertraline without taking Zoloft first? I've never taken any kind of meds so would like to know if there is anyone out there in the same place.

i started on the TEVA generic which gave me terrible side effects, then switched to the greenstone generic and it was going really well, no side effects, no depression. then i made the opposite switch a couple of months ago from generic to Zoloft and had horrible side effects plus depression and anxiety were coming back. i just switched back to the generic.

i think people react differently to different drugs. also maybe if you take zoloft for more than 5 years your body might be so used to it that any switch causes trouble.

I've been on Zoloft for many years, after trying other brands and therapies. Zoloft was working well--no weight gain, no constipation, renewed zest for life. After being on the generic for about a year, I am feeling hopeless again. I can't make myself do anything. I'm ready to give up!

Linda wrote:

I've been on Zoloft for many years, after trying other brands and therapies. Zoloft was working well--no weight gain, no constipation, renewed zest for life. After being on the generic for about a year, I am feeling hopeless again. I can't make myself do anything. I'm ready to give up!

Don't give up Linda but if I you were I'd get off the generic and go back to the real Zoloft. I think it could improve your life again. Deb

Linda wrote:

I've been on Zoloft for many years, after trying other brands and therapies. Zoloft was working well--no weight gain, no constipation, renewed zest for life. After being on the generic for about a year, I am feeling hopeless again. I can't make myself do anything. I'm ready to give up!

Yes, Linda don't give up! I've been on Zoloft for nine years. At times i've tried to change to a different med or use generic...it is frustrating. I've come to realize that everybody's body reacts differently to different seratonin uptake inhibitors and it is your mission and responsiblity to find the one that works for you.We all have to be responsible for our own health care Good luck and God bless you in your search. Keep trying you'll find what works for you. If your doctor isn't cooperative or helpful in your search change physicians. They are not infalible and with the right one you can find what you're needing.

Hi. been off zoloft now for about 4 months after 2 years weaning off it. can't say i've enjoyed the whole experience. i feel it gave me false cofidence and happiness and i kind of feel robbed of genuine happiness and joy for the 8 years that i was taking it. in my experience it created a double blind. the thing is, now i'm seeing 2 therapists and taking st john's wort and it makes me wonder if that's all i needed in the first place. i'm open minded and i'm sure it works for some people. for me though, it masked and helped prolong the real problems which i'm working my way through now. feels like i'm re emerging from the fog being off zoloft, so thank crist i'm not still on it. apologies if that last sentence offends anyone.

I switched also and while I was terrified that it wouldn't work. I am doing just fine. I think it is just as good making this experience a reverse placebo effect.

My pharmacy switched me from generic TEVA to generic Greenstone and I have gained weight, enough so that I can't wear my pants and some tops. Anyone having a problem with weight gain?

about 2 weeks since ive been on the generic form, pounding headaches, cant sleep, sick to my stomach. getting more depressed by the day. thankfully i only got half my script filled. i went today and got 1 weeks worth of brand zoloft, 7 , 50mg tabs. cost $35.00 lol. but i will never take generic again.

vesta wrote:

The generic drug contains the same active ingredients as its brand name. THe only difference is the inactive ingredients. This has been tested and proved by the FDA. Theres nothing wrong with sertraline it's all psycological.

Yes, the active chemicals are the same. However, the fillers which deliver the active chemicals into your blood stream are quite different. If the doses are not being delivered properly by the fillers then people can either have adverse reactions. Either too much or not enough of the drug can have unpleasant side effects that would
not otherwise happen with the name brand. I would recommend doing more research on the matter. I have copied a quote from Paul Lofholm below.
If you type in generic drug fillers on google you will find a host of information regarding this topic.

UC San Francisco Professor and Ross Valley pharmacist Paul Lofholm says the trouble is in the generic drug's less-strictly regulated fillers and pill size.

"It would still contain the right amount of drug, but it would behave differently," says Prof. Lofholm.

In fact, generic blood pressure medicines and seizure medicines have had similar problems. Lofholm advises when switching to generics or changing manufacturers, patients should pay very close attention to how they feel.

Laurie wrote:

My pharmacy switched me from generic TEVA to generic Greenstone and I have gained weight, enough so that I can't wear my pants and some tops. Anyone having a problem with weight gain?

Yes. I too had the same problem with that manufacturer. I am now back on name brand and paying the extra money. There is a definitely difference between Zoloft and generic because of the way it is delivered into the bloodstream by the fillers.

Linda wrote:

I've been on Zoloft for many years, after trying other brands and therapies. Zoloft was working well--no weight gain, no constipation, renewed zest for life. After being on the generic for about a year, I am feeling hopeless again. I can't make myself do anything. I'm ready to give up!

I agree, don't give
up! I'm in the middle of a melt down but I know as soon as I can get my hands on Zoloft again I'll feel better(but the dr. dosen't get it)the sertaline dosen't work the same!!!

Liz wrote:

<quoted text>I agree, don't give
up! I'm in the middle of a melt down but I know as soon as I can get my hands on Zoloft again I'll feel better(but the dr. dosen't get it)the sertaline dosen't work the same!!!

Provide your doctor with sufficient documentation. Research on google about generic antidepressants or generic zoloft. I can assure you that if you bring research that the doctor will prescribe you name brand. If he or she doesn't then find another doctor.

So I noticed I had no refills left on my zoloft. I called the DR and had them call it in to the pharmacy. They ended up giving me the generic instead of name brand mind you Ive been on Zoloft for about 2yrs. Ive heard it can react different in your body and was nevrous to take it but I didnt really have a choice cuz of the hoilday weekend. Its been three days and I feel like crap!!! Dizzy,naueous,headaches,my mind feels like it going crazy,stoned,and my heart is beating out of my cheast just to name a few. I just read online that generic contain the same active ingredients but the inactives are not the same. Due to this it can either increase the drug in your bloodstream faster or slower. Everyone is different but as for me Im going back on the brand even if it costs me more.

Similar problems to most of the above. Got switched to the generic, and had the melt down. Have been back on regular Zoloft for 2 days and still feel bad - so I'm wondering how long people have experienced it takes to get back to feeling relatively normal after returning to regular Zoloft. My mornings are horrible... and not improving after 2 days back on regular Zoloft - yet - but I hope it's coming. I'm scared.

I had been taking the Greenstone sertraline for about 6 months. My anxiety seemed to be getting better, but I felt spacey and anxious at times. Then, about 3 months ago I went to fill my generic Zoloft and the pills looked different this time. They gave me the Teva generic Zoloft. I felt good for about 3 months (as they kept refilling me with the Teva brand). I didn't attribute the good feelings to the different pill, until I got my prescription filled last week. They refilled it with the Greenstone generic. Now I feel spacey and anxious again. I put 2 and 2 together and realized it MUST be the different generics. Nothing else has changed for me. So, my question is: Can I take the Greenstone generic back to the pharmacy and ask them to fill it with the Teva generic....or better yet the real Zoloft......will the pharmacy do this? Has anyone else done this? Also, if so, how does it work with your insurance to dothis? Any answers provided would be appreciated.

I've been on and off Zoloft for the last 3 years, since I had my daughter in '05. They started me out on the brand name Zoloft and I felt happier and great. Then I had to stop because I switched jobs and my insurance ended. After almost a year of misery (I suffer from GED Generalized Anxiety Disorder with Panic Attacks) it go so bad I was loosing job after job and it was ruining my relationship and life.

Finally, I got in with a local behavorial center and they got me seeing a psychologist who prescribed Zoloft for me again. I went to Walmart, and of course could only afford the generic. I immediatly noticed it was not the same at the brand drug.

Since then, I've qualified for meds provided by the state and they only cost $4.00. It's manufactured by Apotex Corp. and so far it's been ok (not excellent, but ok). Then just last week I went in to pick up my normal perscription and it was a different pill. They told me they changed manufacturers and I found out it's made by Mylan. I'm scared it's going to effect me differently now. And after reading previous posts on how people are affected when it changes, I don't know anymore.

For people who can't afford the real deal, they get duped with cheaper crap. It makes me sick! It's not right!