Teva Announces Launch of Generic Zoloft

I too am a Medco guy on the Cobalt generic and have really noticed a decline in the last month since going off the name brand. I'm going to switch back to see if its just my screwed up mind or if in fact the generic is not as good for me.

I've been on the real Zoloft for a couple of months, only 1 month on 100 mg. I am switching to the generic Greenstone to see if it makes any difference. My insurance will cover brand but they sent a letter to me complaining.

I am glad I didn't read all of your posts before I downgraded to generic- I did not notice any changes, and for the past few weeks I have improved greatly. This isn't to say the Zoloft didn't help, but the Sertraline didn't "regress" me in any way as everyone here seems to think.

I know everyone is different, but my psychiatrist recommends Sertraline for anyone who is already taking welbutrin or other medicines- she insists there is no difference (unlike Welbutrin or Lexapro for instance)

The only considerable difference is that I have a bit more trouble sleeping.

Greyson wrote:

I am glad I didn't read all of your posts before I downgraded to generic- I did not notice any changes, and for the past few weeks I have improved greatly. This isn't to say the Zoloft didn't help, but the Sertraline didn't "regress" me in any way as everyone here seems to think.
I know everyone is different, but my psychiatrist recommends Sertraline for anyone who is already taking welbutrin or other medicines- she insists there is no difference (unlike Welbutrin or Lexapro for instance)
The only considerable difference is that I have a bit more trouble sleeping.

That's great that a generic has worked for you Greyson. In my case, I read the posts on this forum AFTER not having success with a generic. It was a case of either Zoloft no longer being an effective medication for me or else at least the Teva brand greatly lacking in efficacy for me. Thus I actively sought out any documentation possibly supporting the latter and found this forum. I broached my psychiatrist with a plan. I asked that I be switched to name brand Zoloft as an "experiment"...to see if I'd notice any difference. If not, then we would switch me to another AD, Effexor I believe. Well, not only did I notice a difference, but much sooner than I had even hoped for. My reaction was, "oKAY! Now THIS is the response that I EXPECTED to experience from Zoloft as I had so many times in the past when I had gone back on it." I'd love to be paying a fraction of what I'm paying for Sertraline vs. name brand Zoloft, but not much point in that for something that is going to be of minimal help for me. When I took Name Brand Zoloft in the past, it was all I had to take. When I was on the Teva generic, not only did I end up in the hospital for 9 days because I wasn't getting any better, but clonazepam was added and later there was an augmetation attempt with Buspar which only managed to produce anxiety in me. Once I switched to Name Brand, again, that is all I've had to take, AND at a lower dose I might add. I recommend to ANYone now who has taken the Name Brand version of ANY medication in the past and it has worked, but feel that a generic is not, or not working AS well, to consider the experiment I tried because for me, it honestly made all the difference in the world.

This is for Joe from Beloit, WI: please report back on how the Greenstone generic does for you. Some people swear it is just as good as name brand Zoloft; others swear at it! I'm curious to learn your reaction. BTW, if you should call customer service at Pfizer or Greenstone, they will assure you that the Greenstone generic is exactly the same as the name brand.

Steve wrote:

This is for Joe from Beloit, WI: please report back on how the Greenstone generic does for you. Some people swear it is just as good as name brand Zoloft; others swear at it! I'm curious to learn your reaction. BTW, if you should call customer service at Pfizer or Greenstone, they will assure you that the Greenstone generic is exactly the same as the name brand.

I'm wondering if that includes the inactive ingredients (fillers).

Steve wrote:

This is for Joe from Beloit, WI: please report back on how the Greenstone generic does for you. Some people swear it is just as good as name brand Zoloft; others swear at it! I'm curious to learn your reaction. BTW, if you should call customer service at Pfizer or Greenstone, they will assure you that the Greenstone generic is exactly the same as the name brand.

Ok I'll let you know how it's going in a few days. I'm about to take my first Greenstone pill now.

I just went on Sertraline 6 weeks ago for my panic disorder. The first 30 days, I did great! After that, I started having a constant low level anxiety and had 2 full blown panic attacks within a 5 day period. I called my pharmacy (CVS) and asked if they had switched manufacturers. They had, indeed switched to Greenstone (from what other company, I don't know). I have to believe that the Greenstone generic is the problem. I have Tricare and they won't pay for the brand name. My panic disorder is service connected, too, but I guess money is more important to them.

Irene wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm wondering if that includes the inactive ingredients (fillers).

So far so good. Can't tell any difference between the real Zoloft and the Greenstone. I'm still not feeling like I want to but the switch definitely hasn't made me any worse as a lot of people claim.

curious polly wrote:

I also get sertraline from medco, they have switched me from the Teva generic to one manufactured by Cobalt labratories. Has anyone had any experience with this lab's sertraline?

HORRIBLE experience being switched from Teva to Cobalt variety by Medco. Very scary to feel so bad, so irritable, so angry and reactive. I thought it might be a cruel trick of giving a placebo. 2 weeks & it definitely did NOT work for me. Luckily I have a few by Greenstone which was a fill-in prescription and these seem to be working ok (others have not been so lucky)while I try to get a refill. I will be filing a complaint with the FDA. I hope TEVA will reconsider producing their product.
It sucks that drug & pharmacy & insurance companies can wreck havoc in our lives and have NO idea how dangerous and scary it is.

Check commentary on People's Pharmacy website too.

I don't trust Medco to be honest. They want me to mail order mine but I am going to Walgreens and asking to make sure I get either Greenstone or the real Zoloft.

I found out from CVS that my first 30 days of Sertraline, which worked very well, was from Teva. Then the Greenstone which didn't work. My mail order pharmacy, from which I will be getting the rest of my Sertraline uses Mylan Pharm. Has anyone had any experience with Sertraline from Mylan?

I have had great experience with Mylan, and horrible with Greenstone. Now I am looking for the MYLAN as my pharmacy is changing again! The name brand is not convered my insurance and I am very hesistant to change generics after the horrible Greenstone experience.

The generic my pharm is switching to is by NORTHSTAR, or LUPIN does anyone have experience with either, or have suggestions on how to find the mylan?
Thank you.

I think there was someone on another post who said that you can request a specific manufacturer--it is not treated the same as asking for the brand name. In fact, CVS offered to order my Sertraline from Mylan vs Greenstone for me, but I didn't need it, since my mail order pharmacy is using Mylan. Give it a try!

Like others due to my insurance company not covering the brand name Zoloft 100% I tried the generic and had bad headaches, nautious, dizziness, and fatique. My doctor documented and it was sent to the insurance company, who still would not cover. I have BCBS and will be switching back to my previous company Group Health who will cover with the normal copay. As it stands now BCBS will only pay 50% if I will not take the generic which costs close to $100.00 per month. It's sad that when you can document through your doctor that you cannot use the generic that your insurance company will not cover with the normal copay.

I did ask my CVS and they said they could only get what was readily available and Mylan was not on the list. I decided to get the ZOLOFT and skip the generic confusion, I can't afford for the medicine not to work, our insurance will cover 50% of the cost and it is just going to have to be an expense we take and cut down on something else. We shouldn't have to go through all this time, energy, money to get the right consistent treatment, but here we are.

For the second time within a year CVS refilled zoloft 100mg with Greenstone instead of Teva; I have trouble sleeping all week and a mild depression is going on with me; I just looked at the bottle and sure enough it is Greenstone and CVS does not have any Teva now; I KNOW it makes a difference in how I feel; I too have Tricare;

Sharon wrote:

Hey Marlene! I got the Cobalt generic sertraline through Medco too, and it's like you said - all white pill that looks nothing like the one on their website. I'm taking Louise's advice and looking this up. I'm also filing a complaint for therapeutic failure and a pretty significant allergic reaction (asthma)to the pills I was sent with MedWatch, the FDA's adverse event reporting program. Think I may send them some of these pills as well, to see if they can find out what's in them.

Hi Sharon-i was switched from the Teva generic to the Cobalt and am having a lot of the same problems other writers are noting, especailly the weird heacaches. my asthma has been a little worse but I didn't link it to the sertraline, just thought it was one of those things. how has it affected your asthma?

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.

Vesta:
When I began having waves of depression and difficulty staying asleep, I did not know I had been switched; I hope you never go through the experiences I and others have had with the change in generic; You state it is psychological and I respect your opinion; only wish it were true