generic version wierd side effects?

Has anyone had trouble with generic Topirimate? Our pharmacy switched my wife to the generic version last week, and since then she has had some bad side effects. At least that's what we think is causing them (she was also coming off amitriptyline at the same time). Anxiety attacks, crying spells, catastrophizing how bad everything is, not my idea of a good time.

Yes... my pharmacy changed me two days ago when I got my refill to the generic version of topamax - as now my insurance co won't pay for the Brand name without doctor approval... I brought it home... took it and for the last two nights have been sick as a dog and my trigeminal neuralgia (which I take it for) has flared up! The generic is NOT the same or doesnt have the same properties as the Brand name... I have been on the brand name for over 3 years... and you cannot just SWITCH someone like that I shouldn't think... especially when people depend on the med to deal with the seriousness of their disability.

I take Topamax for acute Migrains with stroke like symptoms, they switched me to the Genaric and it is like I am taking nothing. my symptoms have returned 100% To make matters worse even tho my dr has written me a script brand medically necesary my ins. still refuses to pay and wants me to pay my 20$ co pay lus some 245$ fee, but if I use the generic it will only cost me 10$. Healthcare is out of control the government needs to step in!!!

I have been taking Topamax for 5 years for chronic daily migraine. It worked wonders for me. The generic was substituted the last refill, and it's like I'm not taking anything again. The headaches are back with a vengeance.

me too! I have been taking Topamax for years with life changing results. Just 3 or 4 weeks ago I was switched to the generic and it's like taking nothing. Every day, I have a migraine. I used up all of my migraine medication that I use when I get a migraine in about 5 days and have nothing left for another month as my ins. co won't pay for it. I have to ask my dr. to switch me back to the brand... it's just not even close to the same.

Same thing here! I have been taking Topamax for years and it helped tremendously with my migraines. My pharmacy gave me the generic last week and within 5 days I had horrible migraines everyday. It is like taking nothing, I have had to use an Imitrex Injection everyday plus pain medication. I have asked my doctor to switch me back to the brand name. They should take the generic of the market, it is not fair to consumers.

Wow. I am so sorry that you are all suffering with the generic, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to see your posts. It is so affirming. I didn't know what was going on, but knew that the timing of the dramatic change in my migraines was more than a little coincidental. Like all of you have said, the generic is like taking a placebo. Thanks for your posts. I hope you all find relief.

Generics are the SAME THING as the Brand/Trade name of a drug. The FDA requires that the same ingredients are used. If you have the mindset that the generic will be "less potent" then it will be -- your mind is a very powerful thing. If you feel sick, you will be sick. If you tell yourself you are well, you will be well.

From the FDA website: http://www.fda.gov/cder/consumerinfo/generics...

# Are generic drugs as safe as brand-name drugs?

Yes. FDA requires that all drugs be safe and effective. Since generics use the same active ingredients and are shown to work the same way in the body, they have the same risks and benefits as their brand-name counterparts.

# Are generic drugs as strong as brand-name drugs?

Yes. FDA requires generic drugs to have the same quality, strength, purity and stability as brand-name drugs.

# Do generic drugs take longer to work in the body?

No. Generic drugs work in the same way and in the same amount of time as brand-name drugs.

Does every brand-name drug have a generic counterpart?

No. Brand-name drugs are generally given patent protection for 20 years from the date of submission of the patent. This provides protection for the innovator who laid out the initial costs (including research, development, and marketing expenses) to develop the new drug. However, when the patent expires, other drug companies can introduce competitive generic versions, but only after they have been thoroughly tested by the manufacturer and approved by the FDA.

Kurtis,
Your post may be technically correct, but to migraine sufferers technical data is irrelevant. To those of us (myself included) who have been successfully taking Topamax for years as a migraine prophylaxis we have no problem switching to a generic medication that works and saves us money. HOWEVER, it is very clear to many of us that the generic versions of this medication, DO NOT WORK. Whether it is the way we have been suddenly switched, the fillers in the generic do not absorb the same way, or the formulation itself, I don't know, but the generic does not work.
I have had similar experiences as the other people who have posted here. I am a working professional who happens to be a migraine sufferer. I have gone from my usual 2-4 monthly migraines (with Topamax) to 10 migraines in the last month since my pharmacy switched my medication to generic.
My insurance company will not pay for the brand name and wants to charge me $298 for 60 tablets -one month's supply.
I hope you all find relief.

Actually, the active ingredient released into the blood stream is tested to be the same but there may be differences in other aspects of the drug such as additives or other side chains. The drug can also act differently in different tissues, causing different side effects. Since less patients are studied for the generic, this is not always known. It has been noted before, that titration could be needed for certain epilepsy drugs if changing to generic (this is not always agreed upon) At any rate, I am all for saving money and my side effects are not in my head. I am tired of people, especially one's who may not have all their facts correct, telling me something is in my head when there is a pysical reason for the symptom. In my case, I am not tolerating the generic. I have increased fatigue and numbness in the extremities. My insureance company has kindly agreed to refill my prescription with the brand name. If you call your insurance company directly with the facts, they will have no choice but to refill the prescription with the brand name. Do not stop at the pharmacy-call yourself. (After your doctor calls the pharmacy and requests brand name only for you) Of course, if the generic works for you-then there is nothing wrong with continuing its use. I wish it worked for me.

Yes, yes, yes. I was switched on Apr 29 on my last refill (I am bipolar). I had a breakdown at work, and was asked not to return until I got my stuff together. To make matters worse, my Doctor is not available until next week due to vacation. Glad to see this all isn't "in my head".

andi, thanks for your post. I spoke to my Dr. today and he is writing a letter for me to send to my insurance company as they WON'T pay for the brand. He tells me that many of his patients are not tolerating generic topiramate. This is out of control. Insurance companies are running our medical system!

Is Generic Topiramate as Good as Topamax?
All generic medications must undergo certain tests to compare them to brand-name medications. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) then looks at these tests to decide if the generics are equivalent to the brand-name medications and assigns each generic a rating. An "AB" rating means that the FDA has determined that a generic medication is equivalent to a brand-name medication. All of the generic topiramate versions currently available have an "AB" rating, meaning they should be equivalent to Topamax.

However, generic medications are allowed to have different inactive ingredients than the brand-name medication. This might include fillers or dyes or other ingredients that may cause problems for people with allergies or sensitivities. It should also be noted that many healthcare providers believe that special care should be taken when switching a patient from a brand-name seizure medication to a generic one. For this reason, you may want to check with your healthcare provider before switching to a generic version of Topamax.

For this reason, you may want to check with your healthcare provider before switching to a generic version of Topamax.
umm...didnt have a choice. I was given this at the drugstore when I renewed my prescription. All of my drugs are generic (now), I had no reason not to trust this one. NOW I do. Still waiting for my doctor to see me. A bipolar, diabetic patient running around without bipolar meds (danger, danger !) Im practically living at the gym trying to work off the frustrations. At least Im doing something positive in the meantime. The insurance company told me to go to the ER - thats a bunch of bunk - I'll only be hit with a huge co-pay and have to follow-up with the doctor anyway. I tried to get a new doctor - and in my rural area there are no doctors that are taking new patients until August. Great.

I've had the same difficulty with, of all things, generic Lasix, a water pill. Some of the generics work fine, some of the generics work sort of, some don't work at all.

I've had difficulty with other generics as well, but this one has a VISIBLE symptom. I CAN SEE MY HANDS AND FEET SWELL when the less effective generics are provided by the mail order pharmacy I am forced to use.

IT'S NOT ALL IN THE HEAD! Sometimes it's in the generic.

I don't think any of us had a choice between brand and generic. We were just put on the useless generic and are now suffering for it. Oh, and according to my pharmacist, it's more than the fillers that can vary, it's also the levels of the active ingredient that allow the generic to "pass" as an exact copy of the brand.

My insurance company quoted me today MY cost of staying on brand name Topomax -$368.00 per month - as opposed to the $20.00 co-pay of the generic that has made a train wreck of my life. I DID get an appt today to see my doctor on Wed.(progress !)

Kurtis,
You have your facts wrong. It would be impolite for me to say what I want to say to you for spreading incorrect information on the web.

Generic prescriptions have to have the same active ingredient, but can have different "inactive" ingredients. They are allowed to vary in their *absorption rate* and their variance can fall between 80% and 125% of the original! I think that's really a big variance.
Also, the manufacturers of generic drugs are not required to test the generics for therapeutic (as opposed to bioavailability) equivalence.
Further, the bioavailability studies usually enroll only a handful of HEALTHY study subjects (not patients), far fewer than are studied for the original approval of the brand-name drugs. Studies with small numbers of subjects may not have the statistical power to identify subtle differences in drugs that may have detrimental effects.

If the original came in time release, the generic can use a different time release mechanism with no extra testing.

There are several generic companies - one generic can be 20% under and another can be 20% over (for example)... From month to month you don't know what you get because there is no way for a doctor to write a prescription for a specific brand of generic.

I was switched to generic topiramate 3 weeks ago. I take it for epilepsy. SO much fun to have seizures at work and not know why. Embarrassing. Dangerous. I was previously controlled. I had no idea that it was the generic medicine causing this because I had never heard about the bioavailability issue before. Do NOT tell me it is in my head. My neurologist switched me to "dispense as written" once I called her to inform her of my seizures. Her opinion is that generic AEDs do not work well for seizure control.

Carolyn wrote:

Wow. I am so sorry that you are all suffering with the generic, but I can't tell you how relieved I am to see your posts. It is so affirming. I didn't know what was going on, but knew that the timing of the dramatic change in my migraines was more than a little coincidental. Like all of you have said, the generic is like taking a placebo. Thanks for your posts. I hope you all find relief.

I have taken generics of other medications many times without any problem at all.However this was the worst!! I felt a headache immedately- 15 minutes after taking both in the morning and evening. I called pharmisist and she had other complaints and said it was new on the market and would call Dr to request Name brand only.Very Strange.

OMG!! Thank God I found this posting. I thought I was going Mad. Horrible symptoms have returned that I have not had in years. Random stabbing pains like needles in the nerves up and down my arms. Feet going numb. Inflamed nerve bundles behind each shoulder blade. This makes each motion of my arms sheer Hell. Checking through my medical journal this morning I traced the source of these symptoms to switching to the generic Topamax. I want to know where folks are finding Topamax for 200-300 dollars. I was paying $750 for my Topamax!! so to go back on it will kill me financially, but to not go on it will kill me physically.