Teva launches generic Effexor XR

http://www.naturalnews.com/cartoons/mental_tr...

A little know fact.
There is an interesting post about this on pp not sure the persons tag just now but he lives in Britain he did all the research on antidepressants way back before the war... these drugs as I recall started with a antihistamine. Look at all the grief they have caused it just figures they were invented in a horrid place like by scientist of concentration camps who were later given new names and worked in the states. It has been reported that these scientists became so advanced in their fields because they did experiments on inmates that were completely outlawed before and after the war. Their knowledge was thought to be of benefit to the US in the coming years of the cold war so they were spared prosecution given new identities. Some of this informations come from pp some from a book I read some from tv documentaries.

What science is there to the Mental Health Industry?

The mental health and the pharmaceutical industry has been creating mentally compromised people and bilking the Government.

1. There no evidence that depression can be seen by any imaging device.

Can Brain Scans See Depression?

Snip from the article:

After almost 30 years, researchers have not developed any standardized tool for diagnosing or treating psychiatric disorders based on imaging studies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/18/health/psyc...
__________
2. There is no specific genes associated with depression:

Human geneticists have reached a private crisis of conscience, and it will become public knowledge in 2010. The crisis has depressing health implications and alarming political ones.

The Economist

Human geneticists have reached a private crisis of conscience, and it will become public knowledge in 2010. The crisis has depressing health implications and alarming political ones. In a nutshell: the new genetics will reveal much less than hoped about how to cure disease, and much more than feared about human evolution and inequality, including genetic differences between classes, ethnicities and races.

http://www.newworldorderreport.com/News/tabid...

About five years ago, genetics researchers became excited about new methods for “genome-wide association studies”(GWAS). We already knew from twin, family and adoption studies that all human traits are heritable: genetic differences explain much of the variation between individuals. We knew the genes were there; we just had to find them. Companies such as Illumina and Affymetrix produced DNA chips that allowed researchers to test up to 1m genetic variants for their statistical association with specific traits. America’s National Institutes of Health and Britain’s Wellcome Trust gave huge research grants for gene-hunting. Thousands of researchers jumped on the GWAS bandwagon. Lab groups formed and international research consortia congealed. The quantity of published GWAS research has soared.
In 2010, GWAS fever will reach its peak.
Dozens of papers will report specific genes associated with almost every imaginable trait—intelligence, personality, religiosity, sexuality, longevity, economic risk-taking, consumer preferences, leisure interests and political attitudes. The
data are already collected, with DNA samples from large populations already measured for these traits. It’s just a matter of doing the statistics and writing up the papers for Nature Genetics. The gold rush is on throughout the leading behaviour-genetics centres in London, Amsterdam, Boston, Boulder and Brisbane.
GWAS researchers will, in public, continue trumpeting their successes to science journalists and Science magazine. They will reassure Big Pharma and the grant agencies that GWAS will identify the genes that explain most of the variation in heart disease, cancer, obesity, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s and ageing itself. Those genes will illuminate the biochemical pathways underlying disease, which will yield new genetic tests and blockbuster drugs. Keep holding your breath for a golden age of health, happiness and longevity.

snip:

They simply have not been delivering the goods.

http://www.newworldorderreport.com/News/tabid...
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3. There is no tests for chemical imbalance:

"The hypothetical disturbances of neurochemical function that are said to underlie "mental illness" are just that: hypothetical.

http://www.adhd-report.com/biopsychiatry/bio_...

I am not surprised by any of this as I have been reading books about it now for a few years along with many articles online.
There are a couple of things that I am a bit fussy about one is testing spinal fluid as this seems to be accepted by the scientists in the book anatomy of an epidemic as a standard way of seeing the level of neurotransmitters in the brain the other is the use of a brain scan to tell which parts of the brain are using energy....
not sure about these think I posted this question here just before I left town and have not seen any replies to it.
I do know Scotty who owns pp and is a nurse has stated clearly there is not way of measuring the level of brain neurotransmitter until you are dead. I myself talked to a doctor about this years ago and he told me the same thing. Don't know if there has been any change or not.

I just started taking the generic form of Effexor XR because my insurance requires the generic if available. Has anyone else had problems taking the generic form? I have been on it for 5 days and I am so sick. My bones ache, I have a terrible headache and I have been throwing up for 2 days....

Ronda wrote:

I just started taking the generic form of Effexor XR because my insurance requires the generic if available. Has anyone else had problems taking the generic form? I have been on it for 5 days and I am so sick. My bones ache, I have a terrible headache and I have been throwing up for 2 days....

Whoa! I was just wondering if there was something going on with me and I needed to go back to my doctor b/c I noticed my depressive sx worsening - more tired/sluggish, headache, more anhedonic and extremely irritable these last few days...then I realized that a little over a week ago - my pharmacist informed me of the switch to the generic version of Effexor XR. I thought I was just being a whiner when I was wondering if there was any real difference between the brand name and the generic form. I think there is a difference and I plan to contact my doctor to see if I can go back to the brand name and see if it makes a difference.

I started taking the generic form one and 1/2 weeks ago. I had to take 3 days of sick leave from work due to nausea/vomiting and SEVERE, unrelenting headache (and no, aspirin or tylenol has not helped the headache). I'm not sure is the med is not releasing correctly or what....but if any readers out there switch to the generic form and you come down with similar symptoms for over one week, you might need to speak with your physician and get back on the brand name.

My daughter and I both have taken Effexor for years. We switched to the generic 5 days ago. I have been sick for three days with nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. My daughter has a severe headache and extreme nausea.

I switched to the generic Effexor a week ago and the depression is coming back stronger than ever.

I can attest to the same. I started the generic effexor xr a week ago and the depressive symptoms have returned.

I have been taking 150mg of Effexor XR for a couple of years with no problems. Last week I was switched to the generic version. Within days I was feeling pretty crappy. Not so much physical symptoms but just feeling sad,not feeling like doing much but laying around and ready to cry. Called my provider and described the problems. She said that generics may be 80% to 120% of the brand name. She upped my dosage to 225mg. After first day felt better; hoping it continues until she gets back into town. Will discuss other possibilities then.

I"ve been taking the generic form of Effexor XR 150 mg for about two weeks. I have been noticing that I am more depressed and subject to excessive sweating. Is anyone else experiencing these side effects.
Buffalo, NY

I have been in a little world of misery ever since I was switched to the generic a little over a week ago (same 150mg/ 1xday/ XR). I was initially dizzy/nauseous (typical mild withdrawal as if I forgot to take it one day). That has now been replaced four-five days later with greater generalized anxiety, and a very severe case of what seems to be acid reflux and nausea. This may not be attributed to the generic, but I've never in my life had this chest burning, stomach irritation before now. I can't go back to the name brand until my insurance will cover it, so if my symptoms subside then, I'll have my answer. I'm also having a lot of trouble with my ears - I can't help but think that's just odd and humorous. Anyone else?

I am so glad to find this forum....I started taking the generic just four days ago and I have been very sick. My stomach has been very upset, and I've had an unrelenting migraine that I attributed to hormones, but now I definitely think it's the Effexor generic. Tonight I got very very dizzy and am breaking out in hot sweats. I'm planning on calling my doctor tomorrow and inquiring about whether or not the insurance will cover the original version...I'm afraid they won't and i'm not sure what i'll do if that is the case. Has anyone else heard from their insurance companies yet? I'm so angry at these drug companies for screwing us around.

hannah wrote:

I am so glad to find this forum....I started taking the generic just four days ago and I have been very sick. My stomach has been very upset, and I've had an unrelenting migraine that I attributed to hormones, but now I definitely think it's the Effexor generic. Tonight I got very very dizzy and am breaking out in hot sweats. I'm planning on calling my doctor tomorrow and inquiring about whether or not the insurance will cover the original version...I'm afraid they won't and i'm not sure what i'll do if that is the case. Has anyone else heard from their insurance companies yet? I'm so angry at these drug companies for screwing us around.

Effexor XR is extended release. Teva (the company manufacturing the generic form) does not have access to the formula for how to release it. Wellbutrin XL is also extended release, and since going generic, has the same problem. What you folks are going through is a form of withdrawal from Effexor XR because it is probably not releasing the same way that the brand name does. Please do not let your doctor just "up your dose" - when you are ready to get off of this med, you are on a higher dose that you have to withdraw from!

People's Pharmacy.com has done a great job with keeping track of the problems with generic Wellbutrin XL - if you are having problems with generic Effexor XR, please do not suffer in silence. Let your pharmacist know, let your doctor know, post it in every depression forum you can find. Get the word out!

Generic meds are fine for most things, but these meds that mess with our brains should have more strict guidelines as to how bioequivalent they have to be, and they should be forced to "release" smoothly, as the brand name does.

Please report these problems to www.Peoples Pharmacy.com - there is a link along the top to "contact us".

Yes, I have been taking the generic Effexor XR for about a week and a half, and I have been having episodes of dizziness intermittently, and I seem to be more prone to anxiety in stressful situations than before. One day, I was so dizzy that I had to spend most of the day in bed, so later that day I took two of the brand-name Effexor XR (I took my normal dose of 225mg of the generic that morning) and my symptoms disappeared about 2 hours later. These are the same symptoms I had when I was trying to taper off the medication a few years ago. There is something wrong with this medication--it's either not strong enough, a formulation problem, or something wrong with the time release of the medication! I am on a mission to research this issue more on the internet. I am curious how long it will take for the symptoms to disappear?

Debbie, It's my understanding that the generic that was released this month IS an extended release. I know the prior generic was not, but I was told this brand new generic was. Is that not true??

Hannah, my doctor had to write up an order for the brand name prescription due to "side affects" and my insurance was able to then cover it before the "30 days" that it typically would. I wish you luck in doing the same!

I have now been back to the original meds and am so happy to say all my side affects are gone... no heart burn, no stomach upset, and I'm not so ragingly crabby anymore :) Yay!

Hi Sarah -

Yes, the new generic Effexor XR IS an extended release, but as I attempted to explain above, it may not release smoothly over the 24 hr period, as the brand name does. If it is not "releasing" correctly, it can cause withdrawal side effects, such as what you were having before going back to brand name. It would appear that there may be a problem with the generic, as now that you are back on the brand name, you are feeling better again - do I understand that correctly?

I went to Walgreens yesterday and they just switched me and no one told me I was getting the generic. I noticed the price difference and I asked about it and they said that I was ok'd to switch to this generic. I said if it doesn't work can I bring it back? the lady said it has the same ingredients so it will and let us know if it doesn't

Of course I take one this morning and around noon my time I get a massive headache and the body aches and feel as if I missed a pill. call walgreens they say well if you didn't want to switch then why did you buy it. boy that's nice.

I explained my situation and even that I read many people have problems with the generic not releasing right and have reported withdrawal side effects, and of course they basically tell me to go fly a kite the manager has to ok it to take medicine back and she wont be in until afternoon tomorrow and I can come buy some effexor at FULL PRICE for 9 dollars a pill ! yay !

I called their complaint number but I am sure that wont do any good. It also isnt all walgreens fault I am about to call my doctor and unload on them next for doing this without consulting me first

Yes! Exactly, Debbie! I am not opposed to genetics normally, and this is the first time I've ever had a problem. Hopefully it works for others, but not me:(

Your Walgreens pharmacist sounds absurd, Mike. Just call your doctor and they should have to write a prescription for medically necessary name brand, and the pharmacy will need to call your insurance for the early approval