I have been taking 75 mg daily Effexor XR I am feeling great. Doctor renewed prescript and wrote it for Generic (93 7385 ) Do Brand name and Generic Effexor work on the same ??
Is Generic Effexor as good as Brand name Effexor ?
Question posted by CatAnder on 27 July 2010
Last updated on 8 December 2022
Answers Page 2
Suzanne has given you enough information, info on brands and generics; there is no difference in a branded med & generic, once the brand/molecule come off patent it is then allowed/permitted to be manufactured by number of companies, so in case of brand Effexor the generic would have no difference at all.
How can you say there is no difference? Are you speaking from experience? Have you taken both? Or are you repeating what the drug reps have said? I have taken both as many other people have and there IS A BIG DIFFERENCE! I spent two years having terrible side effects to Effexor generic . While trying to find help for what I was experiencing I read about the side effects that people were having while taking generic. I checked my pharmacy and found out I was taking it too! My Dr wanted to do ECT ! Thats the only help he could recommend!! Why ? B/c he refused to believe there was a difference between brand name and generic! He laughed at me ! I suffered b/c an arrogant Dr didn't want to be "wrong". He refused to read the posts or anything about other people who had the same experience. He would not listen to people who had taken it only what the drug company said. Dr's like this end up hurting people. These drugs are not regulated by the FDA like they once were .
Drs hand out these drugs then know nothing about them when there are problems.Only one who believed me was my daughter and she contacted the company and got the brand name. I was so much better off... still having to slowly withdraw from Effexor but at least not having the full body tremors and worse depression . My Dr after I was on brand name a month said I was so much better I didn't need to return! Glad I refused the ECT! Don't say there is no difference between brand name and generic! There is a difference in the fillers they use..
There is definitely a big difference. When I first started taking Effexor XR I felt like I was a totally different person. I felt wonderful, had no anxiety attacks, life was great and nothing ever seemed to rattle my cage. I thanked God every day for this miracle drug. And then I was put on a generic and my life changed. All the good feelings I experienced are gone. I am still depressed and sometimes I can't cope. So there is a big difference, I only wish I can find a generic that was like the Effexor I took. Any help from anyone, please let me know.
Unfortunately, there did seem to be a difference for me personally. I was looking forward to saving some money and switched to generic for a period of 3 months. Although it was subtle, there were additional side effects I noticed such as sweatier hands and more brain zaps. I wouldn't say this would absolutely deter me from taking the generic, but I did switch back after a few months and noticed an improvement.
Please note that once Effexor was available in generic form as Venlefaxine HCL there is an HUGE difference in the delivery mechanisms concerning the extended release, 24 hour dosing unit. Cobalt Pharms uses the beads in a capsule that for some patients, like myself, releases too quickly, and causes a rebound hypertension and mania. The 150mg Cobalt Pharm caps are 177mg in totem. The 150mg ER from Osmotica Pharm comes in a "shell" that releases the meds through osmosis and is a better mechanism for me and many others. Some dosage units are bifurcated.
Your information is not accurate.
The generic version of any prescription drug will vary between manufacturers, has potential to cause severe problems and should not be considered to " have no difference at all."
There is a HUGE difference in brand vs generic. Once brand goes off patent, the FDA only looks at ONE of the generic samples to check for the active ingredient. After that you are on your own. The generic may be made in India under no quality control standards whatsoever. FDA has no resources to inspect foreign generic drug manufacturers like it does for name brand firms. If you value your health, never buy generic unless you look up the manufacturer's reputation for that drug beforehand. Some are high quality generic firms, some make trash that cannot be made bioavailable once you take it. Their filler ingredients can vary very widely from brand name drugs. Generic manufacturers are allowed by FDA to vary the active ingredient by 20% plus or minus in each dose. So a capsule may contain 80% of what it should or 120% of what it should. CHECK FIRST!
You are mistaken, sadly
To answer in this manner, you can't have ever used these medications. Effexor XR works. The generic does not. It's criminal, in my opinion, that companies can pretend a drug is the same when it's not. Insurance companies choose to believe them and then we, the patient, is left with no other option than to hand over big bucks to get what really works.
It's wrong. It's sad. I wish the generic worked so I could pay hundreds less every month.
You are Wrong... I noticed a Huge difference, it is harmful to have a company all of a sudden change a prescription Without my permission! You do not know what it is like to finally find something that is working and then have it changed.
Mrs.Summers you are not saying these facts because of personal experience. I explained to my dr that the generic version was not treating my depression the same. He went on to explain as to why, when a generic for of a medication is made the active ingredients are exactly the same but the binding agents ( that cost much less ) have a variance of where it may break down in your body it may break down long before or long after the BRAND NAME, thus giving the hard working Americans generic medication.As part of the middle class single father of 2 unable to just pay to get the Brand Name Drug. I greatly recommend you not make statement because a drug company that you more than likely have quite abit of stock in tells you. I have an idea try the medication before telling people the generic and non-generic are the same because we know better! J.Singleton Tennessee
Rajive, have you ever taken the medication? I think you're mistaken... there is definitely a difference between the generic formulation and brand. Specifically, the generic isn't as potent.
Yes, as we know, Effexor and Effexor XR have horrible generic formulations. They are pure junk. 90% of doctors are generic idiots, dont take their scipts, ...
The only manufactures to list on your gerneric Rx are Janssen, Wyeth, and Greenstone. These are all the same capsule!!! They have a W on them. There is another which Winn Dixie's pharmacies were giving as a generic, which I believe is bought (manufactured) from Wyeth, but encapsulated by a different company; that one is good too, and extremely inexpensive.
Generic drugs are allowed by the FDA to have different inactive ingredients from brand name medications as long as they are “safe.” I would think a variation in inactive ingredients could cause a difference in some individuals’ ability to absorb and metabolize the active ingredients effectively.
Ridiculous assumption on your part.
Unless you have spent a lifetime managing depression, you do NOT have a clue. At least four times, I was given the generic without my knowledge. Each time, I experienced breakthrough depression within days. I learned to LOOK carefully to make certain the pharmacy followed instructions of NO GENERIC. This is just a money-saving issue for the insurance companies, but it’s a life issue for we who suffer from this horrible illness.
There is a big difference, I took the brand name Effexor XR for 5 years loved it. They came out with generic and I had a seizure a week in a half in to taking the generic brand, my doctor told me i was not the first patient to have this happen, so no there is a difference the doctor even said there was. I had to go off of it and I have not found anything that works as good yet. My insurance wont cover if there is a generic.
I realize this post was from 2010, but I came here for help, so hopefully I can help someone too. I have taken name brand Effexor XR I believe 4 times in the last 15 years and had success. I took it for a few months to get me out of my slump and then I was good for quite a while. Well, i recently started to have some anxiety issues (along with some depression) and decided to go back to Effexor XR. So, I went to the dr and got a prescription. The only problem is I received a generic Venlafaxine. I struggle with the starting dose of 37.5, so I separate the capsule down to 10mg. I just dump out 27.5 balls inside the capsule. So, I'll break down what happened with that 1 pill of 10mg. The first 2 hours after I took the pill, my heart was racing. Then I noticed my anxiety did get better, but my stomach was really upset all night. Then I had really bad insomnia all night. The next morning, my stomach still hurt and I ended up getting diarrhea and had a lot of blood in my stool.
That was extremely scary! I didn't take another pill. I called my Dr and Pharmacist. They're currently working with my insurance to tell them I can't take the generic. I hope they get it figured out. If not, I'll have to pay $408 out of pocket for 30 pills (which I'll break down into almost 4 months worth. 10mg is more than enough for me). It's now been a couple days and my stomach is still a little upset. All over 1 pill that was significantly less mg than prescribed. If you're reading this, it means you're struggling. I wish you the best and I hope you feel better soon!
you are wrong. The fillers make them different, and I happen to be allergic to one of the fillers some of the brands use.
There is an absolute difference with Effexor brand and generic . I was on the brand name for years and never needed to change my dosage and now have been on the many generics for years . I found only one that agreed with me but it doesn’t last it eventually stops working and I need more I never had that problem with the brand name Effexor . Right now I finally got the name brand approved from my insurance from trying multiple generics and I’m waiting 4 more days to get my life back . So unless u personally have used both u have no right to say they’re the same .
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