Has anyone tried it?

[pusillanimous]

I was wondering if anyone has tried the new generic Xarelto and how is it? my pharmacist asked me if I wanted to change to it, but I'm a bit of a 'Better the devil you know' sort of person !

[mrdarcy1]

Hi pusillanimous

Wow I'd listen to what my specialist said, rather than my chemist.

My chemist and all chemist's do a fantastic job, however I think a chemist, even asking that question is a bit weird.

Never change your medication, especially one that reduces your risk of strokes or other fatal illnesses, unless the specialist or doctor says.

[pusillanimous in reply to mrdarcy1]

Thanks for your reply -my pharmacist always asks if I would like the generic as they work out cheaper (we pay for most of our medication here),some of the generics have slightly different fillers but the core drug is the same. I was curious to know if anyone who had swapped to the generic was getting a reaction from the filler, even the branded drug manufactured in a different country can be slightly different. A great number of the drugs we take are generics because once the patent has expired (as is the case now with Xarelto) many more manufacturers start making it, for example, common drugs like Bisoprolol has many generics, the one I take is called Cardicor and I'm quite sure that many people taking the same drug , have a different name on the packet. When it comes to drugs the pharmacist after 3 years of training is the expert, whereas pharmacology is a small part of medical doctor's training, so I have complete faith in my highly experienced pharmacist (own business for 25 years) when it comes to his knowledge of drugs.

[mrdarcy1 in reply to pusillanimous]

Hi pusillanimous

Ahhh, I see.

I have seen a few people on here say that they react badly to some fillers.

If your getting no side effects, then "why change something, when not broken"

I didn't realise you paid for your medication.

Any way of bringing the cost down, then makes sense.

I'd trust my chemist with a lot of things, but not this.

[Ppiman]

I wouldn't give it a second thought, myself as it will have received a product licence through the usual strict channels. Having spent years in this industry, I'd say that its QC and analytical testing procedures are, generally speaking, second to none and offer all the necessary checks and balances.

Steve

[pusillanimous in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks Steve, it will certainly save me quite a bit of money if I change to the generic, I just wondered if there were slightly different fillers that people may have reacted to.

[Ppiman in reply to pusillanimous]

Ah - I had forgotten you had to contribute. In the UK, here, it’s free or a fixed fee. It’s always worth questioning these things and I know that I am more naturally trustworthy than many seem to be.

I think sensitivity to change itself is more often the issue than sensitivity to changed ingredients. 😉 😳 Most excipients are everyday food items, after all - but there have been one it two notable problems caused over the years, or so I’ve read.

In my experience, the most likely issue to arise is from tablets being overly compressed during manufacture and so failing to release sufficient of their active ingredients in the early part of the intestinal tract either absorption occurs.

Steve

[pusillanimous in reply to Ppiman]

Thanks for that info Steve !

[Tapanac]

I noticed that my apixaban was different last delivery. Phoned the chemist and he said it was a generic one, but he swapped it to my usual and said that I would need to contact my GP to specify which apixaban in future

Then going through my other tablets I noticed that my flecainide was different. I had been taking this for a couple of months just thinking that the packaging was different. I have been getting more uneven beats, more tachycardia and afib so I am going to definitely write to my GP to revert back to my original as this new flecainide is not the same good old miracle worker as the original

Good luck to you

[pusillanimous in reply to Tapanac]

Thanks, I told my pharmacist that I would for the time being stick with the original, but who knows, in future they many stop importing it (I live in South Africa) as it is expensive here and most people stick to the cheap Warfarin, but I'm happy to pay for the convenience of the one tab a day formula.

[Cara95 in reply to pusillanimous]

Hi there. I am also in South Africa and have been taking the generic for Xeralto for 3 months now. When I saw my cardiologist a few weeks back he offered to prescribe the generic but I told him I am already taking it. No problems at all.

[pusillanimous in reply to Cara95]

Thanks Cara,I see my Cardio next month - I don't think he'll have any objections as the Xarelto was prescribed by my GP at my request as I did not like Warfarin, especially after I was told by a chemist it was Rat Poison.!!!!!!

[pusillanimous in reply to Cara95]

Cara, is it still in silly packs of 28 tabs or have they realised that most months have 30 days !

[Cara95 in reply to pusillanimous]

Indeed it is still 28 in a pack!! Incidentally, it is called iXarola.

[pusillanimous in reply to Cara95]

Zulu ? haha

[Cara95 in reply to pusillanimous]

Just so! 😆 Or then again it might be that Apple has a part in this!

[Griffin9]

Is it new? I was taking Rivaroxaban last year without any issues.

[pusillanimous in reply to Griffin9]

Rivaroxaban is not new, but the patent that the original developer held has expired after 10 years which means that other manufacturers can make it at a lower price, Hence my query asking if anyone had had any problems with the generic.

[mhoam]

Hi,I have been on Apixaban (branded Eliquis) for quite a while. Recently the pharmacy have supplied a generic version, manufactured by Teva. No difference as far as I was concerned.

I am also on a generic version of Flecainide, again no problems.

As an OAP I don't have to pay at all for my prescription drugs but even so I support the NHS using the cheaper generic version. As mentioned, the active ingredient is exactly the same and the licensee has to have the same level of quality control.

Of course, in the UK we don't need to worry about the drug cost ourselves but it is being paid out of our taxes!

[Snowgirl65]

We don't have generic Xarelto here in the States. If we did, I'd want to be the first to try it. Xarelto is expensive!

[pusillanimous in reply to Snowgirl65]

I have read that in the USA the patent has been extended for another 30 odd years or so, so you will not be getting a generic soon !

[Snowgirl65 in reply to pusillanimous]

I read that too. What the pharmaceutical companies will do to ding the consumer...

[dcoughey]

I have been on xarelto (Rivaroxaban) for many year, and it definitely works. The specialists won't let me decrease it to less than the 15MG/day that I am on now. The downside is that my arms, hands, and stomach are so bruised that I look like I have been badly beaten up and are a full-blown heroin addict. (I don't touch the stuff) My skin is so sensitive that I can start bleeding at any spot without even touching it. When I do bump it, it rips open and can bleed for hours and days, except for the band-aids I need to keep with me all the time.

I suspect that other blood thinners would likely do the same thing.

[pusillanimous in reply to dcoughey]

Unfortunately that's the downside of blood thinners of any type if you have thin fragile skin.I don't bleed too much put the slightest bump and a purple bruise and senile purpura, mostly my shins and hands. But I wear trousers, lovely cool palazzo pant for summer and warm also loose fitting for winter , I put minimising the risk of a stroke before a few purple marks.!

[dcoughey in reply to pusillanimous]

It is funny, because I was often told by medical personnel that I had "Rhinocerous" skin. Things have changed over the past few years. ")

[pusillanimous in reply to dcoughey]

perhaps we belong at two extremes that are both problematic !