Apixaban Eliquis vs Teva

[tcpace]

Anyone had issues with Teva Apixaban? My wife has been switched from Eliqius to Teva and now has a number of side effects (anxiety/emotional, nausea, headaches, balance) that she never had while taking Eliqius for 9 years.

[Mrsvemb]

I can’t comment regarding Apixaban, but I do know that I can’t take any Teva medication because of the fillers they use.

Any Teva medication gives me severe nausea. I checked the ingredient's against other brands that I can tolerate and the different ingredient is something called crospovidone (E1202) or Povidone (E1201).

My GP specifies a brand on all of my meds that I know I can tolerate.

I suggest that your wife asks GP to specify Eliquis on prescriptions. She then needs to check which brand the pharmacy have dispensed and make them aware that Teva is not acceptable.

Hope this helps.

[tcpace in reply to Mrsvemb]

Thanks for your info and comments. My wife also has problems with various Teva products, namely T3 (liothyronine) and amlodipine and was not keen on taking their version of apixaban but thought she would try it to see if suited her, which it doesn't. Just checked Teva apixaban for (cros) povidine but it doesn't seem to be an ingredient. It does contain something called croscarmellose which seems to have an equivalent function to (cros)povidine but Eliquis apixaban also uses croscarmellose as an excipient (but not povidine) so the croscarmellose may just be a red herring. As you say, the solution seems to be to get the GP to specify Eliquis on my wife's prescriptions.

[Mrsvemb in reply to tcpace]

It is so difficult. Took me a while to work out what the problem was.

[JaneFinn in reply to Mrsvemb]

That’s interesting, Mrsvemb, as I see that the two new brands of Apixaban and Bisoprolol that I’m having trouble with both have povodone or cross povidone in, unlike the brands I’m used to taking without a reaction. Jx

[jeanjeannie50]

Have sent you a private message.

[Tapanac]

Yes I take Eliquis Apixaban and a f ew months ago I was given a different brand. I can't remember exactly what it was, possibly Teva. I didn't feel right on it so asked the pharmacist if he would give me Eliquis in future, but he had to ask the GP to write the prescription in future stating it should be Eliquis.

Good luck.

[tcpace in reply to Tapanac]

Thanks. It was probably Teva, or possibly Sandoz. Were you able to exchange the different brand for Eliquis, or did you have to use up the different brand first and then revert to Eliquis on your next prescription? At the moment, my wife has about 6 weeks supply of Teva left but I don't think she'll be able to tolerate taking them for much longer so she needs to get back on to Eliquis ASAP!

[JaneFinn in reply to tcpace]

I’ve been told that once it’s dispensed and you’ve left the pharmacy, you can’t swap it for another brand, you have to get a new prescription. I’ve had to do that numerous times over my prescription for Ramipril, as Boots pharmacy, who I was with at the time, kept giving me the brand I can’t take. It was simple to do, but a bit of a bother (both for me and the surgery!) However, I was told this week that the difference with Apixaban is that the generic brands are so much cheaper, so it’s not going to be easy to get the doctor to agree to specify Eliquis instead of Apixaban.

I very very much sympathise with your wife, and I think booking to see or speak to her GP asap would be the best course of action? (I’ve tried to do that myself, but no appointments with anyone let alone my own GP!)

Good luck - please do let us know how you get on. Jx

[JaneFinn]

I do sympathise - I’m having exactly this problem at the moment, except I’ve been dispensed a different brand of Apixaban (Glenmark) instead of the Eliquis I’ve been on for 7 years. I have numerous allergies to colours and the fillers etc, as well as anaphylaxis to some things, so I’m very wary of changes.

I asked the prescribing team at my surgery to ask my GP if she would specify ‘Eliquis’ on the prescription, but all they would do is put ‘Apixaban’ with a note saying ‘Eliquis preferred’. The pharmacy say it will cost them £50 more each month to dispense me Eliquis if it’s not specified on the prescription, and the doctors surgery say well it will cost THEM £50 more to specify it. Neither are happy to do it. Meanwhile I’ve only got an anticoagulant I’m not happy to take.

I was already feeling low, having some virus or other, but honestly I just feel like crying 😢

I’d be grateful for anyone who can share any wisdom/advice. Thanks! Jx

[tcpace in reply to JaneFinn]

After some hassle, we've managed to get a prescription for Eliquis. So far it's been partly filled with the remainder to come when they can get hold of it. Strange that they no longer seem to able to source it straightforwardly like they've been doing for over 3 years. My wife had a chat to her GP and explained all of the side effects she's been experiencing after a very short time on Teva apixaban. Her GP said she'd never come across any problems with Teva before which is surprising since the medication has really caused my wife a great deal of distress, namely:

nausea;

pain in the temple area;

balance problems which is the last thing she needs after having a fall recently in which she fractured 3 lumbar vertebrae;

depressive/emotional/neurotic behaviour (which is just not her).

She tried going on a 1/2 dose for several days, which made no difference so she came off altogether in the hope of getting back to Eliquis.

We actually got Eliquis restored this afternoon and she took a dose at 4pm. It's now about 7:30pm and she hasn't experienced any of the above symptoms whereas they would have kicked in by now had she taken Teva. In other words, so far so good.

I'm not sure how you can get your Eliquis restored given your Catch 22 dilemma but my wife was in a bit of a state emotionally when she spoke to the GP and mentioned that she had stopped taking the Teva. Could be that that did the trick for her. Maybe your GP needs to know just how distressed you are assuming she doesn't already know. If she does, you probably need a different GP.

Hope you can get your situation resolved quickly as I know from my wife's experience just how distressing it is.

[tcpace in reply to tcpace]

"over 3 years" should read "over 9 years"

[JaneFinn in reply to tcpace]

Thank you so much, Tcpace - I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to see your post, I’ve not been on here for a week as I’ve been ill with a nasty virus. (Will you believe it, I must have picked it up in the pharmacy while trying to sort this prescription problem, as it’s the only place I’ve been / people I’ve seen. That really feels like adding insult to injury!!)

I’m so glad to hear your wife has Eliquis now - oh what a relief! Those side effects from the Teva sound awful, certainly not something she could live with. I do hope she continues to have no problems getting it.

Thank you so much for your advice - I think I will have to try to at least speak to my own GP (I’ve tried other people in the surgery). Seeing her might be more effective, if she can see how desperate I am. Appointments of any sort are like gold dust, so fingers crossed!

Really appreciate you letting me know xx

[tcpace in reply to JaneFinn]

Hope you're recovering from the virus you seemingly have picked up at the pharmacy. You're really having a tough time.

My wife is back to her usual self thankfully. I don't think she'll be taking any Teva products again in the future.

Good luck with talking to your GP. Basically they're there to do you no harm and get you well. Coming off Glenmark and back on to Eliquis will hopefully be a step in the right direction. If it helps, by all means let your GP know about my wife's experience after being fobbed off with a generic instead of Eliquis. Let us know how you get on.

Cheers for now - TonyC

[JaneFinn in reply to tcpace]

Thank you Tony - I will! X

[Modog]

I can only say that I have not had any problems with Eliquis. Sounds like you should switch back to it. Good luck.

[tcpace in reply to Modog]

Neither did my wife - but she definitely doesn't tolerate Teva apixaban. Nausea and neurotic behaviour are just two of the disturbing symptoms she did not get while on Eliquis for 9 years.