Why do a notice a massive health decline with a different Azithromycin brand

[daisy322]

When I were first diagnosed with bronchiectasis & were given Azithromycin medication to take it changed my life wow I felt really well with not many flare ups at all through the year

After about 2yr into taking this brand ( Pfizer zithromax ) i was given a different brand ( Tevn) & the flare ups started again around 4weeks into taking this brand it was very hit & miss if I got the original brand of (Pfizer zithtomax) so I ended up been really poorly & on & off different antibiotics & steroids to try to control the infections so over the yrs of this happening I started to see a pattern to what was happening & then had different conversations with my specialist & my GP & asked if I could be prescribed the original brand all of time so I could feel well & actually feel I've got a life

I was told there is no difference in the brands whatsoever & I'm just imagining this so basically it was all in my head

Then covid hit & i had to move in with family so I had got a support network & this meant changing gps & changing chemist omg best thing that could have happened i was actually having my meds delivered & jumping through hoops to find i was opening the medication bag to find the original brand (Pfizer zithromax) this continued for a couple of yrs & i actually felt partly human again until recently now the same chemist has been sending the (Teven) brand so it's all flared up again same pattern as before around 4 weeks later one infection after another on different antibiotics & a load of steroids to keep it controlled 3 weeks later back to doctors for more because they are not working or dealing with the infection

I mentioned this to the pharmacy & asked the question why have you all of a sudden switched brands & how by doing this it is effecting me health wise & mentally he was very honest with me & said the cost of the original brand is 5x more than the (Teven) brand so here i go again had one infection after another since October surely the (Teven) Brand does not agree with me & my body & it's ending up costing the nhs more money by not just giving me the original brand & my health declining yet again with constant infections or am I missing something here

Any advice or your thoughts would be very welcome I'm fed up with doctors ect making out it's all in your head no it's not we know our own body's especially when we are dealing with long term health conditions

Sorry for the long detail post but I'm so frustrated & it has a massive knock on affect mentally too

Thank you for reading

Regards Daisy

[Mellywelly]

I take amptriptilyne for headaches and cannot for the life of me get on with the tevan make which are dark blue. I had to jump through hoops to get any other brand bar those. Turns out me and my mother are allergic to sunset yellow which I think is actually banned in some countries. But oh no its all in your head. They make me so angry when they don't listen.

[Mopsey1897]

Different brands are different. They all contain the same main ingredient but the fillers they use to make it a tablet size can vary from brand to brand. I found this out the hard way many years ago. You’re not going mad as you will get different reactions to different brands.

[daisy322 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Thank you for your reply I need to fight my corner on this as it's playing havoc with my lungs & health the fight begins again

[Mopsey1897 in reply to daisy322]

Is there another chemist that stocks the brand you need? Why not ring a few and see what they say? Then you can get the prescription sent there. When I needed a particular brand I had to ring loads of chemists to find one that could get it which was a Boots a few miles away but they got it every time I needed it. Good luck. You could also try the online chemists who post to your home

There are thousands of people like us that can’t cope with different brands but most people never realise it’s the brands that affect them and think it’s a side effect they have to put up with. Probably most gp’s are never told about it but I always tell mine!

[daisy322 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Thank you so much for your reply I've received some valuable information & advice from the lovely people on this forum today its going to be a positive way forward for me

[Thinkhealthy in reply to daisy322]

Not those tablets but my pharmacist told me the same - the core medicine is the same but the other constituent elements are not . So if you can stick to your guns and argue your case - I’m sure there must be research papers available on line that would back you up . Good luck x

[daisy322 in reply to Thinkhealthy]

Thank you for your reply & intend to give it my best shot i have tried before a few years previously & were dismissed in what I said but I have more to go on this time Thank you

[telephonejunkie]

Generic drugs like the Teven medication, use the clinical data produced by the original pharmaceutical branded drug. Although the fillers may be different to the branded drug , no research is carried out to determine if the pharmokinetic of the generic drug is the same as the original product. The make up of the generic (or dupe) drug may not reach the same blood levels as the branded product , which means it will not have the same clinical affect. The fillers, if the same as the original drug, may not be as refined which slows down the active ingredients being released into the blood. Or if the fillers are different or not as pure you may be sensitive to the alternative chemicals. Originally I was a medicinal chemist and I would hear from doctors the same story as you were told. Doctors whether GP or consultant are swallowing the story the generic drug house give them. Our drug is the same as drug X but cheaper so you can save the NHS money. While I don't think research based pharmaceutical companies should charge the NHS the high prices, they do need money for research. The generic companies do no research into finding novel compounds to improve treatment of medical conditions. I would suggest you keep a diary of how you feel and when symptoms or infections occur. Google the constituents of the pfiser and the Teven drug, go to see your doctors armed with this info. And ask how they can expect the two drugs to work in the same way when the constituents are different. The doctor will have to write the name of the branded drug on your prescription to ensure you receive the drug that is successful in managing your health. When the bring up cost again suggest that this is false economy as they are driving up the cost of treating you when they have to give you additional medication because your health is not being controlled.And let's not even think about the additional costs if you are admitted to hospital.

Good luck

[daisy322 in reply to telephonejunkie]

Thank you so much for this information You have been the breath of fresh air i needed with this information my fight begins tomorrow I will let you all know how my fight goes on I'm now on a mission thank you so so much 🙏

[Coughingalltheway in reply to daisy322]

I agree with telephonejunkie. My son has epilepsy and it used to be a nightmare if they changed one of his meds for a generic one. The only way to guarantee getting the brand that you want is to get your GP to name it on your repeat prescription. Yes, there will be times when it's difficult to get hold of but at least you can phone around other chemists or even check one of the online ones. Good luck xx

[Patk1 in reply to daisy322]

Stick to yr guns,daisy322. All the best to u.health is precious x

[daisy322 in reply to Patk1]

Hi Thank you 😊 🙏

[Mopsey1897 in reply to telephonejunkie]

Sometimes my chemist gives me a different brand and when I query it they say it’s what the supplier has sent as it’s the only one available! Luckily I seem ok with different brands at the moment. I’m lucky I have a lot of different chemists to use if I need to.

[daisy322 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Hi I had a word with my chemist & he made a note on his system to only order a certain brand for me he gave me 1 weeks worth what he had available & the rest were on order & should received today But a phone call today sorry we cannot get them only the teven brand that's all they can send we know it's down to the cost then following with thisBut if you ask your GP to state on the prescription the brand we will try again i then rang around a few more pharmacys to ask if they stock the paticular brand i need & again told only if its stated on your prescription because its like primark vs marks & Spencers brand & cost wise just wow

I've got a telephone appointment booked with my Gp tomorrow & I've booked an appointment with my specialist that's not until 23rd January but it's a start i will give it my best I have to

Thank you for your reply & support I'm going to need it

[Mopsey1897 in reply to daisy322]

Well done you and good luck. Don’t give in because that’s what they want you to do. Our health shouldn’t be a matter of how much we cost! Everyone here will support you 👍 x

[daisy322 in reply to Mopsey1897]

Thank you so much it means a lot Onwards & upwards i go 😃

[telephonejunkie in reply to Mopsey1897]

If the doctor has used the generic(chemical) name of a drug the pharmacist can dispense any on branded (generic) drug. Some chemist shops enter into a contract with the generic manufacturers, The chemist shop(or wholesaler) is looking to make the biggest profit they can, buying at a price well below the price that the NHS will refund to them, so by saying this is " all they can get" ensures the business make some extra cash.I have know doctors write the generic drug name on the script, followed by the brand name. This is to ensure when the local prescribing pharmacist runs the data to ensure the GPs are adhering to the local prescribing

policy they are not flagged for not following local policy.

[Mopsey1897 in reply to telephonejunkie]

Thank you for the info. I don’t see my prescription now as it’s all electronic. The important meds I had after I had cancer, I struggled to get the brand that agreed with me, but good old Boots got it for me every month until I could stop and they made a note it had to be a certain brand. I can understand now why chemists change the brand. It’s all down to money and not our health!

[daisy322 in reply to telephonejunkie]

Hi telephone junkie your knowledge & advice has been so valuable & has given me so much confidence to carry on this fight for what is right not just for me but for what seems a lot of people going through this same situation & their lifeline med needs its so unfair I've been on Google a lot today researching information on the different brands of azithromycin & ingredients carnt find a lot on the tevn brand capsules but my paperwork notes are coming along nicely its definitely zapped my energy levels today i found it hard to switch off I've got a telephone conversation booked with my gp tomorrow & I've made an appointment to see my consultant 23rd January this is the 1st available one so onwards & upwards i go thank you so much by the way I've named you my breath of fresh air 😊

[Thinkhealthy in reply to telephonejunkie]

My pharmacist said this (not as detailed ) in respect of zolpidem sleeping tablets . There is a brand that just doesn’t work for me - I thought he would think I was bonkers but he agreed and said it was quite possible.

Thank you for that detailed explanation - I’ve kept a copy of it for future use!

[telephonejunkie]

No problem, my educational and career choice mean I know the pitfalls, probably better than the doctors. It's not their fault, but when one is armed with the correct information we can improve the management of our health.Stay strong and calm.

[daisy322 in reply to telephonejunkie]

I will & thank you again for your help I really do appreciate it

[garshe]

This is interesting I have just checked my Azithromycin and noticed the change. Mine recently have been Tevn and I have had one infection after another. I have found another brand that are still in date so will go back to those. I'll let you know if any difference. Thanks for your post. Happy New Year xx.Sheila

[daisy322 in reply to garshe]

Hi Sheila Thank you & happy new Yr to you too please let me know what your other brand name is & how you feel after restarting them i wish you well

[garshe in reply to daisy322]

Here's one make.hope it helps xxSheila

One make .

[daisy322 in reply to garshe]

Hi again Sheila yes thank you for that This paticular brand is ok they are the white capsules I've had this brand before & I had no issues at all & felt well taking them but they don't even give me this paticular brand anymore only the tevn brand

& they do not work for me

Take care lovely & try to insist like I'm going to for the brand that keeps us at least stable x

[garshe in reply to daisy322]

👍👍👍👍

[garshe in reply to daisy322]

I've also found this brand which I sometimes have .xx.Sheila

Another brand

[_9carole]

Hi Daisy, I know what you mean! I find it with alot of my medication. They don't understand how sensitive our bodies are. I have trouble with one of my inhalers. But like you say have put a note on my repeat. Box says it's the right one. But until you open it. It's isn't the right one. Wish you luck in the future

[Mopsey1897 in reply to _9carole]

First inhaler I was given made me feel I was going to vomit and pass out! Told my consultant and he said there were lots of others I can try. He was surprised at how sensitive I was, I wasn’t as I’ve had awful side effects before.

[Ergendl]

I take omeprazole tablets because the capsules have E104 in - one of the azodyes made from petrochemicals. Like quite a few people with autistic spectrum disorder, I have a food intolerance to these colours and they can make me very ill. This research was first established in the 1980s when my GP then found I react to E102. The other dodgy one is E110.

It doesn't stop my present GP surgery regularly changing the prescription back to capsules to save the NHS money, without my permission. I am fighting that again. This is in part because formularies include the active ingredients in medicines but not the fillers and colouring agents.

I have a similar problem with antibiotics, and now have to insist on tablets before the prescription is issued, though that doesn't always save me having to return the prescription unused.

[daisy322 in reply to Ergendl]

Hi thank you for your reply in my opinion i just like to say the nhs need to relise this it's not saving the nhs money because then they have to prescribe something else to make you better that will take weeks . ( ha ha) I sound & feel like a dog with a bone at moment good luck to you

[LissacFrance]

Hi, I`m writing from France so may not be applicable in UK. My wife has the same problem with eye drops, so her GP always writes on the prescription "NO GENERIC" and problem solved. So far no problem with different Azithro brands. Here they change all the time. Good luck, Chris.

[daisy322 in reply to LissacFrance]

Thank you Chris I will ask about this too

[Alberta56]

Go, girl. Good luck in educating the medical profession. You could be doing a lot of people a service.

[daisy322 in reply to Alberta56]

Hi thank you for replying I know im going to need a miracle but I'm willing to give it my all I've got a telephone conversation with my gp tomorrow & appointment with my specialist on 23rd of January its a start & I will definitely do a update as I go on 😊

[whCorona78]

I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. As we all know, heathcare, unfortunately is a profit business. As terrible as it is to acknowledge this because our lives are on the line with this business, but it's the absolute truth. Now, that being said, the best course of action that you have is to find out how much out-of-pocket deductible that you will be required to pay per bottle of tablets for the original brand or the Pfizer Zithromax and go ahead and pay that amount. There has to be an option for that in the health plan. What you have are considered different Tiers per medications. The higher the Tier, the more money it costs. So, my advice is to be willing to work with the healthcare industry to find out what the costs really are and how much you will have to pay to get the medications that you really want. Their perspective's is this: You need Azithromycin, but you want Pfizer Zithromax

[Mopsey1897 in reply to whCorona78]

It doesn’t work that way over here. We have the NHS, not private health insurance

[organiclady]

Thank you for posting about Azithromycin Daisy, it has given me an explanation as to why, just before Christmas I suddenly ended up with a chesty cough. I had not mixed with anyone to catch anything and couldn't work out how I got what I thought was a virus. I had noticed that the packaging of the tablets was different last time and it did not occur to me it could be the different tablets. I am due a COPD assessment soon and I will ask to go back to try the first tablets again (which were extremely successful) to see if it will make a difference as my chest is showing no signs of clearing. Thank you once again and thank you Telephone Junkie for your very clear explanation which will give me "ammunition" should I need it.