Side Effects/Different Brands

[Yoga2011]

I have shortness of breath which may be angina and I’m having tests done on my heart. As I also have mild anxiety I take an antidepressant. I’ve noticed that after changing brands my shortness of breath got worse. I tried a brand I’d had before and my breathing improved. I know that different brands use different fillers and I’m wondering if this is why I suffered when I changed the brand of my bisoprolol? I’d got over the initial side effects of it when the hospital lowered my dose and gave me a different brand which gave me terrible side effects so I stopped taking them, with my GP’s agreement. I do suffer awful side effects when taking medication and have just realised that I just need to try different brands instead of giving up. Anyone else who suffers side effects like me, just try a different brand before stopping first.

[Tos92]

I’m sensitive to cardiac medications too. I can only have a specific brand due to the side effects which I experience such as nausea and coughing. It is not uncommon to experience side effects to certain brands of medications. My GP has made sure that I only have a certain brand of medication going forward. I’ve been quite lucky in the sense that when my brand of medication is out of stock, it has been sourced quite quickly by my pharmacy, within the space of 1-2 days. Currently, I have an additional stock of my medication in case there is a shortage at some point to get me through. I don’t believe you’re the only one who experiences side effects to different medications, sometimes it’s just a case of trial and error until you find something that works for you.

All the best.

Tos

[Yoga2011 in reply to Tos92]

I can’t believe it took me so long to realise different brands affect me! I should have known as I had this problem in 2012 when a different brand caused severe stiffness in my knees and hands. I’ve had quite a few meds in the last few years I wish I’d just tried different brands then. Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing lol

[Snowdrops_17]

Since last year or even year before I have noticed that the Sertraline I took for low mood the package changed on and off from different pharmacyticals, same with the Ramipril! There must be definitely shortages occurring in the system since Brexit and Covid Pandemic! I was able to stop Sertraline as I don't want to take it forever 👍

[scentedgardener]

Oooh yeaah! And I've run the gamut of GPs, from "Absolute rubbish. It's the same active ingredient." to " You are very sensitive to medications. It's probably genetic."I also find the most problems with pills that are coloured, especially yellow.

My pharmacy try to help but they can only give me what their suppliers send them.

It' more than half the battle if your GP acknowledges the problem.

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to scentedgardener]

I avoided any vitamin tablets containing iron oxide for years. Now it is added as colouring in apixaban, which I really do have to take. The last generic brand I took had two types of iron oxide, but the most recent only has one. I’m convinced that my tummy is more settled on this one.

It does feel maddening that they add colour, though I suppose it’s to help people tell their tablets apart.

[scentedgardener in reply to Gumbie_Cat]

I can't tolerate apixaban or edoxaban. I was intitially given Rivaroxaban, and hated it. If I had a cut I didn't bleed, it was hard to get blood for a test, etc., it was as if it was doing the opposite. I got changed to edoxaban, loved it, got the usual side effects like bleeding from cuts, bruises. It sounds mad but I was really happy as it looked like it was doing it's job. Unwanted side effects so they gave me apixaban but that was worse so after a brief periid on nothing I went back to rivaroxaban. For some odd reason it now works on me like it does on everyone else, bleeding from cuts, bruises, that sort of thing. It's weird isn't it?

[Gumbie_Cat in reply to scentedgardener]

That is odd! I don’t really notice that much more bleeding, but perhaps more easily bruised. I’ve always been really easy to get blood out of, and that is still ok. Sometimes I wonder if it is working fine.