Generics of Glivec

[AJA1717]

I'm being offered one generic option as an alternative to Glivec. Does anyone know what happens if the side effects of the generic are so severe that it becomes difficult to tolerate? Is it possible to return to Glivec which gives me no side effects?

[NicoleLeukaemiaCare Administrator]

Hi there,

Our campaigns and advocacy team have published a guide to generics just this weekend - you can find it here leukaemiacare.org.uk/cms/do...

If you require more information please let me know and we can get our advocacy team to speak to you in further detail.

[AJA1717 in reply to NicoleLeukaemiaCare]

Thanks Nicole for your reply. It does not, however, answer my question which was:

If the side effects of he new generic are too difficult to proceed with the drug, can I return to glivec, a drug which has never given me side effects?

[NicoleLeukaemiaCare Administrator in reply to AJA1717]

Hi there, unfortunately not one I could answer - you would need to speak to the Campaigns team. You can ring them on the office number of 01905 755 977 and ask to speak to the campaigns team or email them on [e-mail] and they shall give you a much better reply.

[ColX-UK Champion]

Hi AJA1717. Hope you are settled on generics now. I’ve been through 4 different generics in the past 3 months, some with much more severe side effects than others.

No Glivec at my local hospital (Reading) but I am able to get my preferred generic (Cipla). I have become aware of people getting Glivec recently though

[AJA1717 in reply to ColX-UK]

I’m not on Glivec now. It changed to a generic imatinib in 2017. I had side effects for a while with the generic but seem to have hit over them. Good luck