Brands: Good morning all (4.05 am... - Restless Legs Syn...

Restless Legs Syndrome

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Brands

lorrinet profile image
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Good morning all (4.05 am. Again). Does anyone else find differences in the efficacy of different brands of the same medicine? I've had numerous arguments with pharmacists over the 15 years I've been taking it, who insist they are all exactly the same, but there is one brand of Dihydrocodeine that does not work as well for me as others. Interestingly, it is also the most common brand, almost all the chemists stock it and no other.

Finally, I've found a pharmacy which has agreed to bring in other brands but sometimes they can't get any other kind. Almost all of them are chains, and it seems that medicines are ordered centrally, probably for the cheapest product.

I'm interested to know if anyone else finds this sort of problem, or is it just me?

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lorrinet
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Retren profile image
Retren

Lorrinet the medications are often name brands or generics depending on wether the patent has expired also extended release medications the first two are supposedly identical but depending upon what is used to buffer them the absorption rate differs.I have also remarked on this but get the usual response they are the same ,so I just go along with my own opinion and trust some one will find out for them self.

Hi!

Nope, not just you. (Awhile) ago now, I had the same thing where I preferred one name over the other even though they were the same thing! It's weird how it works that way, isn't it?

Story: this happened when I was still on the Pramipexole. When going to the pharmacy to get the prescription, (depending on availabilty) I would sometimes get thr one with "Pramipexole" written on the box and other times the one with "Orion" written on the box. Although they were the same medication, I swear I did better on the "Pramipexole" one.

lorrinet profile image
lorrinet in reply to

Well, thanks for the replies. Glad it's not just me! So often over the difficult years with this awful condition I've thought I'm going mad.

Retren profile image
Retren in reply to lorrinet

Lorrimet join the club.

ukmsmi4 profile image
ukmsmi4

I agree with the others.

There is a massive difference in the efficacy of over the counter medicines and in particular 'natural' supplements that aren't regulated. Heaven alone knows what goes into some of them. There have even been tests done that show some supplements don't have ANY of the supposed medication in them. And apparently price is not an indicator of quality either.

But as for prescription meds. In theory there shouldn't be a difference as they are supposed to be regulated and should contain exactly the same dose. So you would imagine they work the same. But no, I think it can be down to fillers etc and the effect they have on the med that creates the difference in how they work.

In my case, one of the meds I take is liquid Fluoxetine. So far the pharmacy has supplied I think four different brands. I don't mind that in principle except I definitely notice a difference in how I react to a couple of them. Not sure why, just know they don't agree with me as well as the others.xx

lorrinet profile image
lorrinet in reply to ukmsmi4

Yes, that makes sense. Be careful with the Fluoxetine. I was on that anti-depressant for a while and had the most horrendous withdrawal. Mind you, i don't think I came off it slowly enough.

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