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About 10 years ago I was taking a generic med I got from Walgreens. When Target opened near me I figured I'd get it there. The second day after taking it (from Target) all my symptoms came back. I researched and found out that Target used a different generic than Walgreens. I immediately refilled the Rx at Walgreens.
I don't know if the drug itself was fake or the different fillers "deactivated" the drug. Either way I was given something that did not work.
About 10 years ago I was taking a generic med I got from Walgreens. When Target opened near me I figured I'd get it there. The second day after taking it (from Target) all my symptoms came back. I researched and found out that Target used a different generic than Walgreens. I immediately refilled the Rx at Walgreens.
I don't know if the drug itself was fake or the different fillers "deactivated" the drug. Either way I was given something that did not work.
I know that happens as different manufacturers may use different fillers for the same generic drug, and sometimes a person may be allergic or have some adverse reaction to a filler used by one manufacturer but be ok with a generic from another manufacturer using different fillers. That happened one time with my daughter, who was prescribed generic metoprolol succinate ( the long acting type) as a temporary replacement for atenolol which was unavailable at the time. She developed a rash with the metoprolol prescription she was given.
I happened to have some unexpired metoprolol succinate from a different manufacturer of the same strength she had been prescribed, ( I had recently been switched to the shorter acting metoprolol tartrate), so I gave that to her to take, and sure enough, no rash or other side effects and she used that till she could get back to the atenolol.
My husband had a similar experience to yours with a generic drug (can't recall which one) he takes made by a specific manufacturer not working for him. Seems this happened with several refills from that manufacturer, although the drug from other manufacturers worked as expected. He now has it on record with the pharmacy and his doctor that this drug from that specific manufacturer won't work, and he gets it replaced if he happens to get a refill of the drug from that manufacturer.
I'm concerned about this too, Jam, but the solution is not an easy one. Many people can barely afford their generics as it is....and the brand name products are typically multiple times the cost.
There's just way too much money in the medical industry. And it seems there will be short of a government takeover. I'd be all for that if I were really convinced that would work.
I had the same issue with generic metformin. Several years ago I switched to the time release version, and first bottle was fine. When I refilled, the next bottle was from a different mfg or something but I had HORRIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!!! I am talking face hot and burning, dizziness and just feeling ill in general. So don't know what's up with that.... I went back to regular version and no issues, although I am now off all medication, thankfully.
I’ve never had any issues with generic but also never taken the brand name of a generic is available. If you really want to you can request an ingredient list to compare fillers.
I'm concerned about this too, Jam, but the solution is not an easy one. Many people can barely afford their generics as it is....and the brand name products are typically multiple times the cost.
There's just way too much money in the medical industry. And it seems there will be short of a government takeover. I'd be all for that if I were really convinced that would work.
I'm not too concerned but aware and true not much one can do. Affording the name brands just is not there. So far I believe I'm OK as I've been taking my 2 BP meds many yrs. My thyroid med is a national company and not a generic. So I'm glad about that. My continuing goal is less and less need for drugs.
I took possibly tainted Valsartan for about 2 years. No way to know it's effect and, of course, I hope I never know.
That's a good article you linked, it explains the issues very well, and if you read all the way through it, IMO it should be reassuring for those worried about their risk of cancer from taking the tainted drugs as it puts in perspective, ie, the risk is actually very low. As I read through the article (as well as the other information from other sources-pharmaceutical, the FDA, and the letters sent to me from Walgreens about the having possibly received contaminated Losartan) I see how small the chances are of actually getting cancer from that source. The information there extrapolates the results of animal studies in which rats got cancer after huge doses of the contaminant, to humans in its speculation that there is a chance humans *might* get cancer from ingesting this contaminant in their medication, but there have been no studies, or even reports of human cancers associated with this source. And since the tainted drugs contain only trace amounts of the chemical, human exposure from the drug is infinitesimal compared to the amount fed to the rats who got cancer.
So I see this recall stuff mostly as CYA on the part of the pharmaceutical industry, the FDA and other players in this game, and I realize the recalls are done out of an abundance of caution on their part. Though if I were affected by that recall I'd go along with the instructions for replacement for that drug (if for no other reason other than availability of my usual drug), though I'd give no more than a passing thought as to whether or not I *might* get cancer from having taken a drug possibly contaminated with that chemical.
I'd worry a lot more about keeping my blood pressure under control.
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