Lexapro Brand Versus Generic Escitalopram (Page 5)

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I have taken 30mg of Lexapro for past 4 years. After the deaths of my son and his wife in a plane crash the depression and anxiety were more than I could bear. This past May I was changed to the generic escitalopram. God Forbid!!!! What a nightmare. Within three weeks I was suicidal, I was going through SSRI withdrawals which are vicious. I am now paying over $225.00 per month for Brand Lexapro as my insurance will NOT cover it even with prior auth or any other reason. My Medicare Advantage plan leaves a lot to be desired even though I pay a $152.00 per month premium. Has anyone else had problems with the generic Lexapro? My pharmacist said I am not the first.

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81

Jackie as a pharmacist would you agree that there's a chemical difference between generic and brand escitalopram? I was just wondering how if they are both meant to contain the same active ingredient that the generic quite clearly doesn't have the same therapeutic benefit as the brand. I'm a mental health nurse btw.

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82

Report it to the FDA. This is the only way we can get help.

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83

Reporting it to the FDA who then forwards the complaint or concern to the manufacturer who then will try to contact you by phone. They will ask questions like: What was the Batch#? What are the Side effects? How long were you taking it? & then you might get a letter like I did in reply #72

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84

I was on lexapro and it madee feel great. The second time I took it generics had come out and generic escitalopram was definitely a different experience. I haven't been on anything in 4 years but just entered a place where I need antidepressants again. My new dr recommended Effexor so I just started it. I had to wait an extra day to fill it as the pharmacy only had generic. So we'll see how this one goes.

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85

Please let us know how that works for you--hopefully well :).

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86

Hi Lin, I am so sorry you are experiencing this. I, too, was suicidal (in addition to extreme anxiety and weird impulses -- like I needed to get divorced, quit my job and move far away). Weird. Anyway, it wasn't until about a year and a half later that I realized that what I was experiencing was maybe Lexapro withdrawal. I wonder if it is possible that the generic is different enough that our brains are not recognizing it as Lexapro at all, so it's as though we are stopping the Lexapro cold turkey.
You may read more about my experience below in post #68, if you wish. Good Luck.

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87

I have been paying a fortune for brand lexapro so I decided to try the new SSRI made by Forest Labs, (Forrest Labs?) which is the same manufacturer of Lexapro. They came out with Viibryd as soon as Lexapro went generic. I am giving it a try as my insurance will cover viibryd and there is a coupon online at the viibryd webiste which makes it very affordable. I got the starter pak from my doctor and I am liking it a lot. The only thing I noticed was that during the titration period I did cry twice, something I haven't done in years, I am now on the full dose and like it, except that it also makes me a little absent minded. The absent mindedness was one of the first problems I faced when I started Lexapro and then I got normal. I hope Viibryd is the answer for me. Generic lexapro is not worth the 5 dollars I spent on it. I could tell the generic was not working as I was getting very bitter against my husband which is a sure sign for me when the meds are not doing their job. Hope this helps.

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88

Thanks for posting. Please keep us updated how this works. Possibly, it will help others, such as myself, who continue to pay outrageous out of pocket costs for brand Lexapro.

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89

For those of you who are experiencing difficulties in switching from Lexapro to Cipralex/generic rest assured your problems are DEFINITELY not psychosomatic. I too have met with the same results in two separate instances. Since my employer, (Fortune 500 company), is self-insured a separate insurance company and mail-order pharmacy is contracted to manage the health plan and prescription drug program, respectively. Last year, I was initially denied Lexapro and the reasons cited were the same as those listed in the submissions of others at this site. My psychiatrist, however, got directly involved with both the employer's benefits office as well as the mail-order pharmacy and explained to both parties, in-no-uncertain-terms, the liability issues at stake–not to mention my health. Fortunately, the matter was resolved and was able to procure the Lexapro at the rate of $225. per 90-day refill. This year I am faced with the same dilemma and suspect it will again be a tough fight.

If my psychiatrist should not be successful I have every intention of filing a complaint with the state insurance commissioner citing both the mail-order pharmacy and the employer. And, if necessary, I shall retain an attorney and let him/her approach the various newspapers and other media outlets. I'm hoping it will not come to this but these are certainly options well worth considering for those of you being denied the medication you need and deserve to have. My view is such that if the insurance companies want a fight I won't disappoint them.

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90

Pitbull, good for you!!! I just remarried and am facing the same fight with the insurance company--BCBS. I have always felt we could possibly bound together and pursue some type of legal suit. I'd be happy to participate. Please keep us all informed and let us know if we can help in any way.

Susan

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91

I had the same experience - Escitalopram generics did not work well for me, or did not work at all. Brands that DID NOT WORK AT ALL: Lupin, Aurobindo (both Indian manufacturers). So I thought I'd try Teva - well known, Israeli company. Teva was hit or miss for me, and it turns out even they have this med manufactured in India. I don't trust their manufacturing practices over there after many, many Indian drug companies have run afoul of the FDA.

So I'm back on Brand, at a cost of $285 for 3 months' supply - and that is with special auth/dispense as written from my doctor. I could swear it's stronger than the generics, and I think I may actually have to reduce my dose - but that would be just fine.

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92

I cannot believe what I am reading. I really thought it was all my imagination that the Lexapro wasn't working this time and wondered (and panicked) why! I have been on the generic for 6 months and still not feeling better yet, when in the past, I was much better by now. My dr moved me from 10mg for two months, 15 two months and now 20 for almost two months. I have taken Lex in the past four times before and it worked each time, so now at least there's a possibility it may work again, but I just needed the brand name like last time. I went to brand a few days ago, and felt horrible this am. My pharmacist said its probably my body getting adjusted to the new medicine again. I feel I probably didn't need the 20 mg and now that Im on the brand, maybe its too high of a dose. Time will tell. But its just great that after 6 months of anxiety, I now still have to re-adjust to the lexapro again.

I went to the site provided and filed a report, but please know I am in if you guys file a group action of some sort. I have two little kids and a job and cant afford to feel like this any longer. That's terrible they don't tell people.

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93

I posted a minute ago, but forgot to ask, how long before you guys/gals started feeling better after switching back to the brand name. I am counting the damn minutes. lol

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94

When I went back on Cipralex (uk version of Lexapro) after being unknowingly switched to generic I experienced side effects as if I started from scratch again. 20mg could be too high for u maybe u should consider going back to the dose of Lexapro that's worked for u in the past? Otherwise stick it out for a week and the horrible side effects should pass.

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95

Thanks very much. I suspected as much, but it's nice to get reassurance. I would go down but at this point don't want to create more than one variable in case Im having trouble- won't know which was the culprit. My plan is to get back to 10 or 15 once I stabilize anyway. Thanks so much for your reply. It puts my mind at ease. Take care, Maria

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96

Please do not take Generics! They are toxic. Pharm mftrs. use cheap and dangerous fillers etc. Go to CANADIAN PHARMACIES to get the Brand name at a significant lower price! Medicare RX does not give a damm about us or our health. Good luck!

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97

Mark....please share with me the pharmacy where you fill your prescription. I am scared as hell in not getting a LEGIT prescription filled. My Vivelle-dot estrogen patch which I have been on 25 yrs will no longer be filled by Medicare. Of course they dont want to pay the $200 a month as many medical appeals my dr or I have made they are not human at Medicare. Without this rx my health will be severely jeopardized. Please help me. I have been so stressed fighting with the government who could care less what my doctor says. It took me 3 yrs to find this rx vs others that made me so ill I landed in ER. I wrote the President Obama..what was I thinking. This is why all US citizens should get their prescriptions filled in Canada. BUT WHO IS LEGIT? And why dont we have access to this info except by people who use them safely. Thank you

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98

Him, I feel your pain. Just know it could be even worse--I've been paying $350 now PER MONTH because I take 30mg/daily. My shrink says he has had many many complaints about this issue from other patients. Maybe the Psychiatric Association could help us?

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99

Maria, hang in there. You should be feeling better in a few days. Do lots of deep breathing and make sure you exhale slowly through your mouth like you are blowing through a straw. Keep us posted :).

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100

Amber, that may be a bit of an overreaction. Generics, overwhelmingly, are not toxic. There are some unscrupulous manufacturers, but they're exceptions and not the rule.

The problem with generics is that the active ingredient is exactly the same, but the formulations change how some people process it. For the majority, it's a non-issue. But for some of us, it's the difference between "works" and "doesn't work" or even "works" vs. "does harm". We need the FDA, drug companies and Health Care Providers to acknowledge that there are individuals that have legitimately and fundamentally different reactions to different formulations and can't tolerate specific generics.

Trying to make the case that all generics are evil is swinging the pendulum too far in the opposite direction and distracts from the very real problem that, while generics do work for most people, they can be very problematic for others.

I take generic anti-inflammatories, use generic cough medicine and anithistimines, apply generic antibiotics to cuts and cover them with generic bandages. None of these have caused any problems. However, the only escitalopram that has ever worked for me is the one from Forrest Labs and the other manufacturers have ranged from "doesn't work well" to "causes internal bleeding". That doesn't make the other products bad, just bad for me.

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