Lexapro Brand Versus Generic Escitalopram (Page 6)

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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I worked in the Pharmaceutical industry. Your safest drug with the least health affects is the Brand name! I know all you are talking about but the industry continues to makes more generics that are creating health problems and expensive hospital visits and then people people find out the WHY'S of their issues and health problems with generics. I am not overreacting! I have seen the hell that some people go through vs using the brand drug. Its all about making money not well being!

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I can't disagree, Amber. But I do think that they tend to disregard our arguments and complaints when we go down the "generics are evil" path.

I wonder if the situation would be different if they had to do the same rigorous clinical studies for each new formulation. (of course, that would drive up the price of generics and kind of defeat the purpose. But...)

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I took generic Lexapro for 1 month and all I did was cry. The generic is NOT the same.

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In 2015, who is the manufacturer of the brand Lexapro? Thanks.

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I have been on Camber generic for Lexapro for less than a month at 20 mg/day and was previously taking a combo of generic zoloft by Greenstone and a very ineffective generic buspar combo. Since weaning down and completely off generic Zoloft after 13 years and weaning ONTO lexapro generic for the 1 st time, I've had these annoying come and go headaches behind my left eye or brow. This does seem to be a common side effect of the generic lexapro but my god! Who can afford the brand name? Its a real scam

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I too have been feeling the side effects of taking the cheaper brand of Lexapro - Escitalopram. NEVER AGAIN!! I have just started back up on my Lexapro and have to wait for that to kick back in. On Escitalopram I have had a huge increase in my anxiety, irritability, insomnia and palpitations! The thing is when I ask pharmacists they tell me it is exactly the same as Lexapro. And that I will have no problems. So you trust them and you get the cheaper brand. And then you get all of these side effects afterwards and your life is turned upside down!!! Not Happy!! You put your trust in people with your health... and it is so disheartening when you find out that Lexapro and Escitalopram are really not the same.... I got my doctor to confirm this with me and he told me to just stick to taking the Lexapro. My heart really goes out to all that suffer from this experience.

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Hi, I have been on generic escitalopram brands for more than a year and I havent got any problem. Here in my country, Venezuela, we have a severe shortage of medicines, and Lexapro is also very expensive. As you, my insurance does not cover it, so I have tried not one, but several generic brands ( the available) .Try another brand. I hope it works. Good luck!

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I have the exact same story. After going to the ER for a sever panic attack, it occurred to me that my recent refill had a note on it that said that the pills may look different cause it's a different brand. This also was at Walgreens in May. I have not had a panic attack in 3 solid years. What is going on? I also have had disturbing nightmares, tremmors in my right leg, and mild persistent headaches. Thank you for sharing. I don't feel as crazy.

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So sorry to hear that happened to you! Hopefully, you will be able to get back onto the brand. :(

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I too suffered greatly after switching to the generic Cipralex. My pharmacist - who's awesome!!! - told me about 'innovicares'. Thanks to this program they help subsidize the difference between the covered cost of the generic and the top-up to pay for brand. Also, won't your insurance reimburse you for at least a portion of the Rx and you can pay the balance to purchase the brand? I'm lucky that I have this option. Between that and InnoviCares - I pay $0.65... yes 65 cents - I literally broke down in tears... well I was crying all the time at that point... but this time it was from relief.

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Yes, I was on Lexapro for a couple of years, then due to the price, I switched to the generic. There was no quick reaction, but I was becoming very anxious and nervous about making decisions. It felt like I was walking through cobwebs and couldn't get away from them. I mentioned this to the pharmacist and he said he had seen a number of people with bad reactions and suggested I go back. After about
10 days I felt completely normal, but I'm still trying to see if another company has
a better generic. I just paid $248. for 30 pills 20mg. Good luck Post if you find one

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I also was took brand only Lexapro for years and did great. My insurance switched me with my doctors permission to generic . I did notice a big difference in the way I felt. Doctor and Pharmacist there is no difference but there is. I cannot afford to pay over $200.00 for a 30 day supply so I had my doctor switch me to Prestiq ER. It does not come in a generic yet. You can ask your doctor to try and write a letter to your insurance company about how you felt with the change to generic. If the insurance OK's it, your physician will just have to mark BRAND only on your prescription. It can be done. Physicians just hate to have to take the time to do this.

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Yes, I have had terrible constipation and rectal bleeding since being switched to the generic version of Lexapro, plus the anti-depressant feature isn't working.

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Yes. I am totally with you. After the death of my daughter and brother I started on 20 Lexapro. Because of the cost a I tried the same gernaric. Neither Medicare or my private would pay. I returned to close out the house and felt horrible. Wanted to end it all. Went to her local pharmacist asked what I was on and then asked way I ever changed. He had been getting lots of problems from other patients. It took over two was to feel better My other daughter took the generic. She stopped when she became very susicidel. Why do the keep the price so high when there's no choice?

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As far as the reason why these name brand medications are high is due to quite a few reasons.
1. Drug companies that manufacture these medications set the price so high because they have to make money and also, most Pharmacy Representatives that visit doctor offices and want them to use their brand offer so many incentives. They will give you free tickets to professional games and quite often they will take the doctor and his wife or significant other to dinner first. They have dinners at fancy restaurants so many times throughout the year, staff is invited also. They also will furnish food in the AM for breakfast and also lunch. These are all catered. Then you take in the fact that all drug manufacturers have so much money put aside for advertising their product. These range from pens, notepads, anything that you would associate a doctors office using. Mugs, clocks, desk calendars, wall calender's, posters. There is so much more the list is endless. Then of course you have the TV ads. Checks are given to physicians that will participate in a Pharmaceutical Drug trial. Take your patient off of his current Blood Pressure medication and use ours and receive a check for over $1000.00. This is where the high price in brand medications come from.
2. Insurance companies do not like Brand because they have to look to save money.
3. You can call several pharmacy's for price comparison and I guarantee you they will all be different in price.
The sad part is that any physician that allows a Pharmaceutical Rep in their office they usually are permitted to leave samples of their medication. There is an expiration date on each of these medications. If they are not given away to patients and they have past their expiration date they are discarded in the thrash. There are many Drug Reps out their that play "hide and seek" in the closet with their competitor. You never know where the drug you are looking for will be next.
Healthcare is no longer about the patient, it is all about making the "Big Bucks" for the Big Guy. I actually have a friend that just left a State Medical Health position because one of the perks at this doctors office was Drug Rep lunches 3 times per week.

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Everyone who has had a bad reaction to the generic versions of Lexapro needs to register this with the FDA via a simple phone call to 1-800-332-1088. This is the best way to push back.

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Here's where to go and the response I just received:

Dear Reporter:

Thank you for submitting your report to MedWatch, The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

This acknowledgement confirms that your report was received. Reports are added to a post marketing safety database with similar reports and reviewed by the FDA's post marketing safety staff. Voluntary reports are essential for ensuring the continued safety of FDA-regulated products. One or two well-documented case reports may provide an early signal of unexpected problems and lead to
additional evaluation. This may result in FDA regulatory actions that improve the safety of the products used in patient care each day.

You will only be contacted for follow-up by FDA if additional information on this report is needed in our evaluation process

Again, thank you for taking the time to submit your report.

Please Do Not Reply to this email as it is a send account only. If you have any questions, please send them to: [email protected]

Sincerely yours,

MedWatch

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I was really scared when my mail order pharmacy, without warning sent me generic Lexapro. Within days my anxiety returned and I became agoraphobic and anxious. Luckily I had two weeks worth of brand Lexapro to get me through until I was approved for the use of the brand. My copay is outrageous but what could I do.

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When I submitted my complaint to the FDA, the person who recorded it told me unequivocally that although the actual medication in generics is the same, the fillers are NOT, and those can make all the difference.

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Yes I was also taking lexapro for several years. Then in 2012 When Forest Mfg had to share there ingrediants with othere Mfg's Cambra started makeing ecitalopram a cheaper (lexapro) my doctor sugested I switch to ecitalopram I noticed after a week or so the generic lexapro known as ecitalopram was not working as well as the lexapro . I also experianced more suicidal thoughts . I switched back to lexapro and felt better . But I just found out today Forest Mfg has switched Mfg of lexapro to off shore production . cheaper production costs and a Huge tax break and cheaper ingredaints . Here we go again ?

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