Lexapro Brand Versus Generic Escitalopram (Page 7)

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 think it is time to sue the insurance companies and the generic manufacture about this problem with patients who get worse from generic lexapro.

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I've had the same issue. Been on Lexapro for 10+ years and when switched to generic my anxiety came back. Not paying $200 a month despite my doctor stating that it is 'Medically Necessary' to take the name brand.

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I have been on Lexapro off and on over the last 8 years. Has been very effective for me. I was taking 5mg as maintanence for he past year and a half without issue. Then a new job with new insurance and they wanted me to switch to the generic.

I figure I had been on Lexapro for several consecutive years without incidence. Starting at 20mg for a couple years then down to 10 then to 5 for maintenance. I figured there will be little harm in switching at 5 between the two.

I switched a month and a half ago and the only thing of notice is I felt maybe more apathetic. Figured maybe a side effect that will pass. I just seemed as each week went on I was just more blah and less motivated.

Then last week I started to feel a little subtle anxiousness/nervousness as well so I started to increase the dose. Then last night while trying to go to sleep I experienced a panic attack and a increased level of overall anxiety in general that has stuck around since. Needless to say, I immediately went to my pharmacy this morning and paid out the nose for the Lexapro. So now the wait and see and pray that switching back to what was working in the first place will still work.

There is a whole lot wrong with the whole generic and insurance industry game. The choice should be our own weather we take a brand name or a generic. I logically cant see how anyone can say the two are the exact same. Same active mechanism but completely different makeup with fillers and binders. If a person starts off on the Generic, I'm sure they probably have some success on it but for those taking something currently that is already working then being asked to take something that is similar but not exactly the same in makeup. Is most likely going to have a different effect on the individual.

Insurance companies ask us to defy our own common sense to take, in some cases, very inferior quality of medications.

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Well said and of course, I couldn't agree more. When on earth will the FDA take note? How many of us need to write to them?! We need a senator or congressman to help us!

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I too had been on Lexapro 20 mg for about 4 years, until my insurance decided that they no longer would pay for the brand name. I was sent the generic which I took only for 1 week and was a raging maniac and yelling at the world. called my doctor and demanded the insurance to put me back on the brand name. Which they complied to do at over 500.00 for a month supply, which I decline to buy for that price. Doctor changed me to another depression medicine which I am tolerating just fine. Generic Lexapro needs to be pulled from the medicine list. The pharmacist tried telling me there is no difference in generic and brand but for the price, They are wrong!!

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I agree the generic lexapro does me the same way. Makes me have mood swings and suicidal. Then when you tell them that they look at you like your crazy. I stopped taking it and just take my clonzapam. Only thing that works for me is benzodiazepines. They prescribed me xanax when I was 13 and now I cant find a doctor who will give them back to me I was on them for 20 years and my doc retired. So now they look at me like im crazy when I tell them the xanax worked the best. Hope everthing works out prozac helped me more than lexapro. God bless hope u get the help you need with your meds.

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Yes! Lexapro worked wonders and the generic was awful. I tried to tell my doctors but they kept saying it was the same, but it's not!

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I have been on Lexapro since 2009. As soon as a generic was available, I was switched to that. I had no change in symptoms on the first generic provided by my Cigna Rx plan, but have recently switched insurance. I am only now noticing a return of my original symptoms, accompanied by periodic and startling rages, which I first attributed to stress. Now I realize that the escitalopram I started recently is not working for me. I am in the process of investigating which companies manufacture the generics I have taken through Aetna, Cigna, and Blue Cross. I cannot condemn all generics, because one has worked for me for nearly three years. If everyone having trouble could trace the manufacturer of their generic, perhaps there would be a consensus on the ineffective ones.

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Yes, the generic lexapro caused my anxiety to get to the point that I thought I would need to go to the ER. Luckily I was able to get my insurance company to override my prescription for the lexapro brand name to prevent a hospitalization.

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I have to share my recent experience. I have tried to switch to the generic one other time, the result was awful. Considering the cost of the brand name, I opted to give it another shot, again the result was awful. I am on 10mg, was 5mg for a long time but regardless I have been taking the brand name since 2012. After a few days of taking the generic, I started to get a weird headache in the frontal lobe, then I started to have bad anxiety...with suicidal thoughts. It was almost like I wasn't taking any medication at all, or a very low dose with headache side effects. It also made me very moody. I thought, wait this out and see but I could no longer take the depression, anxiety and thoughts. I had my doctor call in my prescription, and I would say no longer than 5 minutes after taking my first BRAND name pill did my weird headache, zombie like state of mind disappeared. Truly amazing and unfortunate because this is so expensive but I think not being on the lexapro at all is better than feeling how I felt on the generic.

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I was close to checking myself into the ER too, instead I bought the Brand name and I feel like myself again. What a horrible experience.

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Yes, Yes, Yes to all of the above...which I have just come to realize! I am disgusted with the insurance companies (Part D) who refuse to cover Lexapro and foist on us all the generics. I took the Torrent generic when the insurance refused to support actual Lexapro. It was tolerable. Then I switched Part D company coverage. They supply Escitalopram (generic for Lexapro) by Aurobindo. I have been light headed, almost passing out on exercise machines twice and getting very light-headed at home. Escalated Blood Pressure daily. Finally suspected that it could be due to this generic form of Lexapro. Have an emergency appointment with a well established cardiologist next week. Shall tell him of my suspicions, now confirmed by these email documentations. Thank You!

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I too was switched to the generic after having taken the brand name lexapro for 8 years for depression. After 6 weeks of escitalopram, I slowly developed into a quivering mass of jelly. I have always been so upbeat and enthusiastic that people couldn't believe I was the same person. I was afraid, unconfident, and couldn't sleep soundly without me jerking uncontrollably and thrashing about.

After months of doctor's appointments and convincing my insurance company that for me there was indeed a difference and they finally approved it. I want to reassure everyone that it isn't in their head but a real problem when a drug which successfully treated an illness was suddenly changed. Thanks to everyone who helped, especially my sister who continue to love and support me no matter what. I am blessed! :-)

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Yes, I have experienced the same thing when taking the generic!!

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Seems like I have the same problem.. My insurance wants me to get generic lexapro from cvs only! And 30 days supply! I noticed thst I stsrtes to have anxiety abd body aches again....

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Would you mind sharing what you switched to that is now working? I am still stuck on the brand, paying over $425/month because I am too terrified to go through that again. Always hoping for an alternative :(

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Yea, my generic escitalopram I believe has stopped working after 34 days. And I think I should go back to the doctor and go with with the BRAND name Lexapro. Does anyone else agree?

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I was on Lexapro for about 8 years. I could no longer afford it and my doc put me on escitolapram. Seemed ok for awhile, but it's not working like the Lexapro. I am weak, anxious and depressed. I have anxiety all the time. Seeing a psychiatrist this week and am going to see what would happen if I discontinued gradually and tried some natural methods of panic attack control.

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So sorry Dana. Welcome to this sad club. Yes, go back on the brand and write to the FDA. The more people that bring it to their attention, the greater chance we have of getting help. Also, write to your congressman. I am thinking of getting us all together to form a petition of some sort.

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I was on Lexapro for several years. After going on Medicare and having to switch to generic I became very depressed and after two years of agony I realized it was the change to generic that started it. I was assured by the pharmacy that the generic was exactly the same. It's really sad that people's lives are turned upside down by something as stupid as generic drugs. I hope the generics are taken off the market. They are absoloutly useless.

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