What Is The Best Generic Of Lamictal?

I've been taking the generic for Lamictal for about five years. Recently I've been feeling different at about the beginning of the year. I use to take the white ones but now I am taking a generic by Taro. What is the best generic for this drug? I never really payed any attention until I started getting this crazy migraines. If anyone has any insights it would be much appreciated.

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There's really no way to say which is the best, since different people can react differently, so it depends on what works for you.

The best idea I can give you is to check with your pharmacy and see who manufactured the ones that you used to take and ask if they can order them back in for you. They usually can and will sometimes do so for their regular customers.

Does anyone else have any advice or ideas to add?

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Hi KD,

No one can really say what the best generic would be, for any medication. The reason being, everyone reacts to medication differently, so what might be the best for me could be horrible for you. I imagine that the side effects you are experiencing could be caused by some of the inactive ingredients in the generic you are currently taking. I think your best bet is to just speak with your doctor and experiment until you find a generic that works well for your body. Are you taking any other medications that list migraines as a side effect?

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All of my medication lists migraines or headaches as side effects but it is strange that it never happened before. Well I switched up to Zydus from Taro and don't know if I notice any difference yet. I might feel a little more active and starting to feel the urge to get more things done. Who knows. I will just have to give it a week and find out?

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There is plenty of (anecdotal) evidence out there that the brand-name Lamictal is superior to most generic forms of Lamictal. Only Teva's generic lamotrigine is similar to Lamictal in pharmacokinetics. You can get the Teva form by filling your prescription at Walgreens.

lamictal-lamotrigine.blogspot.com/2011/10/walgreens-its-where-to-get-decent-teva.html

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Hello, I recently got a generic of lamotrigine and found it to be very bad. It was Zygenerics and I was tempted to call the company because it almost killed me. My doctor said most generics are only about 80% of the brand name one. I will do some more research and try out Teva.

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TEVA has been the only generic form my daughter can tolerate. I learned a hard lesson about generic meds when we changed pharmacy and her mental began to rapidly decline! She ONLY takes TEVA now.

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Which generic is best for you may depend in part on what condition you desire to treat. I take reviews with a grain of salt. Some review reveal a preference for the TEVA version. BUT 1 more authoritative site said that in regarding its use to treat Bipolar conditions, TEVA was the very worst manufacturer for such.

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Hi KD,
There is not much difference between a branded(innovator) & generic drugs, generic will be 99% similar to branded, when a generic is launched, it goes through all the approval steps by the drug authorities, sometimes it takes 2years to get the generic drug approval to be launched in the market. These branded drugs are expensive only because they are innovators property and has to get return on their hard work, hence they make fortune with exclusivity and expensive prices.
Yes one thing sometimes change of drugs will have affect on you, either minus or plus.

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all generic drugs have 20% less effective drug and 20% filler. the filler is different for all brands of generics. no one should take generic drugs. blame it on the government. if you doubt this post....do your research. you will find this post about the 99% comment. horrible, false advise.

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teva was shut down, then banned from making generic 150mg Welbutrin in the biggest teva lab in my state missouri. teva is a deathly generic drug. all generics are!

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Contrary to the experience of some, I have found that manufactured by CIPLA is vastly superior to TEVA's at least for Bipolar II.

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Actually a generic can range from 80-120% of brand name drug!

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My seizure disorder is fairly well controlled on the Cipla manufacturer. switched once to Taro and I had multiple breakthroughs. switched back to Cipla and much better

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I also have tried several different brands and Cipla is the best. The worst are the large white ones (ZC 80, ZC 82, ZC 83), manufactured by Zydus but also sold under other names (sometimes with the same imprint!) The active ingredients are made in India and shipped over here by the metric ton. Here they are mixed with fillers and pressed into tablets. They have a bitter taste, hard to swallow, and give me an upset stomach.

I tried to get my insurance company to approve brand name but there's been many hoops. The brand name version is 20x more expensive. My preferred generic is a "light pink" (more brownish) oval tablet that's easy to swallow and doesn't cause stomach aches.

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I didn't even think about genereic lamictal manufacturer issues until I spoke with my pharmacist the other day and she mentioned the annual changes. I have been taking lamotrigine by Zyvus and began bruising more easily than ever. How easy? I bruise scratching a mosquito bite or squeezing a pimple. I was in a hot tub a few hours ago and scratched due to the itch of blood circulation and, now I have blood blisters and bruises in the form of 5 finger scratch marks. My husband grabbed my ankle to give me a foot massage and I bruised from that. The bruises are large and take an eternity to heal. I look like I've been beaten and thrown down a flight of stairs... Thanks Zyvus.

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I want to say thank you for your post, which coincidentally enough, explains why I have been having severe migraines. At least it makes sense to me now. I only get prescribed 25mg tablets to be taken 3 tablets in the morning. So again thank you sincerely for your post. May God bless you and all who may be reading this reply!!!

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I was taking Lamotrigine peach diamond shape by teva for a few years. Then (2009?) I was given pills from another mfg - I don’t remember name of - white circle. I started having seizure activity within just a couple of days. Went back to the teva & didn’t have any more problems. Now my pharmacy special orders lamotrigine teva brand. I’m hoping they don’t ever change their formula.

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Have taken Teva generic lamotrigine for many years - have always gotten it at Walgreens. Surprise - today went to pick it up, and Walgreens will no longer be able to get the Teva brand. They are now carrying Cipla. Anyone have any experience with the Cipla lamotrigine?

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Re: Cassie (# 18)

Ask if they will special order it. I did that at rite aid a few years ago, and now at Kaiser Permanente.

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Re: Cassie (# 18)

I sure do. Cipla was terrible for me, I normally take Teva. It was after a month of Cipla that I really felt sick.

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I have had success with Aurobindo so far and thought it was quite good overall and I generally felt positive and most importantly no seizure activity. Has anyone tried Subvenite as a branded generic?

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Re: fanoxinow (# 208)

I've had great success with Unichem but I had to go to several pharmacies to find one that would order it for me. Most pharmacies here in Washington get theirs from Northwest and people were saying it was awful. Also, be careful when ordering from outside the US. I ordered from Turkey which was supposed to be the manufacturer for brand name and the pills were a different shape and color. I was so dizzy after taking them that I had trouble walking so had to go back to brand name at a higher copay. Good luck. I know this whole generic thing is a cluster.

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Re: jenn (# 213)

Do you live in the us? If so you can receive brand lamictal monthly free of charge straight from the manufacturer. Visit GSK Patient Assistance (GSKforyou) and fill out form. To be “eligible” you must make $2500 or less a month or just check “unemployed” and your good to go. ;)

Your doctor will have to fax them your script and sign a paper saying that you have tried generics and they don’t work for you. It’s an easy overall process.

I’m taking my time to write this to you because I agree with what you wrote 100% and have lived through it. Generic is nothing like the brand. I also become unstable mentally and feel like s*** if I take generic.

None of this is “in our heads” and don’t let any doctor or pharmacist convince you that. We know our bodies and we know how we feel. We also know how each medicine affects our physical and mental health. Best of luck to you.

-Gus

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Re: aussiecurry (# 8)

WARNING>>> STOP THE NONSENSE! THE GENERICS ARE NOT 99% OF THE ORIGINAL. Generic lamotrigine formulas, when you are accustomed to Lamictal, are woefully lackluster and can be dangerously dissimilar. generics only have to be accountable for 80% of the same ingredients as the brand. I've been on Lamictal brand most of my life and have paid the price for using generics...without fail. They are not even close to the same as far as effectiveness or mental stability. Every time I've tried generics, within a few days, I have been hospitalized for mental illness. The confusion, lack of self-awareness, loss of "reality" and physical "side-effects" on several generic lamotrigine substitutions have always left me incapacitated. trust this, the generics might as well be placebos in chemical similarity as far as i have experienced. Lamictal is not a drug that has useful generics. whatever that 20% difference is, it is life-changingly incompatible. lamictal is so expensive now, i am up against the wall on options for coverage. the average price is 3400$ brand per fill. i came here with hopes of seeing a convincing argument for a better generic. it looks like i have one solid day left in me. (my Lamictal runs out tomorrow) and then, i guess i'll just pack my pajama pants and a Kurt Vonnegut book because i will be off to the loony bin again.

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Re: DMR (# 210)

Unichem is alright for me but not great. Where do you get Alembic? I've never found a place that carries it.

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The 2 classes of medications that should not be allowed in any form other than the brand name are 1. Central Nervous System Disorders such as anti convulsants for epilepsy, anti depressants..etc and 2. Anti rejection meds for those who have had organ transplants.

Problem is..no one can afford them

If you’re interested in understanding why there’s a difference research the Ranbaxy case.. different manufacturers simply do things differently or not at all or somewhat..some alter the active ingredients…some actually have contained glass..

You will never get a cleaner version than name brand because they are under the microscope of the FDA in the USA and held to those standards going forth. Once the patent period is done.. well, roll the dice.

Research. Listen to other’s reviews. Know where your drugs come from. Let your pharmacist, your doctors and anyone else know that you know the skinny. Monitor yourself. Make the best choice from what you know.

“Your health is an investment, not an expense.” Invest in alternative and supportive health self care can reduce or even eliminate the need for meds. Keto was designed for kids with epilepsy and it can completely stop their seizures in many cases. It’s too hard to do..so they pop a toxic pill. It’s a diet fad now.

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Re: Ashlie (# 61)

Unichem doesn't work for me. Bad headaches...breakthrough anxiety symptoms. Alembic works great.

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Teva was closest but it was discontinued to brand Lamictal. Taro is now the best generic that is closest to brand. I have been taking Lamictal for 21 years.

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Re: Karen (# 207)

I’m still trying to find a good alternative to Cadista. No one really mentions it in this thread, but I thought it worked well. From what I’ve read, most people that liked Teva, the most popular one before it was discontinued a couple years ago, have switched over to Unichem and some to Taro, and I haven’t heard any complaints lately. I think Unichem is the one I will try next; I’ll post an update when I have more info. How about you, have you found any generic particularly good or bad?

I would also say don’t take any one person’s opinion as fact; just because they reacted one way doesn’t mean you will. Try some different generics, I still haven’t tried Zydus and a couple others. If none of them work, it might be possible to buy the brand name from Canada through mail order pharmacy. I’ve never done it, but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I saw brand name Lamictal from GlaxoSmithKline on a Canadian mail order website and it came out to be about $75-$100 per month for 200mg/day.

There is also the possibility that you could ask your doctor for the ODT (orally dissolving tablet) or chewable version of lamotrigine, but I’ve never tried those and don’t know how they measure up. You may also qualify for patient assistance from GSK for brand name if you meet their criteria. You may also need to increase or decrease your dose a little bit. It could also take two weeks or more for your body to adjust to a new generic. Hope you find something that works, let us know if you do.

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Re: fanoxinow (# 206)

I know this is an old thread but....Have you been able to find a generic similar to Cadista? It's the only generic that has worked well for me and the last of it ran out a few months ago at my pharmacy. I've again tried other generics and I find I get dizzy when I get up quickly. I'm afraid to drive right now because of this.

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