What Is The Best Generic Of Lamictal? (Page 5)

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.

REPLY

REPORT

Did someone say Teva is making extended release Lamotrigine 300 mg?
I am going to stop taking anything and go back to being bipolar if I can’t find 200 mg. tablets that work. The side effects are worse than the disorder. This is crazy. Medicare won’t pay anything toward the brand and due to liver disease I have tried lithium and Wellbutrin and gotten so sick.
Help!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

This morning I started digging into specific ingredients in generic lamotrigine vs brand name Lamictal. Here is what I found for what seems to be most popular generic manufacturers. I did not include coloring.

Lamictal (brand): Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate

Teva: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate

Jubilant Cadista: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate

Taro: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone

Aurobindo: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, povidone, sodium starch glycolate, magnesium stearate

Unichem: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate

Alembic: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose monohydrate, sodium starch glycolate type a potato, povidone, magnesium stearate, talc

Zydus: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate

Cipla: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, sodium starch glycolate

Teva Extended Release: (appears to be manufactured by Actavis and don’t know that one can really compare ER to regular tablets).

No way to know how much of each inactive ingredient is in each brand, but at least this is a starting point for comparison.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Lisa (# 79) --

Oh dear! Don't freak out yet! Teva confirmed to me that they are still making XR lamotrigine, so don't stop taking meds yet!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Ashlie (# 72) --

If you completely stopped lamotrigine for a couple of days, I would agree that your body could still be in turmoil from completely missing it for a couple of days. Give yourself some time to settle in on the new med (Unichem?) and re-stabilize and see how you do - good luck!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Ashlie (# 75) --

Oh, wow... yeah, I'm sorry - I totally missed this one, Ashlie! I just responded to your other post and didn't see this one! Yes, it makes total sense that you'd still feel off your game if you were off lamotrigine for a few days.

I'd give Unichem at least a week - maybe a bit longer - to really get yourself evened back out. I'd say by Day 8, 9, 10, you'd probably be able to give us a better assessment of how it's sitting with your system.

Thanks, Hope, for catching that post!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Connie (# 52)

Thank you so much for the info. How do you find European Pharmacies? What Canadian Pharmacy can you recommend for getting Lamictal? As I wrote every drug store wants $1,160.00/ month.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Hope (# 82)

Wow - Thank you for this, Hope! I'm going to take a review of this later!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Raechel (# 80)

Would you mind sharing what generic brands of lamotrigine have tried, besides Teva?

Also, regarding the extended release, Teva acquired Actavis in 2016, and their extended release is manufactured by Actavis (even images of the bottle of extended release clearly show Actavis). Looks like Actavis got approval of their extended release in 2013. Don't know if this means its a Teva formulation of the medication, or an Actavis formulation.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Lisa (# 81)

Yes they have 300mg. I took it for 3 weeks & felt horrible. I still have some Teva, get that back in my system & then get the unichem, take them together & wean off the teva. Here's Tevas website with all the different strengths...

Teva's generic of Lamictal® XR™ Extended-Release Tablets: Lamotrigine Extended-Release Tablets, USP

tevagenerics.com/product/lamotrigine-extended-release-tablets-usp

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Hope (# 88)

Wow... good info Hope! That isn't super encouraging to me. ;-( I wonder if their ingredient list will reflect they've used a mixture of ingredients other than the one they've used for their regular one... I was hoping it would be the same. Hmm..

Definitely - I have tried and not had success with Zydus, Taro, and Northstar - though I don't see the latter on your list, so maybe those are out of production? These were years ago. I've insisted on Teva in the last few years.

In a group I'm a part of, a woman said that Cadista is working very nicely for her daughter, but her daughter is using it for seizures. Doesn't mean it won't work for me, but I don't use it for that reason, so it's not as relevant data for me.

Hence, why I'm very curious how Ashlie and anyone else experiences Unichem, since that's what Walgreens seems to be deeming as the new lamotrigine to carry around the country.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Raechel (# 90)

Here ya go re Northstar...
Here are specific ingredients in LAMICTAL (BRAND), TEVA lamotrigine, and generic lamotrigine manufactured by NORTHSTAR. I did not include coloring.

LAMICTAL (BRAND): Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, sodium starch glycolate
TEVA: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: colloidal silicon dioxide, lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, povidone, pregelatinized starch, sodium starch glycolate
NORTHSTAR: Active: lamotrigine. Inactive: lactose monohydrate, sodium starch glycolate, povidone, magnesium stearate, talc

REPLY

Was this helpful? 3

I'm almost out of Teva. Had a horrible reaction to Cipla. Just tried Taro and felt sick, aluminum taste, blurred vision and just didn't seem to have the calming effect that I get from Teva. I guess I'll try the unichem next and see how it goes. Also haven't tried Alembic. This is so frustrating!! If I have to go with brand name Lamictal my copay is 680.00 with culinary insurance for 200mg. I'll keep updating you guys.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Ashlie (# 78)

How does the texture of the Unichem tablet compare to Teva? Is is somewhat soft and easy to break like Teva, or is it a hard coating?
I'm wondering if some of the problems with other generics have to do with how easily they dissolve.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Hope (# 93)

Yes it’s very similar, even a little softer I think. Melts in your mouth a bit quicker too if you don’t swallow it quickly enough so it’s kinda gross. Doesn’t tase nearly as bad as the Teva brand though, haha. That actually makes me think I may need a half pill more of Unichem to equate to the effectiveness of Teva, so I’d be on 150mg instead of 100 but it’s still early on in the process.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Just a quick update on my moods at least, kiiiinda like PMS and it’s not that time of the month right now! Haha. I’m pretty unmotivated, mad at random things, I slept in much too long this morning. And I’ve have some days like that on Teva before but things seem less in check than normal, if that makes sense. Hoping the irritability aspect will decrease as the week goes on.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Ashlie (# 95)

Hey there, Ashlie! Thanks for the continued updates. Are you on your full dosage now? How many days have you been at full dosage? It might still be evening out.

You’re such a trooper. It know med management is always a drag when things change. I think I speak for many of us who are leaving Teva when I say this is the part we’re dreading. We appreciate your continued insight.

Raechel

REPLY

Was this helpful? 2

Re: Lisa k (# 92)

FYI, you can fill a prescription for Lamotrigine through Canada, for about $180. Also, the UK has brand name Lamictal for about $200.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Re: Raechel (# 90)

Did any hear that unichem was bought out by torrent? My daughter has been seizure free on teva, now will try unichem, if it works will we have to go through this again if the formula changes to the torrent formula in the future? Fonzi

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Fonzi (# 98)

No, I had no heard that. Is Torrent's acquisition of Unichem a recent one?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Re: Fonzi (# 98)

Wow - thanks for pointing this out - yes, I see that Torrent acquired Unichem in December, 2017 - therein lies the question of whether Unichem is still the Unichem formulation, or if it's Torrent's formulation. I have heard nothing good about the Torrent formulation of lamotrigine. :(

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

FYI: The drug manufacturer Watson bought out Activist. Watson "made a business decision" to no longer produce th...

36 REPLIES

My doctor will not prescribe generic Wellbutrin XL but my insurance will no longer pay for brand name drugs. I will have...

1459 REPLIES

If anyone could help me with just these two...Rhodes or Endo - as those are the only choices I have for right now, I'...

9 REPLIES

I have been taking diclofenac for about 6 months. Had it filled at 2 different pharmacies who had different suppliers. O...

3 REPLIES

I'm going to get my script soon, ive been taking the Actavis brand (Walgreens) and I asked if my next refill it coul...

54 REPLIES

What is the chemical used to prepare this medicine ? What are the effects - good and bad - of using this medicine ? In w...

6 REPLIES

generic name of homocheck, USES ,MECHANISM OF ACTION ## I'm sorry, but I can't find any information on anything ...

3 REPLIES

what is the generic name of planax? I have a butt pain of left side. it's very painful especially when i walk ## Pla...

1 REPLY

I would like to know the generic name of a red, round pill with the inscription apo on one side and 325 on the other sid...

1 REPLY

Been on BRAND XANAX FOR 20 YRS-PANIC ATTACKS/SEVERE ANXIETY; TAKE 9MGS/DAY AND AS NEEDED FOR PANIC ATTACKS. USED TO TAKE...

55 REPLIES