What Is The Best Generic Version Of Wellbutrin Xl - Watson Or Anchen? (Page 10)
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My doctor will not prescribe generic Wellbutrin XL but my insurance will no longer pay for brand name drugs. I will have to pay about $7000 per yer for what I am taking now (3 of the 150mg Wellbutrin XL brand name per day). I am reading that the problem with the generics is the time release mechanism and not the drug itself and that some are better than others. Anybody have experience with the generics made by Watson and /or Anchen?

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E Voor: Ethylcellulose is the main ingredient that facilitates the timed released of the drug core. Ethylcellulose is water-insoluble, so it must be dissolved in an organic solvent instead (e.g. N-butyl alcohol). Aqueous dispersion is a newer process for tablet coating. Since ethyl cellulose is water-insoluble, you can’t make an aqueous solution, however you can make an aqueous dispersion. One dispersion method takes ethylcellulose, dissolves it in a solvent, then sprays the solvent into water. The solvent gets recovered, then the ethylcellulose dispersion is sprayed onto the tablet cores, and finally, the coated tablets get air-dried to remove the water.

I have a hard time with the idea that there are different formulations of this drug. Biovail made all the Wellbutrin worldwide, even for GSK. Biovail was bought out by Valeant. But I have seen people in other forums complaining about vast perceived differences in potency.

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Hi Munchkin:

I've used both Actavis and brand name Wellbutrin. I put myself back on brand name Wellbutrin recently as I feel it works better. The cost for US Wellbutrin is prohibitive. HOWEVER, if you fill your prescription through Canada (I use CanadaDrugs but there are others) the cost is around $150 for a 90 day supply and there are occasionally coupons.

There is some question as to whether CA Wellbutrin is identical to US Wellbutrin. People here have reported some differences. They come from the same factory in Manatoba, and use different inks for the lettering, but the dispersion mechanism appears to have the same ingredients. It's unclear if there are further differences. I use the Canadian version and I seem to be fine on it. It feels more even to me than Actavis.

If you don't want to go through Canada, another alternative is to try the Sandoz twice a day generic. Some people here have reported good results with it. I used it many years ago and I remember I was doing really well, but couldn't sleep at all. So that's something to watch out for if you try it.

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I used to be on 450 mg wellbutrin for years. Felt good and lost quite a bit of weight which made me happy. My insurance doesnt cover the brand name so I had to switch to a generic made by Actavis at walgreens. I am getting more depressed because I am putting on weight and I hardly eat. It is very frustrating. To buy the real wellbutrin xl would cost me $1200. I'm on limited income so that is out of the question.

I'm ready to just go totally off because I take pride in my appearance and this is freaking me out. I find it so sad that the drug companies just think of profit and not the people that are not doing well with the generics.

Wish there was something all of us could do.

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My guess is that the active ingredient in Actavis (ironic name) is no longer active.

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I think all of the extra ingredients you reference might be the ink. There are two different regulations regarding the ink for Canada and US and therefore use two different compositions. The ingredients in question:

isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol)
N-butyl alcohol, (another solvent)
propylene glycol (used as a stabilizer)
shellac glaze (used to protect the coating and lettering I assume)
titanium dioxide (pigment)
iron oxide black (black ink)

If I had to guess, I'd say that the solvents and shellac, plus ti02 and iron oxide are all related to the ink formulation.

I had a similar comparison provided for me (which I posted way down in this thread) for CA Wellbutrin and US Wellbutrin. It differed from yours in that it didn't get into the specifics of the black ink, which I think your list does.

To wit, the only difference in the list I was provided was as follows:

red and blue FD&C dyes, Ethyl Alcohol, isopropyl alcohol (Ink in Canadian version which is pinkish red versus the American black)

The remaining all had the following compounds in common:

*ethylcellulose aqueous dispersion,
*glyceryl behenate,
*methacrylic acid copolymer dispersion,
*polyethylene glycol,
*polyvinyl alcohol,
*povidone,
*silicon dioxide, and
*triethyl citrate.

The US version made mention of an aqueous dispersion ethylcellulose versus the CAD version which was just listed as ethylcellulose. I am not aware if this is just for brevity, or if there is a difference, and if so, what the significance might be.

I'm not worried about ink formulation, but more about whether there is any difference in the construction technique of the dispersion substance. I'm assuming since both come from the same factory, and differences would be policy driven versus incidental. But who knows?

If anybody could provide any background on the ethylcellulose (aqueous dispersion) I'd be appreciative. Specifically if there are two different preparations of this ingredient that might be in question for this specific drug.

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Lynn: Your experience exactly mirrors mine. I switched to Par about 2 years ago, and it’s been consistently great for me. About 8 months ago, my girlfriend was dispensed Actavis and her mood quickly plummeted. I offered to swap my Par with her as an experiment; this time, she picked back up and I dropped down. While it could always have been a bad batch, I’m more convinced that it’s the design of the Actavis tablet that makes it inferior. The sheer size of it gives away that it’s using an erodible matrix, whereas Par is more or less identical to the Brand in using a polymer membrane.

As E Voor said, bupropion is one of those drugs that is more sensitive to fluctuations in drug release, most likely because it’s half-life (8-10 hours) is drastically shorter than other drugs such as SSRIs. The polymer membrane used to create Wellbutrin XL solved that problem.

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Thank you to ALL who have contributed to this incredibly insightful forum!

I have done extremely well on branded Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. for the past 15 years. When generics became available, I was forced to try one and failed on the TEVA generic brand. I was able to get back on the branded all these years, in part thanks to Direct Success program, but am currently unemployed so had to go on MediCal which requires failing on 2 generics. I tried PAR brand recently and failed on it, but they are still refusing to cover brand name. Out of desperation, I ordered Canadian manufactured Valeant brand from Big Mountain Drugs and specifically requested the one manufactured in Canada by Valeant which I did in fact receive. However, I have not been doing well on that which made no sense since, in theory, they are the same exact company manufacturing the brand name. As previously mentioned in other posts, due to differences in Health Canada and U.S. FDA regulations, they can and must produce drugs in accordance with those standards. After many calls to both Valeant U.S. and Canada, I received a list of inactive ingredients from the Medical Depts. at both U.S. Valeant and Canadian Valeant and the inactive ingredients absolutely differ! There are 8 inactive ingredients in U.S. brand vs. 15 inactive ingredients in Canadian brand. Since Valeant holds the patent on time release, I'm going to assume the time release is the same for both U.S. and Canada. This has to mean that the other reason people do not do well on either the Canadian manufactured brand or a generic is an individual's sensitivity to the inactive ingredients (not just the timing mechanism).

Inactive ingredient list for Valeant Canadian brand sent from [email protected]:
Each 300 mg tablet contains the labeled amount of bupropion hydrochloride and the following inactive ingredients: Denatured ethyl alcohol, ethylcellulose, glyceryl behenate, isopropyl alcohol, methylacrylic acid co-polymer dispersion, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, povidone, silicon dioxide, triethyl citrate, N-butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, shellac glaze, titanium dioxide, and iron oxide black.

U.S. Branded Wellbutrin 300 XL (Inactive ingredients): ethylcellulose, glyceryl behenate, methacrylic acid copolymer dispersion, polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, povidone, silicon dioxide, and triethyl citrate. The tablets are printed with edible black ink.

I also spoke to a person from the FDA and he requested that I post on this forum the website for MedWatch so all problems with generics can be reported to them. He said that they would not have figured out the problem with generic TEVA years ago had people not reported it. You can either call FDA or report on the web at: fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch. Use Consumer Reporting Form FDA 3500B or call and report at: 1-800-FDA-1088

Also very helpful in my research was a link I received when I called Actavis to get a list of their ingredients. They sent an email with a link to the National Library of Medicine which provides DailyMed website as a public service: dailymed.nlm.nih.gov. Type in the generic name of any medicine and dosage and it will give you a list of all manufacturers, then you can click into various hyperlinks which will give you an option to see all of the ingredients in each medicine. I looked up all generics for the 300 mg XL and NONE of them have the same inactive ingredient profile as the U.S. brand Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. Every single generic adds a bunch more chemicals/fillers/binders which is likely causing the side effects or inability to work in so many people failing on these generic 300 mg XL brands.

After taking several days to read through all 1,200+ posts on this forum, I may try recent advice from a number of people and get generic Sandoz 150 mg. SR and play with time of day that is best for uninterrupted sleep and maximum energy during the daytime. If that is still not enough to help with cognitive and energy issues, I may also try adding on the Adderall 10 mg. at 12 noon. Sounds like other Psychiatrists have been successful in figuring out that combo (sadly, very few Psychs know what they are doing). I used to be a pharma rep 17 years ago calling on Psychiatrists so have spoken on a clinical level with hundreds of them. I left the industry because it is unethical.

My other option is to try a newer brand called Aplenzin (Aplenzin was made by Biovail who originally developed Wellbutrin XL. Biovail was purchased by Valeant Pharmaceuticals). Aplenzin is Buproprion Hydrobromide instead of Bupropion Hydrochloride. There is no generic for it yet. Aplenzin 348 mg is equivalent of Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. Knowing Valeant, this is likely their solution to having an equivalent available that will be under patent until 2028 so no generics can compete with it since Wellbutrin XL is not being covered by the majority of insurance companies.

Anyone have experience with switching from Wellbutrin XL to Aplenzin Extended Release?

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Actavis is ineffective. I wish I could correct my March 10th post because poor grammar is my pet peeve!

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The actavis brand is the placebo I was switched to also. I was on it for almost 3 months and was on a downward spiral unable to figure out what was wrong with me. Finally I started checking on line to see if there was any chance it was the meds and found this discussion. I called the pharmacy to see if I could get name brand and I could it was over $1,000 for 30 each month. So I asked about any other generics and they had Par which was less expensive than the Actavis and in less than a week I have my energy back and even started running again. There could be bigger issues for people with more serious depression and I'm curious about the best way to raise awareness about this obvious problem. Generic Bupropion is not the problem, dispensing worthless generic medication is criminal.

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I too have side affects from the Cipla co. Anxiety and 'horrific nightmares! andjoint pain. Going to doctor this week! Whew it's some rough stuff.

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Wellbutrin is a very unique an illustrating case of how quality standards are important not just in the active ingredient, but the dispersion mechanism in drug formulation. The FDA literally never paid mind to this subject until several years ago TEVA released a notoriously bad version of the generic called Budeprion. But it wasn't just Budeprion but the fact that each manufacturer has its own characteristic effect on patients. But patients had been complaining for years about Budeprion until the FDA did a study that cited the inefficacy of the dispersion mechanism. Until then, the FDA only cared about active ingredients, not the construction of the pill. Budeprion was pulled from the market.

Unlike an antibiotic or something with slightly broader margins for mistakes, some neuropsychiatric medicines have to be very carefully dialed in. For whatever reason, Wellbutrin in particular is one of those medicines that has that effect.

I don't know about many web-based pharmacies, but I've filled prescriptions from CanadaDrugs in the past and never had problems. It's important to do your due diligence, but fear of this is sometimes a scare tactic. People do this all the time. Many of them seniors who have been effectively priced out of their own care for some classes of drugs.

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I've taken the generic. I don't understand why you think these drugs are better or worse than each other. They have universal standards of quality. If that is the issue I can't help you other than say stay away from fly by night on-line pharmacies. Now the first way wellbutrin was manufactured it was not an xl. Instead of taking one (3 tabs or whatever) a day as most people do now-- It was much faster acting in that you can really feel the uplift or stimulus like a strong cup of coffee and you'd have to take it 4 times a day. I complained to my prescriber that I'm up and down all day. Thankfully they have the long acting now and I don't know of any circumstances where you would need the short acting pills. If your MD is thinking of that, it makes sense she doesn't want you to have it. I don't know the availability of any short acting wellbutrin but generic may very well be from past stock before longer acting was available. Do not pay $7,000 for that medication. Search new providers, call pharmacies around the country and world. Call the maker and ask for assistance if it gets down to that. There are many legal ways to get life saving medications without becoming a pauper. Good Luck.

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I was taking the generic from Mylan for about 6 months after switching from Branded version. About 2 months ago, my pharmacy switched my generic to Actavis. Within 2 days my energy level dropped significantly and it has just not been working as well. I would have considered the Mylan version my miracle pill after taking Lexapro for 10 years. I am requesting that my Dr write the prescription for only the Mylan version of the generic. There is a HUGE difference.

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Sorry for the double post I didn't think I hit submit and cleared it out.

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Is it possible to be allergic to one brand and not others? I got switched to cipla and have gradually been getting added symptoms, nausea, vomiting, rash. Nothing else has changed but that. The first brand was par this one is cipla.

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So I have a question. I was taking Par brand and it was ok, then the pharmacy switched to cipla. I wasn't to happy but took it anyway.
So maybe a week into it I was nauseated all the time and throwing up almost everyday. Things have gotten worse, nausea, vomiting everyday, and rash on my face and chest. I knew it was something I had changed but wasn't sure what it was from. Then it hit me hat that's when I started feeling bad was when I began taking the cipla brand. So is it possible that I'm allergic to this brand?
Also note, im calling the dr tomorrow for an appt.

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I switched directly from Wellbutrin XL - Valeant (from Canadian pharmacy) which was not working for me at all. Within 2 days on Sandoz SR, I felt really good - depression lifted. The only thing was I was still having low energy and some brain fog late afternoon - evening. My doctor added 10 mg of generic Adderall to take around noon. I can honestly say, this has been the "magic" formula for me.

To answer your question about the dosing times, this is what works for me. I set my Fitbit silent alarm for 2 a.m. and have my tablet and water on my nightstand. When the Fitbit vibrates, I just reach over and get the pill and water. I go right back to sleep. Then take the 2nd dose at 2 p.m. I decided I didn't even want to try taking the 2nd dose later in case it causes sleep issues. Maybe someone else can give you a better schedule.

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Those that have switched to generic SR - what time of day do you take the two doses? Do you find that you have trouble sleeping with taking the second dose later in the day?
Was the transition from Wellbutrin XL (brand) to generic Wellbutrin SR fairly smooth?

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I am hearing of more and more people that are having success with the SR genetics - not just on this board. Having a 2x/day dosage is not as convenient as an XL version, but who cares, if it works. Additionally, a 90 day supply is around $40.

Anyone taking an SR version made by any other company besides Sandoz? Results??

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I was also on the Wellbutrin XL brand name and my insurance stopped covering it. My doc put me on the generic XL. It was horrible. I ended up going on the generic SR and had no side effects or problems.

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