What Is The Best Generic Version Of Wellbutrin Xl - Watson Or Anchen? (Page 57) (Top voted first)

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?

REPLY

REPORT

I'm sorry you guys have to pay so much. I do not like being "old" and "disabled". but it does have a good point....my wife only pays .50 by being on disability. I take Methadone so that is one of the BEST cures EVER. I haven't been depressed in the 30 years I've been on it. I wish you well. BG

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Methadone is a painkiller not an antidepressant. That's like comparing apples to oranges.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Walgreens switched to Solco....I was all over the place so I tapered off of it. Where do you fill a prescription for Watson? I feel like I need to be back on bupropion but can't go back to Walgreens.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Does anyone know if the Wellbutrin XL (brand) from Canada is much better than the generics in the US? Or if someone has tried a combination of the two?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Watson = Actavis

However, not sure if the ingredients of Wellbutrin XL remained the same after Actavis merged with Watson.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

The brand name Wellbutrin XL from Valeant in Canada is NOT a bioequivalent of the US Valeant Wellbutrin XL. That was confirmed by the company here in the US. I called there after trying the brand name from Canada and it not working for me.

I know all too well that different generics work for some and not for others, but if you are in the position of having to switch to a generic, I suggest considering trying the bupropion sr (2x/day). The buprpopion sr by Sandoz has been almost identical to the US Wellbutrin XL. My doctor also added a very small dose of Adderall. The result has been that I am FINALLY myself again.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I was on Wellbutrin sr 100 mg twice a day & was getting it free through the drug company 'til it went generic. I have no drug coverage & am on many drugs for different problems. I had to stop it 'cause the generic is way too high for me to pay! It's been quite awhile since I've been on it & I can tell that I do need it! Our government needs to do something about these drug companies charging so much that many people can't afford the drugs that they need! I have no idea on how to get them from Canada or which companies there are the best to buy drugs from! I learned the hard way not to go off meds cold turkey. I didn't know & went off Nexium nearly a year ago....paid dearly....OMG! I am still messed up from it....have IBS, etc. now!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Kathy: I cannot imagine any real basis for either GlaxoKlineSmith (USA) or Valeant (Canada) to claim that their Wellbutrin XLs are different from each other. They each have usage rights for the permeable membrane technology, so there is no reason for them to have different pharmacokinetics.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

I agree it makes no sense, but I was told that due to regulations in Canada that differ from US regulations, there could be enough variance to make a difference for some people. When I called Valeant US I was transferred to an area that specifically handles customers with medication issues. They asked me a load of detailed questions, including the history of the different generics, ordering from other Canadian pharmacies, etc. in addition to documenting my experience with the Canadian med by the Valeant. They took my doctor's name and asked permission to contact her. My guess is she passed along the letters she had written for me in effort to convince my insurance to cover the brand name. It would have verified the past history I had shared with the person at Valeant when I called.

On another topic, I was part of the Direct Success program until Jan.2015 when I received a call informing me that anyone on Medicare could no longer participate in the program. It made no sense whatsoever, because Medicare was never billed - they wouldn't cover brand name no matter what. I did the $50/month cash pay. Others doing cash pay (no insurance - under age 65) were allowed to continue. I called back a couple of times to try to get an explanation, but got none. My doctor said that was clearly age discrimination. Figuring that was a losing battle, I started researching the generics once again.

I was just very fortunate to land on the Sandoz sr and have a doctor who realized based on a couple of mild symptoms, that adding in the small amount of adderall would give me what I needed. You have no idea how thankful I am. Yes, it is more complicated to take medication 3 different times a day instead of 1 time, but to feel like myself again, I will gladly deal with it. All I do is set my alarms on my Fitbit as reminders.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

So it appears there is no new coupon that will work for people who were using direct success. My insurance is refused prior authorization because it has been more than 180 days since I last tried and failed with a formulary drug. My DR recommended I try fourfivo. It's one pill bupropion 450mg. Has anyone tried it?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Direct Success called today with the dreaded news that they are discontinuing their awesome program - it was $50/month for me for brand name Wellbutrin XL.

Prior to Direct Success I filled my prescription from Canada - Big Mountain Drugs - had to specify brand name made by Valeant - it is $179 for 90 day supply (300mg)

Checked my insurance - brand name is not covered - one month, yes ONE month is now $1500.00 - $50 per pill - so the co-pay program is of no use to me - that $200/month discount takes my total down to a whopping $1300/month. I like to be able to eat and have a roof over my head.

Back to Canada for brand name Wellbutrin XL - I did fine on it prior to Direct Success.

If anyone hears of a new program, I trust this page will be updated.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

My boyfriend was using the direct success pharmacy because he had problems with generics previously. He takes buproprion XL 150mg. We just tried one by Actavis and he has been anxious, depressed, having a horrible to sleeping... He's a mess. He is currently 1 1/2 yrs from his PhD in Physics and he doesn't need anything else making things difficult. (This medication and access to it has been a problem over the past 6yrs)

I filed a report on the FDA med watch site, it's a bunch of crap but I called Walgreens to get the lot # and the ndc # and they gave it to me no problem. (You may have to talk to someone actually in the pharmacy and not their call center, not sure because I called the store then had them transfer me)

Here is the website: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch

If we all make reports, they'll have to do something. It's absolute crap that they allow two separate patents on the medication and it's time release mechanism! THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE DAMN STUFF WORK! Without that time release it's essentially a different medication! It should be illegal and they need to take the ones off the market and fix this whole situation. Now that Valeant is not with direct success so many people are screwed. We need to all speak up if anything is going to be done about it! This isn't "oh just a little headache" this is completely turning someone's life and their loved ones lives upside down.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Hi Hope,

I am in the same situation as you are. Can you tell me how you get the medication from Canada? Which website do you use? I think that is my only option at this point but I am concerned about getting counterfeit pills and would like to use a pharmacy that someone has used before. Thanks!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

@Kathy: Does the Sandoz SR release consistently throughout its 12 hour span?

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

@Matt, the release of the Sandoz SR seems to be consistent to me. You may have seen in a former post, that after a couple of months on the Sandoz SR, my doctor added a very small dose of Adderall. My energy levels in late afternoon were low and I was still having some "brain fog". As far as my depression goes, that generic worked great, as well as the brand Wellbutrin. I admit, I was dubious for the first few months, because the other generics I had tried stopped working within 3 months at best, or gave me bad side effects right away at the worst. Those others were all XL though. Makes me wonder if I would be fine with other generics as long as they are the 2X/day formula. This generic plus the Adderall (that's a generic, too) works better for me than brand name Wellbutrin XL.

Taking 2X/day does take more effort, but I wear my Fitbit all the time anyway, so I just set vibration alarms on that. Additionally, since Wellbutrin (brand or generic) has always made it more difficult to fall asleep, I take my first dose at 3 a.m. - just put it on my nightstand with a cup of water and my Fitbit vibration alarm wakes me, and I just reach over and take it and go back to sleep. I take the second dose at 3 p.m., so they are evenly spaced.

I also posted previously that the brand name - Wellbutrin XL from Canada by Valeant is definitely a different formula than the US one by Valeant. That was confirmed by Valeant here in the US when I called after finding the Canadian one did NOT work for me. I was told that Canadian regulations are different, whatever that means. They actually have a specific department that handles complaints. If you call there, be prepared to answer a lot of questions about your history with the brand name and generics. At this point, my doctor suggested I try the SR generic.

I wish you success in finding something that works for you.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Actavis is the one I filed a report on. It's the only brand they carry for that generic right now :/

Boyfriend stopped taking it 2 days ago and is feeling a lot better, working on trying to find another pharmacy that has a different brand.

Good luck!

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Just so everyone knows the discount card on Valeant's site covers a MAXIMUM of 200$ ONLY!
And has been on their site for some time, it's nothing new, I found it when they kicked the direct success pharmacy program.
So for people who's have to pay 500$+ a month, this is little help. 300$+ a month is highway robbery, for that price it better have a side effect of crapping gold.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 1

Walgreens has told me Zydus is no longer available. I was told they discontinued making the generic buproprion XL 300. I've been stable on that generic for 2 years and doing fine. They switched me to Actavis this last month and I have had 4 panic attacks and daily anxiety. Just doesn't release the same. It seems to dump all the medication in the first 12 hours and then I struggle for the next 12 hours. Working on trying to get name brand, I start student teaching in two weeks and this could literally not be worse timing.

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

Valeant decided to use fraud and price gouging to help get them out of their $30 billion debt.

They've operated like a hedge fund and followed specific business models to monopolize drugs for rare, life-threatening conditions...

"Valeant has targeted decades-old, off-patent drugs, monopolized both their production and distribution, and held dying patients and their health care providers hostage as they hiked prices, often overnight, by tenfold or greater.

First, all the drugs had to have only one manufacturer in the US, so that monopoly production could be guaranteed. Second, all the drugs had to be the best available treatment for their condition, so that physicians would be compelled to prescribe them even in the face of massive price-hikes. Third, the drugs had to serve only small, isolated patient populations incapable of organizing effective opposition to the price-gouging.

The companies then manipulated the markets by controlling access to the drugs to prevent competitors from obtaining samples from which they could develop generic drugs, or cornering high-value patients with highly restrictive “patient assistance programs” that would leave competitors only the least attractive patients, the poor and uninsured. The companies confidently hiked the prices of these drugs, raking in net profits in excess of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in a single year. None of the four companies (including Valeant) invested a penny into the further research and development of the drugs they acquired."

Source: "US Senate report details price-gouging by pharmaceutical companies", wows.org. Web. 6 January 2017

REPLY

Was this helpful? 0

The generic bupropion XL is more like the Wellbutrin IR. It dumps all of the active ingredient within 3-6 hours (completely useless).

On a side note - It appears the IR isn't used as much because of the increased risk for seizures and addiction?

The Wellbutrin SR from Canada may be worth trying for a full 12 hour release.

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

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

3 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

Hi - I just got a perscription for the Sun Pharma generic version of Wellbutrin SR (Bupropion HCL SR). Has anyone had su...

83 REPLIES

I had a huge problem with a generic before (TEVA) and have been paying a larger co-pay for brand.....I was wondering if ...

12 REPLIES

I was taking 150 ml of Bupropion SR by Teva for several years and it has stopped working for my depression. Has anyone b...

9 REPLIES

I'm am told by my husband's dad to make my husband take wellbutrin Sr 150 mg ta for his anxiety. But he got gene...

8 REPLIES

I've been taking the generic for Lamictal for about five years. Recently I've been feeling different at about th...

216 REPLIES

Watson turned Mayne, yellow, scored tablets marked with 5 and Dan 562 on the other side have not sold their "recipe&...

I have been tapering off Zoloft 100mg and switching to generic Wellbutrin XL 300mg. I gradually went off the Zoloft over...

12 REPLIES