What Is The Best Generic Version Of Wellbutrin Xl - Watson Or Anchen? (Page 61)

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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Thank you! Did you have to show your insurance card ? Walgreens asked for my insurance and since I don't have any they wouldn't use the coupon . It was $1970 without insurance ??

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I was taking the original brand of Wellbutrin 300XL since it was first approved in 1996. Over the last year, I've tried generics by Anchin, Watson and the Canadian "brand" by Valeant. None of these generics worked for me. Don't be fooled by the Canadian brand by Valeant - it's just another cheap generic. The problem is that the time-release mechanism doesn't work properly in these generics, and the FDA allows them to use only 80% of the original formula. So, there were only two choices for me: 1) pay $1300 per month for the original US Glaxo-Valeant brand, or 2) try the only generic that has a good reputation - Sandoz 150sr (twice per day). Fortunately, the Sandoz generic works almost as well as the original, and I'm adjusting to the minor differences. If you don't have insurance, you'll need to order Sandoz from a independent pharmacy. The cost is around $100 per month (however, there may be discounts or coupons available). If you have health insurance, you can request this specific generic through your insurance company's mail order pharmacy and they'll special-order it for you. Then, you'll only pay the regular generic price under your plan.

I've been reading, researching and experimenting with the various dosages because Valeant (who owns the US rights for the original Glaxo version) is a greedy, unethical and opportunistic company who has raised the cost of the original US brand to over $1,300. As of Aug. 2016, Valeant has been under criminal investigation by Federal prosecutors, and the ex-CFO and ex-CEO are the focus of a criminal probe. It's simply outrageous that this 20 year old medication (Wellbutrin 300xl and 150xl) have been priced to gauge the public due to lack of quality competition. So,the best solution for me was to switch over to Sandoz 150sr which was the only alternative that came close to the original. It's amazing how many people are searching for a viable alternative to the $1300 US brand - and my best advice to those who are seeking a replacement is to try the Sandoz. Good luck!

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BobinFlorida, that is my EXACT story. After no success with the brand name by Valeant in Canada, I contracted Valeant here in the US, and they confirmed that the regulations in Canada are different, so the Wellbutrin from there is NOT the same. Knowing how different meds work for different people, the Wellbutrin from Canada may be okay for some. It definitely was not working for me.

Like you, the 150 SR by Sandoz was working pretty well. I still was dealing with fatigue in the afternoon and some brain fog. My doctor added a small dose of Adderall - generic 10 mg around noon and that has been at least as effective (maybe more so) than the US Valeant Wellbutrin XL 300 mg. I don't know if that would make a difference for you, but if your "leftover" are like mine were, you might want to ask your doctor about adding the Adderall.

I started with 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg around 2:00, but I have plenty of energy in the morning and needed more in the afternoon, so switched to 10 mg around noon.

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Sarah, I have insurance and the coupon. My insurance is blue cross. Direct Success didn't even ask for the coupon because she said she had one.

My order from Direct Success is arriving tomorrow.

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Can you post the phone number you called to order the Wellbutrin ? Thanks so much ??

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BobinFlorida, thanks for the information in your post. The coupons are only good for 12 months, and trying the generic SR may be an option for me. My hang up with trying it was that it only comes in 100 mg or 200 mg, and I take 450 mg of XL I'll cross that bridge when I get there!

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"It's simply outrageous that this 20 year old medication (Wellbutrin 300xl and 150xl) have been priced to gauge the public due to lack of quality competition."

It's the people using the coupons who are directly responsible for Valeant gouging the people who can't use the coupons. Only when those who are eligible to use the coupons refuse to use the coupons will Valeant be forced to lower it's price across the board for everyone. The coupons are nothing more than a marketing ploy by Valeant. The real battle is between those using the coupons and those who are ineligible to use the coupons. This is how Valeant makes it's profit. Pitting the haves against the have-not's.

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I agree. I'm one of the ones who can't use the coupon since I can't afford health insurance . I called direct success again today and they pretty much told me to get insurance before they can give me the discount .

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You could try Santos 150sr (3) times per day to reach 450mg; and yes, they also have 75mg., 100mg.- that are not slow release (like the original Wellbutrin prior to 1996). At that time I was on 75mg. (4) times per day - but then, the patent ran out and Glaxo introduced the time release XL brand. Good luck!

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that's possible - but, Valeant is under criminal investigation and has a terrible reputation - their stock price has gone down from $250 per share to $14. There's a very real possibility that they will go out of business. So, they're desperate for cash and the "US original Wellbutrin" is one of the few cash-cows they have left. It's another EpiPen story all over again. Thieves!

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Kathy - I have a feeling that thousands of people are going through the "exact" frustrations of finding a suitable replacement for the $1300 per month 300xl brand. Unfortunately, most people are taking the Anchin (ultra-cheap) generic because the national pharmacies can buy a 30 day supply at wholesale for $20 or less. Anyway, I like the idea of adding Adderall for those who need an extra boost. My situation is a bit different - I'm trying 5mg of Librium (not Lithium) to take the edge off and smooth things out a bit. So, adding another med to the mix is a good idea for adjusting bupropion's various after-effects. Thanks for the input.

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I think I am just going to try to get health insurance for a few months so I can get my Wellbutrin back . These generics have been horrible on me. The direct success rep said all that matters (if using the coupon )is the co-pay Any advice on who to go with ?

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For some reason, my insurance company balked at more than 2 doses per day. I'm glad to hear somebody else took SR more than twice a day. Why would anybody care if it's broken up 3 times a day, or 2? I hate when rules take precedence over the patient!

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When I was buying from Direct Success, they never asked for my insurance information, beyond asking if I had it. My insurance is United Healthcare, and they refuse to cover brand name Wellbutrin. That makes it $50 per bottle, out of pocket, for me...which is steep, but better than $1300!

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Bobinflorida. I am one of the ones who has insurance and using the coupon. I pay for insurance, but my copay after billing my insurance is still around $900 a month. I can't afford that. Why is it my fault that the price is so high?

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"Bobinflorida. I am one of the ones who has insurance and using the coupon. I pay for insurance, but my copay after billing my insurance is still around $900 a month. I can't afford that. Why is it my fault that the price is so high?"

It's not your fault. It's your insurance company setting this copayment. It's most likely your insurance company is paying much more than $900 a month to Valeant. Let's just say for example $1,200 a month. In order for your insurance company to make a profit, it can only absorb part of the cost of what it pays Valeant. In this case, your insurance company is running a loss of $300 a month but more than making it up in insurance premiums. That's why your paying a copayment of $900 a month. Valeant only makes a profit on it's coupons through what the insurance companies pay Valeant on what Valeant charges the insurance companies. The only way Valeant will bring the price of Wellbutrin down is when the insurance companies refuse to cover Wellbutrin at all or only pay Valeant enough for Valeant to lose profit.

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But you said ...

It's the people using the coupons who are directly responsible for Valeant gouging the people who can't use the coupons. Only when those who are eligible to use the coupons refuse to use the coupons will Valeant be forced to lower it's price across the board for everyone. The coupons are nothing more than a marketing ploy by Valeant. The real battle is between those using the coupons and those who are ineligible to use the coupons. This is how Valeant makes it's profit. Pitting the haves against the have-not's.

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I am not a "HAVE", but I have insurance through my employer. I am not directly responsible for the price gouging. I'm trying to afford a medication that I need. If I just refused to use the coupon then I lose.

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I think we can all agree that it's wrong of valeant to do this to any of us regardless of if we do or don't have insurance .... ESPECIALLY since the drug is for depression. Depression is so hard to deal with and when you take away someone's medication that helps them get through each day all for $$$ it's just wrong all the way around.

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Geminiguy, this doesn't seem to be working. It's valeant who is giving out the coupons. Insurance is refusing to pay for Wellbutrin brand, only generic. So somehow, I guess Valeant figures $50 bucks a bottle is better than nothing. I don't know which insurance companies allow only a $5 copay for Wellbutrin--it sounds like an urban myth! I don't know how anybody pays $900 per month, I couldn't do that. It feels desperate, sometimes.

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I just received my prescription from Direct Success. My copay was $5.00. I already had a refill from my old prescription under the other program. I called the number that was on my old bottle. The reason for calling them was only to ask for them to transfer my prescription to my local pharmacy. That's when I was told that they could fill it for me again under a new program.

I never paid the $900 a month. That's just what my copay WOULD be through Blue Cross. My insurance treats it as a Tier 3 which only pays 40% of the cost. I had to switch back to generics over the summer when the old program ended at Direct Success. I struggled to pay the $50 copay for several months when Direct Success stopped working with my insurance plan. So when the new coupon said the copay will be somewhere between $5.00 and $100, I couldn't fill it until I knew for sure. There is no way that I can pay more than $50.

I joined this discussion to find help with a better generic and not to have to defend myself for using a coupon that was offered to me. I've learned a lot from the members who post here and I am grateful for the help. My posts are my way of helping others

I've now tried Actavis, Mylan and Par. None of them work as well as the brand or the original generic that I started on (Watson), and I've had negative (and very different) side effects from each of them. That's why I was so happy to find the Direct Success program a few years ago. But the Actavis version had the least objectionable side effects for me. I may have to go back to it again someday if this program ends again. We can only hope that an authorized generic will come on the market or that that the current generics on the market will improve.

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