Wellbutrin Xl 300mg And Different Mfg - Some Work, Others Dont

I have taken wellbutrin xl 300 mg for 3 yrs and have experienced very different effects of the drug from different manufacturers, to the point my family has asked if I have been taking my meds. They have been known to make me more severely depressed with the aches and pains, low self esteem, zero libido and severe confusion. Now mind you this happens without skipping, missing or running out of meds. This has happened when I would have meds from one manufacturer that did work and when I got it refilled then I would experience some or all of these severe changes depending on the manufacturer of the drug. Some people call me crazy or that it is just in my head, but when you and your family actually, physically see the changes and you have not wavered on the way you take or the dosage that you take the medication, I have a very hard time believing it is just me. And I have experienced this for about the past 3 years. That's when I first noticed and started watching the effects. Can anyone else vouch for this kind of experience?

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I can also assure you that it is not all in your head, you and your family are correct, there are differences.

Under the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984, generics are allowed to differ from the name brand, in the amount of the active ingredient(s), by as much as plus or minus 20%. The FDA considers this to be an acceptable therapeutic window and it was put in place to help bring generics to market faster, in hopes of keeping prices lower. Most people do not ever notice a difference, or experience any problems.

However, since generics only have to measure against the name brand, not against each other, it can sometimes cause problems for those that are sensitive to any fluctuation in their medications.

Look at this way, if you were taking a 300mg generic that was higher in the amount of the active ingredient, given that allowable 20% fluctuation, you could have been taking one that actually contained 360mgs of it.....(adding 20mgs per 100mg) and then you may have been suddenly switched to one that only contains 240mgs of it, (subtracting 20mgs per 100mg).

Many companies have good quality control, so the differences aren't always that extreme, but the possibility is there.

The best thing to do might be to ask your doctor to prescribe it so they can only provide you with the brand name, thus you can avoid such fluctuations in the future.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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