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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by sld68 on April 30, 2007, at 8:20:06
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on April 27, 2007, at 12:04:39
I can't speak for everyone else but terrible headaches were one of my first symptoms and then the increased depression and hopelessness and other symptoms. Please be careful and continue monitoring any changes like you have obviously been doing, because if these are indeed side effects you are experiencing they will only continue to worsen as you continue taking the medication. Good luck and take care of yourself!
Posted by darling on May 1, 2007, at 10:43:01
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by sld68 on April 30, 2007, at 8:20:06
Hi, I am here to tell you this is my last day on this medicine. I started this medicine on March 17th and I have to say its giving me more anxiety, panic attacks,mucsle pain, weakness, no motivation, shaking on the inside,flushing and even sweating, headaches, ect. To me this is the worst drug ever!Wellbutin XL was hard enough to get used to, but this is 10 times worse. My doctor is going to change me back to Wellbutrin XL or try something else, waiting to here back from the Dr. Also they told me to contact my insurance co. and tell them name brand ONLY! I just hope they do it cause I have read from a couple of you that the insurance co. tried to override the Dr. and give the generic anyways. this is rediculous!!! I think maybe we should pay more attention to generics, our bodies, and how it reacts to these meds., and also I think insurace co. could be a little more respectful and let us know what they are giving us before we get the new meds. It should be our choice! Thanks for being here to chat and know we are not all going crazy. I will keep reading this and also let you know what meds. I get changed to and let you know how its working for me. Thanks Again!!! GOODBYE you oval yellow nasty pill!
Posted by Ladybug56 on May 1, 2007, at 11:51:54
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin » sld68, posted by darling on May 1, 2007, at 10:43:01
Yes I have to say I'm not doing too well on this generic crap either, and since we have to order our prescriptions through mail order, 90 days supply at a time, I'm not sure if our insurance company will allow me to switch back to Wellbutrin XL until that supply is gone. My main problems are still daily migraines, depression...I cry at anything, I have fibromyaligia and with the Wellbutrin it seems to help my muscle and joint pain but now all my joints feel inflamed and on fire. Like the previous person who posted it's really hard to get motivation to do anything when I get up each day also. Before I would go to Curves (a women's gym) and exercise 3 times a week and I also go to a pool for warm water exercise. But the last time I tried to exercise it hurt so bad, and not the normal pain from exercise either. So I'm not sure how much longer I am going to stay on this too see if these side effects will go away or get worse. I'll keep reading these postings each day and see what other people are doing.
Posted by catesfolly on May 1, 2007, at 12:55:51
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin » Arlene223, posted by kingcolon on April 22, 2007, at 12:51:23
Dear friends,
I just had a nightmare experience switching from brand name Wellbutrin 300mg to the generic "wellbutrin" called Budeprion 300mg (manufactured by Teva), both extended release. I wanted to add my voice to this long list of others...
I have no history of suicidality, but a day after switching I went into a week of steadily rising panic state. Then I hit rock bottom this last Saturday. Like some demon took over my body. I wanted to die, felt like someone was holding me by the throat and pressing me against the wall. I was psychotic, self-loathing way WAY beyond anything I have ever experienced.
I made it through the worst of it, called a suicide hotline, took two Ativan, and didn't take any more of the budeprion. The next day I felt much better and today I'm back to my normal self.
I just saw my psychiatrist (who didn't know I'd been given the generic and hadn't heard of this one) and he says it was almost certainly from a toxic dose of the generic wellbutrin building up in my body. He says many of the generics are not absorbed or metabolized at the same rate as the brand names, so you can get unpredictible effects. This unpredictible effect damn near killed me.
The pharmacists and the drug companies are adamant that the generics are THE SAME. This is, I believe, a bit fat lie. And I think we need to do what we can to expose this big fat lie. I would love to send these budeprion tablets I have to a lab to see what's actually in them and how they might be absorbed the same or differently from the brand name -- anyone have any leads for that? And what's the FDA link for submitting a complaint, does anyone know?
There are enough stories like this out there now that real studies should be done!??I gather I may be a slow metabolizer which may make me more vulnerable to these toxic effects, so it's possible the higher dose of wellbutrin might have been too much for me anyway, but the psych seemed sure it was because of the generic (this psych is my second one, is one of the best in our city, and has apparently had a lot of similar stories from patients about generics).
Posted by ConcernedMom4 on May 4, 2007, at 23:27:32
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Squirrel on April 18, 2007, at 14:40:49
Well, I had been on Wellbutrin XL for almost a year when I got pregnant. I stopped the med cold turkey because of the potential harm to the fetus. I struggled with my depression my whole pregnancy, and it got worse post-partum. When my milk supply wasn't sufficient anymore (basically because I wasn't eating because of my depression), I stopped breastfeeding and I called my doctor and asked to be put back on the Wellbutrin XL. Now, he suggested trying a different med at first because I have no medical insurance now, and as you probably know, Wellbutrin is very expensive. The problem with that is, I for some reason have a hard time taking medication. I am allergic to so many it's ridiculous! So, I am always very hesitant to start a new med...especially when I already know one works for me. So, I've been on the Wellbutrin XL for a month now and I am feeling so much better, and still feel like I am improving every day. So, much to my surprise when I got home from the pharmacy today, the bottle looked different. I opened it and the pill looked different. I finally read the name on the perscription and realized I was given the generic. Trying not to overreact and panic, I of course got online right away to research the difference between the brand name and the generic. Needless to say, I called the pharmacy right away and asked them why I was given the generic, especially when I paid cash for the medication. Lucky me, I didn't have to fight an insurance company. They told me to bring it back in and they would give me the brand name. We will see if they actually give me problems with it when I go back in tomorrow morning, though.
Basically, my point is, thank you for posting all your personal stories because without reading them, I would have tried it...and had a major problem. I can't afford to dip back down into my depression (not that I am suggesting any of you can either!), because I have a newborn to take care of, as well as my other three children! I need to be on my toes! And you know that commercial about your depression hurting everyone around you...that is so true. Unfortunately, when I can't get up and go, and take my children places, and do things with them, and help them with homework, etc., who do you really think I am hurting?? Thank goodness I have found something that works for me, and I found it while my children are still young and don't really know better yet. It comes down to my children being more important to me than taking a chance trying a med that may make me worse than when I wasn't on anything at all!
I want to encourage each and every one of you to report the differences between the two meds to your doctor, and to the FDA. Let's try to stop these terrible trials that people are having to go through all because of the pharmacies and insurance companies!
Posted by smom on May 5, 2007, at 10:35:57
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by ConcernedMom4 on May 4, 2007, at 23:27:32
So, apparently I don't speak up for myself enough, maybe I try too hard to get along, I don't know. I have spoken with my doctor on two occasions, talked to other staff members of her office on two additional occasions, and thought everyone involved understood the adverse reaction I had to the Bupropion HCL XL that was substituted for Wellbutrin XL. Since my insurance company wanted me to order a three month supply of my medication through the mail, I did that. I placed the order for the name brand and then waited while they verified it with my doctor's office. Between the two of them they sent my three more months of the generic! So, I thought I should give it a try again. WRONG! Within, two days I was not only physically ill, but an absolute emotional wreck!
It has taken my nearly a week to straighten my head out on the Wellbutrin. Don't do what I did. Do not try it again. The second reaction was worse than the first.
The two links I have found for reporting are:
http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/reportproblem.asphttp://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/problem.html
I am lucky to have pulled out of that nose dive again. I don't ever want to go back. It is amazing that drug companies, insurance companies and some doctors can be so causal about something that is so serious as this.
Posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 9:02:12
In reply to Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Daniel2000 on September 30, 2004, at 7:41:28
> I have yet to see a thread on this site talking about weather or not the new generic form of wellbutrin sr , called budeprion sr, is found to be as good. Most people and most pharmacists argue tht all genrics undergo testing to prove they are the same, that they have the same bioavailability in the body and everything,and that any differences would be purely a kind of reverse placebo effect, but I was interested to see if anyone else has found a difference between the two. I have only tried budeprion sr 150 mg and it has seemed to have some side effects which seem inconcistent with what many users of brand name wellbutrin sr claim to experience; mainly being a worse experience of side effects from it. Anyways, I would appreciate some feedback from anyone who has tried both,tried budeprion, and who tried wellbutrin sr to see if we can get anywhere with this. Mainly I want to see if it is worth it to tell my doctor weather I should try brand name wellbutrin this time or not.
have been on the budeprion xl 300 mg for a week now from wellbutrin, and works fine for me, I am a little more hyper, but that’s it, and at 5$ instead of $140+ a month, its not a bad trade off, I made the mistake of reading these crazy posts by others and it scared the sh*t out of me about switching, everyone reacts differently, so don’t take into account some nut who is on 20 different meds and says Budeprion will make you go nuts, its FINE, it would not be FDA approved if it did not work or make you go crazy.
Posted by zenhussy on May 10, 2007, at 10:45:49
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 9:02:12
you're fortunate that your experience was different than most of the posts in this thread.
thank goodness ppl can decide for themselves whether or not to ingest a new generic and if they're willing to endure the SEs, if any arise.
you're so lucky to be saving money, taking a generic that works FOR YOU, and feeling better. hurrah donaldduck!
thanks for sharing your experience w/ the community so that folks can read varying accounts and DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES = )
Posted by Ladybug56 on May 10, 2007, at 11:21:46
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 9:02:12
I've been on the generic Wellbutrin XL 300 mg, Budeprion Xl 300mg for about 3 weeks now and the side effects I was having are starting to subside. I had been getting more headaches and my depression or feeling of sadness had gotten worse for a while. But now it seems to have leveled off to where I was before so maybe this generic substitute will work for me after all, I guess time will tell still.
Ladybug56
Posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 11:31:02
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on May 10, 2007, at 11:21:46
thanks very much, i was terrified about the switch, my doctor had not even heard of it until i mentioned it, she prescribed bruprorion and i got this stuff, i feel ok, mood has been slightly unstable, but nothing like what i expected, which was an awful reaction to the switch. thanks:)
Posted by anj on May 11, 2007, at 13:47:08
In reply to Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Daniel2000 on September 30, 2004, at 7:41:28
Posted by drB on June 6, 2007, at 15:12:35
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on April 27, 2007, at 12:04:39
I have been on Budeprion for four months after a number of years of being relatively stable on Wellbutrin. The sealed bottle of the Budeprion with three sorbent Strip Paxs and temperature recommendations on the outside of the bottle was enough to make me uneasy about the stability of the medication, so I saved my last pill of Wellbutrin. I have been wondering about effectiveness of the Budeprion, especially the last month, but after one week of feeling like weeping over gardening setbacks (I garden all the time), I took the pill I had saved. The response was dramatic, I was jumpy and had trouble sleeping for two nights and had a bad headache for two days. It was as though I had been restarted on medication at the dose my doctor had previously worked up to. Depression is our family illness and my daughter is doing well on another generic, but for now, I'm back on what has worked in the past--Wellbutrin.
Posted by Ladybug56 on June 6, 2007, at 19:12:46
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by drB on June 6, 2007, at 15:12:35
I thought I could handle the differences between the generic Wellbutrin and the "fake" stuff but as soon as my prescription is up I am going to ask my doctor to write a new one that says, name brand only. Not only is that giant ugly yellow pill hard to swallow but it just does not work near as well as the real thing, I really miss that little white tablet! Why do they have to mess with something that already works so well?
Posted by Michelle Schultz on June 7, 2007, at 6:00:44
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 9:02:12
Posted by jaby on June 7, 2007, at 14:41:35
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on June 6, 2007, at 19:12:46
I've only used one, but know there are several.
I'd be curious if some are having better luck with one over another. I know people have had troube with all, however.
Posted by Michelle Schultz on June 8, 2007, at 5:53:51
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by donaldduck on May 10, 2007, at 9:02:12
Would you please check your medication. There are two generics out there. One is Budeprion the other is Bupropion. They are very different generics of Well butrin. There have been few complaints with Bupropion however many for Budeprion.
I also think that posting something indicating that those of us who had bad experiences are crazy is in very bad taste and insulting. These are our personal experiences. We never claim the whole world with have this reaction. We are saying if you are then you are not alone.
Posted by Ladybug56 on June 8, 2007, at 10:09:20
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Michelle Schultz on June 8, 2007, at 5:53:51
I'm really glad that someone brought it up that there are two different generic types of Wellbutrin and that one has worse side effects than the other. Unfortunately I was prescribed the one noted for the bad side effects, I have BUDEPRION XL. And I for one am glad there is a place like this we can come to for support about the experiences we have in common, it helps to be able to see how other people in the same or similar "boat" handle some of the same problems you have.
Hang in there everyone!
Ladybug
Posted by grinch on June 9, 2007, at 9:10:01
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on June 8, 2007, at 10:09:20
Yes, I agree this site has been helpful to me. It is very difficult to find information about different medications. I thought it was just me that was experiencing differences with the Budeprion XL. After working in a pharmacy for over 10 years I was very accepting of the idea that generics are exactly the same as the brand. I struggled with this belief while feeling the generic wasn't working in the same way for me. After a full month on the generic I went back on the brand. I have been back on the brand for over 2 months. Brand Wellbutrin is the right choice for me.
Posted by cynomom on June 9, 2007, at 18:23:23
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by nutmeggins on August 18, 2006, at 13:06:14
I have been taking generic wellbutrin for 3-4 months now. I started with 75 mg. of bupropion, then 100 mg. of bupropion taken twice a day. this seemed to be helping but not quite enough, so the dr. went to 150 mg. of budeprion twice a day. I have been taking this for a month and feel worse. It's like taking nothing at all or worse. Nausea, dizziness, extreme fatigue, All I want to do is sleep, and the depression is back. The dr. has upped the dose to 200 mg. twice a day. I don't know if this will make the side effects worse or not. I guess we'll see.
Posted by Mclscotts on June 9, 2007, at 19:10:59
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Michelle Schultz on June 8, 2007, at 5:53:51
I FOUND THIS WEBSITE WHILE LOOKING UP GENERIC WELLBUTIN XL AND HAVE BEEN READING THESE POSTS FOR AWHILE AND THOUGHT I WOULD POST MY EXPERIENCE. I USED TO TAKE WELLBUTIN SR ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO, THE NAME BRAND. I USED IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND HAD NO ILL EFFECTS.
LAST APRIL(06) I WENT BACK TO MY DR BECAUSE I WAS HITTING ROCK BOTTOM WITH NO ENERGY AND NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK WELL. HE PUT ME ON EFFEXOR XR AND THIS STUFF DID NOTHING FOR ME. WHEN I TRIED TO GET OFF OF IT, I HAD REAL HORRIBLE WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS. I WAS ON IT FROM APRIL THROUGH NOVEMBER OF 06. WELL, I HAD ASKED FOR WELLBUTRIN AND THE DR SAID EFFEXOR WAS BETTER. NO WAY!
SO AFTER SUFFERING FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS, I WENT BACK IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR AND TOLD HIM TO GIVE ME WELLBUTRIN AGAIN. I STARTED OFF ON 75MG OF THE NAME BRAND FOR ONE WEEK. THEN I WENT TO 300 MG ONCE A DAY. SINCE I HAVE NO INSURANCE, I WAS MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET THE GENERIC WELLBUTRIN XL. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT POSITIVE RESULTS. I GET UP EVERY MORNING AT 6 AM FEELING GREAT AND RESTED AND ABLE TO WORK WITH NO TROUBLE. HAVE GREAT ENERGY ALL DAY AND HAVE EVEN LOST 20 MUCH NEEDED POUNDS. MY SEXUAL DESIRE EVEN CAME BACK. THE ONLY SIDE EFFECT I HAD WAS DRY MOUTH.
SINCE I HAVE NOTICED PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THERE ARE TWO VERSIONS, I LOOKED AT MY BOTTLE AND HERE IS WHAT IS ON THE LABEL. BUDEPRION XL AND UNDER THAT IT SAYS buPROPion HCL(SPELLED LIKE THAT) AND THE MAKER IS TEVA. SO HOW CAN THERE BE TWO VERSIONS IS BOTH NAMES ARE LISTED ON MY BOTTLE? THANKS, MCLSCOTTS
Posted by Mclscotts on July 4, 2007, at 12:03:01
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Mclscotts on June 9, 2007, at 19:10:59
WELL, I HAD HOPED TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE CONCERNING MY FIRST AND EARLIER POST ON JUNE 8. I HAVE SOMETHING NEW TO ADD. WHEN I WENT AND FILLED MY MONTHLY PRESCRIPTION MONDAY FOR GENERIC WELLBUTIN XL 300MG, I DIDN'T LOOK AT THE BOTTLE UNTIL I GOT HOME. WELL, MUCH TO MY SURPRISE, IT WAS A DIFFERNT BOTTLE FROM MY PREVIOUS ONES. THIS BOTTLE HAS ONLY BuPROPion HCL ON THE FRONT AND THE MAKER IS ANCHEN. THE PILLS ARE ALSO DIFFERNT. THESE ARE SMALL ROUND WHITE PILLS WITH A102 ON THEM.
I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED AT FIRST ABOUT THESE DIFFERNT PILLS. I HAVE BEEN TAKING THEM FOR TWO DAYS NOW AND CAN'T REALLY DETECT AND DIFFERNCE FROM THE OBLONG YELLOW ONES FROM TEVA. BUT I DO INTEND TO ASK MY PHARMIST ABOUT THIS CHANGE IN PILLS WHEN I RETURN TO FILL MY PRESCRIPTION AGAIN. JUST WONDERING WHY THEY NEED TO GIVE DIFFERNT PILLS.
Posted by Ladybug56 on July 4, 2007, at 16:07:08
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Mclscotts on July 4, 2007, at 12:03:01
Wow, I can't believe they changed Wellbutrin to yet again, the giant nasty yellow one is bad enough, hopefully this smaller white one works better for you. Let us know. I'm about ready to run out of my last bottle of the yellow generic Wellbutrin and am going to have my doctor write "no substitutes" on my next prescription". I just do not like this crap.
Cindy
Posted by Mclscotts on July 4, 2007, at 16:13:15
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on July 4, 2007, at 16:07:08
> Wow, I can't believe they changed Wellbutrin to yet again, the giant nasty yellow one is bad enough, hopefully this smaller white one works better for you. Let us know. I'm about ready to run out of my last bottle of the yellow generic Wellbutrin and am going to have my doctor write "no substitutes" on my next prescription". I just do not like this crap.
> CindyCINDY, DID YOU READ MY FIRST POST FROM JUNE 8? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY GENERICS FOR WELLBUTRIN XL ARE OUT THERE? I HAVE USED GENERICS WITH OTHER MEDS BEFORE AND I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN THE SAME GENERIC DRUG EACH TIME. NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS WELLBUTRIN STUFF. THANKS
Posted by sdworaczyk on July 5, 2007, at 8:46:29
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by Ladybug56 on July 4, 2007, at 16:07:08
Just an FYI...I asked my doctor to fill my last prescription for "name brand only" for the 300mg which was more expensive, this month we tried writing it for me to take two 150 mg and it was significantly cheaper, since there is no generic for the 150mg yet, most insurance companies will pay more because it is not a special request...just wanted to pass this along..also I called around to several pharmacies and found that there is actually a big difference in price between the pharmacies.
Posted by i4gotmy_sn on July 10, 2007, at 4:12:54
In reply to Re: Budeprion (Generic) vs. Wellbutrin, posted by sdworaczyk on July 5, 2007, at 8:46:29
Last night was the last time I took budeprion XL 300mg and it will be the last time ever. What a joke! Unfortunately I'm financially disadvantaged at the age of 20, so I can't purchased the name brand. I had been taking Wellbutrin XL 300mg for a while now and I was fine while on it. I can even so far as to say that I was decent on bupropion 300mg. It had little to no difference. I felt like I was just not getting a full effect of 300mg, that's all. It was okay and not horrible to deal with.
Considering I get my meds free or really cheap, I felt I had nothing to complain about. I told my psychiatrist, who's a total jerk for the record what had been going on when I took this weird, big, yellow pills that looked nothing like the name brand or the other generic I had. He made me feel like some sort of alien, as if what was coming out of my mouth was mindless babble. I knew what I had been feeling, but somehow to him, I was a lier. Like many others I thought my pharmacy made a mistake.
Tomorrow or within the next few days I have another refill to pick up. I flushed the remainder of what I had down the toilet. If I receive the same thing (yellow budeprion), I'm going to just hand it back to them and say "you guys obviously need the money, more than I need this". Why take something that's makes me worse off than I normally am?!
I really didn't want to experience side-effects of coming off of it, that's why I didn't stop taking the budeprion. It made me extreme edgy, easily prone to bouts of anger, and unhappy. Feeling like there was no reason to live. I felt that I was dependent on these pills and it played a toll on my self-esteem.
I almost lost some "friends" from the handful of episodes that I had. I had a complete mental breakdown and crying wasn't enough anymore. I had to hit pillows or squeeze the closest thing to me as hard as I could. I don't know if what I'm saying is making sense to any of you reading this, but hopefully. I apologize for the long entry. Long story, short: Wellbutrin XL 300mg = Excellent! Bupropion XL 300mg = Pretty good. Buderprion XL 300mg = Unbelievably unnecessary and not worth it!
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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