[Lakelover]

Hi everyone,

I am curious to know what you all know about generic Cytomel. I just received my first bottle through a mail order prescription place - you see my GP has written this prescription not 1 but 3 times and it appears it was still wrong which is one of the reasons I am looking for a new doc. I checked it as I dropped it into the envelope and realized yet another error on it - generic allowed but sent it anyway with fingers crossed that the brand would appear. Her dosing instructions were also wrong thus I got 1/2 the supply due - she is so stupid.

So I got the prescription today - got the generic which is almost 2 1/2 times larger for the same dose which concerns me - more fillers.

So what does everybody think I should do? Toss this and go find another doctor? Take these generics and find another doctor?

From what I gather generics have only been around a short time - maybe a few months?

Thanks,
Rose

[Jody]

Lakelover, on Nov 2 2009, 03:49 PM, said:

Hi everyone,

I am curious to know what you all know about generic Cytomel. I just received my first bottle through a mail order prescription place - you see my GP has written this prescription not 1 but 3 times and it appears it was still wrong which is one of the reasons I am looking for a new doc. I checked it as I dropped it into the envelope and realized yet another error on it - generic allowed but sent it anyway with fingers crossed that the brand would appear. Her dosing instructions were also wrong thus I got 1/2 the supply due - she is so stupid.

So I got the prescription today - got the generic which is almost 2 1/2 times larger for the same dose which concerns me - more fillers.

So what does everybody think I should do? Toss this and go find another doctor? Take these generics and find another doctor?

From what I gather generics have only been around a short time - maybe a few months?

Thanks,
Rose

Hi Rose,

The only thing I can tell you is that I have a friend here whose husband is a pharmcist and she is taking the generic cytomel with few problems. I will try to call him over the next 2-3 days and see if he has learned any thing on the fillers, if you want.

Jody

[SusieQ]

Hi Jody,

I would love it if you talked with your pharmacist friend about the generic cytomel!! I was not aware of generic t3 until this week. Gads, it costs SO much $, if there is generic...that would really help, as long as it is stable. Any info was be great!!

Thanks, Susie

[AngelTrujillo]

I do know that there are other brands of T3, but I have no idea if they are genaric or not. I take one and I have had no problems with it so far.


Thank you SusieQ for the help with that!



Angel

[Jody]

This is what I found out today after talking to my pharmacist.

Until the end of November, the same company that makes the name brand cytomel (GlaxoSmithKline) is the only mfg of the generic form. This happens with all drugs/drug companies when a generic first comes out, the original mfg gets the right to sell the generic for 6 months without competition.

The difference between the original form and generic dollar wise is about 7-8 dollars.

Sometime this month, other companies will be able to sell generic forms of cytomel. If there is a market for the generic form, other companies may now begin making it. This will drive the price down by quite a bit.

My pharmacists wife takes 5mg of cytomel, 60 tablets runs about 46.00 amonth. The generic, which she is now taking (without problems) runs about $38.00 a month. The kicker here is, insurance companies are currently paying more for the generic brand with a much lower co-pay than they paid for the original form with co-pay. Go figure.

Anyhow, his wife has been on the generic since May and had no problems with the switch at all. Hope this helps.

Jody

[AngelTrujillo]

THat is really neet thank you Jody!!

How have you been feeling?





Angel

[Lakelover]

It appears that other manufacturers have already begun to enter the system because the generic I received is made by Paddock.

I looked at both fillers and they are quite different - at this time I am still tweaking my dose so I plan to toss this prescription and get another with Cytomel brand.

My thinking is similar to changing up brands on T-4 replacement, if I do or when I do make a change over I plan to re-lab in 6 weeks but at this point I am just trying to figure out a set point as I have been experimenting with Cytomel for 15 months now.

When I received a quote from a local pharmacy the cost difference on 225 pills (3 month supply) was only $30 different but the cost was very high $189 vs $225ish. This is reason enough for me to consider a prescription for a 25mcg pill and cutting it in 1/2 since my daily dose is 12.5mcg.

Thanks for all the info everyone provided.

[Rowdy]

My pharmacy tried to switch me over to the generic,but I refused it since my original script said Cytomel.They couldn't just change it over.
At least not until it expires,then doc will write no sub on the script.
My pharmacy dislikes us :).Davids father was a compounding pharmacist and he was dead set against generics.
So no generics here! It's funny how annoyed they get over our _no generic policy_ :)
Price wise....57.00 for non generic and 32.00 for generic.Considerable difference,but my health is more important to me then the money.


On a side note....saw on the news that pigs have been found with swine flu,but FDA says they're still ok for food.Makes ya go hmmm.
Wonder if this has anything to do with the shortage of Armour? Interesting.


Oh and on another side note....I saw a mountain lion out in the woods right next to my house! Not something you ever see where I live!
So have been being very careful when taking the dogs out.Freaked me right out it did.The Environmental police wouldn't confirm or deny that the animals are around.There have been sightings but no proof re:pictures.The sightings have not been anywhere around my area,until now.It's both exciting and scarey,exciting to have seen one,but scarey knowing how dangerous they can be.

[SusieQ]

Thanks Jody. Very interesting stuff.

My cytomel over the years has had several mfgs which told me that it was a generic drug, but being sold as brand (with the extra cost of brand). I felt this was a confusing situation but my mind could only go to this was a medication listed as brand, but really generic in it's true sense. When I have asked about this with the pharmacist in the past, I was told that cytomel was a brand name medication and was not generic.

Anyhow, for at least one year, the mfg listed on my cytomel has been King Pharmacutials whereas, before that, it has had two different mfgs listed. I see that yours lists yet another mfg....things that make you hum. And LakeLover's cytomel has yet another mfg different from yours and mine. Personally, to me, it seems that we've been using generic cytomel for a few years already, but paying as if it was brand.

I hope that this does indeed drive the cost down as it is one pricey medication. For many people, it would be prohibitive on cost alone even if you were lucky enough to find a dr who rx'ed it.

Thanks again for the info Jody. I will have to contact the pharmacist who fills my cytomel rx's and inquire about whether his counter will be offering generic now -- at least in full disclosure.

:^)

Susie

[Jody]

There have been several companies that make the brand name cytomel, but when it came to being the first for generic, the parent company had the rights for 6 months on the generic.

Personally, I don't trust any pharmaceutical company.

On a side note, I saw where 2 cats have been diagnosed with swine flu as well as the pigs. And today, the scroll on CNN had a blurb about cardiac failure when on statins. thought that was also interesting. Maybe it is time to go back to making it take a few years to get new drugs on the market, with lots of testing and studies.

Jody

[Rowdy]

Yep saw that about the cats.I ,well I guess I best not say what I was going to say.Ya know BB and all.
Statins don't stop you from having a heart attack,hell they don't even lower your levels by all that much.But you know my feelings on that crap!
Doc brings it up and I politely refuse :)
LIES ALL LIES.
Jody don't get me going on this shit!!!!GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[Christine]

Boy! Don't get ME started on generic crap either! Amen, Rowdy! Half my "rollercoaster rides" are due to the fickle pharmas and the whores at the FDA.

These are some good reads if you want some perspective on the generics and the problems with their unbridled, unnecessary use of an excess of garbage fillers. The original brand name Inderal is a good example - few fillers, and they were simple ingredients. But the brand name is no longer even available. The Mylan brand of propranolol contains sodium lauryl sulfate, which we are told to avoid in our shampoo!!! But it's OK to stir the sh*t into our drugs??? .

Same problem with branded Tapazole by Lilly. Discontinued, and the generics have a wild range of excess additives. I have a list of the different "inactive ingredients" used in each generic methimazole somewhere in my documents. I'll drag it out later. The generics "inactive ingredients" read like some kid's chemistry set. There should be some kind of standardization, but there isn't. And don't think the fillers don't affect the active ingredient!:



http://generalmedici...gs_side_effects

Excerpt:

In this comparison, the generic Lisinopril has nearly double the inactive ingredients as the brand-name Prinivil. Those additional ingredients may increase the risk for allergic response. Doctors and pharmacists rarely caution against potential adversities from inactive ingredients. The FDA requires no such labeling or warning. And yet people routinely have difficulty with a prescription without knowing why.

For example, sodium lauryl sulfate can cause adverse reaction in sensitive people. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a surfactant (soap) approved by the FDA for use in toothpastes, cosmetics, shampoos, lotions, ointments, creams, and drugs. It is a caustic detergent that can be used as an effective de-greaser. Its purported purpose in drugs is as a wetting and dispersing agent. But the question must be asked. If Merck’s Prinivil is effective without this ingredient, why does Mylan’s Lisinopril need it? The truth is that it does not need it, and with its inclusion, people sensitive to sodium lauryl sulfate may suffer avoidable difficulties. They may believe they cannot tolerate the drug when, in truth, it is not the drug but rather an inactive ingredient that is the culprit.

++++++++++++


http://drugtopics.mo...e/detail/561047

Overview of pharmaceutical excipients used in tablets and capsules

Excerpt:

Last, but not least, some excipients are used simply to make the product taste and look better. This improves patient compliance, especially in children. Although technically "inactive" from a therapeutic sense, pharmaceutical excipients are critical and essential components of a modern drug product. In many products, excipients make up the bulk of the total dosage form (1). Apart from the drug’s active ingredient, other essential components include diluents or fillers, binders, disintegrants, lubricants, coloring agents and preservatives (3). Diluents or fillers are inert ingredients that can significantly affect the chemical and physical properties of the final tablet thus affecting the biopharmaceutical profile.

Every time a pharmacist tells me that generics are "exactly the same" he gets a dose of Graves' "impatience."

UGH!!!
Chris

[Lakelover]

You all are freaking me out.

Cat's, pigs.... where will it all end? My sister thinks the world will end because of infection or virus. It's going to be a huge death toll this flu season.

As far as generics go - this prescription was signed product selection permitted, I just mailed it and figured I would see what showed up - thinking I may get the Cytomel I had in the past. Generic Cuytomel is real and we all need to be aware of it, I will find another doctor to write me another prescription for brand only as I too shy away from generic's for my thyroid hormone replacement. I do however, take Unithroid for my T-4 med. I would think as long as we stick with a generic brand we should be fine with either - just as long as we stick with the manufacturer.

I've been trying to adjust on Cytomel too long to be making a switch ~ it as SusieQ states better known as TN3. Once you try it you know what we're talking about.

[Christine]

My rant was over the cavalier attitude the medical industry has toward the different drugs. All the talk about the "new healthcare" includes the idea that if you lose access to one brand or even one version of a particular drug, just ask for a "substitute." That's bullcrap! We're lucky in some cases to find ONE brand of ONE version of ONE drug for something that will be EFFECTIVE and not produce adverse side effects.

In my case I no longer HAVE a choice about the beta blocker I use. The brand name Wyeth Inderal was discontinued a couple of years ago, in the US and in Canada. I finally recently find one in Australia (purchased through Canadadrugs) and it is immediately discontinued.

I tried one generic brand of propranolol and I ended up having to take TWICE what I took of the branded. I tried another, still needed double doses, but it came with all kinds of side effects that I didn't even realize were probably due to this generic until I got ahold of a brand name again (this time Astra Zeneca Inderal). I was able to drop back to the original dose of 30 mg per day instead of the 60 mg needed on the generic crap, and the symptoms I had developed (muscle, gut, among others) faded away.

Now I'm trying yet another generic from Canada. We'll see how that goes.

The moral of the story is: find a drug that works best for you (least of evils if necessary) and stick with it, until the pharmas and FDA yank the rug out from under you again.

I pay cash for my drugs anyway, so I'm in the driver's seat as far as being picky. I have to sacrifice and prioritize things in my life in order to pay for this, but it is what it is.

>>>>>>> Each time you get a refill, demand to know the mfr name, and demand a "package insert" so you can read for yourself the inactive ingredients. Check out sites online to see what each of those ingredients is all about. Compare ingredients to the other drugs. Many ingredient lists for each drug sold in the USA can be found here:

http://dailymed.nlm....lymed/about.cfm

You can search the websites of the drug manufacturer, and if you can't find the inactive ingredients after all that, CALL the mfr!

This is something that needs to be addressed. Since so many people are sensitive to certain fillers and additives, there should be "transparency" in the marketing of these drugs. The ingredients should be listed right there on your prescription bottle. For now, it's only listed on the package insert, and you have to ask for that, even if you get the original, sealed bottle of a drug. Compare the ingredients of different brands. If one brand doesn't agree with you, try another brand, and compare the list of each to see if you can figure out which additive/additives are not tolerated. It's a hit or miss process, but what else can you do until they put the clamps on these fly-by-night generics? Hell, there's a whole industry out there thriving on the production of excipients (drug fillers) alone! And these vendors are located in India, China, etc. You have no idea where the raw materials for your drugs are manufactured, or under what kinds of regulations or oversight, or lack thereof.

Here's an old list of inactive ingredients for Tapazole and methimazole just to show the wide variety of inactive ingredients. I think the "EON" is now Sandoz, or Sans. I can't keep track:

INACTIVE INGREDIENT LISTINGS:
METHIMAZOLE--MMI--TAPAZOLE
__________________________________


ORIGINAL TAP - Jones Pharma, Eli Lilly

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:

lactose
magnesium stearate
starch
talc

------------------------

NEW TAP - King Pharmaceuticals, AAI

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:

lactose monohydrate
magnesium stearate
starch (corn)
talc
pregelatinized starch

plus some kind of coating that the
FDA does not require they list at all

(plus preservative packet - not listed)

---------------------------

PAR PHARMA - generic MMI

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:

lactose monohydrate
magnesium stearate
corn starch
talc


EON - generic MMI

INACTIVE INGREDIENTS:

Lactose Monohydrate
Magnesium Stearate
Talc
Anhydrous Lactose
Pregelatinized Starch
Colloidal Silicon Dioxide
------------------------------

ALL BRANDS:

ACTIVE INGREDIENT: 1-methylimidazole-2-thiol

[Rowdy]

Yipper Chris! This is one way in how the "F's" make their money off of us.Make a cheap pill,with 1/2 the actual med in it so the people need to take twice as much.Hey it's twice as much money in their friggin pockets.F'n bastards!!
GRRRR.

Lake sorry to freak you out.I don't worry about this stuff.I do take precautions,but honestly,if I get sick,and die,then I feel that
it was my time to go home where I belong.Spending our time worring about all this stuff stops us from living.
There is so much that happens that we never hear about...things much worse then this I'm sure.
Just take deep breaths when you get freaked out and believe that it will all be okay.