Beware! Generic Drugs and Brand Name Drugs Are Not Always the Same!

In February of 1998 I returned from a vacation in Hawaii with a strange feeling in my legs. They had a vibrating feeling; like a tuning fork was against them. My doctor ran some test, and on and outside chance ran by TSH level. He was surprised when the test results showed the TSH levels highly elevated. This result meant I had an autoimmune disease called Hypothyroidism. I was prescribed a drug call Synthroid. With Hypothyroidism your TSH levels must be testing often to insure you are taking the correct dosage of medicine. For me my dosage had to be changed about every other month for a year then I became stabilized; that is for about six months. For the first 18 months I had taken the name brand drug Synthroid but in an attempt to save money I switched to the generic version of the drug Levothroxine. The difference in the two versions of the drug caused my TSH levels to become elevated again. I did not go back on the brand name drug though; I just adjusted my dosage on the generic and became stable again. It became clear that for this drug it is important to either take the brand name or the generic version but not switch between the two. The generic version has worked great for me for the last three years.

Along with my Hypothyroidism I have trouble keeping my LDL and HDL levels where they need to be. Another medication is prescribed. For this problem I began taking the brand name drug Lipitor. It worked great but was a costly drug. There was no generic version of Lipitor a few years ago, not sure about now, so my doctor switched me to the generic version of Zocor, Simvastatin. I have now been on this cholesterol for two years and it has worked every bit as great at the Lipitor.

I have tried for a long time to keep my blood pressure in check. Unfortunately earlier this year my blood pressure remained elevated. Another medication was prescribed. This time we went with a generic drug, Lisinopril from the start. In one month my blood pressure was back in check.

I am a fortunate one; I have insurance to assist with my drug cost. Even with the insurance the three drugs above cost be $30 a month. Add to these two other medications that I take each month that cost me 50.00 a prescription and another that cost 100.00 a month; I spend 230 a month for medication. Drugs stores are creating generic plans to assist in cost. At least two of my drugs can be purchased for four dollars a month as Wal-Mart. Walgreens offers a $10 cost for a 90 day supply for several generic versions of drugs after enrolling in their drug plan.

I, for one, believe generic drugs can work for you as well as the brand name versions but you must do your homework. Watch your body; see your doctor regularly. The amount of money you save on your medicine by purchasing generic drugs can be significant and in this day and time I need all the savings I can get.