Topiramate vs topamax

Hi~~

 

My son has epilepsy which has been well controlled with Topamax.  The insurance company has recently switched to the generic, Topiramate.  Have any of you switched from Topamax to Topiramate & what was your experience?

 

Topiramate is significantly cheaper than Topamax--like 25 times cheaper. 

 

Thanks

good to know, thanks

metal mom~~

so far so good.  i hope that topiramate works well for you, too.

Thanks

akhiker said...
I haven't used this med but have worked in pharmacuetical QC. Generics and brand names are often produced in the same contracted noname labs. They all must adhere to the same QC standards. The only difference is the label and the price.

The same goes for tons of HBA products too.

Hope things work out well for you.

Akhiker, this is my first time on this site and I'm glad to see someone brought this up. First off, I'm 30 yrs old and have had epilepsy for almost 20 years. During this time, I've had MANY doctor consultations and have been on countless meds. A topic that is brought up a lot during the epilepsy support group that I attend is "name brand vs. generic". One evening, a dr. came and spoke on the subtle differences between them. He also noted that those subtle differences can have an effect on an individual. For example, I take Keppra (3500 mg) and was switched to the generic. In a weeks time my seizures began again. My dr. had to contact the pharmacy as well as inusrance provider and I was back on the name brand per Dr.'s override. My neurologist and thereapist were aware of the differences in name brand and generic but just weren't sure how they were going to affect me. I'm not saying my situation is the solution to everything, ya know? I just hope that people who change from name brand to generic/vice-versa are fully aware of how their bodies respond.

Take care

Hello, I was switched to the generic for Topamax and had many breakthrough seizures. I had to back to the brand. I will not go back and try again. It is not worth the risk to me. I am great on the brand and have been taking it for about 9 yrs. I take the brand Lamictal XR; it is not available in generic, even tho the regular Lamictal is. I may try the XR when it becomes available in generic at some point. I used to take generic Lamictal and had no problems. My neuro wanted me on the timed released as I used to take Tegretol XR which worked good except for the ringing in the ears. i was on it 9 years also. Thx for the info,

I have worked with many anti-seizure medications.  It is incorrect to assure that it is the same medication with a different label. Some name brand meds also make the generic.  Many times however, special generic houses manufacture these generic medications after the patent runs off.   Generic medications must meet certain bio-availaility standards.  This standards can vary slightly from branded name medications.  Sometimes up to 20%.  For example, rarely do you ever hear of anyone using generic Depakote, even thought generic Valproate has been around for years and years.  Patients either could not tolerate it or it was not effective. For some patients, generics works just fine.  For patients depend on very percise medication standards and how they are dissolved and absorbed within the body.  Those individuals with sensitivities who were well controlled on branded meds, may not achieve the same control on certain brands of generics. Becareful with the statement that they are all the same.  There is a range generics must meet.  But that range is  not always identical to branded drug.  In an antibotic it may not matter, in a seizureor headache meds it could be the difference between good and adequate control. 

I actually discussed this with my dr yesterday at my appointment, to remind her to write my script as no substiute. A few times ago i got generic lamictal and i didnt take it i got a new script and had them fill it correctly.
But what she said was that since the generic can be made by different companies, like maybe 3 different places, there are differences, maybe slight, but still differences in each one. And if your pharmacy finds out that one kind is cheaper, they may switch again, so you might get different meds all the time.
She said that the generics dont seem to cause a problem for people who are taking the meds for other things, like mood controllers and dont seem to be as much problem for people taking them for headaches, although those people are having dosing issues.

Its pathetic to me that the FDA can clearly see what happenes to people who switch to generic AED's but still allow them to be made for that. And that insuance companies woudl allow it too. Cause im sure its so much cheaper to pay for someone being put in the hospital for their seizures or the injuries they might get related to them. I mean come on! Makes me think of how some wont pay for birthcontrol, theyd rather pay for babies, lol.

...and today I received proof. My Dr's office/Nurse called and said the amount of drug in my system is lower than expected so I am doubling what I used to take on brand name.

I hate the sue happy culture we live in, but this is one of those cases between my trips to the ER for pain and I can't imagine what people with epilepsy go through with this type of medication yo-yo.

It makes me very aggravated.

I took Topamax for 4 1/2 years for migraine.  I've had horrible side effects with the generic.  I also suffer from anxiety and  panic attacks (which I had under control) but came back with a venegeance a month after I started the generic.  Instead of attributing them to the drug, I thought that my anxiety worsened (although there was no trigger.)  It became unbearable, tremors, muscles tightening in my chest, panic attacks that lasted hours.  I'm a college instructor and I could barely make it through my classes.  Yesterday I finally went to see my old psychiatrist, because I thought I needed more anxiety medication.  She asked if i was still taking topamax and if I had switched to the generic last july.  She told me that 90 percent of her patients taking toprimate had 4 to 6 times the side effects they had as opposed to those they experienced with topamax. Most are unlike me taking it for bipolar disorder, and had manic episodes as well as severe anxiety.  She said that she had her patients switch back.  I'm not happy about paying the extra deductable and copay, but Topamax worked and I'm not going to continue to be a guniea pig while pharmaceutical companies perfect the formulation and insurance companies try to force the cheaper and sometimes inferior generics at me. 

My Pharmacy switched me to Generic Topamax and I started filling my pill box with some of that and some of the old Brand name 100 mg Topamax and for months I've had several small break through seizures and also 4 + big ones. They start with hyperventilating in the middle of the night then are followed by fear and screaming and panic. I have hurt my ankle and am pretty sore and bruised. I blamed my life my stress and myself until I realized that I have been on the Generic entirely for about 2 weeks now and this is when I've had 3 of the big seizures. I am sure It is the generic that has caused me countless injuries, pain, and now I am scared to go to sleep. It has been a really tough summer. DONT MESS WITH THESE GENERICS. learn from my story please.