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Respected Contributor
Posts: 4,341
Registered: ‎04-19-2010

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

Suggestion. Ask your pharmacist if you can safely use food dye on some of them.

 


-- pro-aging --


Rochester, New York
Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,238
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

I won't say I never take generic but I will say I take very, very few generic drugs.

 

I remember the pharmacists have always said, "It doesn't have to be EXACTLY the same as the original drug, just similar.

 

By law it has to similar but not the same.  That makes a difference to me.

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resourcesforyou/consumers/questionsanswers/ucm100100.htm

 

My cardiologist was going to give me a drug because I had Scarlet Fever as a kid.  My heart muscle was damaged.  He says, "I want you to take bla bla".  I said, "What are the drawbacks to taking this?  There's always something".

 

He said you might have a cough with it.  I said, "You mean like a smoker's cough"?  He said, "Yes".  I said, "I'm not taking it".

 

Then he said, "I'll be right back".  He comes back with a lot of little bottles and said, "Here, take these".  He said, "This is real prescription.  You won't have the cough if you take this".  

 

That was several years ago.  To this day he supplies the drug for me.  My insurance company only supplies the generic brand.

 

I go to his office and the nurse counts out 3 months worth of the pills (it's a lot of little bottles) and THAT's what I take.

 

Recently, during a check up with him he said, "I can't believe I told you that".  I said, "Well, you did.  That's why I won't take it".  He just shook his head.

 

I also know very few Drs have their patients take the generic thyroid medicine.  I've met quite a few people who tell me their Dr wants them to only take Synthroid which is the original prescription.

 

That's the way my Dr is too.  I had to have my thyroid removed.  My daughter had 1/2 of her thyroid removed and her Dr tells her the same thing.

 

I'm sure there might not be a difference in generic, but I'd rather take the original drug.

 

My Dr said if I was living in Canada most of the drugs offered there are non-generic.

 

I have no idea if that's true or not.  I've always heard that in this country we are all controlled by the lobbyists and it saves the drug companies to sell us the generic brand.

 

I'm not surprised.  I know people who are lobbyists....nothing surprises me about what goes on in D.C. (as far as the US government goes).

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,612
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

These food dye markers can be used to mark the white pills.

 

download (1).jpg

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,213
Registered: ‎03-30-2014

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

Had to count to be sure, but I take 9 and I think they are all generic and a rainbow of colors, one of the capsules is bi-color.  Guess I am just lucky.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,432
Registered: ‎05-15-2016

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

As a former nurse this should not be insurmountable to you. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,283
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

Unless I was going to die within the hour because I missed a dose of something, I probably would have just waited until the next time around.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,824
Registered: ‎03-21-2010

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

I have had bad side effects from generic drugs so I only take brand name drugs ... generic & brand name drugs are NOT identical ... the generic drugs have different “fillers” ... I pay extra for the brand name but, it is worth it for me.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,517
Registered: ‎06-17-2015

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

[ Edited ]

@151949

 

1.  Put your readers on when you get up.  Simple.

 

2.  Get the type of pill holder that is measured out by time of day.  Then you will know which pill you dropped.   Easy.

 

3.  Stop taking the pills over your sink.  No problem.

 

4.  If all your daily pills are in one day in your pill container, then how do you even know which one you selected anyway???  How do you determine when each pill is to be taken?  Do you just pick one at any time??

 

 

 

Your complaint makes no sense.

 

 

 

Moving on.

 

"" Compassion is a verb."-Thich Nhat Hanh
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,795
Registered: ‎11-16-2014

Re: Something I hate about generic meds

My meds are various sizes and colors. Plavix is pink, verapamil blue, Lipitor oval small white pill, metformin 500mg oval large white pill and lopressor tiny white circular pill. None of them are similar and are generic. Hmm...

QVC Customer Care
Posts: 1,973
Registered: ‎06-14-2015

Re: Something I hate about generic meds