Generic version symptoms and conditions

I have been taking the generic version of Wellbutrin, Bupropion, for almost 6 months. It has been the only thing to lift a bit of my chronic depression and anxiety. It gives me enough energy to navigate my day- I am not as tired all the time, nor do I feel so heavy and generally lethargic.

About 2 months ago, my hair started falling out. I have always had extremely thick, shiny hair. I started taking more vitamins to no avail. I couldn't figure it out because I didn't see anything about hair loss on the literature from the pharmacy that comes with my pills. Huge gobs of hair would come out in the shower or anytime I combed it. It got on my clothes, on the floor, on my pillows... It was horrifying! I believe I have lost about half of my hair, no kidding. I don't have any bald spots thank goodness, but that is because I started with so much hair in the first place. But if it keeps going at this rate, I can't imagine not being bald in the near future! Recently my friends have even commented on my thin hair. I try to not comb it unless it is just as the bottom, and even then I am pulling the hair up through the comb, not pulling the comb down through my hair. I wash it as infrequently as possible and even though I desperately need a trim, I will not go to the salon.

Just tonight I found this information and this very informative site. I am so mad though, because I never saw this as a possible side effect in any of the main literature- maybe I just missed it?

What is scary to me is to think about going off this drug...I'm afraid I won't be able to function as well with day to day living. My fatigue, depression, and anxiety are so immobilizing. I am going to try to go to a low dose and see if that helps, as well as continue to take the extra vitamins with biotin.
I really hope that's enough.

I didn't get much help in the past from any other antidepressants (I have tried 4). Almost as bad as the hair loss (although not visible to the entire world) was the total lack of sexual desire and ability to have sexual pleasure with the other drugs. That is part of the reason I loved Wellbutrin: no sexual side effects, a slight decrease in appetite/weight, increased energy and alertness, and a decrease in depression and anxiety (not completely, but the best I have had so far).

The only other side effect I have experienced is irritability and that has recently become worse. I notice I am much terser with my daughter and have less patience in general. I am likely to have angry reactions and at times I find myself feeling confrontational, whereas in the past I have always shied away from confrontation.

It is definitely a mixed bag with any of these drugs and very disappointing. Good luck to you all and thanks for sharing. . .

Reading this has been really comforting. I am extremely sensitive to medication. I went in to see my doctor and even though my blood tests were normal, he believed I had hypothyroidism and put me on 25 mcg of the generic version of Synthroid. In the first 5 days I developed feelings of "dread" and I was afraid to go to sleep at night. Right afterward I got hit with some really stressful stuff and I went into full anxiety attacks (something I hadn't experienced in 15 years). Now, after about a week I'm a little better than I was before but I still cannot eat much and scary thoughts race through my mind...I also feel detached from everyone, like I'm in a bubble or something. I emailed a therapist yesterday, but now that I know the synthroid is probably still in my system, I feel a lot better. Thanks to everyone for sharing.

I took aviane that is supposedly the generic version of Aleese.. which its NOT. Aleese was taken off the market and replaced with pill and they called it generic.
Well Aleese has don't wonders for some but when Aviane was introduced it was slightly different. Well, anyways..

I took it for a few days and don't say its not long enough. EVERYONE'S body reacts differently to ALL MEDICATIONS!
After my few days I was biting my fiance's head off and handing it back to him. Next day I was happy as a cucumber and days following I started to get a weird feeling. I felt itchy ALL OVER! And I felt short of breath a little bit and I HAD MASSIVE INCREASED ANXIETY!
I went to the doctor and they said I was having an allergic reaction to something. They couldn't figure out if it was the hormone in the pill or if it was the dye covering it.
NOW I have to go on the nuvaring to see if that does the something.

I am a few days away from my 19th birthday and i've been taking Yasmin since the age of 11. I was diagnosed with PCOS when i was 11 and Yasmin has been what's keeping my period regular and more or less pain free since then. In May of 2008 i was switched to the generic version of Yasmin called, Ocella and started to notice more and more symptoms and side effects. My stomach pain in the mornings grew greater by the day and when i was on my sugar pill i would gain an unbearable migraine. Thinking it was just part of being a woman i ignored it and went about my life. It wasn't until December of 2008 while out with a group of friends i came into some serious stomach pain. thinking it was just a typical stomach ache that i normally got i ignored it. when i came to be about 4 am and the pain hadn't stopped i started to worry. first thing in the morning i went to the doctor who referred me to get an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that i had gall stones and that i should have my gall bladder removed before more complications were to occur. Being a college student only a week away from returning to my second semester i opted to wait until spring break to have the surgery. During the 3 month wait i experience extreme diarrhea whenever something was put in my mouth, extreme stomach pain, heartburn, nausea, headaches, sore muscles, the list goes on and on i felt like i had been hit by a truck every day and i still had to go to class. in March of 2009 i had my gall bladder removed thinking that the symptoms would finally stop i returned to school only to find that nothing got better. It's been 7 months since my gall bladder has been removed and i'm still having the same symptoms as before and now i've added depression, stress, lack of energy and interest and many other things to the list. I'm still taking Ocella because i've never been advised otherwise but the symptoms are taking over my life. I am a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering at college and it's just become harder and harder to focus on my work or to enjoy the aspects of college that i should be with the frequent trips to the bathroom or having to opt out of a fun activity because of stomach pain. I was wondering if anyone can help me, maybe point me in a direction where i can get better and get back to enjoying what a 19 should be. Thanks.

Is anyone also taking adderall, along with Yasmin? I had a baby 9 months ago and was off of adderall and Yasmin for about a year. In April, I stopped breastfeeding and got back on adderall and Yasmin's generic version, Othello. I was fine for a few months. Then, in July, I noticed the anxiety and related symptoms: lump in my throat, numbness in fingers (I had this when I was prego, too, as I gained 80 lbs., etc., but it went away for a while), feeling like my heart was racing, moodiness, etc. I take my Othello at night, as I sometimes get nauseous at the beginning of the pack, and don't want to "suffer" during the day. At first I thought it was my adderall, as it can sometimes cause anxiety-related symptoms, but I went off of it for a few days and I still had the exact same symptoms, because I was still taking Othello. I even cut down on my caffeine. I love coffee, but have started getting half-caf. drinks. I think I need to go off of the Othello, because I really think that it is the source of all my "issues". Does anyone have a similar story or advice that they can share? Thanks! :)

I have had terrible hair loss while taking Wellbutrin - the generic version Bropupion. My hair loss started only 4-5 weeks after I started taking the med. Only today I made the connection and after googling Wellbutrin and hair loss I found this and other sites all saying how many, many people have had this same problem I am nearly hysterical. The hair loss has been dramatic and terrible. I can see bald patches on my scalp. I am a 48 year old woman. The tragedy is that I have had no benefit at all for taking this drug other than weight loss.
I had other side effects like dry mouth, palpitations, hostile feelings, tremors.
I am going off it TODAY.

I am taking the generic Bupropion at 300mg per day. I went up in dosage to 300 last month, I'm about 1 week in to my 2nd refill on the 300mg. I am having TERRIBLE side affects right now. At this moment I'm at work trying to concentrate on even saying the right words on the phone - I have no sick time left so I can't go home - my hearing is jacked up. Things fade out and then come back so loud. I feel as if I'm drifting off to sleep and things get quiet and then WHAM someone will say something to me and it's so loud like someone woke me up from a nap. My vision is a little blurry, and I can't remember things. Fortunately I can get away with this for another day at my job, I started feeling like this yesterday, just today started thinking it was my med. I'm not on any other meds. I'm dizzy too. The worst part is I can't remember conversations. At the time of, I know what I'm saying though slower, but if I'm having a lengthy conversation I will probably forget what you said at the beginning. The confusion is what makes me the most upset. Things that I know, little things like someones phone extension, I can't remember and have to look up. The weird thing is all these symptoms come in waves. I'll have a moment of 'normalness' and then right back into the symptoms. I'm even having trouble typing right now. - I'm not hungry and after reading this site I now know why I'm itching all over.

I got on this website looking for a 'quick fix' like eating a big meal, but see I'm going to have to rough it out another day here in la la land. Wellbutrin was working for me in the beginning, 150 mg for 2 months, increased energy, good attitude etc, then wore off a little so we uped it to 300mg. I'm going to go dwn in dosage, try taking the 150mg tomorrow and see how I feel. I hope this wears off!! I am curious to know if you can cut the dosage of 300mg pill Buproprion to 150 by cutting it in half? I just got that refill so I was wondering. Today is going to be so rough! I went straight to bed yesterday after work and guess I will be doing the same tonight. Oh great, my coworker just asked if I was "ok" because I'm being so quiet. Yikes. I've read this email about 5 times to make sure I don't repeat myself since I can't remember!

How is everyone having such bad effects if it just came out 2 weeks ago? i always take ortho lo and they just handed me this new pill....im really concerned...

I have been on the generic version of Wellbutrin Xl since January 09. About 6 weeks ago I noticed a lot of hair loss. A week or so ago it increased and my thick hair is thinning so quickly I am panicked. I contacted my doctor on Monday morning and he advised I stop taking it right away. 150 mg a day. I have noticed my scalp is very itchy and today the hair has not stopped coming out. My doctor told me the hair will grow back but I don't know I believe him at this point. He wants me to go med free for 2 weeks until I see him. A little nervous about withdrawal and how I will feel med free since the depression was intolerable. Has anyone had significant hair loss with this drug and seen it come back after quitting the meds?

Same thing here. I have a sinus infection and pharyngitis that just wouldn't go away for 3 weeks. I was prescribed the generic version (Clarithromycin) 500Mg twice daily. The antibiotic does seem to work. I have had a bitter taste from it almost from the beginning. I took the fourth dose on an empty stomach in the morning with little fluid and 10 minutes later started to eat. 20 minutes after taking the antibiotic I had experienced an uncharacteristically severe panic attack. My heart just instantly started racing, confusion set in. The whole time while I am taking it I have difficulty breathing which eases off as dose wears out. Luckily for me I had some lorazepam laying around which I took to suppress this reaction. I skipped my 5th dose in the evening but my infection is still an issue. Now I am unsure whether to continue taking it or not. I am about to see my ENT today so I think I will not be taking it until I see him.

I have been on a generic version of the drug for 2 days in order to stave off infection on several skin wounds I received after a bad fall. I am experiencing severe headaches and drowsiness (in addition to the terrible taste and smell with small belches). I am unable to stay awake for more than 10 minutes at a time. I'll definitely be discontinuing use of the drug.

I have been on both Yasmin and the generic version for years and LOVE it! I had been on several different types of Ortho and had horrible acne and migraines so finding Yasmin was like a gift from heaven - no migraines, my skin was back to normal and my period was so light I bought tampons about once every three months.

I have had a lot going on in the last year and kept forgetting to take my pill each day so I decided to try the NuvaRing and the results have not been positive for me. I am calling my doctor today and asking her to switch me back.

For those of you who have switched from one pill to another, just remember that it can take three months for skin issues to clear up. When I switched to Yasmin from one of the Ortho pills, I initially had worse acne on the second month after changing but by the end of the third month everything had sorted itself out hormone-wise and my skin cleared up. Thank goodness my doctor and dermatologist forewarned me or I might not have stuck with it.

I started the generic form of wellbutrin 2 weeks ago. Today I have a few hives. To those of you who have had a hive reaction, were you taking wellbutrin or the generic version?

I have never before posted on a forum like this, but if my information helps or forewarns one other woman .... I am grateful.

I am 51 years old, been in perimenopause since Lincoln was President, it seems. I was prescribe a generic version of Yasmin, and, because I had been experiencing general symptoms of perimenopause before, did not attribute to Yasmin by increasing feelings of being in hell.

I will say one positive thing about it: I have had only one mid-life zit since I started on it. However, the experiences I am going to list now dismisses that aspect completely.

I have been on it for 4 1/2 months. The awfulness of it crept up on me, but there is no denying that now. I have gained weight. I have always been slender; however, I've gone up a pant size and even those pants are feeling tight. I'm constipated, no matter how much fiber and mild laxatives I take. My stomach pooches out and feels tight. My breasts are tender. They have NEVER been tender or sore, no matter the time of the month. My hot flashes and night sweats have reached an unprecedented level, and I have been having those off/on for a decade. I don't have hot "flashes" anymore. I heat up and I am uncomfortable all day, save for maybe a couple of hours.

Now, here is the WORST side effect: I am so f-ing angry almost all the time and my energy goes into hiding that from others. And there are the companions of anger: depression, feeling SO alone, feeling like a freak and that there is something fundamentally wrong with me... something wrong w/ my very soul. I recognize that some of these symptoms reflect aspects of my personality, but I work on that very hard in a spiritually/practical way and achieve successes along the way. This is different. This is very, very bad.

I will NEVER take another one of those horrid pills. I am going to see a doctor who works w/ women's issues and prescribes bio-identical hormones. And if THAT doesn't work, I will find another answer; rather, another answer will come to me, because I hit rock bottom and my intention is SO strong that the Answer cannot NOT come to me (okay, that's a metaphysical pronouncement, but there you go) .

For those of you who want to talk to me on this forum, or email me personally, I welcome and appreciate your thoughts. We are ALL together in this! Much Light and Love along the Way, K.

I was on Yasmin from the day it hit the market a million years ago and absolutely love it. Absolutely no side effects (other than my skin looked amazing and I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight!). I loathe Ocella, the generic version. I was on it for four months and am now trying Yaz (which, for the time being, does not have a generic so my insurance will cover it). If Yaz doesn't give me the same results as Yasmin, I'm going to just pay the penalty and get the brand name Yasmin...I love it that much! For everyone complaining after 2 days or 2 weeks on the pill (any pill), you need to remember that any transition is going to mess with your chemical balance. We're talking about something that chemically moderates your natural chemical composition. You really need 3 months to fully adjust.

There seems to be similar increases in nausea and dosage size of Diovan. Dosage has gone in two years from 40 to 80 and now 160. I am pursuing the idea that the nausea is caused by gastroparesis, which is slow emptying of the stomach, and there is some indication on websites that Diovan can indeed cause gastroparesis. I am now backing off the Diovan dosage slowly, by chopping pills and taking the 80 pill plus about 20 or 30's worth 12 hours later. As the pill is coated a bit, I wonder at what rate the exposed, chopped pill piece dispenses itself.
I had an endoscopy a few days ago and it was mostly negative, no cancer, no esophageal damage, no Barrett's, a little redness in the stomach lining which the surgeon is testing for H. pylori.
I have lost about 14 lbs due to being careful with all the nausea, and it is time to work outside on my vegetable crops, so I hope to get the BP down the right way and get rid of most or all of the Diovan.
The nausea happens about 12 hours after eating.
Anybody else having nausea?

I have been on Loestrin 24 Fe for almost 8 months now. After a 2 yr battle with a generic version of seasonale (which just stopped working and i bled for 2 months and then had NO bleeding on the third, no period either!) I completely went off bc for 3 months and experienced withdrawal symptoms that were horrible. So my doctor put me on Loestrin and the first month was great. I had a period that last 1 hr, and the pharmacist said "count it as a blessing." After that I had nausea, headaches (have one right now), bloating, no appetite, then all of a sudden a huge appetite!, yeast infections (which I don't get normally), discharge (a lot), abdominal pains, and its very hard to see out of my contacts so I opt for my glasses... Its also expensive. I am thinking about switching, again, until I find the right one for my body. This pill makes me think I'm pregnant. Moodiness, sore breast, nausea...and I know for a fact I'm not! I haven't had acne problems but I owe that all to drinking a lot of water, keeping hydrated. I can't get off of bc because those issues are worse than both bc I've had! Anyone know of a great pill they've experienced?

I am scared to death after reading what everyone is going through. I was put on Levaquin for 10 days and got to day 9. My joints ached so bad I thought I had arthritis, and even had my Dr. do blood tests for it (I had no idea it was the Levaquin). I am only 35 years old and never worried about arthritis before this. Also, within 5 days I started developing hives all over. Again, I was stupid and didn't realize until day 9 that the hives were because of this med. I told my Dr. and he told me to stop taking it which of course I did. I assumed the hives would go away after the med was out of my system. But a week later the hives were unbearable. I was put on prednisone (another issue altogether) and that helped the itching, but now every time I try to go off or back off the prednisone the hives come back- and they are terrible! Now my Dr. thinks the hives were from something else because there is no way that the Levaquin is still in my body. But after reading what other people are going through on this med, I am convinced this stuff is as everyone says- POISON!! I am so worried about the joint and hip pain that was so bad I couldn't stand for long without excruciating pain in my right hip. It felt like I had a one hundred pound weight just sitting on it. And my hands were the worst. I have a newborn and could barely pick him up without worry that I'd drop him. I don't know what to do.. Is there anything to do?? I'm still on the prednisone, and have been for a month. I need to get off of it but every time I do I itch so bad with the hives that I cannot function. Also because of the prednisone I noticed last night that I am getting "moon face" my face is swelling up and there are a million side effects from that drug too. How long does this last? Has anyone else fought the hives that come with this? Please help me, I am so scared!

I could not be happier for coming across this site. I truly thought something was wrong with me. My pharmacist mentioned that there is a cheaper generic version of Alesse called Aviane with the same ingredients available. After a few days I began to have tingling in various parts of my head, I would call that unusual headaches and would become dizzy for no apparent reason. I began to have palpitations and have anxiety even when sitting at home. My sleeping has been turned upside down and I now wake up at least 3 times at night. Nothing has changed in my life since I began Aviane only 9 days ago, however physically there have been many changes. How is it that the pharmacists claim that the two versions are the same when so many of us are having such radical changes?

Well, I beg to differ with "huh1051" regarding the snake venom. This is straight from "Wikipedia"... History/brand names
Lisinopril was developed by Merck & Co. and is marketed worldwide as Prinivil or Tensopril and by AstraZeneca as Zestril. In India it is marketed by Micro Labs as Hipril. In the United States, a generic version is available. Like other ACE inhibitors, it is derived from the venom of the jararaca, a Brazilian pit viper (Bothrops jararaca). So, "what" do you believe!!!???? This drug breaks the blood brain barrier which is probably why so many people get depression. However, I "think" this drug is causing more than just depression. It's shrinking the brain and affecting memory.
bellabear

i personally have had the best experience with my Yasmin birth control. I have been on it for 5 years now. Before Yasmin I was a wreck.Before i ever took any birth control i had my period twice a month, super heavy bleeding,10 days,and cramps so bad I would pass out. I even bled for 5 months straight on the Depoprovera shot. I found all of the tricyclic pills make me crazy and over emotional. I have tried so many different kinds of pills and birth control all with the result of bleeding for months on end and finally my doctor recommended Yasmin and I have been completely happy with it. I have not gained weight, I do not get migraines (and i did with other birth control pills), I am much more emotionally stable (although I will never be a hundred percent sane, but I blame genetics for that one) I have never gotten pregnant, I have not suffered any gastrointestinal side effects, I finally have regular 7 day periods and my cramps are less horrible, my skin has cleared up, i have a perfectly healthy if not over active sex drive, my breast are not particularly tender ever, I don't get any more yeast infections than before, basically it is my saving grace in my opinion. I must also add to this that I did stop taking Yasmin once for 5 months in these 5 years just to see how I am without BC and nothing crazy happened. My periods were heavier, i had worse cramps, my skin broke out. I expected all of that to happen. A month after getting back on Yasmin I was back to my happy ol self again. One last thing is that I did try the Ocello generic version of Yasmin and it was all bad for me. I once again bled for 2 months even though I only took it for two weeks, and i went completely nutso overemotional chick. Long story short, everyone is built differently, not every BC will be the right one for you. Try some different ones out. If you are on a pill and it is not doing the right things for you then switch it instead of taking it for 2 years and then blogging about how miserable it makes you. I will leave you with a wonderful quote from I don't know who but I live for this saying "More orgasms, fewer kids, copulate, don't populate!" HOORAY

After suffering from severe cramps and heavy bleeding for several years I decided to go to the doctor to see if I might possibly have endometriosis. He put me on Femcon in hopes of getting the pain and bleeding under control. I immediately noticed side effects from this medication. Much of what many of you are posting. I had constant tenderness and discomfort in my breasts, vivid/realistic nightmares, weight gain and most of all severe moodiness and irritability. I felt angry and hostile three weeks out of every month. Not a pleasant situation for me or the people around me. After two months of this, I called my doctor to possibly switch to something else. His response: exercise, high protein diet and Prozac as needed. I have been on a high protein diet for the better part of 20 years and have been exercising regularly all my life. As I am already on Paxil, albeit an extremely low dose (6.25mg-half of a 12.5), I found the Prozac part of his solution to be questionable. Number one, I don't believe in over medicating. Number two, it is my understanding that with antidepressants like Prozac, you have to take them consistently to achieve the desired effects. Having been on Prozac in the past, I was not willing to go back on it for any reason. I continued to take the Femcon for two more months with no relief of the side effects. Two days ago I went to a different doctor who put me on the generic version of Ortho Tri-Cyclen. It's been almost two weeks that I have been off the Femcon and I literally feel like a new person. The Femcon did great with controlling the pain and bleeding. However, that was no longer worth the negative side effects I had been experiencing on a daily basis for the last four months. I agree with many of you. The negative and/or positive effects will be individual. This is just my experience with it.

Someone please reply! Is there a difference between ortho lo and the generic version of it?So can this pill make u lose some weight? Is that common? Also it can make your boobs bigger? IS that common? Wouldn't it be great if I lost 15 pounds and went up a boob size,lol!
Oh,If my insurance won't cover it,how much is it,then?

A federal court in New Jersey on Monday invalidated Bayer Schering's patent on its oral contraceptive Yasmin, ruling in favor of a challenge filed by Barr Pharmaceuticals, AFP/Google.com reports. The ruling now allows Barr to sell a generic version of Yasmin in the U.S. (******). Bayer said in a release that it "disagrees with the court's decision and will consider its legal options" (Bayer release, 3/3).