"Treat the disease, you win some, you lose some. Treat the patient, you always win."
~Patch Adams~



Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Medicines Made in India Set Off Safety Worries

Almost all of us take some form of prescription medication, so this article from the NY Times is important reading.

I take thyroid medication, two different kinds for my T4 thyroid and my T3 thyroid.  The T3 medication is compounded and I get it from a compounding pharmacy.  Until last year, I was taking Levoxyl as my T4 medication, until production of the drug was suspended. I then switched over to Synthroid, and found (like many patients) that it does not work as effectively for me....I had to adjust my dosage upward twice to get my blood levels back to optimal. Dr. Carr has always insisted that his patients take brand name thyroid medications, as many of the generic drugs are not as effective and the dosing is not as consistent. Sadly, many insurance companies will only pay for generic forms of drugs if they are available, and in too many cases, the brand name drugs are out of financial reach for most people.

Many years ago, before I got my hormones balanced, I took the antidepressant Paxil.  I was unknowingly switched to the generic version after taking it for several years, and I had a very bad reaction.....it was almost like withdrawing from the drug cold turkey (which is something you should never, and I repeat, never do with an antidepressant!)  My anxiety level went through the rough, my depression deepened, I had a feeling of skin crawling, it was awful.  At the time, I wasn't even aware of how far off the generics can be from the brand name drugs....and even different manufacturers of generic drugs can vary widely in efficacy.

If you have been taking a drug that has been effective and all of a sudden it's not effective, check and see if you have been switched to a generic, or if you are taking a generic and it doesn't seem to be working, if there could be ea problem with the drug itself.  Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist with any and all concerns.