Lexapro - Generic Vs Name Brand?

I have always taken generics without any issues. When Excitalopram came out about 5 years ago, I switched from brand Lexapro to the generic, expecting no issues. After about six weeks, both my family and I, independently, noticed that my old anxiety issues were back. It was then that I realized the change to generic had been made approximately six weeks prior. SSRIs take approximately four to six weeks to reach a steady state plasma level and indicate efficacy or lake there of.

Bottom line is that I went back on the brand, had my physician prescribe a higher dose (20 mg). They are scored and breakable. I take 10 mg. daily. The cost is halved by doing it this way. Although the cost is still high, relative to generic, it becomes feasible to continue on it. Also, most insurance companies will allow one to request a "special exception" and "prior authorization" for it, giving you a lower copay.

Hope that this helps someone!

Now I may not be popular with what I'm going to say, but after 30 years of various forms of insurance, and having the choice of generics over brand name meds., I've learned from my own research and interviews with doctors and pharmacists that by law the generic must be exactly the same as the original!!! The FDA follows up on every patent, and knows when it will be running out, so they then begin the final testing on all companies who will be making that particular medication, in generic form. In many instances the original manufacturer will also begin making the drug in a generic form, to also cash in on that market, since insurance companies don't pay for brand name meds. if there is a generic version. There is literally no difference between the two drugs other than their price.

Now my mom is a classic example of mind over matter. She thinks if she takes a brand name drug, which isn't covered under her insurance, she swears she feels better! Well I proved to her that it was all in her mind, because by FDA regulation they must be exactly the same. I went to get her medication and got the generic form instead of the brand name, her insurance paid all but $10, so I took the additional $90 she gave me and I put it away for her. After she'd taken it for over 3 weeks, I asked her how she felt and she said great, much better than she had in over a month. She did ask about the different look of the pill and I just said the manufacturer changed it, so it wouldn't look like others that were on the market. I then told her what I'd done and gave her the $90 she saved and she was shocked, the ineffectiveness of the generic she'd felt before was basically her mind telling her generic meant fake. I've taken everything from Morphine in very high dosages, to Fentynal patches in as high a milligram as they come. They've all been generics and I've never experienced a single difference in their effectiveness or the final result of the medication, versus the name brands. This topic is very controversial and everyone will always say that the name brand is better, even though the generic they could be taking may very well have been made by the same company as the original Brand Name they were taking.

People think generic, they think not as potent, or not the same medication, which nothing could be further from the truth. Remember the brain is a very powerful organ in your body and will play with your head by telling you it's not working as well, and it's even causing odd side effects.