I was switched from Brand name to the generic without realizing it. Shame on me - I should have known. By the time I caught on to what was going on, I found myself in the Black Pit only those with depression can understand. I was not able to concentrate, forgetfulness, crying at the drop of a hat and that overwhelming - how am I going to make it through the day feeling. The battle was back. I had a good career but had to take a leave of absence not able to keep up with my responsibilities and it was affecting my work.
My MD put me back on the Brand Name and double the dose. My insurance only helped a little but I was financially able to cover it and felt it my sanity was worth it. I needed my job - so I went back as soon as possible. Unfortunately it was too soon to take on the added stress of trying to play catch up in addition to my normal responsibilities and I was soon let go.
My next refill - my insurance refused it cover any of it. I was still in a position to cover it financially so I paid full price for a 3 mo supply of the name brand, double dose. Thank God.
Time passed I felt better, found another great job and have now been there for just over 4 months now. My new insurance will not cover any of the brand name - I had no choice but to give the generic another try. 3 weeks into it now and I'm back in the pit - desperate to be myself again... but simply cannot afford the incredible cost of the brand name.
The nightmare continues... getting ready to lose my new job, desperately trying to pull myself out of this pit.
Are there options with the manufacturer to get the name brand at a reduced cost? Are there other avenues for me to get the meds I need? If you have ANY ideas - Any thoughts... I would appreciate you feed back.
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
9 Answers
PI
Pianokjo
19 Dec 2018
Northwest Pharmacy in Canada can get this for you waaaaaay cheaper! That’s where my Dr. prescribes mine. Hope this helps.
Votes: +0
LI
Lisa1953
21 April 2018
The same thing happened to me. Did anyone find a generic of Lexapro 20 mgs that works or 10 mgs.?
Votes: +0
CS
csiegel1
2 Oct 2017
I am a retired pharmaceutical rep who has had both professional and personal experience with drugs in this class.
Re: options with the manufacturer to get name brands at a reduced cost.
Manufacturers, (like Forrest Labs - Lexapro), do have programs to help with costs, however one must show proof of no health or rx insurance to get it. Usually they will mail a stock bottle (100 pills) for zero cost to the prescribing physician, for the patient. The application paperwork is simple. They will only approve it for those whose physicians sign off that the patient has no insurance!
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!
Votes: +1
WI
WildcatVet
2 Oct 2017
Thank you! Excellent information for many people.
DA
dapperdog
1 June 2017
I was on brand lexapro for a number of years and then I had to convert to generics. When I switched I went through terrible withdrawals and now have horrible heat intolerance and weight gain. I am going back to the brand. For me it has been a huge difference.
Votes: +0
MS
Msh3
23 May 2015
I've been on Lexapro for 5 years, and in the past few months the price skyrockets to $3/pill. I'm infuriated with how much a company wants to make money that theyre going to take advantage of such a fragile topic to change meds. Three years ago I tried generic and I know what you mean by the black pit and I demanded to be put back on the name brand-but not without a fight with my dr and insurance. Today I am starting a new generic and I'm terrified, but I'll let you know how it goes. My doctor said sometimes it's about dosing and you may need a slightly higher dose of the generic since they can include as little as 80% of the active ingredients and still be marketed the same.
Votes: +0
DA
dapperdog
6 July 2015
You might want to try getting brand name from a canadian pharmacy. Just ask your Doc to write a 3 month supply and fax it to them. They are substantially cheaper. My daughter did this and got 90 prozac for 100.00. Make sure it is a legit one.
PA
Paper Rhino
4 Feb 2017
The healthcare system in the USA astounds me. Here in my home country, Australia, I pay the equivalent of $7 USD for a 28 day supply of brand name Lexapro. This is approx $13 In my home currency AUD. This is with there being no requirement to have health insurance to cover part of the cost. Our Federal Government subsidise the cost to keep it accessible to the general public. If I want to buy generic (which I never do) I could pay as little as $3 USD for a 28 day supply...
LH
Lhar71
25 Nov 2014
I'm so sorry to hear you experienced that nightmare. The exact thing happened to me which landed me in the ER 3 times in the course of a month. The only reason I agreed to switch to the generic was the fact my insurance company refused to pay for Lexapro. I totally understand the symptoms you described and what a toll they take physically and mentally. It truly isn't a matter of mind over matter in these cases. The chemical makeup and binding agents in the generic are very different from those in the brand name Lexapro. I felt like I was going crazy, and couldn't function day to day so I also had to switch back and just pay the full amount. I did find out from my insurance company that If you go to your primary care physician and have him/her document all the problems the generic have caused physically and mentally, you can appeal with your insurance company and they may then cover the brand name. I'm currently in the process of doing this. Good luck to you, I hope this helps!
Votes: +0
AN
andrewhikes
11 April 2014
I was on Lexapro for 3 years and was forced to change to the generic due to pricing. The first generic nearly put me into the hospital as the side effects were horrible. The second one was moderately better, however, it was not as effective as Lexapro. There is a HUGE difference in generics. I called the FDA and spoke to a representative and she told me the main ingredient is the same, HOWEVER, the inactive ingredients are NOT the same which can affect absorption and effectiveness. Generic drugs are NOT the same as name brands!!!
Votes: +3
JU
JustMeTam
11 April 2014
I am so sorry you are going through this. After trying 2 other medications in an attempt to avoid the high cost of the name brand I am back on the name brand now. Unfortunately it is not working as well as it did before so we are still working toward getting me back to being me again with an Additional med. It is absolutely heartbreaking, not to mention terrifying at times to go through this process. Calling the FDA was a VERY smart move - being told its all in your mind creates a second guessing of yourself that could be debilitating to some. Sounds like you have learned the importance of Managing your condition and taking control of your care. Your comment has encouraged me to be confident with my conviction that there is a difference and its NOT all in my mind and I will continue to work towards being ME again with my MD. Thank You!
DA
dapperdog
6 July 2015
I have found brand name Lexapro to be be especially quick in its response to depression & anxiety. I have also found taking a mood stabilizer along with Lexapro keeps the feeling even.
DA
dapperdog
6 June 2017
Name brand is much better than generic, after several years of doubting myself I am going back to name brand. I have experienced terrible heat intolerance and even with the addition of lamictal I still get depressed sometimes. Heat intolerance is awful as is the weight gain. I am even considering going back to prozac which I took for 20 years before taking Lexapro.
DA
dapperdog
13 July 2017
If the cost is the main issue you can order from a Canadian Pharmacy for 1/3rd the cost. If you must take generic I would recommend Teva it seems to be the closest to brand available.
LI
Lisa1953
21 April 2018
All drugs are not equal. Most drugs that are not for mental illness seem to be fine but who knows if they are as effective since my brain is not affected. Meds for mood disorders are very different. Who wants to pay $1,000.00 a month if the generic works for $4.00. I have to with Lexapro since whatever inert substance they put in screws up the efficacy. The same goes for Xanax. It’s not fair that if you need a drug brand they deny it.
The truth about generics versus brand name is the patent on the name brand has run out, which is usually 7 years, and then other pharmaceutical companies are allowed to manufacture the medications. The reason the original manufacturing company gets 7 years to sell it without any other companies competing with them, is the original manufacturer has to pay for all the research, testing, development and marketing of the medication. That is what makes the large cost difference in generics versus brand names.
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.
Votes: +2
KA
kaismama
14 Feb 2014
I totally agree about the mind over matter thing. Our minds play a big part of medication and how we react to it. However, the generics may vary in percentage of active ingredient, and the inactive ingredients don't have to be the same. This changes absorption in some cases. I always take generics from the start, then I don't have time to worry if I notice a difference. In truth if the dose of generic is increased slightly it will do the same as the brand even in the case where it does not work as well.
JU
JustMeTam
11 April 2014
I appreciate your feedback and Certainly do understand the mind over matter but that was not the case in this situation. I have switched to generic and have not had any problems, and to be honest didn't even know. Which was what happened here. I found out when I went in for my 2nd refill that I had indeed been on generic. I've had the same pharmacist for over 10 years - I was noticeably not myself as he put it. And we always chatted a bit when I came in - I burst into tears. He is the one that pointed out the switch to me and said he another patient with similar response to the change. The FDA confirmed this also.
I have "managed" my PTSD and clinical depression for over 12 years now successfully. Careful to understand my symptoms and to communicate them effectively. I most likely understand the mind over matter concept far better than most BECAUSE of my condition and experience with it. Fortunately I'm not as vulnerable to "Its all in your mind" comments as some. But for those who suffer and have not learned to "Manage" their condition yet - your comments above could be very defeating to them.
With that said - I would encourage you not to tell a depressed person that the way they are feeling is all in their "mind". It may be in some cases - but in some this is the Worst thing that can be said.
NA
naturecol
24 July 2015
You are DEAD wrong. I am a large scale Pharmaceutical Chemist for over 45 years. The major difference in the generic versus Brand is that Clinical Trials were conducted on the original brand name. The generics will vary in a variety of different ways from the following:
1. Absorption and Bioavailability are different 2. Polymorphic form of the Compound is a huge variable 3. Chiral Purity 4. Excipients are different which would alter the effectt
Go to rxassist.org and follow the directions there. It will tell you what is available. Also check into the prices you can get at other pharmacies. Many have discount programs. Walgreens has a savers membership that is $20 a year and saves allot of money on meds. Have you tried taking a little more of the generic? Allot of people are complaining about the generic lexapro lately. I would let the FDA know about the effect that particular one has on you. If they get more complaints they will analyze the med from that manufacturer.
