@@June1952, your suggestion sound very reasonable. I have side effects more or less with every brand but the one I got it recently seems to have more side effects. You are doing the right thing sticking with one brand and writing the generic name of the medication on your script.June1952 said:Are you coping with the side-effects (if any) of the brand/s you are receiving ? If so, stick with that one brand and ask for it each time. I tend to write the generic name of my medication on the script and the pharmacist just gives me that one.
Hope that helps.
AllyJay said:I've been on Letrozole, not Anastrazole, but the position is similar. I've been on them since mid 2017, and depending on the pharmacy or the availability of one brand or another, I've personally found no difference. I have other significant health conditions, and am on a total of 14...yes 14 different prescription medications such as prednisolone, beta blockers, blood pressure tablets (2 different ones), blood thinners, proton pump inhibitors, diabetes medications (not insulin) etc and have found the same to be the case across the board. The active ingredient is the same in all brands of that particular medicine, but 'extras' such as binding agents, colourings, coatings etc can differ, and if you have an intolerance to one of these ingredients, then that might make a difference. For example, my adult daughter is very allergic to Tartrazine or E102, a yellow food colouring and has severe asthma attacks if she eats it. Therefore, if she is going to take a tablet which is any colour other than white, she always checks with the pharmacy. Some people are lactose intolerant and lactose is sometimes used as a filler in tablets and so a particular brand which uses it should be avoided.
@AllyJay, you have provided great information regarding the 'extras' in a medication. You are right the active ingredient is same in all brands but may be the extras which are different give us side effects. Thanks so much for providing such a useful information which I have to consider too.
God bless you and your family. with much love
Afraser said:Like @AllyJay, I am on Letrozole. I do have side effects (bone density and vaginal atrophy) but both are almost certainly caused by the active ingredient so I have stayed on the brand first prescribed rather than switching around, while using exercise and oestrogen cream to help with those side effects. Intolerance reactions to some fillers used usually have different side effects.
@Afraser, you are exactly right, should stay on the same brand. My local pharmacy doesn't know much and sorry to say rude too, he gives me different brand every time and doesn't like to communicate. I will go to the other pharmacist and stick with the same brand.
Stay blessed!
arpie said:I was on Arimidex for 2 years (same as Anastrozole) but they suddenly demanded an additional $5 on top of the PBS cost every time you filled a script - so I swapped to Anastrozole & I actually think IT was better for me than the Arimidex! I've been on it happily for for over 2 years now. Being nearly 70 - many of my side effects were already there even before I started on AIs (but Letrozole and Exemestane made them WAY WORSE) so happy with where I am now.
Once you START on one 'brand' - stick with it for at least 6 months as sometimes even the coating on the meds can give you side effects! grrrr Don't let them swap you around. Good luck
Even sleeping tablets like Temase (there is generic one of that too) but Temase will dissolve on your tongue with a bit of spit, making it easier to absorb quicker at 2am when you need it ...... whereas the generic ones (I forget the name) don't dissolve & take longer to absorb! I tried them once - but never again!
@arpie, I was on Arimidex too since 2017 now I switched to Anastrozole, and it seems to be less side effects and I am going to stick with the same brand.
Thanks for your good suggestion. Lots of hugs.
