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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Jhall131 on March 10, 2004, at 18:36:28
To my knowledge I don't think there is a generic form of Effexor. I am currently taking 75mgs twice a day and it is costing me a small fortune. I don't even think that i could switch to a different antidepressant if i wanted to. Or could i? May be too big of a hassle. Just still trying to come up with the best possible solution that is affordable!!!
Posted by King Vultan on March 10, 2004, at 19:39:56
In reply to any thoughts about generic antidepressants?, posted by Jhall131 on March 10, 2004, at 18:36:28
> To my knowledge I don't think there is a generic form of Effexor. I am currently taking 75mgs twice a day and it is costing me a small fortune. I don't even think that i could switch to a different antidepressant if i wanted to. Or could i? May be too big of a hassle. Just still trying to come up with the best possible solution that is affordable!!!
The closest generic drugs to Effexor are probably fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil), both of which are SSRIs. Even cheaper are the tricyclics, but these tend to have notable anticholinergic--type side effects, such as dry mouth, constipation, urinary hesitation/retention, etc. Still, these may make sense in some cases, especially if a person is suffering severe serotonin related adverse effects (such as bad insomnia or nausea) on something like Effexor.The MAO inhibitors Nardil and Parnate are still available and are not terribly expensive. They are at least as effective as the SSRIs and Effexor, with less side effects than the tricyclics, but they do have the accursed dietary restrictions, which have been discussed in some detail in this forum and do appear to be somewhat overblown. Certain OTC drugs can have serious interactions also, and these really must be avoided while taking an MAOI.
Todd
Posted by Sad Panda on March 11, 2004, at 0:50:05
In reply to Re: any thoughts about generic antidepressants?, posted by King Vultan on March 10, 2004, at 19:39:56
> > To my knowledge I don't think there is a generic form of Effexor. I am currently taking 75mgs twice a day and it is costing me a small fortune. I don't even think that i could switch to a different antidepressant if i wanted to. Or could i? May be too big of a hassle. Just still trying to come up with the best possible solution that is affordable!!!
>
>
> The closest generic drugs to Effexor are probably fluoxetine (Prozac) and paroxetine (Paxil), both of which are SSRIs. Even cheaper are the tricyclics, but these tend to have notable anticholinergic--type side effects, such as dry mouth, constipation, urinary hesitation/retention, etc. Still, these may make sense in some cases, especially if a person is suffering severe serotonin related adverse effects (such as bad insomnia or nausea) on something like Effexor.
>
> The MAO inhibitors Nardil and Parnate are still available and are not terribly expensive. They are at least as effective as the SSRIs and Effexor, with less side effects than the tricyclics, but they do have the accursed dietary restrictions, which have been discussed in some detail in this forum and do appear to be somewhat overblown. Certain OTC drugs can have serious interactions also, and these really must be avoided while taking an MAOI.
>
> Todd
>
>
>Clomipramine(Anafranil) & Tranylcypromine(Parnate) gets my vote for best & cheapest AD's.
The only advantage that SSRI's & Effexor truely have is eating the whole box full in one sitting will not kill you. OTOH suicidal people rarely use their AD's to overdose on & paradoxically, SSRI's can cause suicide in some people, espically children & young adults.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by zor on March 12, 2004, at 12:04:09
In reply to any thoughts about generic antidepressants?, posted by Jhall131 on March 10, 2004, at 18:36:28
Yes! Regular, non-extended realase Effexor (the Flat tablets, as it's generic venlafaxine) are available as a generic in the U.S. now..... this does NOT mean it will be much cheaper.
Take a look at generic Prozac. It took a while for it's price to fall and at least 2 generic manufactures and more generic competition for it to fall in price even more again--and it's still expensive! I believe, but am not totally sure, that each generic manufaturer has an exclusive 6 month period, where no other manufaturer may introduce other generics to the market. This the reason it takes a while to get many generic makers of certain medication once they lose patent.
However, the Xr version of Effexor (the caps) are not available in generic. But you said you take 75mg 2x a day. If you take the XR version of Effexor, you could just get the 150mg cap and take it once a day...as it's extended release. This usually saves about 40% for me on meds.
If you want to check prices and generic availability go to a search engine and put in walgreens and go to thier pharmacy section. Punch in the med name... do this for both venlafaxine and Effexor XR and see what the prices are. An alternative is call your pharmacist and ask.
Hope I could help :-)
This is the end of the thread.
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