Brand verses generic ?

Hi There

I have never been given zispen, but have tried 2 different generic versions and I can certainly tell the difference, even took one lot back to the chemist and asked for them to swop them for the ones I had originally been on but was told they are exactly the same. But yes I certainly feel better on one kind than the other.

It is probably a psychological effect that is causing you to doubt the generic brand. I switched from the tasty Zispin Soltabs to an ordinary tablet when my dosage was changed and I felt no difference mood-wise and I was still as hungry and sleepy as before. The active ingredients will digest and perform the same.

Despite there being no physiolgical difference there are definitely pschological changes like feeling very drowsy and over medicated. Nothing else has changed apart from the generic form of mirtazapine. I have used up the'ranbaxy' ones and am back on the 'arrow generic' ones. I will post with my experiences.

I never felt the same, when I take the Arrow Generic version

iwa taking zispin the ones that melt on your tonge for 2 months then the chemist gave me the ones you swollow with a glass of water mrtazapine 30 mmg97rq9h you all keep talking about diffrent makes i can not see any make on mine but i do not feel the same since the tablet was changed about 3 months ago

[quote:de9383c3a3=\"Pooh bear\"]Despite there being no physiolgical difference there are definitely pschological changes like feeling very drowsy and over medicated. Nothing else has changed apart from the generic form of mirtazapine. I have used up the'ranbaxy' ones and am back on the 'arrow generic' ones. I will post with my experiences.[/quote:de9383c3a3][b:de9383c3a3][u:de9383c3a3][quote:de9383c3a3]just wondering how pooh bear found the arrow generic tablets ... [/quote:de9383c3a3][/u:de9383c3a3][/b:de9383c3a3]

I'm on several different meds and I can certainly tell the difference between cheap generics and\"The Real Thing\"TM, especially thyroxine, my wife is the same with Prozac, fluoxetine just doesn't work for her. I will be taking my first(generic)Mitrazapine tonight after going through the hell that is Seroxat withdrawal, I'll start my own posts about my experiences, If I feel up to it.

I'm further along the line in terms of mirtazapine. At the moment I am on 30mg and I have to have what the pharmacist in Boots or Tescos or locally has in stock. I think that last year when I first took mirtazapine I was more sensitive to different brands and could tell the difference. I am also taking lithium which has to be 'Priadel' as there isn't a generic. There has been supply problems lately with the pharmacutical companies not having any supplies of the 400mg tablets. They came through eventually as I had exhausted supplies at three different chemists and I didn't want to take five 200mg tablets at night plus the prothiaden and the mirtazapine nine tablets in all. I suggest that you ask for what you need and if you are polite you will usually get it even if it means going back several times and waiting whilst they ring around to see what stocks are available in other branches. My Boots pharmacists always gives me calendar packs of prothiaden because it helps me when I am muddled with my depression. At the moment I have an uncollected prescription at Boots because Tesco managed to get my Priadel first enough for my hoilday the Bank holiday and a short stay in hospital. It really does pay to talk to your GP and to make friends with your pharmacist. They are there to help you. Sorry if I am rambling on a bit but you can get the gist of what I mean. I hope all goes well with the mirtazapine. Unfortunately you may be in for a rocky ride at first. Pooh.

Hi all,

Bacause I have an encyclopedic knowledge of useless info in my head, I can answer some of the general answers here. I worked in the pharma industry making tablets for about 1 year and am a chemist by trade (atmospheric, not pharma, but subject was part of many courses I'd taken).

I too have noticed a difference in how some drugs interact and my own case is Co-Codamol Vs. Solphadol (both contain the same amount of active ingredients). Basically all drugs consist of the active ingrediant(s) and the rest (excipients). Excipients are added for many reasons (e.g. making a low-dose pill into something convenient to swallow; dye colourant, etc). My theory is that the makeup of the excipient is the reason why most people notice a difference when switching brands.

One of the most important test for a drug in production is a dissolution test whereby a sample of the batch of tablets is dissolved in body-temperature water to mimic the action of dissolution in the stomach. Excipients called disolving agents (e.g. lactose, maize starch, sodium starch glycolate etc) are key to this timing. So if a generic has got a slower releasing binding agent (as is usual, that's how they can make them cheaper), there is ultimately a lower blood-plasma concentration of the active ingrediant. If the drug is designed correctly, it will have a optimum point in the GI system where it should be disolved to yield maximum effect in patients (called the 'Therapeutic Window'). Generics can sometimes miss out on this window (as a disgusting example one of my controlled-release drugs is often whole in my poo the next day; whilst it shouldn't be!).

Hope this is understandable and that if you've got an issue with a generic I'd suggest you talk to your pharmacist about it's dissolution agent.

Silent..