Switching make of PRED is it a problem???

[stephwest]

Hi Stephen here again.
My pharmacy told me when last filling script that they cant get the same make of PRED but another generic maker would be exactly the same.
The original tabs are 5mg small white with a halving crease in the middle with no markings or lettering.
The new ones are called Deltacortril ent 5mg gast res small round brown no lettering or markings.
Since I started with new tabs don't feel quite the same, has anybody found changing makers a problem.
All best

[annekat]

I haven't found changing manufacturers of pred to be a problem. I was wondering about it with my MTX, though, as I thought I felt a little worse with the new brand.

[drz]

My pharmacy never tells me about differences in manufacture unless they have mix them from two different ones to fill the order so I would never know the difference unless they looked very different in color or size. Generics do vary in mixture more than brand names usually but they are still supposed to be within certain limits that would enable the drug to still be effective regardless of maker. Some times the filler material is a problem is you are sensitive to it.

[annekat]

My pharmacy never tells me about differences in manufacture unless they have mix them from two different ones to fill the order so I would never know the difference unless they looked very different in color or size. Generics do vary in mixture more than brand names usually but they are still supposed to be within certain limits that would enable the drug to still be effective regardless of maker. Some times the filler material is a problem is you are sensitive to it. I just switched pharmacies because I changed Medicare drug plans and could get a better deal at another pharmacy. The MTX pills are clearly different shaped, though the same color. I actually felt bad enough the first couple weeks that I called them to talk about the pills. There are also pill identifier sites online for checking the appearance and markings on your pills. Anyway, I seem to have gotten used to the new pills now. As for pred, they usually look about the same and I don't pay a lot of attention to them, but it is true that I had some earlier on at the old pharmacy that were sort of pinkish-tan instead of white, and were physically bigger and easier to split.... then the next time I was surprised to get smaller white ones in the same strength. So I guess with generics you can never be sure what you are going to get. I'll never be sure that the new make of MTX pills was what caused me to feel worse, but it sure seemed like it, since I only take them once a week and that's when I noticed it.

[Pierre42]

The sad fact of the matter is that:
(1) there's more to a pill than just the active ingredient
(2) it's all-but-impossible to get a detailed and exact list of everything else that goes into it
(3) some people have reactions to the "everything else"

If you've changed brand and suddenly "feel different", don't ignore it.

[mishb]

My rheumatologist told me to never get a generic brand and that it is safer to stick with the designed brand.

Here is what I found of interest

Generic medicines always contain the same amount and type of active ingredient as the original brand, butsometimes they can contain different fillers and colours.
Regardless of the ingredients used, all must meet the same strict standards of quality and safety.


As Pierre has said, it could be a reaction to, what they call, a different filler. I also advise not the ignore it

[Dirty Don]

Not only do generics use different, but safe even if affective to you, fillers...they also are mixed less efficiently and packed/compressed differently (that's where generic manufacturers make the money). All that makes a difference to many who take the drugs. I use Lexapro...when trying to get to cheaper generics they failed to do what the Lexapro does for me even tho the base ingredient/drug was the same. It was the packing that affected me as it turned out...back on Lexapro!

[annekat]

It seems these days that many drugs are "generic" by default. For example, MTX is only listed as a generic in my Medicare drug plan's formulary, and it is a Tier 2 drug. There appears to be no non-generic brand name associated with it. I pay $11.20 for it, and feel fine about that, since with no plan, I'd be paying roughly around $70, which I can't afford. But I don't have a choice, and must take what they give me.

I did not ignore it when I thought I felt worse on this new MTX and did all I could to make sure it was really MTX, that I hadn't been given the wrong drug or something. I looked at some online pill indentification sites, some are more complete than others, so look at more than one. I found that there is another drug that looks like my pills that is not MTX. Small, yellow, round. I called the pharmacy and talked to them about the situation. They were very nice and talked to me for several minutes about both drugs, and went and checked their stock. They convinced me that what they had given me was MTX and that the other drug was either not on hand or if it was, it would be in a completely different part of the stock area... I don't remember all the details of the conversation, but felt they were being sincere. A couple of weeks later, this new MTX does not seem to be causing me any problems and seems to be doing its job.

My point is, I guess, that we don't always have a choice about what brand we get, but we do owe it to ourselves to make sure we got the drug we were supposed to and in the right strength. Pharmacies do make mistakes occasionally.

[vdub]

I have had two drugs (Cortef and Fortesta) where it made a big difference. Changes of other drugs don't seem to have had any effect. I think it depends on the person.

[gilders]

Hi Stephen here again.
My pharmacy told me when last filling script that they cant get the same make of PRED but another generic maker would be exactly the same.
The original tabs are 5mg small white with a halving crease in the middle with no markings or lettering.
The new ones are called Deltacortril ent 5mg gast res small round brown no lettering or markings.
Since I started with new tabs don't feel quite the same, has anybody found changing makers a problem.
All best
Hi Stephen,
I've never noticed any difference between brands/generic and have had many different ones over the last 19 years (at least 10 of these years I've been on pred).
But what concerns me more is your description of the original ones and the new ones.
I have always had the enteric (ent) coated/gastro resistant pred tablets, until the dose gets as low as 1mg as they don't do these ent/gastroresistant.
Now here is why I'm concerned. All the years that I've been on pred - brown tablets are 2.5mg (ent/gastro resistant). Deltacortril ent 5mg gast res should be RED not brown. If you are taking the brown ones instead of the red, you are taking half the required dose. This could cause the not "feeling quite the same" you mention, not the change in brand!

[annekat]

Now here is why I'm concerned. All the years that I've been on pred - brown tablets are 2.5mg (ent/gastro resistant). Deltacortril ent 5mg gast res should be RED not brown. If you are taking the brown ones instead of the red, you are taking half the required dose. This could cause the not "feeling quite the same" you mention, not the change in brand! Hmm... if this is a possibility, I would Google "pill identifiers" and check a few of these sites to see what your brand and strength of pred should look like. I say check a few because I've found some to be more complete than others. If I could find the same info on two sites, I'd feel OK about it, probably. Of course, also take the pills into the pharmacy and talk about it there. For me, that is a 10 mile drive, so I check on the web first if I'm in doubt.

[stephwest]

brown tablets are 2.5mg (ent/gastro resistant). Deltacortril ent 5mg gast res should be RED not brown.

Hi Gilders. Sorry looked at the 5mg in artificial light and looked brownish but in comparison to 2.5mg they are reddish (they should have made them blue and yellow) what mg of pred are you on now and over 10 years what side effects have you had ( I only on for 7 months and muscles are very weak with torn back muscles and tired all the time) In England do you have to see a Dr to get prescriptions for MTX and PRED or is it just a repeat for 6 months or a year ?

[vdub]

I have always had real good luck with pill identification by just goggling the shape, color, and markings. I usually come up with a couple sites telling me the same thing and that's good enough for me. I never take the word of a forum however. The ID has to be on a site like drugs.com or something of that ilk....


artificial light and looked brownish
I have 3 or 4 dosages of levothyroxin (thyroid sub) and they are all the same size (small) and the same shape. The only difference is color and markings. The 114mcg is pink, but the 200mcg is peach. They look almost identical under any light. The dosage is almost double and you really have to be careful. A wrong dosage on thyroid can be very, very bad.