I've been on Effexor XR for over 5 years & content. Now my insurance company wants me to jump thru their hoops and I have to try the generic. I tried the tablet this morning. It leaves a burning sensation on my lips, tongue & throat. When I swallowed it with water it felt like a lit match going down my throat. Anyone else experience this?
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8/ 3/08 10:00pm
Hi PkPAH:
I guess what I have to wonder, did you get this medication through the Internet or from a mail order pharmacy? If the drug supply house isn't in the US, then they aren't regulated by the FDA. If you got it from a local pharmacy, then you should know that generic medications should be nearly identical with the brand name drugs. Generics are regulated by the FDA.
That being said, it is possible that you are allergic to one of the ingredients used to make the pill or capsule. You should contact your physician and speak with your pharmacist about this immediately. You might also want to call the drug company that made this medicine and ask them about the side effects they see with their product. You can get the name of the drug company on either your pill bottle or from your pharmacist.
Good luck,
Dr. Diana Walcutt
*Dr. Walcutt is a Psychologist, not a Psychiatrist. Psychiatrists prescribe medications. Psychologists study them, but the majority of Psychologists are not authorized to prescribe meds or give you specific advice about them. Dr. Walcutt's answers are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental disorder. Any information given in a post about medication is for educational purposes only, and primarily to aid you in having an informed discussion with your own Psychiatrist/Physician.
2/14/12 6:15pm
Wow!! Very interesting I am experiencing the same thing at the moment :(. I even went up on my doseage on the generics and the side effects are wicked. I was fine on the 75 mg for years on Effexor XR but not the generic one I feel like I am losing my mind.
5/ 3/12 8:34am
I am having the same problem you are. I think something needs to be done. My generic brand is now giving me more anxiety attacks along with making me very lightheaded. The generic does NOT work like the brand effexor!!! Im very upset.
3/ 7/09 12:43pm
My Doctor just prescribed effexor xr. He said there isn't a generic in it.
10/ 5/09 8:51pm
Yes there is a generic effexor xr available in Venlafaxine ER tablets. Comes in 37.5mg 75mg 150mg and a higher strength. I work as a Registered Pharmacy Technician and i have been on Effexor XR for a few years but i switched to the generic and it feels like i havent taken anything. I prefer the brand.
10/31/09 11:29pm
Well you are technically correct but it is not available in the US except MAYBE by mail order from a Canadian pharmacy.
11/10/09 2:21pm
Hi, I was switched to generic venlafaxine after being on effexor for years which was working great for me. I have been feeling very low from as soon as I switched to the generic. My GP assures me they are the same thing but I'm going back in a couple of days. They are definitely not the same thing.
4/ 7/11 12:29pm
I was on Effexor XR for many years and felt good, normal and no side effects at all. I try quiting cus no longer had insurance and they were too expensive. Well I did for about 6 months then got sick again. Dr gived me generic and I was still sick, no sleep at all, nauseas, no appetite, depress(crying, feel like doing nothing, no interest in anything, headache, dizzines, etc. etc). Took Effexor XR for a month, the sky was bright again, then got back on generic and 3 days latter, headache, dizzines, nauseas, no appetite. 6 days latter extreme dizzines, confusion, desorientation, terrible headache, feeling like passing out, hot flushes, anxiety attack, HORRIBLE episode/attack!!! Now back on Effexor xr, just one day and counting, should know for sure soon if there is a difference between Effexor and generic. Dr. says no difference, same thing! We will see!
5/23/11 2:30pm
Your doctor is wrong and he knows it. There are kickbacks given to the doctor's by the people that sell all drugs. He will make money on the brand he sells to you, while telling you there is no difference. I see a specialist on this subject, and she said I was 100% correct. While substitute Effexor may be fine for someone else, it was like taking nothing for me. You are probably the same. Ask to see a specialist immediately, and in the mean time, change over. It's not worth your life!
1/10/12 3:14pm
Did you happen to notice the date of the OP? 2009. At that time, there WAS no generic form of Effexor XR. It didn't become available until 2011.
5/23/11 4:52pm
How did it all work out for you? I'm on Effexor and my life is so MUCH more manageable. My Dr didn't agree with me but he saw my anxiety and tears really helped too! :)
9/12/11 4:19pm
Wow I'm so glad to read this because I thought it was just me. Keizer switched effexor to the generic brand and I feel like I stopes taking it completely. I'm going back to the Effe
Effexor dr brand. They are not the same! Jw
9/26/10 12:31pm
I have been having the same problem. my insurance company will now only cover the generic version and i am having a hard time with the generic. I have had to raise the dose and may have to do it again. My psych told me there is a difference in the brand and generic. i hope i can get this regulated soon.
5/23/11 4:54pm
Did it work out for you? Effexor does offer a rebate if you go to their website, check it out! I did and I get about $50 back. Better than nothing.
8/23/11 9:05pm
Please give website address for rebate!!
2/15/11 9:45pm
I was on Effexor XR for years and Medco switched me to Venlafaxine ER. Since then I have had to go up on my dosage whiched wored for a while and I am now back to having major anxiety episodes. From some wb sights it states that Venlafaxine ER is only good for Social Anxiety and not for General Anxiety. I am forcing them to go back to the Effexor XR Brand.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/724703
http://depression.emedtv.com/effexor/generic-effexor.html
3/14/09 10:06pm
Your Dr. made a mistake...it happens. But there is a generic available for Effexor. It is called Venlafaxine. Hopefully it orks for you. Most insurance plans will offer you a much lower co-pay for taking the generic vs. the brand name.
11/ 5/09 3:39pm
I just started taking the generic effexor, not xr, and I am seeing a big difference. I am back to the way I was before I started taking anti depressants. I cry over ever little little. However, it is helping me with my appetite. Before, on effexor xr, I could eat and eat and eat. Now, I have very little appetite. I am not sure which road to chose because I sure did gain about 20 pounds on it.
8/20/10 7:00am
I'm so glad to know that I'm not the only one that has felt a difference between the generic and the brand name! I have started feeling similar to the way I was before I started taking Effexor XR. I have no energy, hard to get inspired to do anything, and it's soooo frustrating! I'm calling my doctor today!
9/21/10 7:31pm
yep, same for me. i had been on Effexor/XR for about 8 years, then at the beginning of this year my GP did my repeat prescription as usual for my meds, but said venlafaxine on it not effexor (which it usually did).
i took it to my pharmacist who said Effexor is no longer avaiable in the UK as it is too expensive to get hold of so pharmacies are now only stocking the Generic of it, called Venlafaxine!
i know from experience that for me, generics never work as well as the original branded meds but i didnt think anything really of it at the time, that was until i started taking the generics. they do not work like the actual Effexor did. i do not like the way the Venalfaxine/generics make me feel, they do not work anywhere near as well and i want to be back on the branded Effexor. Is anyone here in the UK and still being prescribed actual Effexor? if so, i then know that my pharmacist is chating rubbish!
many thanks
9/30/10 6:38pm
I'm so glad I did some research! I've been on the "fake" effexor for 3 weeks now and I feel horrible. So glad I saw this post. All the old feelings are coming back, anxiety, confusion, grumpiness, rosacea, ecxema (sp), pain, even MORE hot flashes. I have an appt with my DR for next week. I'm currently on Venlafaxine ER 150mg. Maybe if we up it to the 225mg it will compensate?
5/23/11 2:35pm
I am interested to know how you are feeling now. I too am in menopause, but I still sweat non-stop and I am on Effexor. I knew it helped some people with that, but I don't believe it is helping me. Did you change back to the real Effexor? That's what I did, and thank God for that. Good Luck.
5/23/11 4:51pm
YES, I jumped through a couple hoops and probably crying at the Dr's office and telling him I felt like killing people helped alot I'm sure!
I am warm most of the time but hot flashes only come on when I'm not feeling well, like if I have a cold or something. I do tend to prespire more but I'd rather have that then the other!
The real deal saved me, Effexor XR IS different from the generic when taken by me. It may not bother some folks but my body said WHOA, this ain't working.
My Dr was the best too!
9/12/11 4:25pm
DITTO ON THAT!
2/23/11 10:32am
I am glad I found this site. All of you people are 100% right about Generic brands being less than the real deal. I am living proof of that. Here in Canada, the gov't is saying Generic Brands are the same as the Name Brand. Hogwash! There is a huge Pharmacy here that has gone crazy opening up new locations one after the other and they are trying to pass off these Generic brands to us at no savings mind you, to us, they reap the benefits. I pay 200.00 per month for my plan, and I want what I order. I do not feel the same on the Effexor Generic Brand. I had this happen to me recently, and I went to the pharmacist and had a chat with him. He brought me to tears, another indication that the Generic brand wasn't working, and he sent me off saying there was nothing he could do for me. Upon arriving at home, this pharmacy had called 4X - I believe they had a second thought that I may sue them, or worse go to the press, and here is another scenario. What if I was suicidal and they argued that my meds were just as good, and they gave me this hard time and I went home and did myself in? This wouldn't of course happen to me, but you don't know who you are dealing with and to save their butts, they did call and apologize and said they would send a courier over to get the old meds and replace them with the real deal, but in the meantime, they had told me they weren't carrying them any longer. Do these people think we are stupid? Needless to say, I will find a local area pharmacy, who always has the same man - the owner - who serves me and my needs instead of these large pharmacies who have an on-call list of pharmacists that they call on a daily basis if someone is absent or if they need another worker. I can honestly say I have never seen the same pharmacist twice in my store.
Bottom line is this, there is a huge difference in Effexor and its Generic Brand. I am living proof of that, none of you are out to lunch, you know what you know, and you should expect nothing less than what you are being given in the script. Don't let the pharmaceutical industry get away with this stuidity!
5/23/11 1:27pm
I have been taking the generic brand of Effexor (300mg) since this past Saturday and I feel like i haven't taken anything. It was either 8$ for 3 month supply or AT LEAST 150$ for 3 months. I've been on the brand name for over 5 years and now have new insurance which financially makes me pretty much have to take the generic. I don't feel at this point in my life i can "afford" mentally to be on the generic, it isn't controlling what it needs to, it just isn't working for me. I will be finding a way to pay the difference to get the brand name because I cannot afford to go back to where I was 6 years ago. If you've ever had to go through withdrawl from Effexor how I feel right now is pretty much a start to that feeling and I'd rather die than feel like that.
5/23/11 2:24pm
I absolutely know what you are feeling. Now, update to my first letter on this subject. I went to the specialist right after this trauma at the pharmacy. She said that there are people who do even better on Generic Effexor, and there are some like myself, that do not do well at all. She says she must write "NO SUBSTITUTES" on the script for it to be paid by the Insurance Company. I hope this is the case for you, because it does add up, plus anything that isn't covered can be applied to your income tax come income tax time. Keep all receipts! We know how we feel. Plain and simple. Often times, they will try another kind of anti depressant. For me effexor made a huge difference in anxiety. I could barely breathe and had heart palpitations, and huge anxiety issues while on Zoloft, which I had taken for years, but suddenly, it wasn't working for me any longer. As with all people on these drugs, we don't know how we got here, we were fine one time and then we were not the next time. Something changes in us, whether it's hereditary, or hormonal, or whatever, but it is a sickness like any other type, and it needs addressing. I feel well now, and I know that I'll be on some type of medication for the rest of my life, and if that's what it is, then that's what it is. God help us to be able to save the money for these overpriced medications. They are just that - overpriced. Good Luck.
5/23/11 4:56pm
Delcar has all the right info....follow it. My Dr switched for me after a bit of cajolling.
11/28/11 4:38pm
I've been on Effexor XR for 10+ years with excellent results. Last week my HealthCare provider moved me to a generic. OMG. I had anxiety attack after anxiety attack. I was able to return to Effexor XR after 5 days. 12 hours after taking taking the Effexor XR I was no longer having the anxiety attacks. The generic should be removed from the market based on my experience.
1/29/12 5:39pm
Generic Effexor SUCKS!!! I was given it 2 times and both times I have been really sick!!!! I finally got the REAL effexor and hopefully can get back to normal again!
2/14/12 7:01pm
Yup!! It didn't work for me either :( . Have u switch back to the brand name Effexor ?? I am planning to asap. It just suck because my insurance only covers the generic brand I think.
2/14/12 11:17pm
Yes I did! Thank god!!! That generic crap is horrible!!! I know my insurance gave me trouble at first about the name brand. My dr had to send in a letter explaining the side effects and what not. Then they finally approved name brand for me. This last time the dr faxed over the script but forgot to write name brand on it so it messed everything up and I had no choice but to take the generic till everything got fixed. But finally doing better with the name brand!
3/ 1/12 2:01pm
I as well have been on Effexor 150 for many years, the generic was okay at first, but I definetly see a change in the effectiveness of the generic, my symptons are all slowly starting to come back, its over $100 more for the name brand but money doesn't mean anything if your mind is not in the right place, pay for the name brand it actually does what it is suppose to do
3/ 1/12 2:02pm
The generic does not work as well, spend the extra money and get the name brand. Don't be cheap trust me its not worth it.
4/21/12 8:52am
I have been on Effexor xr for 10 years. 2 days ago I went to the chemist and she told me there was a generic brand, it is called elaxine. It has only become available in Australia in the past month. For 2 days, I have been really ready and feeling anxious and panicky, much the same feeling to get when you drop a dose of Effexor. My head also feels more strained. It is not the same at all. What I find most perplexing is that if u ask a doctor or pharmacist they will tell u that they are exactly the same but as an Effexor veteran I can tell you that they are not. If there is even a subtle difference it is still a difference. This thread is proof that they are not the same. I feel a little crazy and it's only been 2 days and I have been great on the Effexor xr for years. As soon as I wake up tomorrow I am back to the chemist for the old Effexor back. I had to leave drinks tonight because I was feeling panicky, this has not happened to me in10 years. Never again. I hope that someone who is reading this can relate because I honestly thought it was just me and I was going crazy. I will be back in 2 days again to let u know how i go back on my old Effexor xr. B
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By PkPAH— Last Modified: 05/03/12, First Published: 08/03/08
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i took effexor 75 for years and was fine.
i am now taking the generic capsule,
it seemed to wrk at the beginning but now, months later, either my life has become more difficult(which it has) or the meds are just not working well ejough.