I like your analogy very much...

Love those old western movies by the way.  Did you see Cowboys and Aliens yet? 

I think you hit upon one of my problems is that when I am feeling good I overdo it...I desperately try to catch up on everything and it burns me out.  Setting a good and reasonable pace...I think that is some very sage advice indeed. 

As an aside...would very much like your opinion on a topic I just wrote about for our depression site.  The topic is generic vs. name brand medications.  Do you, as a doctor, feel that there is any difference?  Do your patients ever tell you that they feel the generic version of their pain medication, for example is...not working as well as the name brand.

If you have time...please stop by.  I would be very honored to hear your expert opinion on this.  This is a topic affecting my family directly.  My son is having seizures and has been prescribed Lamictal.  His neurologist insisted that we get the name brand as there have been more reports of break through seizures with the generic.  I am trusting his opinion.  But also wondering...is this true of other medications as well...that there could be a difference in effectiveness.

Thanks so much!

MM

Christina Lasich, MD, Health Pro

1/18/12 7:11pm

Is that "sage" as in sagebrush?? LOL... My advice is from experience. See my comment below.

 

Dr. Christina Lasich, MD

Shiny Shannimal

1/20/12 1:30am

I'm not a doctor, but I have read & from experience seen that medications that are name brand & not the generic, can work much better. In fact I read once that name brand rx's can be up to 15% stronger than generics, I don't know how true it is, but I have read that. I have tried to get my pain meds in brand name, but the pharmacy seems to never have enough, none at all, or my insurance won't cover name brands. Although, I am determined to get the name brand one of these times. I am also on Limictle (sp), for depression, & I was able to get the name brand three months in a row, but then my insurance refused to pay for it after that. Since I couldn't afford to pay for it myself, I was forced to go to the generic. Which my family & doctor & even once, my insurance company, has had to listen to me complain about how insurance companies should have to pay for the name brand too. Even if they don't pay as much of it, I think they should have to pay something to them.