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fluoxetine: can't live with it...
GreenTeaDisease
Posts: 3,359
can't live with out it.
Seriously, does anyone else take it?
I take it for PMDD. the brand name used to be Sarafem. when I first started taking it, years ago, it was a miracle. No side effects that I noticed (except loss of appetite which was fine with me!) and I wasn't suffering the horrible turmoil of severe pmdd.
in past year though, every side effect imaginable. if I take it at night I can't wake up and I have messed up dreams. If I take it in the morning, nausea. last year I had the worst sexual side effects. So I've tried going off it. Horrible pmdd symptoms come back, I gain weight, my emotions get all screwed up.
for some reason I keep telling myself that I've resolved this issue but I haven't! I went to all these doctors last year and none of them really resolved anything. it sucks because if you take if for depression there are other drugs you can try, but this is all that works for pmdd! (nobody gives a shit about it to actually study it on its own).
Seriously, can anyone comisserate? it's so annoying! it affects your life so much!
Seriously, does anyone else take it?
I take it for PMDD. the brand name used to be Sarafem. when I first started taking it, years ago, it was a miracle. No side effects that I noticed (except loss of appetite which was fine with me!) and I wasn't suffering the horrible turmoil of severe pmdd.
in past year though, every side effect imaginable. if I take it at night I can't wake up and I have messed up dreams. If I take it in the morning, nausea. last year I had the worst sexual side effects. So I've tried going off it. Horrible pmdd symptoms come back, I gain weight, my emotions get all screwed up.
for some reason I keep telling myself that I've resolved this issue but I haven't! I went to all these doctors last year and none of them really resolved anything. it sucks because if you take if for depression there are other drugs you can try, but this is all that works for pmdd! (nobody gives a shit about it to actually study it on its own).
Seriously, can anyone comisserate? it's so annoying! it affects your life so much!
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yeah you have to. after the patent runs out you can't get the brand anymore, can you? I thought drug companies don't get anything out of selling the brand once there's a generic on the market.
Nope...the brands stick around...you just kinda get pushed to the generic by your doctor, insurance company, or prescription plan. Sarafem is probably still available, just at a higher co-pay to you. If it isn't automatically covered by your plan, it might be covered with a "prior authorization." Your doctor essentially has to give a reason to the insurance/prescription plan as to why you need the branded vs. generic (in your case, it would be the side effects).
An individual generic compound can be manufactured by a variety of companies. You could be getting a different manufacturer's version of "fluoxetine" each time you fill a prescription (thus accounting for the variance in side effects).
If you haven't already, I would talk to your doctor about this as he/she might be able to get you back on Sarafem at a reasonable cost (or at least you could weigh your cost options...there's plenty of alternatives even if you pay for the whole deal out of pocket).
interesting, no one ever said there was an option, even when I complained about side effects. and any time I've asked about that at the pharmacy they tell me basically how stupid I am for not knowing that generic is exactly the same as the branded. they also just changed my birth control to generic and I swear it is different.
whats pmdd?
Sweep the Leg Johnny.
Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
Toronto 2011 night 2
Hamilton 2011
London 2013
yeah fluoxetine is the generic prozac. and serafem was the same thing as prozac with a different name.
Sweep the Leg Johnny.
pre menstrual disphoric disorder. basically being depressed, anxious, rageful, angry, panicy, bullemic, suicidal, unable to sleep, unable to sit still, pacing like a caged animal, feeling trapped in your body, and any other type dysphoria you can think of for a week every month.
well fluoxetine is prescribed for a number of different problems.
It seems different because it is. I could be wrong (and you don't have to go into details), but is your doctor part of a larger group practice (vs. having their own independent practice)? They usually have a Pharmacy Manager that encourages them to write generics when available. While it's technically the same compound (in terms of the active ingredients), there's an allowable variation in the overall chemical structure.
I took a quick look on cvs.com and drugstore.com and Sarafem is available on both. Check at your own pharmacy and ask your doctor directly about the availability. The cost will depend on your prescription plan, but it's definitely still around.
cool I'm now living off supplies of fluoxetine I have leftover from when I went off it but when I go to the doctor at the end of march. I'll ask. I'll beg actually.
And they say they're not addictive! :eek:
i worked in a pharmacy and i can say that probably only one customer got brand prozac, BUT there were several customers who took brand of other things over generic because of changes they experienced with generic... some people simply think it wont work the same so it doesnt end up working the same but not always. while generics usually do the same and have the same effects.. everybody is different and you know your own body and how it is affecting you.
and even if drs write a brand on the prescription.. pharmacies usually automatically substitute the generic unless the dr or patient specifies they want brand.
oh and actually all my prescriptions are written for the brands, but insurance won't cover them so they just substitute at the pharmacy. for the birth control I tried to tell them I wanted the brand and they said it would cost like $200 (and that I was an idiot for thinking there would be any difference).
So...
I don't know exactly, it just seems to be messing with my emotions and I'm getting more cramps than I used to.
Ugh...I would probably contact your prescription provider directly (there should be a customer service number on your card). Explain your situation and *emphasize* the increase in side effects since you switched. If you don't seem to be getting far, ask about a "prior authorization" by name. If they can do it, your co-pay probably wouldn't be more than $50-60.
They do say changing medications can do that to you. Maybe try not to dwell on it as well. That might help?
interesting. thanks.