Forced to change - Coumadin to Generic

[njean]

Well, after taking coumadin for 33 years, it seems that my insurance companies are NOT going to pay for coumadin anymore!!! They are giving me so much grief that I've made the decision to change to the generic, either warfarin or jantoven.

My doctor says that I'll have more trouble controlling the generic but since I have a home monitor & I check weekly already, I figure I have the means to have it closely monitored. Only thing is, that I have been struggling for over a year now with INR stability on coumadin so I can just imagine what it's going to be w/the generic!!!

Has anyone out there that switched from coumadin to a generic struggled more with INR stability? I know that if you've always been on the generic you probably don't have anything to compare it with but I thought I'd ask.
Thanks!

 

[geebee]

NJ - I have had no problems with the generic.

 

[Cooker]

I have been on generic since one month post-op ... Stable is my middle name ... who knows, you might even stabilize

 

[zipper2]

NJ, I was on coumadin for 5 years from 1992-97
moved on to the generic and it's been alright with
lab tests all these years and home monitoring is
a painless (great thing to have)
i,ve really had to watch it daily testing since my
angiogram and the bridging with heparin though
so more strips the better,at least i'm monitoring
and salades have been my focus this week-end to help
stabilize it,but as said the heparin didn't help me for 5
days and then back on the generic warfarin,the switch
took right away but have to watch the inr and have been
good.Think you'll do fine Norma,with few more strips and
testing in the beginning to satisfy the change.

zipper2 (DEB)

 

[njean]

Thanks for your responses all! Who knows, like Cooker said, perhaps my iNR will stabilize when I get on the generic!!

 

[Jkm7]

NJ..... Some insurance companies will pay for name brand if the doctor writes a "no substitutions' Rx. Ask your doctor if he is willing to try that for you.

 

[catwoman]

My doctor says that I'll have more trouble controlling the generic but since I have a home monitor & I check weekly already, I figure I have the means to have it closely monitored.

That's what my PCP's staff told me when I asked for Rxes for the generic.

I didn't notice any change. I've gotten both Barr and Taro, have noticed no difference. I like the shape of the Taro better than the football-shaped Barr tabs.

 

[Ross]

You won't notice any difference except that you'll have some money left to get something to eat.

I've taken them all, mixed them all and it's all the same.

 

[Cris N]

I have absolutely no trouble with generic - mine are Barr.

 

[skeptic49]

I'm sure you'll do fine Norma. It'll take much more than some nasty insurance company to get you down. Best wishes with the new generic!

Jim

 

[ALCapshaw2]

I didn't notice any change. I've gotten both Barr and Taro, have noticed no difference. I like the shape of the Taro better than the football-shaped Barr tabs.

When my insurance would no longer pay the difference between Generic and Coumadin, I switched to TARO from Israel with NO noticable difference. When my company changed mail order services, I switched to BARR from USA and again, NO noticable difference.

The Generics are also easier to split.

NO PROBLEMS and NO COMPLAINTS.

'AL Capshaw'

 

[dick0236]

Norma, I switched to warfarin three years ago. I have had no problem with INR. If anything, I have been more stable under generic than I was under Brand. However, I think that my previous doctor was responsible for my INR instability.

 

[Eva]

Hi Norma,

I am no expert on this as I am still struggling to get stabilized on Warfarin, but since you have been having problems for the last year, it maybe a good time now to switch. Good luck.

 

[Rich]

Since all us GM salaried retirees over 65 are losing all of our health care as of Jan 1st, this interests me.
This past Jan my cardio asked me to try warfarin(the doctors get $100 for every patient they convince to switch).
I've been on Coumadin for over twelve years with few problems.
So I tried and my INR went from 3.0 to 1.9 in a week. I immediately switched back to Coumadin and got back in range in less than a week.
During the 'trial' on warfarin I did not do anything different at all.
The warfarin was from Taro. The pills seemed to have a much softer texture than Coumadin, and didn't even snap cleanly. With this softer texture could the warfarin be metabolized faster?
I am confused but will switch if I have no choice.
Rich

 

[Ross]

There is no difference in the active ingredients of the pills. They are exactly the same as brand, they have to be. Now they may have some different "fillers" or inert ingredients, but it shouldn't matter whether you take brand name or generic, the INR should be the same no matter what.

Yoda says: http://www.warfarinfo.com/generic.htm

 

[CThrock]

Hey Norma,
I like Cooker have been on warfarin for a month after post OHS. I have my up's and down's sometimes but most of the time I'm right in range.
Try it you might like it!! saves some money.(to come and visit me)

Crystal

 

[Lisa in Katy]

I took Coumadin the first 6 months or so and was pretty stable. Then I received a new prescription and the doctor didn't mark the box for no generics and I got switched to Warfarin. It wasn't wild swings, but I wasn't as stable either. The doctor thought it was just because I was becoming more active as I recovered. After a few months of instability, the doctor asked me some detailed questions and figured out that I was no longer taking Coumadin. He switched me back to Coumadin and VOILA! I became stable again. Fast forward about 5 years down the road. Coumadin was getting expensive so the doctor said I could try Warfarin again, but told me to make sure the pharmacy uses Barr, the only generic brand he trusted. 4 years later and I'm still pretty stable, although I've had some difficulty in the last few months, which I'm guessing might be related to menopause. 8 years ago I had a hysterectomy, but I still have ovaries, and since I'm almost 47, that's the only thing I can think of.

I'm not sure what brand of Warfarin I took in the beginning. They looked like little bowties. I haven't been able to find them in searches on the web, so maybe that brand had problems and was discontinued.

Ross, even though generics say they have the same exact ingredients, there have been some issues with generics not being as strictly regulated and not working as well. This may have once been a problem with Warfarin, but I don't think it is anymore.

 

[ChouDoufu]

"My doctor says that I'll have more trouble controlling the generic"

does your doctor have any financial incentives to steer you away from generics?

 

[sue943]

All our prescription drugs are free here (in Jersey, CI) and our doctors have to prescribe generic if there is that choice. I have been on generic warfarin from day one and made by different manufacturers and my INR is rock solid, my dosage hasn't been changed for ages.

Some drug companies spend huge sums of money (your money) on getting doctors to prescribe their named drugs, generic companies don't, they also advertise in some countries so patients ask doctors for their brand.

Don't worry about using generic drugs.

 

[witzkeyman]

33 years taking Coumadin? wow, that's a long time!