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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Asthma / January 2005A question for Bob
What if anything does "pharmaceutical grade" add to a supplement's desirability other than a marketing slant? Joy I'm not Bob but my friend's doctor told him that he never recommends generic drugs because the tolerances for error are higher. For example, the drug he was referring to, in particular, was Paxil. If brand name or maybe even "pharmaceutical grade" Paxil is standardized at 25% of the active ingredient (I'm just throwing around numbers here) then generic equivalents are permitted to fluctuate by plus or minus 5%. Again, I'm just throwing out numbers to illustrate the point his doctor was trying to make. But that's just one doctor and I've never heard this before. Maybe someone else can confirm/refute? > I'm not Bob but my friend's doctor told him that he never > recommends [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > before. Maybe > someone else can confirm/refute? With a few exceptions (usually drugs with narrow "therapeutic windows" like seizure meds and thyroid medication) drugs have to have 90% of what the label says they have. This is true for brand named drugs and generics. This is usually measured by directly measuring how much chemical is in the pill and by measuring serum concentrations in a few volunteers - usually with just one dose. So things are much better than your friend's doc suggests and usually generics are just as good and much lower priced. Often the company that makes the brand name also competes in the generic market by selling the identical product with different labelling (that way they get you comming and going). All of that is not to say that there is never an issue with generics. There is a lot more to making the drug than just getting the right amount in the pill. The different manufacturing processes can lead to different contaminants and fillers. Also, sometimes a molecule can take more than one shape that is still classified the same according to the chemists. This seems to be more of an issue with a few drugs. To answer Joy's question: My guess is that most of the places you are seeing "pharmaceutical grade" in supplements it is just marketting gibberish wih no real agreed upon meaning. The exception would be chemicals that can be used both in industry/laboratory chemistry and medicine where a higher purity level is needed for human use. DMSO being one example off the top of my head (and I am not sure there are many others).  Signature00doc CBI writes: >To answer Joy's question: My guess is that most of the places you are >seeing "pharmaceutical grade" in supplements it is just marketting [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >being one example off the top of my head (and I am not sure there are >many others). I would guess that just about every inert ingredient found in drugs (and many of the active ones) could be ordered from the Sigma-Aldrich website in 98% pure form. Take a look for yourself at http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/ 98% pure sounds pretty good until you realize that the other 2% could be almost anything. SignatureAlison Chaiken "From:" address above is valid. (650) 236-2231 [daytime] http://www.wsrcc.com/alison/ Nil tibi scribo quidem, quod non prius ipse probassem. -- Heraclius > CBI writes: > >To answer Joy's question: My guess is that most of the places you are [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/ 98% pure sounds pretty good until you > realize that the other 2% could be almost anything. I am in a quagmire here of supplement claims. The particular supplement in question is supposed to be better if it is made in Japan for some reason............... I am not convinced, but I hate to be accused of being close minded. Joy > I am in a quagmire here of supplement claims. The particular supplement in > question is supposed to be better if it is made in Japan for some [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Joy Well, I'm probably one of the more open minded here, but I agree that it's probably all marketing nonsense. I hate the tactics of some companies...particularly supplement manufacturers that will quote a Mayo study in their ads - as if their company or supplement had anything to do with the study OR Mayo. Very misleading. At any rate, I find a good source for supplement information is both JAMA and the University of MD Medical Center's website, which you can find here: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/index.html The caveat is that you should scroll to the bottom and take a look at their references, and then do some additional research on your own. Most, but not all, of the studies they refer to are legitimate studies published in medical journals, but I still think it's wise to read through the study yourself. > Well, I'm probably one of the more open minded here, but I agree that > it's probably all marketing nonsense. I hate the tactics of some [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > published in medical journals, but I still think it's wise to read > through the study yourself. Thanks Maureen, I have seen that particular site before. It really is a good one, particularly because it takes into the interactions with other drugs. Joy > > I'm not Bob but my friend's doctor told him that he never > > recommends [quoted text clipped - 47 lines] > example off the top of my head (and I am not sure there are > many others). Thanks. That is what I suspected. A marketing tool. Joy >What if anything does "pharmaceutical grade" add to a supplement's >desirability other than a marketing slant? > >Joy It is sometimes difficult to verify a supplement company's claims about the purity or potency of their products. Therefore, I am suspect of this pitch used to market supplements, especially if the proof of their quality control is not forthcoming when you call the company and ask for/about it. Most reputable supplement companies I work with have been around awhile and are happy to share their manufacturing/purifying test results with me. For example, the Omega-3 salmon oil I take is regularly tested (using AOAC international protocols) for potency and purity by an independent, FDA registered laboratory and found to be free of detectable levels of mercury, lead, PCB's and some other contaminants. Interesting note: The company does not market this product as "pharmaceutical grade." Personally, I trust the test results from the lab far more than some "buzz word" marketing bullet in an ad. Ask them to prove it to you. > It is sometimes difficult to verify a supplement company's claims > about the purity or potency of their products. Therefore, I am [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Ask them to prove it to you. Thanks Bob, I figured if you hadn't heard of it, it was a come on. Have you ever heard that Q10 is better if it is from Japan? Joy >> It is sometimes difficult to verify a supplement company's claims >> about the purity or potency of their products. Therefore, I am [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > >Joy O boy, you picked a hot one there (CoQ10). Japan is the source of most CoQ10 that is eventually sold in its raw form to supplement manufacturers. (They make it through a fermenting process using the stem and root of the tobacco plant). The demand for the stuff is really growing, so I've been told. China has begun developing a synthetic form, which I wouldn't trust, but that's just me. The price of CoQ10 has almost doubled in the last few months. Now the question is, does a shortage actually exist or are we being fed the old marketing line of "scarcity?" Coca Cola did that with their Classic Coke scam, remember? Take away what you like and then bring it back after the demand goes up. Who knows, maybe next they will come out with Coke-Q-10; "pharmaceutical grade," of course... If you want some Joy, email me and I'll have some shipped to you from the manufacturer at my cost, if it is cheaper than what you can find. > >> It is sometimes difficult to verify a supplement company's claims > >> about the purity or potency of their products. Therefore, I am [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > If you want some Joy, email me and I'll have some shipped to you from > the manufacturer at my cost, if it is cheaper than what you can find. Bob, This is what I ordered the last time (wow, I hope your cost is less). Healthy Origins Payment Information: Product Quantity Price Total __________________________________________________ CoQ10 100 mg 150SG 1 $53.30 $53.30 __________________________________________________ Subtotal: $53.30 Shipping: $4.95 Tax: $0.00 ___________________________ Total: $58.25 I am using them in an efficacy test of CoQ10 for one of my kids who has Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome and it seems to be working. One of the people in the test decided Healthy Origins was a good choice because she avoids soy and Vit E (for reasons I don't really know) and that brand met all her criteria. I just followed her advice. She also told us the gel caps are better than the pills and that the CoQ10 should come from Japan. Eventually, she talked Healthy Origins into giving those involved in the test a break on the cost, but I ordered mine before she obtained that agreement and it has now expired. So,yes ! thanks for the offer since he will be on these for years it now appears. Let me know if you can get it for much less cost, although I insist on picking up my share (although I love getting discounts, I will pay my cost). jjcontact@nospamhotmail.com You know what to do about the address. : ) Joy Joy, I just found this, although I don't know if it will have information on the supplement you're referring to: http://www.consumerlab.com/index.asp It was actually linked on one of the lymphoma sites I'm now frequenting. Thanks Maureen, I am pretty sure that Q10 is the answer at this point and I only have to locate a cheap but reliable source. He missed another cycle since starting back. Interesting isn't it this supplement worked? I am so lucky to have an opened minded Pediatric GI. Joy > Joy, I just found this, although I don't know if it will have > information on the supplement you're referring to: [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > It was actually linked on one of the lymphoma sites I'm now > frequenting. |
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