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Medical Forum / General / Pharmacy / June 2005Variability in same dose/drug
Without going into details (which I have posted elsewhere), does anyone know the chemical causes that may account for a difference between - 2 capsules of lithium carbonate of the same dose - different companies - one generic, one not - same size and dose - same physical apparent characteristics One has made a significant difference in side effects; the generic, that is has less intense and less side effects. Thank you Squiggles > Without going into details (which I have posted elsewhere), > does anyone know the chemical causes that may account [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Squiggles Squggles, I am not a chemist. It's my guess that the two different companies that you mentioned use different ingredients and/or techniques. You should only use the generic since it works better for you than the other one. If there is a chemist or medical expert in this group--perhaps they can better explain how different companies use different techniques and methods of making drugs. It has been lots of years since I have taken any college science classses. Jason  SignatureNEWSGROUP SUBSCRIBERS MOTTO We respect those subscribers that ask for advice or provide advice. We do NOT respect the subscribers that enjoy criticizing people. > Squggles, > I am not a chemist. It's my guess that the two different companies that [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > science classses. > Jason Thank you for your reply Jason. Unlike other chemical preparations, lithium is a crystalline powder on its own, with a high melting point, and very poor solubility. I checked the solubility and found that the generic (which is much easier on me for many "near toxic" symptoms) is actually milkier and dissolves more slowly. That would be a paradox if the generic preparation actually has LESS lithium and more filler, given the side effect profile. On the other hand, it could just be the filler, or it could be that more lithium prevents withdrawals which mimic toxic signs. But I don't think so -- I think the brand-name one really did give me toxic signs - the classic ones, which I will not bother you with. I appreciate your reply. Any hints on the chemistry of the crystalline powder would be enlightening. Squiggles > > Squggles, > > I am not a chemist. It's my guess that the two different companies that [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Squiggles Squiggles, I suppose that it is possible that someone at one of the drug factories may have mis-labelled the dose information. For example, if the generic has a lower dose than the other one--that could be the reason. As you may know, with many medications--a low dose of a medication may not produce any bad side effects but a higher dose of that same medication could produce some bad side effects. Do you think that this good have happened related to your medication? I believe that you should discuss this with your doctor and get a blood test to determine if you are not having any medical problems. Jason SignatureNEWSGROUP SUBSCRIBERS MOTTO We respect those subscribers that ask for advice or provide advice. We do NOT respect the subscribers that enjoy criticizing people. A blood test would be more objective. All subjective indications point to less amount of lithium after at least 6 years of toxicity complaints to my dr. (e.g. daily pilgrimages for Montezuma). Maybe I'm just lucky. :-) tx Squiggles > A blood test would be more objective. All > subjective indications point to less amount of lithium [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Squiggles p.s. No, that is not *entirely* true - Montezuma still rules as witnessed this a.m. -- seems coincidental with headaches; still this preparation feels better in other respects. It could be that not all symptoms are related to the drug. Squiggles > A blood test would be more objective. All > subjective indications point to less amount of lithium [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Squiggles Squiggles, I agree. When I referred you to your doctor--I'm sure that your doctor would have arranged the blood test. In addition, you could ask him or her any questions you have about medications. If a medication is causing you to have bad side effects--you should see your doctor. Ask the doctor if a lower dose of the medication or another medication will solve the problem. Don't start cutting pills in half unless the doctor tells you to do it. Jason SignatureNEWSGROUP SUBSCRIBERS MOTTO We respect those subscribers that ask for advice or provide advice. We do NOT respect the subscribers that enjoy criticizing people. ... > Squiggles, > I agree. When I referred you to your doctor--I'm sure [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > pills in half unless the doctor tells you to do it. > Jason It would appear that the problem is with the company's preparation; the one that has toxic indications for so many years may be the one that should be examined. And I have sent notice to Health Canada about it. This company has had problems before with lithium preparation. Perhaps their lab is not up to scratch. It has been many years since I have felt so much better, and that has been since taking the generic version from a different company. I am sure my doctor will be pleased to hear that as switching to another med after 20 years plus on a tried, , retried, and finally successfully attained drug balance (Synthroid and Rivotril as well) would be hard to overturn with new tests and their accompanied risks. Some drugs have a narrow therapeutic index - lithium is one of them, possibly requiring meticulous laboratory attention. Squiggles > ... > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > Squiggles Squiggles, I am glad that your problem is solved. It appears that my first guess was the correct one. I had a feeling that it was either preparation method problems or dosage level problems. Regardless, I'm glad that you are feeling better. Jason SignatureNEWSGROUP SUBSCRIBERS MOTTO We respect those subscribers that ask for advice or provide advice. We do NOT respect the subscribers that enjoy criticizing people. > Squiggles, > I am glad that your problem is solved. It appears that my first guess > was the correct one. I had a feeling that it was either preparation > method problems or dosage level problems. Regardless, I'm glad that > you are feeling better. > Jason Thanks Jason I will end the thread here for fear of being diagnosed, and even treated for narcissism. :-) Seriously, it's very hard for people to be under the influence of misprescribed, or misdosed, or misdiagnosed conditions. Never trust authority. If you have an education and can read, do so. Squiggles |
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