generic -vs- non generic oxycontin

[aseri]

i seem to get more high off of the pills coming from Purdue (OC on one side mg on the other) and Watson Phamaceuticals (AGB on one side mg on the other) than these pills i am getting lately which are from Impax Laboratories. they are purple 40 mg pills with g 163 inscribed on them. maybe this is just in my imagination, but i would like to know if this has any basis in reality and if the others are just more effective.

[oc80tn]

The ABG pills to which you are referring aren't made by Watson Pharmaceuticals, they are made by IVAX. Up until recently, they were, for a lack of a better way of putting it, the official generic OxyContin of Purdue Pharma. The two companies had a falling out and parted ways, so I think that either Watson or Endo are now the suppliers of OxyContin generics approved by Purdue.
It's funny but when the generics first became available last year in 10, 20 and 40 (the 80's have been generic for almost 3 years now), all I ever saw were the IVAX brand. They look exactly like the real OC's, except they say ABG on one side (instead of OC) and have the strength printed on the other side. In my opinion, these are as good, if not better, than the brand name dope. I had even switched to them because of their potency and they were cheaper, too.
Now for the last four or five months, I have had to switch back to Purdue because I can't find the IVAX brand. Since I have a pain management contract, I have to go to one pharmacy and they stopped using the IVAX and went to Endo. This would be fine, except for those occasions when I want to put a cookie up my nose. The Endo's burn and burn badly. In my dealings with them, I might as well stick a match up my nose because at least it wouldn't hurt as bad as the pill. When I asked my pharmacist why they stopped selling the IVAX brand, he first gave me a funny look and then said that the Endo OC's are cheaper to stock. I also asked if he would order the IVAX brand for me for the following month, he said no. and then went on to explain how all generics are comparable to the brand name pharmaceutical and to their fellow generics. I would usually agree with that, but I swear that the only two types of oxycodone controlled release tablets worth your time are OxyContin (Purdue brand) and the oxycodone-CR made by IVAX.

[antony]

When I asked my pharmacist why they stopped selling the IVAX brand, he first gave me a funny look and then said that the Endo OC's are cheaper to stock. I also asked if he would order the IVAX brand for me for the following month, he said no. and then went on to explain how all generics are comparable to the brand name pharmaceutical and to their fellow generics. I would usually agree with that, but I swear that the only two types of oxycodone controlled release tablets worth your time are OxyContin (Purdue brand) and the oxycodone-CR made by IVAX.

we talked about generic hydro, and gripped about the mallies seemingly not working as well as the watsons, and quailtest. I think someone posted that a company can produce generics, but the can "water-down" for a lack of a better word, the hydro, and probably in this case the oxycodone. I have zero expirence with oxy, but from reading the posts on generics that have the gelling mec. it would seem that it inhibits the oxy in some way, maybe by slowing down the metabolisim of it in you stomach by binidng to the oxy, and not let it get to your liver. hmm

[ZodiacKiller]

I have read (and I don't remember where at the moment) that the companies that make the generic formulations of name-brand drugs are allowed by the FDA a 15% "inconsistency" from the original, patented formula.

How this may relate to OC, I'm not sure, but could you imagine what a crap-shoot that'd be if true? Does this mean that if you purchased a generic 40 that it could be as high as 55mg of oxycodone, or, even worse, a measly 25mg? Anyone else heard about this?

[Kallie]

Hi ZK, that stinks, but 15% of 40 would be 6mg +/-, right? Not quite as bad. Still bad enough.

[ZodiacKiller]

Hi ZK, that stinks, but 15% of 40 would be 6mg +/-, right? Not quite as bad. Still bad enough.

Oh, yeah, duh...where's my head at. Ok everyone ignore my shitty math...

Thanks Karen for the correction!

[Kallie]

No prob. I'm a geek.

[ssjTiamat]

Hi ZK, that stinks, but 15% of 40 would be 6mg +/-, right? Not quite as bad. Still bad enough.

I have had experience with all three "versions" of Oxycontin and would rate them Brand, IVAX, TEVA, ENDO. And I hate the endo but it is the ONLY generic available in my area since no other pharm. wants to stock the other generics because of the costs. And with this new medicare crap goin on and how they are not getting paid by the government quickly enough (alot of smaller places are going out of business because of it) and since all medicare users are forced to get the generic versions of anything they fill, pharmacies flat out refuse to stock anything other than Brand and Endo! I cant say that I blame them.. it is smart business considering the facts above. But it sux for us cause the Endo blows in more ways then one.

Anyway... the main reson I replied was to jump in on this idea that the FDA allows possibly a 15% variance in the formulation of medication to generic. I have never heard that before but I can see that being the case. If anyone comes across ANY info on this, please post it right away. Because if this is so, I will need to figure a way to always get Brand. And likewise if it is true that can explain why Endo sux so hard. They are just taking the variance allowance and using it to their advantage. But that would totally explain (and prove to a certain extent) why Endo blows!

Thanks.

ssj

[ZodiacKiller]

Hey Tiamat, dig your sig.

I swear I read that or was told by my pharmacist last time. He's a crotchety old coot, but he's got a sense of humor, and I tend to believe him 'cause he went to bat for me vs. my insurance company refusing to cover one of my meds. I stood there for 20 minutes while he got all pissy with 'em on the phone, and it was pretty funny. But I got my meds.

I'm actually gonna see him tomorrow morning, so I'll make a point to ask him.

[oc80tn]

Regarding the question of potency in brand names versus generics, I had always heard that the discrepancy allowed in off-brand meds had to actually be closer to the advertised strength than the brand name pills. For example, generics have to be between 95-110 percent of the actual strength, whereas brand names only have to be 90-100 percent of what the label says.
Keep in mind that this information is coming from a friend of mine, but he is usually knowledgable when it comes to matters of pharmacology. Therefore, I usually trust what he says. The guy takes 320 mgs of OxyContin a day, 32 mgs of Dilaudid, 100 mcg patches of Duragesic, and gets ten 15 mgs ampules of morphine every month. Not to mention ninety 1 mg Xanax, too. And while that doesn't automatically make you an expert, I guess I am saying he seems to know his shit about pills since he has a LOT of first-hand knowledge. He makes my 80 milligrams of OC and 30 mgs of OxyIR a day look like taking Tylenol!

[exitwound]

damn, i need to meet people with those kinds of hookups! I'd sell my left eye for some oxy, dilaudid and/or fentanyl at this point =/