Medications

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
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South West
I have been taken off the medication Aricept after taking it for almost 16 years , I am now on a generic Donepezil because of cost implications , however my wife has seen me decline in a matter of a few weeks and I realize myself I’m reacting more aggressively than I have been , and can notice a change in myself has any experience of this or is it just a coincidence !!!
 

Canadian Joanne

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Apr 8, 2005
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Toronto, Canada
I have no experience of this but the active ingredient in the medication would be the same. It's only the fillers that would be different, as I understand it.
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
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Salford
In theory the active ingredient Donepezil Hydrochloride is exactly the same in both, Aricept is just a branded trademark name, however, as Joanne says the none active ingredients vary, there are also a number of different producers of Donepezil so even 2 different brands of the same product may vary.
I do think some people want Aricept as it's more expensive and branded so it has to be better, I want the M&&S version not the Aldi version way of thinking, however, it does seem to come up fairly regularly that people have issues with Donepezil that they never had with Aricept so maybe it does warrant looking into.
The same can be said about Simvastatin, doctors prescribe it because it's cheap, if you have a reaction to it then they have to use a more expensive alternative and they don't seem to like doing that.
You could take your next prescription to a different chemist and see if they use a different brand, the tablets I get from the chemist in Asda are different to the ones I get from the local chemists.
K
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
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South West
In theory the active ingredient Donepezil Hydrochloride is exactly the same in both, Aricept is just a branded trademark name, however, as Joanne says the none active ingredients vary, there are also a number of different producers of Donepezil so even 2 different brands of the same product may vary.
I do think some people want Aricept as it's more expensive and branded so it has to be better, I want the M&&S version not the Aldi version way of thinking, however, it does seem to come up fairly regularly that people have issues with Donepezil that they never had with Aricept so maybe it does warrant looking into.
The same can be said about Simvastatin, doctors prescribe it because it's cheap, if you have a reaction to it then they have to use a more expensive alternative and they don't seem to like doing that.
You could take your next prescription to a different chemist and see if they use a different brand, the tablets I get from the chemist in Asda are different to the ones I get from the local chemists.
K

hi kevinl its a few days ago now I wrote this thread , and I can feel a difference ok I'm still able convers through text but verbally having difficulty slinging sentences together verbally is it because I need time to adjust to Donepezil not sure , something isn't right
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,076
0
Bury
There is a substantial cost differential, see end of post.
If the prescription does not specify a brand, eg Aricept, but just says donepezil the pharmacist can supply any brand.
Sometimes the generic ones I got were of French manufacture so instead of Mon/Tues/...the bubbles were labeled Lun/Mar/...

If you go to 6.1 in the SPCs of Aricept and the generic version you have you can get a list of the excipients in each case.
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/search/?q=donepezil&nojs=False
 

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Barry

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Oct 14, 2006
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Indonesia
HI Tony,
Sorry to hear this news as you have been doing so well for such along time, I would suggest that you go back to your doctor as it could be that the generic version is having an adverse effect on you. I can understand what you mean about the cost of the drug as out here I have to pay full price which is starting to cripple Sumi and My monthly budget, LOL ;) Get yourself back to your doctor my friend
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
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South West
HI Tony,
Sorry to hear this news as you have been doing so well for such along time, I would suggest that you go back to your doctor as it could be that the generic version is having an adverse effect on you. I can understand what you mean about the cost of the drug as out here I have to pay full price which is starting to cripple Sumi and My monthly budget, LOL ;) Get yourself back to your doctor my friend

Hi Barry hope your ok Buddy I seem to have gone back ten years my G.P is on holiday however Wife has an appointment to see the G.P 3rd August who sent sent to me see the Consultant back in 1999 thats seems a long time ago , problem if I go to see G.P Barry I could end have a argument with him and then start F.in and blinding , also Barry in the month or so I have been off the Aricept medication I managed to fall outwith four close friends and one I been a close friend with for over 45 years hence I think the new medication may not be so effective or maybe I need to give the Donepezil time (well if I servive that long the way things are going ) problem is Buddy all the Consultans Dorctor Careers ,they have No idea of the reality of dementia for us I know you do Buddy because we have been mates on-line for a few years and Barry you put it into
words excently on your threads , any at 1. pm I'm meeting these four frinds in a cafe and try to resolve the situation , fingers crossed , problem for us Barry a lot of the information I pass onto you every week comes from one of those friends So I must get that sorted

let you know how our meeting goes , and the medication we will offer to buy it ouselves but that pains me when I put into the system whilst working 51 years

Chers Tony
 
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Barry

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Oct 14, 2006
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OK Tony good luck with you meeting, I know and can understand that our illness can make us very fraught at times, just try to stay calm. LOL :D
 

Sammyjo1

Registered User
Jul 8, 2014
193
0
Hi Tony. So sorry to hear that things seem to have slid a bit since taking donepezil - you've always been such a positive presence on TP.

My OH has been on donepezil for about 9 months now - he wasn't ever on Aricept. He was given a different brand of the donepezil once and I noticed a deterioration in his behaviour. The pharmacy now makes sure he always has the same brand made by Jubilant Pharmaceuticals and things have settled down again.

I did read somewhere that others were finding that different brands did cause problems and that salmon-coloured ones were particularly bad for this. Is it worth checking things out with your pharmacist to see if you can try another brand?

I really hope things start looking up soon.
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
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South West
OK Tony good luck with you meeting, I know and can understand that our illness can make us very fraught at times, just try to stay calm. LOL :D

Hello Barry hope your ok "thanks for e-mail" well Barry put back on Aricept today so hopefully thing will start to pick up for me again now and get back to Normal LOL at least you know exactly what I'm mean buddy speak to you soon
 

Soobee

Registered User
Aug 22, 2009
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South
It can be that the generic drugs react differently - especially for drugs interacting in the brain.

My daughter read in Epilepsy Action years ago that people were having seizures because they were being given the generic version of the drug rather than the named version on which they were seizure-free. She makes sure the doctors specify the named brand she normally has - several times the chemists have tried to palm her off with a generic and she makes them change it.

You may find that sometimes they will try to give you the generic one again, so be prepared and check it each time. I am glad the doc has put you back on the Aricept.
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
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South West
It can be that the generic drugs react differently - especially for drugs interacting in the brain.

My daughter read in Epilepsy Action years ago that people were having seizures because they were being given the generic version of the drug rather than the named version on which they were seizure-free. She makes sure the doctors specify the named brand she normally has - several times the chemists have tried to palm her off with a generic and she makes them change it.

You may find that sometimes they will try to give you the generic one again, so be prepared and check it each time. I am glad the doc has put you back on the Aricept.

Hi Soobee thanks yes I,m making sure I get the Aricept I told the chemist this morning I do not want a blister pack for that very reason
 

Barry

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Oct 14, 2006
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Indonesia
Hello Barry hope your ok "thanks for e-mail" well Barry put back on Aricept today so hopefully thing will start to pick up for me again now and get back to Normal LOL at least you know exactly what I'm mean buddy speak to you soon

That's good to hear Tony and as you say once the medication gets back into your system I'm sure you will start to feel better
Good luck my friend;)
 

Barry

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Oct 14, 2006
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Indonesia
Hello Barry hope your ok "thanks for e-mail" well Barry put back on Aricept today so hopefully thing will start to pick up for me again now and get back to Normal LOL at least you know exactly what I'm mean buddy speak to you soon

Great Tony ;):D
 

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