Comments on: Dear Dr. Kate: Is Generic Pill As Good as Brand Name? http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/ Your daily dose of advice, news, and stories about sex, love, and other important stuff. No yoga mat required. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:40:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Spes http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6520 Spes Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:26:34 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6520 Oh no, I’m not trying to give generic a bad name. Generic can be great. When I used the 28day-cycle pills, I used the generic kind. I had no problems with them at all, and yay, no pregnancies. I just hate bleeding out every month so much that I switched to Seasonale since the docs refused to suck out my uterus. I know there are the IUD's like the Merina, but docs are weird about giving those to someone who has never giving birth. I just don't understand why women are so regulated with what they can do with their bodies. For now, we're--just barely--able to have an abortion, but we can't insist on having our tubes tied or better yet having our uterus removed altogether. We can decide to have a procedure that can possibly leave us sterile or dead (abortion) but we can't take those same risks with a different procedure until some doc deems is appropriate. How about a clinic that does abortions AND tubal ligations AND partial hysterectomies! Now that would be honoring women’s rights. Sorry about the rant, it's pet peeve. Oh no, I’m not trying to give generic a bad name. Generic can be great. When I used the 28day-cycle pills, I used the generic kind. I had no problems with them at all, and yay, no pregnancies. I just hate bleeding out every month so much that I switched to Seasonale since the docs refused to suck out my uterus. I know there are the IUD’s like the Merina, but docs are weird about giving those to someone who has never giving birth.

I just don’t understand why women are so regulated with what they can do with their bodies. For now, we’re–just barely–able to have an abortion, but we can’t insist on having our tubes tied or better yet having our uterus removed altogether. We can decide to have a procedure that can possibly leave us sterile or dead (abortion) but we can’t take those same risks with a different procedure until some doc deems is appropriate.
How about a clinic that does abortions AND tubal ligations AND partial hysterectomies! Now that would be honoring women’s rights.
Sorry about the rant, it’s pet peeve.

]]> By: Sara http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6517 Sara Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:28:06 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6517 I was on Seasonale for several years with no problems. After I switched insurance, I was put on the generic Jolessa. Cue bleeding almost every day, mood swings, depression, etc. Luckily, I have a doctor who is very helpful and attentive, and I got back on the brand name pill. All the side effects stopped almost immediately. For anyone who has trouble convincing their doctor, check online for the listed side effects of the pill and circle those that have been happening to you. It's a lot harder for a doctor to say it's all in your head if you can show them proof it's happened to other patients on the same medication. I was on Seasonale for several years with no problems. After I switched insurance, I was put on the generic Jolessa. Cue bleeding almost every day, mood swings, depression, etc. Luckily, I have a doctor who is very helpful and attentive, and I got back on the brand name pill. All the side effects stopped almost immediately.

For anyone who has trouble convincing their doctor, check online for the listed side effects of the pill and circle those that have been happening to you. It’s a lot harder for a doctor to say it’s all in your head if you can show them proof it’s happened to other patients on the same medication.

]]> By: Rachel http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6389 Rachel Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:30:51 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6389 Wow, this all sounds awful. I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in for anyone reading this getting totally terrified of generic brands - I went on the pill 2 years ago and have always been on a generic brand, and as far as I can tell nothing is wrong with me! I am slim and healthy and happy! Also I have a friend who went on a brand name pill earlier this year and got so sick she stopped altogether after a month. So those are just my experiences with this matter. Wow, this all sounds awful. I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in for anyone reading this getting totally terrified of generic brands – I went on the pill 2 years ago and have always been on a generic brand, and as far as I can tell nothing is wrong with me! I am slim and healthy and happy! Also I have a friend who went on a brand name pill earlier this year and got so sick she stopped altogether after a month. So those are just my experiences with this matter.

]]> By: Katie http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6369 Katie Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:30:20 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6369 Switching from the actual brand to generic can be tricky; it was a pretty clear catalyst into a year-long depression for me. Even after I figured out the culprit and stopped using the generic brand, I had to eventually go on antidepressants for 9 months to even out the effect! It was absolute hell. Switching from the actual brand to generic can be tricky; it was a pretty clear catalyst into a year-long depression for me. Even after I figured out the culprit and stopped using the generic brand, I had to eventually go on antidepressants for 9 months to even out the effect! It was absolute hell.

]]> By: Erin http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6337 Erin Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:59:50 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6337 Rebecca you sound like I did when I was switched to a generic pill. I was depressed, angry and went crazy. The last month of the pill I felt like ripping my skin off like it was too tight. My doctor practically ignored me until I was begging to be switched to the Orthtricyclyne lo that I had previously been on. They thought I was in a bad relationship, the fact was I felt like i was going crazy and instigated fights with my boyfriend and felt like cutting my self. Once I switched I was fine and was angry for the doctor not listening to me. I suggest you switch so that way you don't get any worse. Rebecca you sound like I did when I was switched to a generic pill. I was depressed, angry and went crazy. The last month of the pill I felt like ripping my skin off like it was too tight. My doctor practically ignored me until I was begging to be switched to the Orthtricyclyne lo that I had previously been on. They thought I was in a bad relationship, the fact was I felt like i was going crazy and instigated fights with my boyfriend and felt like cutting my self. Once I switched I was fine and was angry for the doctor not listening to me. I suggest you switch so that way you don’t get any worse.

]]> By: b-b http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6336 b-b Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:39:29 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6336 Several years ago my insurance switched me from Alesse -- the only pill I ever found that didn't cause severe nausea and vomiting -- to its generic Aviane, which immediately started the side effects again. It was a huge difference. Several years ago my insurance switched me from Alesse — the only pill I ever found that didn’t cause severe nausea and vomiting — to its generic Aviane, which immediately started the side effects again. It was a huge difference.

]]> By: Spes http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6335 Spes Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:03:06 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6335 I was on the generic version of Seasonel for 5 months and it was awful. The protection seemed to be the same, as in I haven't gotten pregnant on either, but I gained a huge amount of weight in a relatively short period of time. I went from a size 2 to a size 8 within a month and a half. I was exercising and eating healthier than I ever had before. Within three weeks of getting off that pill and back on the Seasonel, I dropped to a 4. My physician told me it was all in my head, that generic and brand are the same. Their effectiveness may be the same, but the side effect certainly are not. I was on the generic version of Seasonel for 5 months and it was awful. The protection seemed to be the same, as in I haven’t gotten pregnant on either, but I gained a huge amount of weight in a relatively short period of time. I went from a size 2 to a size 8 within a month and a half. I was exercising and eating healthier than I ever had before. Within three weeks of getting off that pill and back on the Seasonel, I dropped to a 4. My physician told me it was all in my head, that generic and brand are the same. Their effectiveness may be the same, but the side effect certainly are not.

]]> By: Rebecca http://www.emandlo.com/2009/11/dear-dr-kate-is-generic-pill-as-effective-as-the-brand-name/comment-page-1/#comment-6333 Rebecca Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:36:59 +0000 http://www.emandlo.com/?p=6625#comment-6333 I recently started taking the generic form of my birth control pill, and it has really affected my mood in the 3rd week. Like make me crazy and crying affected me. Everything else seems to be going fine, but I can't handle the extreme mood swings and depression. Hopefully it will all balance out soon, or I am going to have to go with something else. I recently started taking the generic form of my birth control pill, and it has really affected my mood in the 3rd week. Like make me crazy and crying affected me. Everything else seems to be going fine, but I can’t handle the extreme mood swings and depression. Hopefully it will all balance out soon, or I am going to have to go with something else.

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