What Is The Best Generic Version Of Wellbutrin Xl - Watson Or Anchen? (Page 42)

My doctor will not prescribe generic Wellbutrin XL but my insurance will no longer pay for brand name drugs. I will have to pay about $7000 per yer for what I am taking now (3 of the 150mg Wellbutrin XL brand name per day). I am reading that the problem with the generics is the time release mechanism and not the drug itself and that some are better than others. Anybody have experience with the generics made by Watson and /or Anchen?

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Nino, I am happy that Brand is working for you (and Jackie123), and I have little doubt that Brand potentially offers the best time-release mechanism of competing bupropion formulations. Whether that makes it the best choice for any one person is a matter of circumstances, including financial.

I facilitate a couple of mental health support groups, and I'm often amused by how enthusiastic the bupropion users are about their drug. I include myself in that camp. None of these people are on Brand. This is a very small sample (maybe 8 people in total), but it supports the idea that people can be successful on generic bupropion. In my own case, Mylan 300XL works extremely well. I used to track my mood on Patients Like Me, but I stopped six months ago because my daily mood is rock solid and there's no variation to track.

When I read the complete thread here a while back, I came to the conclusion that Par (Anchen) and Mylan were the best of the generics, based on all the reports. Watson apparently used to be good before Actavis bought them and switched formulations.

I believe in spending money on personal mental health, so I would encourage people to spend $50/month on Brand if they are suffering. If money is tight, then I think they should exhaust the generic route by trying, say, Par and/or Mylan.

Regarding insurance companies: The sectors that are raking in the money in the US health system are the hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers and the medical device manufacturers. Insurance in general is a tough business, but the medical insurance industry in particular operates on very tight margins. What sucks about the American medical system is that patients are insulated from the real costs, and so hospitals and drug manufacturers charge what they want. Sovaldi, a Hep C cure, costs $84,000 for a 12-week course. Soliris, a treatment for a rare blood disorder, costs over $500,000 per year. Gilead and Alexion, the respective manufacturers, charge these sums simply because this is what the market will bear at the moment. Never mind that it's bankrupting our group insurance pools. My own premiums went up 20% this year, and I bet they will go up the next year too.

I say all this because we are savvy drug consumers here, and so it's on us to act responsibly on our best information. I'm sure that Direct Success are nice on the phone with you, but at the backend, we know they are also bilking our insurance companies with fake invoices. Knowing this, I encourage anyone thinking about Brand to try to bypass their insurance and pay the $50 directly to Direct Success.

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I don't think anyone here is working for anyone. Eric. You are right and wrong. I don't think anyone here has said that the generics can't work on everyone. My two takeaways and advice is:

1. If a generic works then you have no reason to goto the name brand.

2. If the generic isn't working, you can try another generic but consistently it seems the name brand works best for the most people.

3. Each generic is different. Different ingredients, fillers, binders etc. Each one has different release rates and mechanisms.

3. DO NOT ASSUME that the next bottle handed to you by your pharmacist is the same generic you have been taking. They are different and shouldn't be switched unless there is no other option.

4. The people are extremely professional and prompt at Direct Success. Only had one small problem over 2+ years.

5. I don't know what country you live in but in the United States our medical system allows for dramatically different billing rates. Look at your explanation of benefits on any health insurance claim. The rates are always different. There is a rack rate (full-price) on every item used in medical treatment. The negotiated amount is often a lot less depending on the insurance company's contracts with the medical providers. The cost of a tylenol capsule is dramatically different whether you buy it at Costco, Walgreens, Neighborhood pharmacy/Grocery store or while a patient at a hospital. 20 years ago the hospital charged my wife $6.00 per pill for regular tylenol. Why? Because that's how the system works. The $50.00 program is actually the best of any program I've seen but you can't expect the name brand folks that are willing to help with the $50.00 scrip to not need to maximize profit when available. You too can negotiate all sorts of things and get your costs down. There are discount cards and even your voice that allows you to ask for a lower cost or cash price. Why are the prices so dramatically different? I don't know but I do know they are.

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I had the most horrible reaction to Anchen. Worsening depression. For a time I purchased name brand Welbutrin out of pocket. Felt much better.

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Hi, I take wellbutrin XML 150 mgs l can't take generics either. Here are two ways to get it cheap. You can go with generic by actavis from Walgreen's they also carry mylan. Or you can get wellbutrin Xl or plain in Canada cheap. I get 90 tablets (3) month supply for 86.00 from mylasia manufactory is Glaxo Smith Kline and I have no problems with it at all. USA is over priced on medicine. Hope this helps. Actavis makes the closest to any brand name medicine. When I can't afford my brand name I turn to generic only from actavis. OK good luck.

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The Watson generic of XL150 gave me a lump in my throat so I went back to Anchen. It works well with no side affects for me. Anchen is now owned by PAR, which I found at CVS. The pill is the same one I got from Anchen before.
Good luck.

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I am going to post about Direct Success and at first I didn't want to because of Eric's remarks. I also cannot take generics. Direct Success was awesome, and I found their information on this website.

Eric, you find it amusing that people think the generic is working? Just think what they would be experiencing if they were on name brand. I also thought generic was good enough, until my Rx slightly changed over time and wasn't working anywhere near what it was supposed to be.

You may run a mental health group but online you are what we call a troll. There was no reason to post like that to the other person.

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LongtimeLurker, I said I was amused by the *enthusiasm* of the bupropion users in my groups. They almost high-five each other when someone mentions it :) It's not about generic vs brand.

You are also way off in your understanding of the term "troll". Internet trolls are anti-social, disruptive, destructive. I am social, contributory and constructive on Medschat. Just because you don't like me calling out possible bias does not earn you the right to attack me in turn.

I stand by what I wrote in post #821, which is a summary of my position on generic and brand bupropion.

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I agree with Eric (post #821) that Mylan is the best of the generics. And that " Watson ... used to be good before Actavis bought them and switched formulations." I've been taking bupropion since before generics and have sampled many generics (including a horrendous experience with budepion). I have just been switched to "CAD" and have stopped sleeping altogether. This is so frustrating. I also agree that if necessary I will ask to be put on the brand for the sake of my sanity (and esp that of my family), but oh my god the $$$!!

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I have to agree with Eve and Eric. I take the Mylan generic at the moment without any problems. I was taking the Par generic prior, which also seemed ok, but I definitely have a little more energy with Mylan

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Eve, huh CAD? What do you mean. And you do realize there is a discount program for the name brand stuff right?

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If you tell me who your doctor is I can call on him/her and tell them how to get BRANDED WELLBUTRIN XL for NO CO-PAY if you have commercial insurance for their patients.

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If you tell me who your doctor is I can call, (If they are in Middle Tennessee), on him/her and tell them how to get BRANDED WELLBUTRIN XL for NO CO-PAY if you have commercial insurance for their patients.

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Go to Walmart. Sometimes using a Prescription Plan is actually MORE expensive than buying it outright with no Insurance (say "Self Insured"). A 90 Day Supply of Bupropion at Walmart for 150 mg. 2x day costs a little over $300/90 Day Supply ($1.65 per pill) with NO "insurance". x's 4 quarters in a year = $1,200. In your case, add a third more for that extra pill and you are still way under your "plan" = $445 per Quarter x's 4 = $1,782 per year. See if your County has a NaCo discount card (Free) and get another approx 20% off. I know. I'm doing exactly this.

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The Wellbutrin discount plan is awesome. I get min for $0/month.

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Hi, what pharmacy do you get Mylan from? Trying to find it myself since it worked well until I was switched to zydus.

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I get Mylan from Walgreens (by special request). The local pharmacy knows me so they always keep two units in stock for me.

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Hi, if you're in Middle Tennessee and you have commercial insurance, I can tell you how to get BRANDED WELLBUTRIN XL with a $0 Co-Pay!


-Neil

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Walgreens is who I normally use but at some point in time they switched me to zydus. I assume it was October last year. I thought I was sick at first with sinus infections. I was having migraines with sinus pain and feeling dizzy, nauseated and fatigued. I felt depressed and agitated but I thought it was because I wasnt feeling well. My Dr. started me on topimax for the migraines in January and the headaches/nausea/dizziness decreased significantly by April. The depression and agitation did not. It didn't occur to me to ever check the brand on my medicine until a couple months ago and I started doing my own research. Now, I am hoping to get some Mylan again, to see if it was in fact the brand switch that made me feel terrible. However, no pharmacy seems to have it. They say they can't order it. In TX

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The $0 co-pay is for everyone in the US, but it's done by massively ripping off your insurance company. Which you will pay for with higher premiums. However if you leave your insurance totally out of it, you will pay $50/month. If you get insurance involved, your insurance premiums will get sucked up to the tune of $500-$600 per month.

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Mylan generic Wellbutrin XL is made in India and that is a problem as the standards in India are highly questionable, to be polite, not to mention unmonitored. In fact, we don't know what standards we are being subjected to but here are a few of the possibilities: unsanitary conditions and methods, extreme heat, vermin, bugs and the use of mystery ingredients for binders and fillers. It's ANYONE'S GUESS as to WHAT is in those drugs, and how well they actually work. The pills could have been sitting around in an open bin in a 100 degree heat where flies are laying their eggs.

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