What Is The Best Generic Version Of Wellbutrin Xl - Watson Or Anchen? (Page 52)

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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Diane, I had the same experience. I was ordering from a Canadian pharmacy and the first couple of orders actually came from Turkey and it was the GlaxoSmith Kline company and I was fine. The next order was from Canada - Biovail - I was okay for about a month, then started going downhill. GSK was bought by Biovail, but it was NOT the same medication. I have read from a couple of people who got the Wellbutrin from Turkey - GSK - and did not do well, but that is the way it is. What works for one person, may not work for another. Anyway....Biovail merged with Valeant and I strongly suspect that is why the Wellbutin by Valeant is not
working for me. I think my next step is to change from the XL to the SR version and start trying some generics again. I am going to start with the generic by Sandoz on recommendation by a pharmacist friend.

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I did horrible on the Sandoz. Now that the Watson is not available I have switched to the real stuff but my insurance won't cover the XL or SR. Therefore I am taking 3 pills a day of the basic Wellbutrin. It is tier 3, so $80 a month but better than what the generics were doing to me. (My issues with the Teva worsened since my last post. I had to stop the meds until we could get me on the real stuff.)

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I take 450mg Wellbrutrin XL daily, When the 300mg pill was not available I did take 3-150mg per day, now 300mg pill is available. I will now have to pay $50/bottle per month so $100 copay at Direct Success pharmacy.. which is WAY better priced than my insurance contracted "preferred pharmacy charges" Really ridiculous and disappointing that my insurance will no longer recognize "Wellbrutrin XL Guarantee program for there are so many that benefited by it, now it's all about the money for my insurance - ridiculous for my insurance is suppose to be there to help me afford the costs.

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No, they are there to make money for their stockholders. As long as we have a for profit healthcare system, the chronically ill will be chronically screwed.

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Yes....my doc switched me to it about a year ago after Vibryd stopped working for me. It worked fine as an antidepressant but I was nauseous for over month until it subsided.

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@Gabbysmom: I have been using Par for many months now, after using Mylan for over a year. I liked Mylan, and I only switched to Par because it was easier to get and I believe that its's the closest thing to brand Wellbutrin. My girlfriend was getting Actavis from Walmart, and her mood took a major nosedive for those two months. I swapped my Par tablets for hers, and her mood immediately lifted. It has stayed good for 3 months now. As for me, my mood immediately dropped on Actavis too. I've tried a few times to use up the bottle, but everytime I use it, I can feel my mood starting to sink.

I was once a little skeptical about differences between generics, but not anymore. You can even tell just by looking that Actavis isn't really using a thick membrane coating like brand Wellbutrin or Par.

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I've been on the Par one for about two weeks and all is well! I found that almost every pharmacy in my city carries the Par version.

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Glad to hear that! I haven't noticed any batch variations in Par yet, and hopefully that's how it stays for us indefinitely. I've become a big fan of bupropion :)

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I had the same problem with Canadadrugstop Wellbutrin bad side effects and I was so hopefull on getting the name brand. They acted as if they was no difference how did you get your money back. I started getting Mylan brand again with very good luck, Parr has also been good but it's had to say what we're really getting some times, if all of a sudden your new filled script is not working like yesterdays. There answer is aways talk to your doctor, as if your not compendent. Easy out for them.

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You are not the only one disgusted with the insurance companies. My husband has to take 450 mg of Wellbutrin XL and the generics don't work. Having researched them I found out that researchers discovered that the generics dumped over 60% of the time released medication into a person's system within the first 2 to 4 hours of taking it and therefore left a person for the remainder of the day without enough dosage to help with their symptoms causing them to be severely depressed, suicidal, etc. later in the day. Our insurance has now decided they will only pay for a generic at our agreed upon price and if you want the name brand they are charging you a higher deductible. We struggle to pay for my husband's 3 medications that he has to take to treat his disorder and no one seems to care. They then want to complain that people with mental health issues don't take their meds, etc. because they don't want to and are essentially a menace to society. People don't want to not take their medications, they simply can't afford the ungodly cost of them. As long as the government allows the pharmaceutical companies to charge the extremely high rates that they due - $17,000 per year for name brand Wellbutrin XL - then how can they expect people to help themselves.

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Have you tried Direct Success Pharmacy? I have been getting Wellbutrin XL from them for over a year for zero copay. They just raised my copay to 50 so I am trying some generics again. I am doing fine after three weeks on Par.

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Gabbysmom, have you had contact with Direct Success in the last few months? After January, they just stopped sending mine. I was set up to pay the $50 copay with a credit card, with no insurance. They just stopped coming, with no notification, explanation, or anything -- last bottle was mailed out January 13th.

I've now switched back to generic, starting with Par and now Activis (which seems ok). But I still have about 50 days worth of the real stuff that I'm hanging on to...

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Well, now I'm screwed. I finally, *finally* got it all sorted out. I got myself on the only name brand my insurance would cover, namely the plain old Wellbutrin. I am fine with three pills a day over the complete hell the generics put me through.
So what's the problem? GSK has decided to stop making it. And I have a days worth left. I don't know what is going to happen.

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I returned a call to Direct Success on June 10, 2016. They explained that they couldn't bill my insurance any longer, but that I could go on the cash plan for $50 a month. That's when I decided to try the Par generic.

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Mimi - as some have noted below, Direct Success will help with that. They literally saved my life. My insurance company notified me that they would no longer pay for brand Wellbutrin XL, which I had always insisted on because of the sketchy reputation of some of the generics. I had no choice but to switch to generic, which made me so physically sick I couldn't go to work. It was AWFUL. I also started having depressive thoughts again. I went on the internet in desperation and found this guarantee program through Direct Success Pharmacy, wondering what the catch was for $50/month. Turns out there isn't one - my doctor had the pharmacy in his system and sent over the prescription. I called them and arranged 90-day auto refills. It's pretty amazing considering I was paying $35/month with insurance already - I'll pay the extra $15 for my health and sanity! My only fear is that this relationship between Wellbutrin XL Direct Success will end at some point. I know this sounds like an advertisement, but I couldn't be more grateful. Do it!

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It is Bad . I have been on it two weeks. I have been on blue point for the past year. My insurance
would no longer cover this brand. I started par it's been 3 weeks. it is a bad medication
I dident even know about all these problems until I lost my regular brand.
This is cruel especially since the Rx companies are aware

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Purchased Welbutrin XL at Costco in Windsor Canada. It looks different - it was Written DAw

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The Wellbutrin I was getting from a Canadian pharmacy had different markings than the Wellbutrin in the U.S. The Canadian Wellbutrin XL had WXL and 300 in gray print. The Wellbutrin from the U.S.has the full name - Wellbutrin XL 300 in black print. I called Valeant here (U.S.) and they confirmed that the Wellbutrin by Valeant in Canada is the brand name. I told them it was not working for me and it was like the generics I have tried. The person I spoke to told me that Canada has different regulations and the medication may very well be different. Hope this is not the case for you. I am at a loss. I have no way to get brand unless I pay $4000 for a 90 day supply. I have to go back to trying generics that I have not tried.

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I opted to not run the RX through my insurance Prescription Carrier and instead just purchased each bottle (for 30 days) for $50.. I take 450 so I'm on 150 & 300, paying $100.. doesn't go towards my deductible which is a bummer. However I cannot afford $300/month so I will send in the $100 towards my flex plan and once that is done then oh well.. guess I'll write off what I can regarding prescription costs on my taxes.

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I have heard from friends that the generic 150 buproprion is more effective than the generic 300XL. They speculate it's because the 150's are made by a different pharma. So they take 2 x 150/day and are pleased with the results. Has anybody had a similar experience ?

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