Teva Announces Launch of Generic Zoloft

[Lucy]

Deb wrote:

<quoted text>Lucy, thats exactly how myself and others feel. When you take the real "zoloft" you do notice a difference. The generic did nothing for me and made things much worse. All my symptoms were pretty much controlled by the real stuff but with the generic all the panic and depression came right back. I know the cost difference is alot but for me I had NO choice. Good luck to you, Deb

Thank you, Deb. It helps not to feel so alone!

[georgie - oh]

I take great offense to those who insinuate that the symptoms noted by so many "may be in your head". I came upon this site while trying to find out what generic zoloft looks like; thinking the pharmacy had given me the wrong thing. Only taking the generic for a month (having major anxiety, sleeplessness, headaches, dizziness, muscle spasms, etc), I finally resolved that all this started around the time I got my new script (generic) for zoloft and thought maybe I was given the wrong thing. I have taken zoloft for 6 years with wonderful results and have already taken the generic back to the pharmacy and gotten the original zoloft made by pfizer. There is definitely something wrong with the generic form that I received. The FDA needs to check into this.

[Deb]

I've repeatedly asked everyone to go to www.FDA.gov and post a report on adverse effects. I think lots of us have done that but nothing has happened. What makes me so angry and sad is that its actually affecting the quality of people's lives that didn't have to be disrupted. I don't know how to get the FDA's attention. At least this site can keep telling people to be aware. Its such a shame that the cost is so tremendous. Of course anyone would take the generic for the cost but its NOT worth it!! It will just cause you more problems. I hope we can prevent others from suffering through this problem. Deb

[Lucy]

Deb wrote:

I've repeatedly asked everyone to go to www.FDA.gov and post a report on adverse effects. I think lots of us have done that but nothing has happened. What makes me so angry and sad is that its actually affecting the quality of people's lives that didn't have to be disrupted. I don't know how to get the FDA's attention. At least this site can keep telling people to be aware. Its such a shame that the cost is so tremendous. Of course anyone would take the generic for the cost but its NOT worth it!! It will just cause you more problems. I hope we can prevent others from suffering through this problem. Deb

Good advice. I just posted a report on the FDA site. I hope someone will pay attention!!

[pjs]

georgie - oh wrote:

I take great offense to those who insinuate that the symptoms noted by so many "may be in your head". I came upon this site while trying to find out what generic zoloft looks like; thinking the pharmacy had given me the wrong thing. Only taking the generic for a month (having major anxiety, sleeplessness, headaches, dizziness, muscle spasms, etc), I finally resolved that all this started around the time I got my new script (generic) for zoloft and thought maybe I was given the wrong thing. I have taken zoloft for 6 years with wonderful results and have already taken the generic back to the pharmacy and gotten the original zoloft made by pfizer. There is definitely something wrong with the generic form that I received. The FDA needs to check into this.

I just wanted to chime in and say that it was not me, the Zoloft patient,who noticed something was amiss, but my husband. I was not aware that I had been given the Greenstone version, the pills look the same until closer inspection. After about 10 days or so, my husband asked me what was wrong! I thought it was just the holidays stressing me out, gray days, etc. The feeling of wanting to scream and cry all at once was to me, really just the environment of the season. Luckily I decided to check my dosage, thinking maybe it was messed up by the pharmacy. Not Zoloft and apparently not good for me. The pharmacist told me that the active ingredient(sertraline) was the same, but the inactive ingredients were not and he thought the "delivery" into my system was to blame. Back to Zoloft and back to being okay

[Deb]

Hey Lucy in NC, just wanted to tell you, you are not alone in this!! Hope your feeling somewhat better. Hopefully sometime soon the FDA will get the message and see the generic is NOT the same as the real Zoloft. Deb

[KGM]

Anyone been diagnosed with ALS since they started taking generic Zoloft?

[dianev]

I thought some of you might be interested in something I read today in the book "The Everything Health Guide to Depression", Karen K. Brees, Ph.D. copyright 2008. On page 107, Brees writes that "the FDA uses the plus or minus 20 percent test to determine blood serum availability. That means the amount of the active ingredients in your bloodstream after you have ingested a generic durg has to come within plus or minus 20 percent of what those levels would be if you had ingested the innovator drug." Feeling as I have using the generic, and reading others' comments, I wonder if something is amiss with the dose of "active ingredient" we are getting.

[FRIEND]

Yes, the generic brand is not the same as Zoloft. I don't care what anyone in the drug industry says; it is not the same. There is something in the generic that is not working properly otherwise why would we all be complaining. We are not crazy !!

[Sandy]

Wow, thank you all so much! I took Zoloft for years, and actually have taken Sertraline for two years (generic, the Teva version) with no problems. My most recent prescription was filled with the Lupin brand, and after two weeks of crying, headaches, sleeplessness and fatigue, I came online. I thought I was going crazy. Will call my pharmacy Monday!

[Zoloft User]

It's so easy for the drug industry to say that "we are crazy" afterall we are taking medication. The truth of the matter is that the only ones that are crazy are the ones in the drug industry. The generic for zoloft makes you more irritable and edgy. You immediately realize that you need to go back on the zoloft once you have tried the generic. Keep writing to the FDA -!!!

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[Cindy-Kate]

Since using generic zoloft for the past couple of years I have noticed that I have an extremely poor memory. I am in my 30s. There is no family history of early dementia. Does anyone else experience memory loss?

[Jack Sanders]

I am on generic zoloft. Is this in my mind? I am very irritable,my sex drive has increased so much, I am practically shaking. I am very short with people, I have ideas that I am not loved, I feel very insecure. I twitch alot, and seem to want my wife more than ever. When she is sick, I try to understand, but I am going crazy. I moan and grown. I keep wondering if she loves me. I feel that I just don't know what to do. She is annoyed because of my moaning and groaning, and my twitching and I have gotten very sensitive. I have only been on generic for about one or two months. Is there any man out there that has an increased sex drive, feeling you are not being loved the way you need to be? Is this all in my mind? I would love to know why I have become so insecure and short with my wife. I feel good, my moods are up and down, like an emotional roller coaster. I can't relax or I sleep every chance I get. I hope someone will reply to this.

[Marilyn]

I am a "lucky" Zoloft-to-generic sertraline user, so far. I too found this forum while searching for an illustration of the new drug I have been given.(It looks very similar to Zoloft: yellow, oval, scored to break in half, only one side says "18" and the other side has what might be a capital letter "A" on it.) It apparently is manufactured in India! by a company called Aurobindo, provided by my insurance's mail-in pharmacy.

I noticed that most people on this forum who have had trouble going from Zoloft to a generic sertraline have mentioned ANXIETY and PANIC as a big problem. That was never my trouble. I am strictly a sleep-eat-cry depressive, bothered intermittently by surges of HATE. I have not noticed any difference on the generic; in fact, I have no idea when my pills changed, since they look so much like Zoloft and apparently provide me the same relief. But I sadly shake my head as I read through all the posts from folks who finally got their lives working well and then got hit with this switcheroo that turned them into basket cases. I am SOOOO sorry. I hope every one of you can get back onto the "real" Zoloft and resume your proper living.

Deb - You can have THE MEDIA get the FDA's attention. Try newspapers, 60 Minutes, Dateline, 20/20, etc. One thousand and fifty-six posts on this forum ought to convince one of them to make a story for the public. Actually, there might be someone who reads this forum who knows a media person who can get you started..........

Good luck!

[Sunchaser]

I am very dissatisfied with the generic version of Zoloft. Terrible side effects such as dizziness, nausea and headache and my an overall hyped-up feeling. What is in this stuff? I feel like I am taking something toxic instead of something to help me.

[Maryann]

I just wanted to let everyone know that I contacted the www.FDA.gov about the problem with the generic zoloft and all the horrible experiences I had with it. It took 6 horrible weeks to get back to being normal after switching back to the name brand. I was on Zoloft for 16 years and done very well until they switched me to the generic over a year ago. I thought too that it was all in my head until I read about it in "Prevention" magazine. If you are having or had problems with the generic PLEASE contact the FDA as I did. I threatened to go to the news media!! I received a response and filled out a form on line all about the drug, etc. and received an e-mail thanking me and saying someone from the FDA may call me. This generic is ruining many lives and needs to be taken off the market.

[suzanne]

I've posted before..think pages 16-18. Was wondering if anyone here weaned their way off zoloft and xanax and how long it took them. I've been on zoloft and xanax for yers for anxiety and panic attacks. Now I am on 25 mg of zoloft and about .5 of xanax a day. How long did it take to wean off zoloft. I've been on zoloft for about 10 years.
Any info will be helpful. Thank you.

[Deb]

Wow, I've written over and over about everyone contacting the FDA and I've never gotten a response from them. So glad to hear someone did get a response. You would think this site would send up a red flag for the FDA but apparently not.

Suzanne, I don't have any info on how long it would take to come off the Zoloft, sorry.

I actually don't feel I've ever gotten back to normal once resuming the REAL Zoloft. This is really unfortunate since I had good results before. Deborah

[a guest]

Yes! I have had BAD side effects with generic Zoloft. I was so dizzy after drinking 1/2 glass of wine one night that I ended up in the ER for vertigo... never had that in my life. I've not had any alcohol since because it scared me to death. Alcohol never bothered me on name-brand Zoloft. I am still dizzy on this generic, although not in the extreme. But I'll take the dizziness over the panic attacks. I'm hoping to go back to name brand Zoloft soon.
Isn't there any research to show that IN-active ingredients may cause side effects since the active ingredients are allegedly the same?

snowstorm wrote:

Has anyone had side effects from switching from Zoloft to generic sertraline, such as dizziness, heart beat irregularity, depression?