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[surfergirl2]

I tried generic wellbutrin last year (SR) and it didn't do anything for me. I just went back to the doctor and got a prescription for name brand Wellbutrin (he prescribed the immediate release). I just went to the pharmacy and they said a month's supply will be almost $300 even with my insurance coverage! The generic would be like $5. But what's the point if it doesn't even work for me. Should i try the $300??? I mean even if it's great, i don't know if i'd be willing to pay it long term...it depends on how great...i mean it COULD be worth it if it's a miracle drug. I suppose I could try it for a month...it might need a little longer to kick in...i might have to give it 2 months. This will be an expensive experiment!

[yepitsme]

What dose were you on before? You might have given up before you got to a therapeutic dose. I can tell you that I switched from the generic to the brand and the brand had way more medicine in it. But I don't have to pay that much for it. you might try going back on a higher dose or the generic or asking your doctor to talk to the insurance company.

[surfergirl2]

I was at 300 mg before, and i stayed on it for a few months. I wouldn't want to go any higher than that because of the seizure risk...if it doesn't work for me i'd rather just try another drug.

Ok so it turned out to be only $245 (the pharmacist was super apologetic when he told me the cost...as if it was his fault). And for the first few weeks i'm going to try taking only 2 pills a day, mostly because i've read a lot about the side effects and it sounds like you really should start lower in the beginning... i'm the only one i've heard of who was told to start at 300 mg immediately. In an ideal world, the 200 mg will work perfectly for me, which would mean the $245 prescription would last me for 45 days. I suppose i can afford that...a lot better than $300/ month. And i guess if it doesn't work, then i can look at the bright side: i won't continue paying $245 for a prescription. Or, i suppose i might have to give it a chance at 300 mg and then decide.

[mixtape]

Is there really a huge difference between name brand and generic? It's the same chemical isn't it? Or is it just the release mechanism that is slightly different?

[surfergirl2]

_{For the last 4 weeks i have only taken 2 pills a day because 1) i thought it better to ease into it, and 2) i wanted to see if 2 pills was enough because i can't afford the cost of the prescription at 3 pills a day. Well today i have decided to up it to the full 3 pill dose, to give it a chance and see if it works. If it does, then i will worry about the cost later. I am not sure if the 2 pills were working. I think i felt slightly better the last few weeks, but mostly just from a sense that there is hope. Placebo effect maybe. The only side effect was that i haven't been sleeping as well--both waking up once a night, plus waking up in the morning without needing as much sleep (and i'm not 100% sure it's due to the wellbutrin). It's actually not really a bad thing, because somehow i don't wake up tired even if i didn't sleep much. Hopefully i'll report back if/when i notice a change with the full dose.}

[onmyown]

Surfergirl2,

I can't answer your question because my insurance company's relationship with pharmacies always gives me generic of anything there is a generic for. I do know that generics are supposed to have the same mg as listed on the label so if the generic and namebrand both have identical mg I can't see how they would work differently, though, it seems that on a different type prescription I got a different generic than usual because I was at a different pharmacy and it wasn't as effective. You'd think they'd regulate this stuff better in the important areas.

So, it's possible I guess. I'm on 400mg bupropion right now and I've read that 300mg is supposed to be the maximum dosage. Can't say that it's helping much but I think part of it is because there are outside factors in life that have me in a deep hole that I can't figure a way out of. I can't stay on it for long periods because eventually it makes me get more SI thoughts than I do without it.

Best wishes to you.