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Differences in SEs with Tamox from different manufacturers

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  • MiniMacsMom
    MiniMacsMom Member Posts: 15
    edited July 2012
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    Update on MYLAN supply:  I LOVED this thread, I am supposed to start Tamxo and called all the pharm in town to find MYLAN brand.... After not being able to find it, one really nice pharmacist searched ALL his distributors, I called Mylan directly.  It is on back order TBD... :(  Everyone in town carries Teva, which is guess is better than Watson-barr but not as good as Mylan. 

  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 158
    edited July 2012
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    I was eventually successful in getting CVS to order the Mylan brand for me. I was on Teva for 6 months then switched to Mylan for 3 months. No real difference for me. My aches & pains got worse on the Mylan brand but I'm not blaming the brand. They were getting worse on the Teva before I switched. I picked up my 3 month Rx last week & I'm back on Teva.

    I was pissed off at CVS though. The reason they gave me such a hard time about trying another brand is because of a "contract" they have with Teva. I had to ask 3 times...........They can order it in the morning & have it there the next afternoon regardless of the manufacturer. The back order issue is different...........

  • stephN
    stephN Member Posts: 133
    edited November 2012
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    I've been on tamoxifen for five months and have had three different manufacturers, all from the same drugstore.  The first two, Teva and Barr, seemed to be fine.  I still had a few hot flashes, but fewer than when I was on an AI.  Then the pharmacy switched me to Mylan brand.  Holy moly, the hot flashes.  They're not just a mild warming.  They are more like tsunami hot flashes, leaving me soaked!

    What is going on!?  If the tamoxifen is the same, shouldn't my hot flashes stay the same? I did read earlier in this thread that others have had this problem.  Any words of advice? Should I try to get them to switch me back?  These hot flashes are miserable!

    Thanks for any advice,

    Steph

  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 158
    edited November 2012
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    You can always ask the pharmacist to order you one of the brands you did better on. As for hotflashes, mine are variable, some days none & I start to think it's not working. Some days several & I remember reading that having SEs from this drug didn't correlate with preventing reoccurences.

    If your pharmacist won't order you a different brand, call around & find one that will.

    Different brand didn't make a difference for me, but some women find it does. Hope those hotflashes quiet down for you soon.

  • coraleliz
    coraleliz Member Posts: 158
    edited January 2013
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    bump

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,795
    edited February 2013
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    I was on the Mylan brand since July 2011. I had really bad hot flashes but they were getting a little better. Then, sIx weeks ago, my hot flashes came back horribly, I was constipated and joints hurt. I had noticed from this thread I was getting he Mylan brand. Two weeks ago when I called in he refill, I noticed I had the Teva version, and my new prescription is the same.



    I am switching back. I called CVS tonight and the pharmicist said to give them a day or two notice and they can get it in. So, I'm trying that next week.

  • mstrouble16
    mstrouble16 Member Posts: 177
    edited February 2013
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    fluffqueen01—I've been on the Mylan brand since 2012 and last month CVS change to the Watson Brand, needless to say they special ordered the Mylan for me.  Now if I can get these new side effects to stop I'll be one happy camper.  (New side effects: severe pain in shoulders, hands, knees, nausea)

  • sherry67
    sherry67 Member Posts: 370
    edited February 2013
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    I don't know about anyone else but tamoxifen makes me very tired with some minor joint pain ...

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,795
    edited February 2013
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    It is so strange that it can be that different. I wasnt sure I believed it when I was reading the thread...and then it happened to me.

  • AEM47
    AEM47 Member Posts: 177
    edited February 2013
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    Mstrouble - are you saying mylan is giving you new side effects?

  • cinvee
    cinvee Member Posts: 28
    edited February 2013
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    Sherry,

    I agree!  I am having almost unbearable fatigue.  I am taking teva.  I have no idea how I am going to stay on this drug.  It has been a month and I can't cope.  I am a single mom who works a demanding job and my son plays travel hockey.  I am struggling every day that I can't deal with tamoxifen, but I fully know I really can't deal with BC. 

    no win/win here.

    Cinvee

  • proudmom_wife
    proudmom_wife Member Posts: 176
    edited February 2013
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    I think if you stick with one manufacturer, as your body makes changes over time and SEs creap in every so often.  Then you just need to make adjustments.  After switching from Teva to Mylan the joint pain stopped for me, which was the biggest SE for me.  So I have stuck with Mylan ever since.  However I did have issues with being really tired too for awhile, then I started taking my B6/B12 supplements again and it really helped.  I also added additional Magnesium to the picture because I started experiencing leg cramps in my left leg.  Now it is manageable again.  Still getting hot flashes and I have noticed the intensity seems to change with the weather and my weight, another reason for me to keep exercising and keep my weight down since I cannot control the weather.  If the SEs become unmanageable and I can't figure out adjustments to make it all work then I will try another manufacturer again, but so far I am managing.

  • sherry67
    sherry67 Member Posts: 370
    edited February 2013
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    Convene,

    I to have a demanding job RN also a young adult with severe special needs he is full care..I only have to stay on tamoxifen till oct than I will be switched to something else because I had my ovaries out..

  • mstrouble16
    mstrouble16 Member Posts: 177
    edited February 2013
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    Andrea - the normal side effects I've had on Mylan tamoxifen-bone and joint pain (lower back and pevic area), blurry eyes, hot flashes (night sweats), mood swings, fatigue (not sure if that is from tami or not I did have chemo but you would think after a year i would have my stima back NOT) and insomina.  On the Watson Tamoxifen-the bone and joint was in my shoulders, hands and knees to the point I just didn't want to move it hurt so bad, nausea, cloudy blurry eyes, much worse insomina (yeah I didn't think that could get worse) and extreme mood swings (ditto on this one too).  Since going back on the Mylan Tamoxifen the cloudy blurry has stopped, so has the nausea, the insomina is like it was before (sleeping like maybe 3-4 hours a night).  The only thing that still lingering is the more severe bone and point pain of the hands, shoulders and knee.  The shoulders are still really bad but the hands and knees are way more managable than on the Watson Tami. I've also noticed that since the switch back and forth I'm now having female issues that I've NEVER EVER HAD before.  Don't know if the two are related or not.

  • Godlistens
    Godlistens Member Posts: 4
    edited February 2013
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    this is a very interesting thread! and it comes at a time when i am curious about this very topic. i have been on tamoxifen for five years this week. for most of the five years, the bottle that i picked up from CVS was a drugstore bottle i.e. it was a clear orange bottle with a prescription label on it that did not show the manufacturer; but it did say that "this pill is round and white and has M on the front and 274 on the back". the M is for Mylan as i learned on drugs.com. So for most of my years on Tamoxifen,, the manufacturer was Mylan. My side effects kept changing and ranged from achy bones, headaches, lower back pain. Then, last November, CVS changed the manufacturer - now the pill said 93782 which is Teva. With this version, I was getting a lot of pelvic cramping and got concerned. I also got a period after not getting one for 18 months. My gyno onc did an endometrial biopsy.....normal. then when I filled the prescription a week ago, the bottle said Tamoxifen citrate.....and manufacturer is Watson. i called cvs and questioned this and the pharmacist told me they switched manufacturers. Now i have learned from this thread that the different versions cause different side effects and I am going to pay attention to how I feel on the watson version. THANK YOU LADIES FOR A GREAT THREAD!!

  • msShelly
    msShelly Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2013
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    hi, do they know why there are differences between the brands? shouldn't it all be the same? does this mean that one brand works better than another? have any studies been done to see if one is better?

    it is easy to be skeptical, but it is good to know that this can happen. i have not noticed too many side effects.  i worry that because i get minimal side effects that it is not working, so i actually wanted some more side effects.  i will check which brand i am taking. maybe i am on the better brand. 

    i have a question--

    how long does it take to have side effects, 1 wk, 1 month, 2 months?

    also, is wrist pain a side effect?

  • mstrouble16
    mstrouble16 Member Posts: 177
    edited February 2013
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    On both of the different brands I have taken the side effects seem to be immedimate. With the Watson I'm still having some lingering effects stiff fingers and sore arms and shoulder blades. Never had that on the Mylan brand, while the other new side effects I had while on Watson are gone, those are the only ones that have stuck around.

  • GG27
    GG27 Member Posts: 1,308
    edited February 2013
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    msShelly,  The active drug is the same in all the brands, it's the fillers that some of us are having issues with, so no need to worry that one is better than the other.   I myself have an allergy to lactic acid which is a filler used in a lot of medications & suppliments, I was completely miserable on Tamoxifen until I figured this out & found APO which doesn't use it as a filler in any of the meds.  My SE's usually started within the first week or so, but all of us are different.  GG

  • msShelly
    msShelly Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2013
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    GG, thank you. i didnt understand about the fillers. thanks for explaining that! im not sure if it was already said on this thread, but how do you find out which brands use what fillers? thanks. 

    and as for the side effects- ive been getting very mild (hot flashes, joint pain, mood swings). i take it at night before bed though so im not sure if that might help at all with side effects?

    has it been proven that side effects mean the medicine is working or not? 

    and another silly question... do all of you take 20mg or are there some women taking 40 mg? thanks!

  • GG27
    GG27 Member Posts: 1,308
    edited February 2013
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    msShelly,  I don't know how long you've been taking Tamox, but if it's less than 3-6months, your SE's may lessen as your body adjusts to it.  I also take gabapentin for the hot flashes & I have nerve damage in my toes from the chemo which this helps lessen as well. 

    When I was having a hard time with the meds, I tried bedtime, morning, afternoon etc.  I didn't really find it made any difference, but others here have.  I take 20mg first thing when I get up, along with a 300mg gabapentin & a large glass of water. 

    My onco asked the cancer agency pharmacist to look into the fillers for me, it was a bit of a process, but well worth it & my onco now tells other women with issues to try different brands.  The BC (Canada, not breast cancer) cancer agency now makes sure that they have APO brand on hand as it "seems" to cause fewer SE's in women who suffer from SE's.  HTH, GG

  • Jo98
    Jo98 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2013
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    Good info here. I too am an RN with 3 boys 2 of which require lots of help due to learning disabilities. I had r mastectomy then chemo now on tamoxifen since may '12. The fatigue,insomnia and other menopausal symptoms were unbearable. I began taking Effexor in August. I still have fatigue daily some days worse. Insomnia do still on ambien. As a rn I know I need to exercise but can't make myself do it. During chemo and tamoxifen I've gained 40 lbs. I saw you had ovaries removed. I'm tired of feeling this way on these meds. Now onc is recommending 10 yrs. ahhhh

  • Belinda44
    Belinda44 Member Posts: 15
    edited May 2013
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    Hi all.  I'm starting back on tamoxifen.  I used to take the Mylan brand (and very briefly took the Teva brand).  I preferred the Mylan.  My pharmacist said the Mylan brand has been discontinued and gave me the Watson brand.  Has anyone heard anything more about Mylan?  Also, any more insight or feedback from anyone currently taking the Watson brand?  Thanks!

  • gemini4
    gemini4 Member Posts: 320
    edited May 2013
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    Belinda, I have been taking it a month, and mine is the Watson brand. So far so good, minimal se's, but it seems to vary from person to person. Good luck!

  • smo23915
    smo23915 Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2013
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    I called the manufacturer of Mylan today and they told me it was tempoarily discontinued.  I think if many of us send a request through their company email that we would like to see the product continued, maybe it would help.

    Here is the email link:

    http://www.mylan.com/contact_us.aspx

    Sharon

  • Belinda44
    Belinda44 Member Posts: 15
    edited May 2013
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    Good to hear, gemini!

    Thanks, Sharon!

  • mstrouble16
    mstrouble16 Member Posts: 177
    edited May 2013
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    I called Mylan also, but was told that it is discontinued when no return date

  • Annette47
    Annette47 Member Posts: 108
    edited May 2013
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    I've been on the Watson brand for about 6 weeks now with absolutely no problems whatsoever.

  • smo23915
    smo23915 Member Posts: 71
    edited May 2013
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    This was posted on another board and I thought I would share it, about Tam. being discontinued.

    You can also call them directly at 1-800-RX-MYLAN

    The person I spoke to at Customer Relations said that she has received several phone calls and emails on this subject, so please contact them, it might make a difference

  • fluffqueen01
    fluffqueen01 Member Posts: 1,795
    edited May 2013
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    I called them also. The last couple of months, my pharmacy special order it. Now they no longer do special brand orders. I M taking the Teva brand. At the moment, I am having a lot of joint stiffness that I haven't had before.

  • maxineo
    maxineo Member Posts: 199
    edited May 2013
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    This thread is incredibly insightful. I sought this out because I have been having serious issues with depression lately, and I can't figure out what is causing it. Joint pain and fatigue have also increased. I am really struggling emotionally and crying all the time.

    I know that the last TWO times I have gotten my 90-day refill, the pharmacist said they changed brands (I go to CVS).  I don't know the history of what I was on (I think I remember the mylan "m"), but right now I am on Watson. If Watson is causing me this much emotional turmoil, can anyone who had THAT reaction to Watson tell me what you request now?

    I was always shocked to hear women saying they weren't going to take tamoxifen, but after the last month or so, I completely understand.  I was stage 3 and am a mom to two young daughters...not taking the stupid medicine is not an option, for me, but this depression is just unbearable.

    All insight appreciated!!

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