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Headaches - Brand Name or Generic Medication


There is not one perfect answer when deciding on whether Generic or Name Brand drugs are better. There are many different factors to consider when choosing between the two types. Your unique situation and the actual different properties between them will determine your choice.

Regrettably, there's no 'one-size-fits-all' answer to the question: Which is the better medication, Brand Name or Generic? Which you choose will depend on a number of individual circumstances, along with real differences between the two.

In the U.S. and many other countries, the development of medications - even simple ones, such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen - takes many years and billions of invested dollars. Complicating the situation is the often incompetent and illogical way the FDA approves research and marketing, before the drugs can even be brought to the consumer.

But after all the expense and complexity, drugs do often find their way onto the shelves. Because of patent and trademarks laws, those pharmaceutical companies that developed the drug have the right to exclusive sale of the product they worked to produce. But only for a certain length of time.

The period varies, but eventually the active ingredients in brand name drugs become legally available for other companies to manufacture and sell. In the case of aspirin, for example, Bayer - the German company - lost exclusivity, of both the compound and the name, as a result of Germany's loss of WWI. Acetylsalicylic, in the form they developed, then became available for others to make and sell.

Once that happens, so-called generic drugs come onto the market. In the vast majority of cases, these drugs are as good (or nearly so) as their competitors. Since those companies didn't bear the time and expense to develop and build a market for them, they can sell them much more cheaply. Those are the major reasons generics are much less expensive.

But even within that framework, it's not always the case that generic and brand name drugs are identical. Even though the patent may have expired, the law requires that generic drug manufacturers make some changes to the product beyond the name. They are not allowed to sell the identical material under an alternate name.

Most accommodate this requirement by modifying the inactive ingredients. In most cases, that's a perfectly safe course of action. But, individuals differ in their sensitivity and what's a completely inactive ingredient for some may have some effect on others. It may be something as minor as the odor or taste. In other cases, the effect may be more profound.

Altering the level of calcium in a Bufferin-like medication (composed of aspirin and buffered with calcium carbonate) can make a difference for some people. Patients taking the anti-depressant Zoloft, for example, have reported some differences in effect between it and a generic substitute. Anti-depressants are also sometimes used to treat some forms of headache.

Though quality standards and active ingredients are required by law to be the same for any manufacturer, large pharmaceutical companies are more than just efficient marketing organizations. They also have enormous resources to devote to creating and monitoring their manufacturing processes.

In some cases, this can make a difference between their product and that of a generic. This is especially true since some have components now being made in China and elsewhere, where proper practices may not be as stringently followed.

It is necessary to examine all of your options when choosing between generic and name brand medicines. You will need to assess the risks and rewards of the two types before making your choice. While this may seem like a difficult choice to make, it is necessary part of maintaining your health.

The most important thing to remember is that you should use what works best for you and what causes the fewest side effects.

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Prostaglandins stimulate signals through nerve cells that we perceive as pain, and stimulate the swelling.
But, individuals differ in their sensitivity and what's a completely inactive ingredient for some may have some effect on others. Side effects can include dizziness and skin rash. Since those companies didn't bear the time and expense to develop and build a market for them, they can sell them much more cheaply. While generally safe, it is possible to overdose on aspirin. But the search for an answer continues.