JCF
05-26-2005, 11:01 AM
Hey Board Readers,
Would really appreciate some feedback. Currently on Avinza 210 mg a day, and due to insurance I had to change to either Kadian or MS Contin. I was put on Kadian. I found out Kadian has no generic, but MS contin does, which leads me to the question what is the differance between the two? Do you guys have any suggestions on this?
Thanks!!
JCF
Would really appreciate some feedback. Currently on Avinza 210 mg a day, and due to insurance I had to change to either Kadian or MS Contin. I was put on Kadian. I found out Kadian has no generic, but MS contin does, which leads me to the question what is the differance between the two? Do you guys have any suggestions on this?
Thanks!!
JCF
Sponsor
Otter66
05-26-2005, 11:47 AM
The main difference is the delivery system. I have been told by my
Pain doc that Kadian releases the morphine at a more "even" rate than
the Ms Contin did. I have been on Kaidan 200mg/3x per day for about 2years.
It has worked VERY well for me for the first 18months. Only now am I having to switch due to tolerance.
Good Luck,
:wave:
Pain doc that Kadian releases the morphine at a more "even" rate than
the Ms Contin did. I have been on Kaidan 200mg/3x per day for about 2years.
It has worked VERY well for me for the first 18months. Only now am I having to switch due to tolerance.
Good Luck,
:wave:
Shoreline
05-26-2005, 01:03 PM
Hey JCF, I was taking the same dose of Kadian as Otter, 200 X 3, It's a 12-24 hour med but the idea was to maintain a smother serum level and prevent the ups and downs, which it did. I never felt a dose whereoff or kick in. My insurance changed and wouldn't cover Kadian so I swithced to the exact same dose of generic MSC, It worked just as well, the only diffewrence is MSC isn't forgiving if your late or miss a dose, You will always have some Kadian in your system taking it 2 or 3 times a day, with MSC , there is a definite beginning and end but dosed 3 times a day really wasn't that noticable and worth the 1400 it saved me. When push comes to shove, they are both morphine, the number of mgs was the same, the relief was the same, you just have to take meds on a more exact schedule. MSC does wear off after 8 hours and then it's hard to get things under control again.
If you have a huge copay difference, that creates a financial burden, your wouldn't be missing out on much with most of the genric MSC products available.
Personally I avoid Mallinkrodt generic products after a bad experience with thier methadose and their generic roxicodone. Mallinkrodt stretches the FDA guidlines to the absolute limit as far as allowable variances with generics to save a few pennies, but those pennies add up.
They are allowed +20% to -20% of active ingredient because you still get the same basic serum ranges when testing a large group of people varrying in size, weight, metabolism and blood volume. Don't believe it when a pharmacist says they are all the same, they get paid topush generics that have a much higher gross profit margin, and I mean GROSS. LOL So paharmacist have a buonus incentive to ush genericsand claim they are exactly the same. I don't consider +20 or -20% exact and whe you switch from one generic t the other you could have a 40% differnce. That plus 20 -20 is a comparison to the proprietary drug "name brand" they don't compare generic to genric so if one is +20% and the other generic is -20% you can experience withdrawal from a 40% variation in generic products that can cause wthdrawal. I have.
Whatever generic you choose if you do, stick with it, don't bop from one to the other because all generics are not the same.
Good luck, Dave
If you have a huge copay difference, that creates a financial burden, your wouldn't be missing out on much with most of the genric MSC products available.
Personally I avoid Mallinkrodt generic products after a bad experience with thier methadose and their generic roxicodone. Mallinkrodt stretches the FDA guidlines to the absolute limit as far as allowable variances with generics to save a few pennies, but those pennies add up.
They are allowed +20% to -20% of active ingredient because you still get the same basic serum ranges when testing a large group of people varrying in size, weight, metabolism and blood volume. Don't believe it when a pharmacist says they are all the same, they get paid topush generics that have a much higher gross profit margin, and I mean GROSS. LOL So paharmacist have a buonus incentive to ush genericsand claim they are exactly the same. I don't consider +20 or -20% exact and whe you switch from one generic t the other you could have a 40% differnce. That plus 20 -20 is a comparison to the proprietary drug "name brand" they don't compare generic to genric so if one is +20% and the other generic is -20% you can experience withdrawal from a 40% variation in generic products that can cause wthdrawal. I have.
Whatever generic you choose if you do, stick with it, don't bop from one to the other because all generics are not the same.
Good luck, Dave
Tyneyboy
05-28-2005, 03:09 AM
I second that, the MK version of MS-Contin is not as good as the other generic I can get made by Endo. There is a difference in how they release, the Endo version last longer but I don't think hits quite as high of a peak as early. It doesn't make that much difference, but I like found the endo version better.
Kadian is wonderful for smoothness, unfortunately I only got to try it for a month before I had to switch. For me the only real difference was 2x a day vs 3x a day, and it didn't have the lulls that MS Contin has.
Kadian is wonderful for smoothness, unfortunately I only got to try it for a month before I had to switch. For me the only real difference was 2x a day vs 3x a day, and it didn't have the lulls that MS Contin has.
Nana Gormley
05-31-2005, 08:36 AM
I took MSContin for years (Endo brand) and can testify to the problems encountered by some patients when the pharmacy switches generics. My old pharmacy switched the Endo for Roxy (sp?) and I went into withdrawal. When I went back to the pharmacy they told me it was in my head and there was no difference. My doctor tried to get the insurance company to accept another script for MSContin but they said I had my 30 day supply of Extended Release Morphine and that was that. I had to take my breakthrough drugs 6x a day until I could getfill my regular Rx for Endo brand at another pharmacy. I had called Endo Pharmaceuticals and asked them what pharmacy in NYC could guarantee me Endo brand every month and they found me one immediately. I still go out of my way to give this pharmacy all of my business even though I now take Avinza and don't live in NYC. Don't let them tell you that the ES generics are all they same. They are not and the pharmacies know they are not.
NanaG
NanaG