I can’t take any ibuprofen by any name, as it gives me horrific nosebleeds.
If free samples arrive in the mail or the paper, I pass them along to a friend.
I use Advil because I have had a side-effect reaction to an excipient in at least 2 generic brands of ibuprofen. So for that drug, I stick with one that I know I have no trouble with.
Generally, though, I’ll use generics for other things, unless the brand name is on sale at a better price.
I don’t take a lot of medicines, though, so it isn’t something I think about a lot.
The generic “simply sleep” is cheaper than the generic Benedryl (they are the exact same drug in the exact same concentration), so I take sleeping pills for my hives!
Yep. I’ve had some (relatively minor) migraines, and I remember carrying the generic version of this.
Personally, I’ll always go with the generic medications, OTC or prescription. I don’t see any point in paying extra for the marketing.
I use Advil Liqui-Gels formulated for migraines (the green ones). My pharmacy sells them for $9.99 for 72 (200 mg). I dunno, maybe that’s expensive but I’m sure the generic brand wouldn’t be that much cheaper. These babies work faster and better than anything else I’ve ever tried.
Advil Migrane comes in a red box with orange-ish capsules (http://www.advil.com/products/migraine/index.asp). What I didn’t know before looking this up is that these and the Advil Liqui-Gels have EXACTLY the same ingredients, excluding dyes.
Now the blue-green capsules, at least, have generic formulations. The top Google Product hit came up with this Amazon link - 360 capsules for 19.78. Now, granted, this is some third-party person who may be making these in his kitchen or something, but I feel like it still illustrates the point.
One place I’m angry that generic isn’t much cheaper than name brand is Prilosec, because every time the generic has dropped in price, so has Prilosec. Which I guess is a winning situation in the end, but makes me feel cheated because generic is supposed to be significantly cheaper!
See, that’s my luck. I’ve never had a headache, I’m not allergic to anything save for skin contact issues and if it hurts bad enough that I take medicine, I take Vicodin. And by hurts bad enough I mean that the bullet nicked a bone. I’ve never experianced any benefit from OTC pain meds. Seriously, I don’t notice any reaction save for the anti inflamatory properties of mass amounts of Advil. But for daily aches and pains I just deal. Not that there’s anything wrong with using OTC pain meds if they get it done for you, I just don’t myself.
Yes, every drug store around here has its own generic for Excedrin, and all the other painkillers.
I always buy everything generic, and have never noticed any difference, except for the price. The generic antidepressant I take is only 8% the price of the brand name, and exactly the same formulation.
With both Advil/ibuprofen (always the greenish gel kind!) and Claritin/loratidine, which are probably my family’s most consumed OTC meds, we buy whatever is available at Costco- and if they have the generic and the name, we go with the generic.
They can smile all day. I’m totally prepared to own up to sticking with what I know is going to work for me. I don’t have any major objections to generics - and happily take generic medications that aren’t likely to involve my allergies (antibiotics, steroids, opiates, just about anything that’s not an NSAID actually - or mixed with an NSAID). However, I am not prepared to play allergic reaction roulette with generic meds if there’s a name brand that I’m sure works and doesn’t add to my problems.
Frankly, the price difference on OTC meds between name brand and generic is small enough and the product is generally used infrequently enough that I’m entirely willing to understand the urge of people who don’t have my exceptionally-aggravating allergy to just pick one they’re sure will freaking work and work properly. I know at my grocery store (and pharmacy for that matter), the difference between 500 count 500mg Tylenol and generic is three dollars (excluding any sale prices it’s 8.99 for Tylenol and 5.99 for generic). That comes to less than one cent per pill (0.006 cents, actually). It’s not like anyone is buying more than two bottles a year - frankly, if you’re using more than 1000 doses of Tylenol in a year you probably ought to tell your doctor. When something hurts, it’s worth shelling out three extra bucks for a known quantity. For more expensive meds (or ones that are in heavier-use rotation like, say, allergy medications), it’s probably worth some experimentation to see how things go with cheaper generics. For something like an OTC pain killer? I can see it not being worth the experimentation.
I don’t even think they sell Advil in the size of containers we go through in a rugby season. IBs are by far our drug of choice, because of the help with inflammation. I think we buy bottles of 1,000.
As far as prescription drugs, I’ve never really had the option. Although, Percocet does seem to give a more intense high than its generic, but perhaps that’s a quantity issue? Or due to all the other pain killers I’ve had in my system when I’ve had to take it? Regardless, I’ve never had a script filled for anything other than generic, if available.
And a frightening sight that is. Fun fact: they typically have five or more rows of teeth.
Another irrational one here. I buy generic ibuprofen, but brand-name Tylenol and Excedrin. That’s because I use them for different things though.
Ibuprofen: all things muscle related (cramps, sprains, swellings). Since I play rugby, in season I take at least 5 ibuprofen a week, and thus go through them fairly quickly - hence the generic (usually from Costco).
Excedrin: For headaches during the day, the gel caps give relief in like 10 minutes. Since I don’t get headaches too often, I’m OK paying extra for a formulation that I like.
Tylenol: Headaches at night, random pain (sore throat or sinus pain during colds). Again, Tylenol makes a “rapid-release” gel tab which is instant pain relief. I don’t use them too often, and I live by the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” rule. Paying an extra 3$ for the brand name every 6-8 months is not that big a deal.