Worked with a plant that was a contract plant for a pharma company, back a while ago, and was in discussions with some of the chemists. The fillers can make a big difference in how well (or not) the active drug is dispersed and dissolved in your body. Both in terms of how quickly the active drug is able to be absorbed and how effectively.
And there was some discussion of cutting costs in the filler, so I could envision a scenario in which lower cost fillers might be used to cheapen a generic, and that had an impact on the absorption of the drug into your system.
#955509 - 11/04/0910:42 PMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: wofer]
Fermentia00
Member
Registered: 08/31/07
Posts: 146
Originally Posted By: wofer
I still have a bunch of mali's 10/325 that i'm saving for a rainy day. This was the last batch from an RX from my PCP in May just before I weaned myself off about 30 to 40 mg a day. I have had both the Watson and the Mali's in my med.inventory at the same. I can tell you that the onset of a Watson seems much faster to me than that of the Mali. So what ive done is let the Mali melt in my mouth for a minute or so before washing it down with a carbonated beverage. It doesnt help with the strength of the pill, but it seems to help speed up the medicine's entry into the bloodstream.
The mali's have a very hard outer coating, hard to break in half, unlike the watson's where they are a much more brittle pill. This could be why the Mali's take so long to have any affect, or maybe they did that on purpose to provide an extended release affect. I know they are not advertised as extended release, but the hardness of the pill could be contributing to the immediate effectiveness of it, or lack there of. Any in case, it melts in your mouth and not in your hands.
I sometimes bite my pills in half when I don't feel the need to take a whole pill. I actually broke my tooth on a Mallie.
#955778 - 11/05/0902:58 PMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: zina]
Fermentia00
Member
Registered: 08/31/07
Posts: 146
Originally Posted By: zina
the cheap pill splitters I bought at Walmart break very easily - now I use my dogs toenail clippers to split pills they're perfect!
Oh, I still bite my pills in half, but now they are Watson.
I have a pill splitter. But the blade dulls almost immediately, and I am too lazy to keep replacing the blade.
I love the idea of dog toenail clippers! Great idea! Although, I hope you sterilize them for about an hour first. Dogs step in some seriously nasty stuff.
#955833 - 11/05/0904:23 PMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: Fermentia00]
meonlyits
Old Hand
Registered: 08/23/09
Posts: 427
Careful not to let the 2 halves go flying away into the air.
Stuff like that always happens to me. Last month, I only had a few hydro left and I dropped one down the sink. Desperate me, took apart my drain, only to see that it had already melted. And of course, I was not able to put my sink pipes back together myself.
For the record, it is a lot easier to take apart sink pipes than to put them back together.
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#955843 - 11/05/0904:40 PMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: meonlyits]
DeeRock
Old Hand
Registered: 07/11/06
Posts: 404
Loc: St. Louis
haha, I did the same thing with a quarter of a xanax bar I got from startmeds way back in the day. it was my last xanax too. although, since it was such a tiny piece, and small amount (0.5mg) I didn't take the sink apart because I knew it would've been gone before I got there. not to mention all the hair and toothpaste and [censored]] that gets stuck in the U trap or whatever its called.
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All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day, put the pieces back together my way.
Worked with a plant that was a contract plant for a pharma company, back a while ago, and was in discussions with some of the chemists. The fillers can make a big difference in how well (or not) the active drug is dispersed and dissolved in your body. Both in terms of how quickly the active drug is able to be absorbed and how effectively.
And there was some discussion of cutting costs in the filler, so I could envision a scenario in which lower cost fillers might be used to cheapen a generic, and that had an impact on the absorption of the drug into your system.
Would anyone have an idea of what exactly the "filler" for typical meds are made of? The reason I ask is because that's the only thing I can conclude is the difference between generic and name brand for any meds.
#957697 - 11/08/0901:48 AMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: Horse_Play]
DeeRock
Old Hand
Registered: 07/11/06
Posts: 404
Loc: St. Louis
I would say its mostly talc.
I know there are sites out there that will tell you everything there is in a specific type of pill. not sure exactly what it is now. but if you could find it, you could compare the two from there.
_________________________
All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day, put the pieces back together my way.
After further reading I suspect that the fillers also include the substances that aid in releasing and controlling the active ingredients. This might explain why "some" Dr's state that a script not allow for a generic. I think I will go with this hypothesis.
really? that is actually a new thought to me. I have always had a slight itchy reaction to forms of codeine, from Tylenol 3 to Hydros, but I dont feel it when I take just tylenol/ibuprofen -and I used to take alot.
A member once told me the itching from forms of codiene was not a sign of anything dangerous unless it was so bad you couldnt stand it, then it is likely a true allergy to the codiene.
Am I wrong?
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#964966 - 11/18/0904:14 AMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: Tiades]
Stacy
GRAND Pooh-Bah
Registered: 11/15/02
Posts: 3130
Loc: USA
Itching is a symptom of liver issues, but narcotic meds also have a side effect of itching. Probably one of the most common side effects of narcotic meds.
Codeine causes me more itching than any of the other ones do. Also some have phenergan with them (demerol and phenergan) and if you get a shot of one at the hospital or ER, they will give you phenergan with it.
While phenergan is given for nausea, it is an antihistamine and will stop or slow down the itching when you are given it with the stronger meds so a person might not notice any itching with "hospital" meds or demerol.
Generally demerol at home is given as meperidine, which has phenergan in it, so if you take that you wouldn't itch.
_________________________ I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To.
Registered: 09/13/07
Posts: 263
Loc: the depths of East Asia
Codeine always made me itch like crazy! It made me want to scratch my hands off sometimes, they'd get so red and puffed up after taking it. It is a pretty common reaction to many opioids, I gather, along with that other unwelcome visitor, constipation. I don't get it at all with Temgesic, thank goodness.
#965196 - 11/18/0903:01 PMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: Milvus]
DeeRock
Old Hand
Registered: 07/11/06
Posts: 404
Loc: St. Louis
yeah, I can take high doses of pain meds, but even a regular dose of codeine makes my entire back itch and almost break out in like hives, but their gone within an hour or two. its weird, I do not like codeine.
_________________________
All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day, put the pieces back together my way.
yeah, I can take high doses of pain meds, but even a regular dose of codeine makes my entire back itch and almost break out in like hives, but their gone within an hour or two. its weird, I do not like codeine.
I see a lot of quotes from people about side effects of hydro being "itching and peppiness" but these don't seem to be listed on fact sheets.
#965539 - 11/19/0901:34 AMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: DeeRock]
Tiades
Threadhead
Registered: 09/14/07
Posts: 883
Loc: West Coaster
You don't necessarily get those side effects just because you're taking more than you should. It could just be your body chemistry, other medication influences, etc. A blanket statement like that isn't necessarily true.
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The itching without a rash is more than likely just a side affect from the histamine reaction that occurs in narcotics. The higher dose of narcotics taken the more histamine reaction occurs. Which means the more itching that can occur. Liver disease itchiness quite often has a brownish discolored area or rash on the skin but in the beginning it might just be itchy. The thing to remember is if it is related to the narcotics and histamine reaction it will occur when taking the medication. If it is liver disease it will happen even when not taking the medication.
The first time I was ever prescribed hydro I was itching,my nose really itchy.I asked my Dr and he said that was normal side effects.Never gave it anymore thought.
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You get what you put in!
#965560 - 11/19/0901:54 AMRe: Hydro vs Hydro
[Re: Tiades]
DeeRock
Old Hand
Registered: 07/11/06
Posts: 404
Loc: St. Louis
Originally Posted By: Tiades
You don't necessarily get those side effects just because you're taking more than you should. It could just be your body chemistry, other medication influences, etc.
sorry, I didn't take into account the other medication interactions.
but the body chemistry part fits on what I was saying about taking more than you should. if 10mg is making one person itch, and not the other, then chances are the person itching should only take 5mg or something like that because that persons body hasn't built up enough tolerance to handle that much at a time.
am I misunderstanding what you mean by body chemistry?
_________________________
All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day, put the pieces back together my way.
You can always take some benadryl with the narcotic to help with the itchiness but then its another pill you have to take which has to be metabolized in the liver. So more stress on the liver. Quite often when narcotics are given via shot there is a some vistaril given. The vistaril is given to prevent nausea and the itchiness. I have noticed that vistaril is not used as much any more and it could be just the fact that in the ER we don't give as many shots. We usually just start IV's so we can titrate the dose of medication given. BTW vistaril is a antihistamine just like benadryl but it effects the central nervous system and has been found to be helpful with other things like nausea/vomiting and anxiety. Vistaril is by presciption only in US.
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