Medication switching…Yes, we can use all the help we can get, but we CAN help ourselves! Here’s how…
Happy Monday!…whew–just a few days before Christmas! I hope you are all dealing well with the stress. Times like these seem to breed more seizures, trust me, I’m right there with you! Take care of you! No need to test yourself or squash your holidays, so make sure you are taking getting plenty of rest and taking your meds…you know the drill!
Speaking of medications, I’ve been reading a few comments on the Epilepsy Foundation’s E-Community chat room (which, by the way is terrific, and I highly recommend becoming a member!) regarding medication switching and some of the discussions that are being led in Congress about this issue. For those who have not been following this, you can and should catch up. The Foundation has a firm position on drug-switching, which you can read here:
Epilepsy Foundation, Medication Switching Position
We are all not cookie-cutter in terms of our Seizures. Some of us with Epilepsy can take the generics (I for one would LOVE the day I can get those $4 bottles at Target!!), and some of us are fortunate enough that our insurance covers name-brands at a reasonable cost. There are some of us who simply cannot take generics due to allergic reactions. And then there are those who don’t even have coverage. Simply stated, this is serious stuff, but it’s something we must ALL pay attention to.
Yes, the Foundation and Lawmakers are doing some fighting for us on this issue, but we as patients must advocate for ourselves. Each time you pick up a medication from your pharmacy, make sure you READ that package carefully. Examine that pill or liquid and determine if it is indeed the one you should be taking. Be your own Epilepsy advocate. If you should only be taking name-brand Topamax (that’s me!), know what the pill looks like and what it’s name is in generic form. By the way, for those like me who do take Topamax, the pill has a new look, as of Spring 2009. I do mail-order meds, so it can be months before I get a refill, so I thought I would post this handy chart as an fyi!
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Changes to Topamax Tablet Look
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A Plea for Support…How Medication Switching can Harm those of us with Epilepsy-
May 5th, 2010 at 6:46 am
[...] Drug Switching…in other words, you take your prescription to the pharmacy and the pharmacist fills it with a generic anti-epileptic medication instead of the name brand, has become such a crucial issue for the Epilepsy Community. And, I believe it will continue to attract more attention. I was trying to explain the issue last evening to a friend who admits…she knows little about my disease. To her, it seemed elementary–you have an order for a certain medication from your doctor…you should receive THAT medication, the actual medication, whether it’s Dilantin, Topamax or Tegretol. I wish it was that easy. [...]