Oh dear! she is that, isn't she?
Generic and trade meds might look the same and even bear the same markings but the company will very likely make a different batch for the generic one. I am unaware of the specific differences in Tramadol but did have an experience with a drug many years ago. The trade name was DF118 and the generic dihydrocodeine. My sister had a back injury when she was a youngster and was prescribed DF118 for many years which managed her pain very nicely. Then our government decided that in future only generic meds should be prescribed as they were much cheaper. So my sister got dihydrocodeine but found it had no impact on her pain whatsoever. Her GP was very uncooperative about this, insisting there was no difference. So I contact the manufacturer (DuncanFlockhart - now ceased trading) and spoke with the senior pharmacist who confirmed that though there was dihydrocodeine in DF118, it also contained other ingredients which he wouldn't disclose for security reasons. But he did write sis a confirmatory letter which she took to her GP who then grudgingly agreed to prescribe her 30 tablets per month. Occasionally the pharmacist would issue her the generic form but sis would know instantly that it wasn't DF118 as they would have no effect on her pain whatsoever.
A bizarre turn of events was when the GP suddenlydecided she was addicted to DF118 and wrote on the front sis's notes in large red letters. Yet at the same time, she continued to insist that the generic was 'exactly the same' as DF118 and if sis would only accept the generic she could have as many tablets as she wanted! Totally ridiculous!
Generic and trade meds might look the same and even bear the same markings but the company will very likely make a different batch for the generic one. I am unaware of the specific differences in Tramadol but did have an experience with a drug many years ago. The trade name was DF118 and the generic dihydrocodeine. My sister had a back injury when she was a youngster and was prescribed DF118 for many years which managed her pain very nicely. Then our government decided that in future only generic meds should be prescribed as they were much cheaper. So my sister got dihydrocodeine but found it had no impact on her pain whatsoever. Her GP was very uncooperative about this, insisting there was no difference. So I contact the manufacturer (DuncanFlockhart - now ceased trading) and spoke with the senior pharmacist who confirmed that though there was dihydrocodeine in DF118, it also contained other ingredients which he wouldn't disclose for security reasons. But he did write sis a confirmatory letter which she took to her GP who then grudgingly agreed to prescribe her 30 tablets per month. Occasionally the pharmacist would issue her the generic form but sis would know instantly that it wasn't DF118 as they would have no effect on her pain whatsoever.
A bizarre turn of events was when the GP suddenlydecided she was addicted to DF118 and wrote on the front sis's notes in large red letters. Yet at the same time, she continued to insist that the generic was 'exactly the same' as DF118 and if sis would only accept the generic she could have as many tablets as she wanted! Totally ridiculous!