The reason the brand names are still selling is because they are brand names, and brand labeling works very well with the general public. Most people don’t know that Advil, Tylenol, and Alleve have generic equivalents, or they aren’t really sure of the names of the generics, or about the FDA regulations that control them.

Tylenol PM has to take the cake for me though. I hear people swear by how well it works for them. It’s Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) (25mg), and Acetaminophen (Tylenol) (500mg). You could buy more than three times the number of each in generic form and take one of each in place of Tylenol PM for the same price.

What’s scary is that prolonged use of antihistamines in males has been linked to prostate enlargement. So…I’m sure there are plenty of people out there taking Tylenol PM, thrilled to death, enlarging their prostates without even knowing the ingredients.

No matter what…it’s always better not to take anything whenever possible.

I can remember a few instances, when I had TMJ (Jaw problem) and the odd drug that was prescribed made my stomach hurt more than my jaw, until I took the NON Generic version which was fine.

As far as Ibuprofen goes, maybe it is all the same.. but if it were, why are the brand names selling still?

Either way, I don’t scrimp on my health or pain. Just me I guess.

I never acquired a taste for any beer, so I’ll take everybody’s word on that. But, I almost can’t drink canned coffee any more, so I understand being a beverage snob. No, that doesn’t mean I go to Starbuck’s; it means I grind my own beans.

If someone doesn’t like that, then they can kiss it.

Blitz - Being puke sick’s the worst. I’m kind of like Seinfeld on the sick thing. The last time I puked, it was the first time in seven years, and the time before that was seven years prior, too.

Of course, that resulted largely from my aversion to beer.

Charles - Thanks for the awesome educational piece. I love learning things that are practical. I spent a lot of time and money learning things that aren’t.

I knew you’d come through. Heck, we should have just made it a guest post.

Since cheapness is a sixth sense to me, I read labels and buy generic for over the counter drugs. My medical coverage insists on generics where available, who am I to be any different.

When it comes to our tartar sauce, we will accept nothing but Frisch’s Big Boy Tartar Sauce. Mmmm good!

I guess I’m guilty of writing he/she whenever I’m not being gender specific somteimes, but I typically will write it just like that…he/she, when I’m not sure. Is that bad in the writing world?

Generic medicines. Interesting topic. First off, the FDA regulates all prescription and over the counter medications. So, if you buy something that is labeled with a brand name, because you feel more comfortable…that’s fine. The reality is that there may be some very slight differences in quality, but keep in mind that the FDA conducts random inspections frequently, so they should all meet their minimum standards. If it says 200mg of Ibuprofen, you’re probably getting the same from an Advil, or a generic. The risk of contaminants or incorrect dosage is likely NO different, or the brand name manufacturers would be making that public in a hurry to distinguish themselves. That’s not something that has been in the press, nor would I expect it to be an issue.

The brand name manufacturers are always coming out with a different method of delivery. Fast dissolving, liquid capsules, different formluations, etc. Some of those may be easier on some people’s stomachs, and more convenient. That may make a difference vs. buying generic caplets to some. So…there’s some validity to the argument in favor of brand names, and that may make enough difference for some people.

One step further. Pain medications. I’m hesitant to write too much on this one, for fear of being labeled. For the record, they all make me sick to my stomach, and the most I can handle is 1/2 of a Hydrocodone, and that’s only been a few times in my life. A used to take 1/2 of a Lorcet Plus every now and then, and I could barely tolerate that myself. I just know this stuff, because I used to sell drugs for Merck.

When it comes to pain pills, it’s a very similar story. Oxycontin is a good example. People will swear by Percodan or Percoset. The only difference between the two is that one contains aspirin, and the other contains Acetaminophen. Some people may respond better to one or the other, just like they would for aspirin vs acetaminophen.

The same is true for Vicodin. It is simply Hydrocodone with Acetominophen.

In either case, you could get generic Oxycontin, or Hydrocodone, and take the the recommended dosage of acetominophen or aspirin in conjunction with them, and save a lot of money vs. buying the brand names. But…how many people are willing to take the time to research that, or know the difference well enough to ask when the Dr. writes the prescription. Very few. So then you’re at the pharmacy, and the pharmacist says, “Your plan will cover generic Hydrocodone only.” Then you’re stuck waiting for them to contact the office etc.

This is common with all medicines. When the FDA patent runs out, making them susceptible to generic release, they change the configuration slightly to continue to offer it as a prescription.

If you do some reading, it is easy to identify what you may be giving up or gaining by going with generic vs. name brand. Often time, it’s just a matter of taking two generics together to get the same effect of the prescription medication.

Pain medicines are a little unique in that they affect people VERY differently. I know people who have to take 3 Hydrocodone pills to help with pain. I’d be comatose I think.

Where people run into issues is when they’re used to taking 3 of pill “x,” and they grab pill “Y’ from a friend, or their medicine cabinet, and they think they need the same amount. However, they may react completely differently to them. “Oh, I take three Vicodin’s to feel anything. I’ll take three of these Percodan’s and be fine.” Bam..Oxycontin acts differently for them, and they expect to drive somewhere in 30 minutes.

Fentanyl and Morphine are a different story, and in a different league. Just know that if you or a family member are in the hospital, and you take those medicines…you’re basically taking Heroin or Opium. The affects from them are indistinguishable. So…it’s a good idea to get off of them as soon as you can.

Also…I’m with you on generic drugs. My understanding is that they’re the same. Love to know if I’m worng, though. However…I’d just stop drinking beer before I switched to generic. Ya see…I’m what my brother calls a “beer snob.” I’ll gladly take my generic drugs to save enough to avoid bad beer.

I know you have ties to the healthcare field, too, so I’m sure you have a good base for your stand on it.

I definitely wouldn’t skimp if I thought it made a difference (there’s more on that in Part 2, which I wrote when I wrote Part 1, but decided to split them up for length).

I couldn’t agree more about bathroom tissue and other items like that.

Simon - ‘Twas my first and I hope last time to see McBoing Boing. Originally created by Dr. Seuss or not, the current iteration is not good.

Yeah, we do pretty well until he gets lethargic or doesn’t sleep through the night. Either is a sign Ben has nasty microbes.

Wife - No, you didn’t jinx him. He’s just going through his first winter of school (only two days a week though it may be).

Moksha and Simon - Isn’t it interesting about the gender assumption? I didn’t think of it until I was writing that little scene.

I always wonder when asked, “Are you allergic to any medications,” just what percentage of the population says, “Yes.” I’ve always been able to say “Nothing, as far as I know,” so I suppose the first time I get a new one that hits me wrong, I’ll be done for.

On the “my neighbor’s wife” thing, I don’t know. The woman in the same couple might say, “my neighbor’s husband,” just because she’s closer friends with the woman. But, I know what you mean. I’ve seen that kind of sexism.

I can’t count how many times I’ve changed sentences, and sometimes entire paragraphs, to get around writing “he or she” without using, “they” as singular. I’ve read articles in parenting magazines that alternate “he” and “she” each paragraph. That’s just silly, somehow. Give us a gender-neutral singular pronoun now!

I’m really hoping Norah doesn’t inherit her mother’s allergies to almost all antibiotics. We haven’t had to try any yet…but it sure makes infections scary when you automatically cut your arsenal in half and know that some of the remaining drugs may be more dangerous than the infection.

I was also picturing a male doctor, which is odd concidering our family doctor/pediatrician is female and we’re constantly correcting our family as they refer to Norah’s doctor as “he.” Deeply ingrained assumptions, man.

I used to really fight for the use of a singular, gender-nuetral pronoun. Typically I would argue for the use of “they” as singular since English has no equivelent. I read an artical once about this issue that was arguing for the same use of they, but th article concluded by saying that even the use of a nuetral pronoun doesn’t really solve the issue of ingrained sexism. Your example, Mark, shows this, but the author’s example was pretty clever in showing how often we don’t even see it.

“Yesterday, I spoke with my neighbor’s wife”

Nothing wrong with that, eh? No misused pronouns. But, why not just say you spoke with your neighbor?

There are some shows on TV that I simply cannot tolerate, and that McBoing Boing thing is one of them. Up there with the Teletubbies.

After what you’ve written here I suppose I’m sort of thankful that our kids have been as sick as they have been. (Not a lot, mind you, but it sounds like a good deal more than Ben has been.) They’ve both been to see the doctor a fair bit and have run the gamut of expected childhood illnesses these first few years. From that perspective we’ve become slightly inured to the mild stuff and pretty much know when to start to get concerned. If we don’t see blood streaming from the ears or a twisted, broken limb, we know we can handle it at home.

(Yes, I was picturing a male doctor up to that point. Deeply ingrained stereotype.)

Betterness hoped for all of you. Especially Mr. Hurtingears.