That drug’s hidden ingredients

It seems like almost every week there’s a news story.  It’s a new version of the same old drug – but somehow it’s better (take the last post on Intranasal Zolmitriptan, for example).  Or cheaper, because it’s generic and not brand name.  Is it all just hype?  Is an aspirin an aspirin?  Or do all these brand names and extra ingredients really make a difference?

The answer is yes.  And no.  It’s true, oftentimes you can get a generic version of the same drug, and it will be just as good as the original.  But that isn’t always the case.  Sometimes that extra ingredient in the drug can make all the difference.  It may mean that the drug will absorb into your system in time, when otherwise it wouldn’t.  Or, in some cases, you may be allergic to that extra ingredient – and one version of the drug may make you sick, and another may make you better.

You readers of HeadWay may recognize by now that this was the topic of the most recent issue.  But I decided to highlight it again here, both for those who don’t get the newsletter, and for those who may get it but didn’t take the time to read it carefully.  It’s not an easy topic, and it’s not always a very interesting topic.  But there are some of you out there that have tried drugs and then written them off, without realizing that the main ingredient may not be the problem.  A different version of that same drug may still be the answer for you.

You won’t find all the answers in the January edition of HeadWay.  But it will make you aware of some of the drug delivery issues – those little ingredients that may be keeping you from a successful treatment.  And in the future you will be more empowered to figure out why a specific drug is or isn’t working for you.  It’s important enough that I wanted to highlight it again, in hopes that it may lead a few of you to finally find a solution.