Name of a good generic manufacture of flecainide

Hi, I was just started on flecainide and the generic manufacturer on the prescription given to me was Ani. I have to cut the pills in half to get 75 mg total and the pills are very flimsy and also when I swallow them they disintegrate a little bit before I can swallow and they are bitter. Often with other prescriptions like my carvedilol I prefer Teva manufacturer. Does anyone have any suggestions please? Thank you.

I don't know how you're going to convince a drug store to supply you with a generic made by a specific company. They buy generic drugs in large lots from established suppliers based mainly on who's cheapest. I'd be very surprised if they could accommodate a request for a generic from a specific company. And even if they could, you'd probably get a pill that's just like the other company's.

You could ask the doctor to write the prescription for the name brand Tambocor and add "dispense as written" so the drug store can't substitute a generic. Or maybe 50 mg would work for you and then you wouldn't need to split pills.

In this Peter Attia podcast, he interviews David Light, the CEO of Valisure, a pharmacy (and I think they will work online) that tests every batch of the meds they sell. I've gone abroad for a long time for flec (my prescriptions get stale - I toss them after 5 years - before I use much of them). One time I had a friend with a house in Mexico pick me up some Tambocor and interestingly, it was made in LA. I'm guessing going to Europe won't work now, because of COVID, but I really like the Apocard brand of flec I get as each pill is individually packaged, so protected from oxidation. I've always gotten 100 mg tabs and they are round and split well (either the Tambocor of Apocard).

You might call Valisure, explain your issue and see what they suggest.

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Madeline
Hi, I was just started on flecainide and the generic manufacturer on the prescription given to me was Ani. I have to cut the pills in half to get 75 mg total and the pills are very flimsy and also when I swallow them they disintegrate a little bit before I can swallow and they are bitter. Often with other prescriptions like my carvedilol I prefer Teva manufacturer. Does anyone have any suggestions please? Thank you.

I cut Ani 150 mg tablets in half to get my 75 mg dose, but have had no problem. Anytime you cut a pill there will be a bit of powder left from the cut--I just take the powder too. Are you using a good pill cutter? I find that a quick bang on the pill cutter gives the cleanest cut. I don't notice disintegration in my mouth but therapeutically that wouldn't matter--but yes it is a bit bitter. I have used several different generics of flecainide and they all cut about the same.

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Carey
I don't know how you're going to convince a drug store to supply you with a generic made by a specific company. They buy generic drugs in large lots from established suppliers based mainly on who's cheapest. I'd be very surprised if they could accommodate a request for a generic from a specific company. And even if they could, you'd probably get a pill that's just like the other company's.

You could ask the doctor to write the prescription for the name brand Tambocor and add "dispense as written" so the drug store can't substitute a generic. Or maybe 50 mg would work for you and then you wouldn't need to split pills.

You can’t buy tambocor in the states. I tried for years. I ended up getting the brand in the UK or Germany. Expensive. Something like $67/month. Unfortunately I bought a year supply of tambocor a couple of months before my overdose and it’s wasted stored in a temperature controlled room with my other drugs. With the virus I’m a shut in and haven’t dropped off the drug at the pharmacy locked bin for disposal. I used to travel abroad twice a year and I got all my drugs brand name and cheaper than USA

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Carey
I don't know how you're going to convince a drug store to supply you with a generic made by a specific company.

I do it all the time - for different scripts I have & Walgreens is totally accommodating & it they have to order it, they do. And, it does make a big difference. I know of the Valisure pharmacy too - who reports about the bad lots on certain scripts & which to steer clear of.

I learned about asking for different manufacturers on generics long ago from my thyroid & adrenal support groups.

Thank you all for your input. By the way, most of the time I have the best luck in pill cutting (wh I have done for yrs) with my quality butcher knife - usually works way better than any pill cutters I have been given.

Guess I will have to stick with Ani - I have not had a pill so thin & breakable for cutting & dissolving on swallowing before. The dr prescribed 50-mg pills, having me take 1 1/2 pills BID. Oh well,..............

Excellent pill cutter. Pricy but my pills are cut perfectly.

[www.amazon.com]

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Madeline
Guess I will have to stick with Ani - I have not had a pill so thin & breakable for cutting & dissolving on swallowing before. The dr prescribed 50-mg pills, having me take 1 1/2 pills BID. Oh well,..............

Or, you could ask your doc to prescribe 150 mg tablets. That is what I get and they are less “fragile” than the 50 mg tablets and seem to cut well.

I would try just doing a 50 mg dose and see if that does the job for you. If it does, problem solved!

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Daisy
Guess I will have to stick with Ani - I have not had a pill so thin & breakable for cutting & dissolving on swallowing before. The dr prescribed 50-mg pills, having me take 1 1/2 pills BID. Oh well,..............Or, you could ask your doc to prescribe 150 mg tablets. That is what I get and they are less “fragile” than the 50 mg tablets and seem to cut well.

That is definitely a different looking pill cutter & I bet it does work!

Thanks.

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Carey
I would try just doing a 50 mg dose and see if that does the job for you. If it does, problem solved!

You know, I would love to go to 50 mg BID. I have been on the 75 for a week now & I do have some side effects. I am to check in with local cardiologist a week from today, but if you really think it is okay after my atrial flutter to cut this back to 50, I want to do that now.

It is making my motion sick vestibular symptoms worse, also causing constipation & a slight hand tremor is back, a bit of dry cough too. If cutting back to 50 BID is safe to try, maybe I could lessen all above symptoms. And I am on carvedilol 12.5 mg BID.

Sure, you can experiment with lowering the dose. If you end up back in flutter please don't blame me! But that's what I would try first if I were you. If 75 works for you, that's a fairly low dose so it's likely 50 might work as well. I doubt you need a high dose.

Understood. I have to weigh the risks vs the benefits. It is a BID dose. I have written Trent for when he gets in Monday to let them know my meds, etc. & I will see local dr next Friday. If I do get in flutter again, I am not going back in hospital overnight again just for ECV. It was overkill that night in there - so many needles, machines, no sleep, I got extremely stressed. If if were not for COVID I think he does the ECV at the hospital, but you don't have to go in the night before certainly. This time my only choice was the way it was done or I suppose trying to medically convert, which we did not even attempt this time (tho it worked last time). I wonder if I am going to end up being forced to have the touchup ablation here since it is logistically so hard to do in Austin now. I am constantly trying to figure it out.