4 replies to this topic

[JackRyan8311]

Recently my insurance switched specialty pharmacy for my generic Imatinib (400mg). I began taking it on 10/18/2017 and was getting Apotex version and side effects were fatigue, mild gi stuff but had gotten almost minimal after 1 month.
This past week I began taking Sun Pharma version. The side effects have been quite Tough, fatigue and diarrhea much worse than experienced with Apotex version.
I'm hoping that it will subside but has anybody had experience with this..same drug different company but change in side effects.
I see my Onc on 1/24/18 and will have 1st PCR test since starting treatment. Ultimately as long as the drug does its job is all that matters...Thanks

[lanadal]

At this point it seems hard to tell if the different generics are responsible for your side effects or you are having these side effects because you are still relatively new to Imatinib. It took me almost five months for everything to really stabilize when I began taking Gleevec. Even then at 400mg I battled fatigue and sometimes GI symptoms. Hopefully your side effects will get better with time. Many people try taking their TKI at different times and with different foods. Carbs and protein helped me but everyone has different experiences.

When I changed from Gleevec to the Teva  generic I did have more nausea for about a month but then I seemed to adjust. I was never sure if it was the generic or just bad luck?  Years ago Dr. Drucker's nurse at OHSU recommended coconut macaroons for diarrhea! Oddly it turns out she was right and even just eating a handful of coconut seemed to help me. Sorry you are going through this!

[r06ue1]

I've taken the brand, Sun and Apotex and they all seem to be different.  With Sun I did notice a bit more diarrhea than the others but nothing new.  Apotex was the latest one and while the red bumps on my arms disappeared, have had nothing but problems with my hips ever since I started it.  New insurance this year put me on Sun so hopefully the hip pain will be going away.  If they ever try to put me back on Apotex doctor said he would write a letter to them so keep that in mind that as a patient, you can have some say in what generic you take.  

[JackRyan8311]

Thanks, I will definitely try the macaroons/coconut idea...I will definitely talk to ONC about asking to be put on same APOTEK version if gets worse.

[campanula]

I was on Sun only after diagnosis for a long time, then one month of Apotex, then back to Sun again until recently.  After approx. 1 year 3 months of Sun (before Apotex) I started having GI issues, which haven't gone away after 9 months.  Now I am on my 3rd month of Teva and notice more fatigue than before.  In short, I can't say for certain that the side effects I am experiencing have to do with the brand of the imatinib, rather than the duration of taking imatinib or something else (I got an intestinal bug roughly around the time I first started having GI symptoms).  I'm very happy to learn about coconut!  Will start eating it regularly - especially in macaroon format.