Generic HRT Differences??

[BossTamsin (imported)]

I've been on a 'full' dose of testosterone for a long time now. And for most of that time I've been using 100mg/week of testosterone cypionate via injection. Well, up here in Canada that was produced by Sandoz, and currently Sandoz is having a bit of a problem with their production plant. It's closed. Has been for months, is likely to be so for more months, from what I've heard.

So, the pharmacist swapped me over to 'Delatestryl' (testosterone enanthate) by Theramed. Felt a little different, but it was acceptable. That lasted a few months. Then that seems to have run out, sortof. Last renewal, two weeks back, I noticed the box looks different. Same name (Delatestryl), same form of testosterone (supposedly, testosterone enanthate), same DIN (Drug Information Number, a catalogue number assigned by Health Canada) but a new manufacturer, Valeant.

The trouble is, after two weeks I'm noticing a hell of a change. Mood is through the floor, drive is nonexistent, no erections that I know of, nocturnal or otherwise, and so on. Is it possible that the switchover between the Theramed version and the Valeant version has changed the drug? Or could it be that I got a bad vial and should test another one to see if there's any improvement there? Am I barking up the wrong tree altogether, and should I be seeking another source for the problems beside hormonal?

[kristoff]

I've been on a 'full' dose of testosterone for a long time now. And for most of that time I've been using 100mg/week of testosterone cypionate via injection. Well, up here in Canada that was produced by Sandoz, and currently Sandoz is having a bit of a problem with their production plant. It's closed. Has been for months, is likely to be so for more months, from what I've heard.

So, the pharmacist swapped me over to 'Delatestryl' (testosterone enanthate) by Theramed. Felt a little different, but it was acceptable. That lasted a few months. Then that seems to have run out, sortof. Last renewal, two weeks back, I noticed the box looks different. Same name (Delatestryl), same form of testosterone (supposedly, testosterone enanthate), same DIN (Drug Information Number, a catalogue number assigned by Health Canada) but a new manufacturer, Valeant.

The trouble is, after two weeks I'm noticing a hell of a change. Mood is through the floor, drive is nonexistent, no erections that I know of, nocturnal or otherwise, and so on. Is it possible that the switchover between the Theramed version and the Valeant version has changed the drug? Or could it be that I got a bad vial and should test another one to see if there's any improvement there? Am I barking up the wrong tree altogether, and should I be seeking another source for the problems beside hormonal?

You've probably either got a bad vial or a counterfeit. I'd say something to your pharmacist; failing any action there, take it to your doctor.

[foxytaur (imported)]

I could be wrong but is the T a bioidentical hormone? I've heard what pharmaceuticals do to synthetic variations is alter the drug a bit(maybe by a single covalent bond of sorts) merely to patent it. I am actually disgusted by the drug companies. But Kristoff could be right also, it could be a fake or most likely a bad vial.

[JesusA (imported)]

I would definitely ask both your pharmacist and your MD about this. Different manufacturers may have different formulas for the “carrier” for the T. I know that I’ve had problems with one of my glaucoma medications. My insurance plan immediately switched me to a different manufacturer the instant a generic version was available for my 0.005% Latanoprost in a “sterile, isotonic, buffered aqueous solution” carrier. I turn out to be allergic to the new 99.995%.

I would also be concerned about any company complying with all of the necessary regulations for manufacture. Here are the first few lines of an article from this morning’s Boston Globe about compounding pharmacies in that state. (The link at the bottom will take you to the full article, though it only expands on what is in the first bit.) Who is Valeant, and how reliable are they?

Just 4 of 37 Massachusetts compounding pharmacies passed surprise health inspections

By Kay Lazar and Chelsea Conaboy

The Boston Globe

6 February 2013

Surprise state inspections at 37 specialty pharmacies in Massachusetts show that only four have been fully complying with industry safety standards, health officials announced Tuesday, a finding that underscores concerns about the risk of drug contamination.

All 37 are similar to the Framingham compounding pharmacy blamed for the fatal outbreak of fungal meningitis last year.

Serious violations of state pharmacy regulations were found in 11 compounders, prompting the state to temporarily shut down all or part of their operations, while 21 others were cited for more minor violations. The state previously announced that Infusion Resource of Waltham surrendered its license in October after inspectors found “significant issues” in the clean rooms where sterile injectable drugs were prepared.

The Department of Public Health began the inspections in October after New England Compounding Center’s tainted steroids were linked last fall to meningitis and other infections that have sickened nearly 700 people across the country and been blamed for 45 deaths (http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/mening ... large.html).

<<SNIP>>

http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/20 ... story.html