Generic Drug Switch Almost Disastrous

Q. I had a terrible experience with a generic high blood pressure medication. For five years, I took Tenoretic. Both my doctor and I were pleased with the results.
Then the pharmacist encouraged me to switch to atenolol, its generic counterpart. Two weeks later I had a routine dental appointment. My dentist would not even clean my teeth because my blood pressure was dangerously high. He instructed me to go directly to my doctor.
I switched back to Tenoretic and my blood pressure went back to normal. My insurance tried to make me take atenolol instead but I have refused. It is not what my doctor prescribed. Why is everyone so enthusiastic about generics?
A. Such organizations are trying to save money at your expense. But even more alarming, Tenoretic contains two ingredients-atenolol, a beta blocker, and chlorthalidone, a diuretic. Switching you to atenolol alone was unethical if not illegal. The pharmacy deleted an important ingredient in your blood pressure management when it made this switch.
In addition, we cannot discount the possibility that the generic was not equal to the branded product. We have heard from many other readers who did not get the same benefits from a generic as from the original branded medicine. People who wish to report such problems may email pharmacy(at sign)mindspring.com for forwarding to the FDA.
Q. Sleep has become a precious but scarce commodity in our house. I have great difficulty falling asleep. My husband, on the other hand, is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow. But he has to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. He wakes me up and then both of us have a hard time getting back to sleep.
On occasion I have slept in the guest bedroom, but this is such a drastic measure that I would hate to do it all the time. Can you send us any information to help us solve this dilemma?
A. Sleep is essential for good health and you both need different approaches to solve your problems. You may benefit from a hot bath an hour or two before bedtime. This will help your body reset its clock for sleep.
Your husband may need a drug or herb (saw palmetto) to treat an enlarged prostate if that is why he has to get up to urinate. Short-acting sleeping pills, particularly Sonata, may be effective in helping him get back to sleep without a morning hangover.
We are sending you our Guides to Herbal Remedies and Getting a Good Night’s Sleep along with a one-hour CD of our radio interview with sleep expert Martin Scharf, Ph.D. Anyone who would like copies, please send $17 in check or money order to Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CDE-70, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027.
Q. I broke out in a terrible rash after taking amoxicillin my dentist prescribed. My neighbor said that means I’m allergic to penicillin, but a friend said I should avoid amoxicillin, but not penicillin. Please set me straight.
A. Your neighbor’s advice trumps your friend’s. Amoxicillin is an “aminopenicillin.” There are many penicillin-type medications including ampicillin (Principen), amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox), carbenicillin (Geocillin), penicillin G (Pfizerpen), penicillin V (Veetids), oxacillin and ticarcillin (Ticar).
People who are allergic to one form of penicillin could be allergic to all others. For some, this can be a life-threatening reaction.