Q. I have successfully taken Greenstone alprazolam (generic Xanax) to control epilepsy for more than a year. I was switched to a different generic (a round pill) and within a week of starting it I had my first seizure in 2.5 years! My pharmacist was able to special order the Greenstone so hopefully it won’t be an issue for me again.
A. You are not the only one to report seizures after being switched to a generic version of an anticonvulsant medicine. The question of whether anti-epilepsy drugs are truly bioequivalent is controversial among doctors as well as patients (The Lancet Neurology, March, 2010; Annals of Pharmacotherapy, Nov. 2011).
Obviously, you have done well on the Greenstone generic. Our advice to people with epilepsy is to avoid switching between generics if possible. You may have to work with the pharmacist to make sure that you continue to get the same generic alprazolam that has been working for you.
There is much more information on generic drugs on our site.
