If looks like this is a fairly common issue with epilepsy drugs, and hopefully your doctor won't see a problem with switching you back to the non-generic, even without hefty scientific arguments. According to that Science Direct link (the first one), over 80% of neurologists in their survey agreed that the FDA requirements for generics and bioavailabity were too narrow, and about 50% have seen this exact problem.
The FDA does mandate the same amount of active ingredient in generics, but the inactive ingredients and "bioavailability" don't have to be the same, and this often results in issues where the drug wears off too fast or an insufficient amount of the active ingredient actually makes it to the brain, for instance. The drug for your brain does no good if it sits in your stomach or gets rinsed away rather than going to where you want it.
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Date: 2009-01-26 02:22 am (UTC)http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WDT-4CRY54X-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=b0fb7b97d8c47903972b9b9fe0465c33
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117957759/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/117957557/abstract
If looks like this is a fairly common issue with epilepsy drugs, and hopefully your doctor won't see a problem with switching you back to the non-generic, even without hefty scientific arguments. According to that Science Direct link (the first one), over 80% of neurologists in their survey agreed that the FDA requirements for generics and bioavailabity were too narrow, and about 50% have seen this exact problem.
The FDA does mandate the same amount of active ingredient in generics, but the inactive ingredients and "bioavailability" don't have to be the same, and this often results in issues where the drug wears off too fast or an insufficient amount of the active ingredient actually makes it to the brain, for instance. The drug for your brain does no good if it sits in your stomach or gets rinsed away rather than going to where you want it.
Best of luck getting it sorted out.