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[OC] Anyone else insist on using the generic name for all meds? (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Image: 4 panels organized in a rectangle following a sequential order like a comic strip. The first panel is of a man with a very serious face stating, "Hey man, got any diphenhydramine?" The second panel is a grainy picture of the actor Robert Downey Jr. with a slightly inquisitive face and saying, "What's that?" The third panel is an identical copy of the first image and saying, "Benadryl the allergy medicine." The fourth and final panel is a grainy picture of Bobby rolling his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Edit: Tony Start -> Robert Downey Jr. I didn't know that Tony Stark was a character Robert Downey Jr. played 🤦‍♂️

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

I live in Australia. Over here it seems to be an even toss-up between Panadol, Panamax, or paracetamol when people are talking, in my experience. Nurofen (ibuprofen) doesn't get the same treatment tho, people usually use the generic name for some reason.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Does anybody else get bothered by the term meds being used for OTC stuff? I always associate "meds" and "medication" with anything prescribed by a doctor. OTC I just call by whatever name it is, like ibuprofen or Tylenol. "meds" is vague because you don't want to tell people what your medical condition is but it still implies that there is something more serious going on or it really is too hard to say the name of the medicine. Taking OTC isn't really a big deal so there's no reason to be vague.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Generic drug names are widely used in the UK and europe - we don't have US style advertising. There are brands but they don't cut through in the same way when generics are so widely known and mandated for prescriptions coming from the NHS too.

Benadryl isn't even a specific drug, it's just a brand with different drugs in different countries (cetirizine in the UK). I'd just say "antihistamine".

Also brand name drugs are largely a scam - pharmaceuticals are heavily regulated and generics are the exact same drug. Save yourself some money, learn the generic names and buy those. Otherwise you're just paying the drugs company for their advertising and the big price mark up for their profit as a "premium" brand.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

generics are the exact same drug

Yes but. From what I've heard, sometimes when switching to a generic, there might be subtle differences in manufacturing that affect how an individual absorbs it. For something minor - an off the shelf pain killer - probably not a problem. For someone where it's imperative that they maintain a certain blood level of the drug, some caution is a good idea.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Here in Portugal the prescriptions even say how much the generic medicine should cost, so that you immediately know if the pharmacy is trying to sell you more expensive medicine.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

I don't think I even know what the brand names are, like only active ingredient names are on the packaging here.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Yo gimme some of that Dihydrogen monoxide.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Ew, gross, anticholinergic allergy meds? I'll stick to my third generation Cetirizine Hydrochlorides, thanks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I’m a Fexofenadine Hydrochloride man myself, but I respect any second generation antihistamines and beyond.

(Actually, depending on whom you ask, Cetirizine is sometimes categorized as second generation despite its late arrival. Not sure why.)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I didn't know we could be all snobby about allergy meds, but I learn something new everyday.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

There’s good reason to be snobby about antihistamines. Second and third generation antihistamines are straight-up better than first generation. No drowsiness and they last longer.

Diphenhydramine, for example, is pretty terrible. The FAA doesn’t let pilots fly for 60 HOURS after taking diphenhydramine because of how impairing it can be without the user realizing. Extended use of anticholinergics has also been linked to dementia, IIRC.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Benadryl can also be acrivastine or cetirizine

[–] [email protected] 6 points 8 months ago

Yes! I live in Korea, and I have no idea what the local brand names are. If I want some Advil, I have to ask for Ibuprofen pronounced "Ee Boo Pro Pen". Tylenol is Tylenol here, though.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 8 months ago

I'm a prescriber in the US and the name that people will commonly use varies by drug and by region. It's also influenced by whether that medication is even available generically due to patents (if that's the right legal word) on medications being decently long when they first come out.

I agree it's a mess

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