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I Finally Switched to Generic Medicine and Cut My Pharmacy Bill by Two Thirds
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items Spending $40 on brand-name Tylenol and Zyrtec every month when the exact same active ingredients sit on the shelf for $4? That was me for years. If you're tired of overpaying for allergy meds, pain relievers, and cold remedies just because of packagi...
Sections
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Generic Pain Relievers That Work Exactly Like the Brand Names
Allergy and Sinus Generics That Stopped Me From Overpaying
Cold and Flu Generics I Reach for Every Winter
Everyday Health Generics I Switched to Permanently
Generic Pain Relievers That Work Exactly Like the Brand Names
I used to grab Advil without thinking. Then a pharmacist friend literally turned the bottles around and showed me the identical drug facts panel on the store brand. Felt like I'd been pranked for a decade.
Grab this instead of Advil next time your back locks up after sitting at a desk all day. Same 200mg ibuprofen, fraction of the price. I bought one bottle six months ago and still have plenty left.
Equate Ibuprofen Tablets 200 mg Pain Reliever and Fever
Use this if you're the person who reaches for Tylenol every time a headache creeps in at 3pm. Literally the same 500mg acetaminophen. My mom refused to believe me until I showed her the labels side by side.
Equate Extra Strength Pain Reliever Acetaminophen
Swap this in for Aleve if you deal with joint pain that lingers all day. Same naproxen sodium, same dosage, same relief. Wish I'd switched before spending years overpaying.
Equate Pain Relief Naproxen Sodium Caplets 220 mg
Keep these in your medicine cabinet if you go through aspirin regularly. Identical to Bayer down to the coating. My dad takes one daily and saved over $60 last year just from this one switch.
Equate Low Dose Aspirin Pain Relief Safety Coated
For anyone who gets hit with migraines and keeps buying Excedrin at $12 a box. Same three active ingredients, same ratios. Toss one in your work bag and your glove compartment.
Equate Migraine Pain Relieving Aid Tablets 100 Count
Try this if you've been buying Tylenol Arthritis for chronic pain. Same extended release formula, same 650mg dose. A coworker with bad knees switched last year and hasn't looked back.
Equate Acetaminophen Extended Release Tablets
Snag this instead of Bengay or Icy Hot. Same menthol percentage, same cooling then warming sensation. I rubbed this on after moving furniture last weekend and woke up functional the next morning.
(2 pack) Equate Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream
Allergy and Sinus Generics That Stopped Me From Overpaying
Allergy season used to cost me $30 a month in Claritin and Flonase alone. Realizing the generic versions use the identical compounds honestly made me a little angry at my past self.
Ditch Claritin and pick this up if spring turns you into a sneezing mess every year. Same loratadine, same 24-hour coverage. I keep a bottle at home and one at my desk.
Equate Non-Drowsy All Day Allergy Relief Loratadine 10
Use this if Zyrtec is your go-to but you wince every time you see the price tag. Identical active ingredient. My allergist actually told me to switch and save the difference.
Equate 24 Hour Allergy Relief Cetirizine HCl Tablets
For the person who swears by Allegra but goes through a box a month during ragweed season. Same fexofenadine, same non-drowsy formula. Stock up before pollen hits, trust me.
Equate Non-Drowsy Allergy Relief Fexofenadine HCL
Swap this for Flonase if your nose is permanently stuffed from September through November. Same steroid spray, same bottle design, roughly $8 cheaper. I go through two bottles every fall.
Multi-scaled transcriptomics of chronically inflamed nasal
Grab this instead of Benadryl when you need the heavy-duty antihistamine for hives or bad reactions. Same diphenhydramine, same fast relief. Saved me during a random shellfish incident last summer.
Equate Allergy Relief Diphenhydramine HCl 25 mg
Try this if you reach for Afrin every time a cold destroys your sinuses. Same oxymetazoline, same instant clearing. Just don't use it more than three days, same rule applies regardless of the label.
Equate 12-Hour Maximum Strength Nasal Decongestant
Keep these on hand if Sudafed PE is your cold season staple. Identical phenylephrine dose per tablet. Bought a box for $3 last January while the brand name was sitting at $9 right next to it.
Equate Severe Non-Drowsy Daytime Sinus Congestion
Cold and Flu Generics I Reach for Every Winter
Last flu season I spent $50 on DayQuil, NyQuil, and cough syrup in one miserable week. Never again. These have the same formulas and got me through this year's round for under $15 total.
Use these instead of DayQuil when you're dragging yourself to work with a head full of concrete. Same acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, and phenylephrine combo. Got me through three sick days last February.
Equate Daytime Non-Drowsy Cold and Flu Multi-Symptom
Pair this with the daytime version and you've got the full NyQuil experience for half the cost. Same knockout formula. I slept eight hours straight during the worst cold I've had in years.
Customer reviews for Equate Nighttime Cold & Flu Liquid
Grab this if you've been buying Robitussin DM every winter. Same guaifenesin and dextromethorphan. That barking cough that kept my whole house awake? Gone by night two.
Equate Tussin DM Max Cough and Chest Congestion
For anyone who feels like their chest is full of wet cement during cold season. Same expectorant as Mucinex at a price that won't make you sicker. I keep a box in my nightstand from October through March.
Equate 12 Hour Mucus ER Guaifenesin Extended-Release
Try these when you get hit with the full combo of fever, cough, congestion, and body aches all at once. Same multi-symptom formula as Theraflu caplets. Knocked my symptoms down enough to function within an hour.
Customer reviews for Equate Severe Cold and Flu Caplets
Toss a bag of these in your coat pocket before winter hits. Same menthol relief as Halls, no sticky sugar coating on your teeth. I went through four bags last season and spent less than one bag of the brand name.
Equate Sugar Free Sore Throat and Cough Relief Menthol
Snag these at the first throat tickle, not after you're already miserable. Same zinc formula as Zicam lozenges. Started using them last year and my colds have been noticeably shorter. Could be coincidence, but I'm not stopping.
Equate Zinc Chewable Tablets, Cold Symptom Relief
Everyday Health Generics I Switched to Permanently
Vitamins, antacids, sleep aids. The boring stuff you buy on autopilot and never question. I questioned it, compared every label, and now I can't believe how long I just handed money to brand names for no reason.
Swap this for Prilosec if acid reflux has you sleeping propped up on three pillows. Same omeprazole, same delayed release coating. My husband switched two years ago and gets the same relief he always did.
Equate Omeprazole 20mg Tablets Delayed Release
Keep these around if Pepcid is your after-pizza lifeline. Same famotidine, same dose, works in about 30 minutes. I stash them in the kitchen drawer next to the takeout menus where they belong.
Equate Maximum Strength Famotidine 20mg Tablets
Use these instead of Tums when heartburn hits after dinner. Same calcium carbonate, same chalky chew, same fast relief. Bought a three-pack for what one bottle of Tums costs.
Equate Calcium Carbonate Ultra Strength Chewable
Try this if you've been buying ZzzQuil or Unisom and spending $10 for what is literally just diphenhydramine. Same ingredient, same drowsiness. Works for those nights when your brain won't shut off at midnight.
Equate Nighttime Sleep-Aid Diphenhydramine HCl 25mg
For anyone who buys Citrucel but hates watching the price climb every year. Same methylcellulose fiber, same gentle effect. Made my morning routine way more predictable without the brand-name markup.
Equate Fiber Therapy Methylcellulose Caplets
Grab this instead of Imodium before your next trip. Same loperamide, same fast-acting formula. Packed these for a work conference last month and they saved me from a very unfortunate situation with hotel buffet shrimp.
Equate Anti-Diarrheal and Gas Relief Caplets 2mg/125mg
Switch to this from Prevacid if you take a daily acid reducer and want to stop bleeding money. Same lansoprazole, same delayed release capsule. My doctor confirmed there's zero clinical difference and told me to save the cash.
Equate Lansoprazole Delayed Release Capsules 15 mg