Question:
Is there a diference in vitamins?

Has anyone compared store brand vitamins such as equate (Wal - Mart) to name brands? There is such a big difference in cost! Does anyone have any brands that they think are better than others? I am still pre - op, but I wan't to have this stuff all bought so thats one less thing I will have to worry about. thanks    — jennifer S. (posted on May 17, 2004)

May 17, 2004
According to my family Dr., there is no difference between the store brands and the name brands. He recommends using the store brands just to save money. He also says that's the kind he uses as well!
   — jeannieree

May 17, 2004
Here is my experienfce from years of vitamin comparison and usage. Everyone's body is different. My body does not like the Wal Mart supplements for the most part. I HAVE to use the supplements in the health food stores. I can TELL what works and doesn't work for me. Take for instance the B-12. I have tried 3 different sublinguals, and could not tell anything. But tried the GNC liquid, and could tell the difference right away!!! Your body will tell you what works for you. It will probably be a trial and error thing....... I have also found out that the liquid multi works better for me. Just a FYI........
   — Candy M.

May 17, 2004
I can't tell you for sure, but only from my experience. I was really paranoid in the beginning, and spent a fortune at GNC. As time went on and I realized that these supplements as well as those my husband takes could put us in the poor house, I began to shop around. Frankly, I don't know if any of them make me feel better, but they don't make me feel bad and my bloodwork is excvellent. I usually go to Vitamin World or Vitamin Shoppe, both of which have websites if there are none in your area. They are relatively cheap in comparison to GNC. The only thing I buy at GNC on a routine basis is my B12 sublingual. I just didn't love the taste/texture of the others I tried. When I am out and about and shopping, I always look for deals in the supermarkets, BJ's, Costco, Eckerd, CVS etc.. So far I have not had a problem. You can check to see if your Dr has a specific preference, but these can be draining to the bank account and unless you have a problem with one, I vote for economy!!!!!!!
   — Fixnmyself

May 17, 2004
Hello! I worked in a pharmacy for many years, so I have been asked this question a lot! By law, generic or store-brand vitamins and medications (approved by the FDA) must be identical in their active ingredients. Not the same, but identical. When a label on a store-brand says "compare to ingredients in.." compare them and you will see that they are identical. The same is true for prescription medications. Never pay for brand unless it is on sale for less than the generic because all that you are paying for is the advertising; generic brands don't spend money on advertising. I hope this helps! P.S. I found Wal-Mart's equate brand of products to be my favorite generics (and cheapest!)
   — lindsxlt4x4

May 17, 2004
With due respect to Lindsay, not all prescription meds with the same active ingredients are the same. For instance, different thyroid hormone supplements use different fillers, which can affect absorbption rate and efficacy. That's why you don't want to accept whatever generic the pharamcy is handing out instead of whatever brand you've been using. I constantly have to check my Synthryoid to make sure somebody hasn't substituted a generic in the name of saving me two bucks, as it will cost more than that for bloodwork to find out I absorb the other brand differently because the fillers are different. Subtle difference, but important in some cases. I don't know how much this is true of vitamins, but I suspect that coatings and fillers and other factors like that can and do make a difference in absorption (with or without WLS), even when active ingredients are the same.
   — Suzy C.

May 17, 2004
Postscript to my earlier answer: I should have added that there's nothing wrong with generics, or one brand over another. It's just the switching back and forth, without considering they might not all be absorbed the same, that could be a problem. I'm not a Synthroid sales rep. ;-) I just don't like switching brands willy-nilly and that happened to be the one my bloodwork got tracked with to set my doseage.
   — Suzy C.