Clonazepam By Accord

I have been taking 2 mg daily of Teva clonazepam for a few years. I have been noticing that my memory (both short and long term) is increasingly more affected by the drug. Over the past year I have found myself being on "auto pilot" alot. My pharmacy just switched my prescription to the blue accord clonazepam arbitrarily. Is there any evidence supporting the accord brand being easier on "cognitive fog"? Also, due to this fog, I would like to taper off of benzos for good. Could you recommend a safe taper schedule for clonazepam? Thank you in advance.

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Hello, John! How are you? I'm sorry about the problems you're having.

Long-term use of this medication can cause such memory issues, as reported by the FDA. It also carries the risk of being habit forming and could cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache and irritability.

No, one from a different manufacturer won't likely change it.

Have you consulted your prescriber? They'd be the best person to help you set up a taper schedule. Many times, they have someone start skipping doses, while also gradually lowering. You can't stop this abruptly, because that creates the risk of seizures.

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I would just want everyone to know that each manufacturer of clonazepam has a totally different effect. Even the same manufacturer changes the way the same pill is made. This is very dangerous because a change in the ingredients can cause many withdrawal problems. Omg if you or a loved one is prescribed clonazepam or any other drug please be sure that you read up of the consequences in the future. Try other alternative first. I never read up on clonazepam and am terrified of what I now know. Take care American because there's no one out there to protect us from these dangerous drugs.

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That is so true, no one will tell you just how dangerous and poison benzos are...This is my second time trying to go off them.Also no two brands are a like!I'm down from 2 mg of Clozopam to .5 pm and .25 am.!yes I'm sick and feeling flu Iike everyday. Body feels like fibro in all muscles and joints...Really don't think I will ever be off this poison!

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Hi Elsie, Was wondering how you are doing. Hopefully better. If you can get valium lowest dose and just take 1/4 of the pill it eases your symptoms a bit. But obviously don't take too much. Just 1/4 will help you. Again not too much. You don't then want to withdrawal from valium.

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I had been taking Accord 0.5 mg x 2 a day for several years. I do not notice a cognitive fog from it at all. Then they switched me to Teva and it simply didn't do anything. I, as a Nurse, would suggest that you ask your physician to write on the script to give you only Accord. Try it, see if the fog goes away. If not, your physician will wean you off and find something else. Good Luck.

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It all depends on your body and how it processes the drug. Ask your Physician about it or your Pharmacist to change you to Accord. I've been on Accord for many years with no cognitive fog. But that doesn't mean it will be the same for you.

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I don't get how the different generics are so different. It doesn't seem fair to someone who depends on the drug for many years.

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I was taking Teva brand no side effects at all, helped with anxiety, insomnia and vertigo. Now Teva is no longer manufacturing clonazepam.
My prescription was filled Friday with MYLAN BRAND, worst side effects ever brain foggy, off balance can't function. Only other brand near me is Accord, hope I'm able to try the Accord and no side effects. I don't want to have to go off clonazepam and go through the horrible withdraw again. Went off 4 years ago when Glaxo the brand name klonopin stopped manufacturing their brand, was not able to find a brand that did not cause side effects, my withdraw systoms took over a year. Never thought I would ever go back on clonazepam again, unfortunately watching my husband losing his battle with cancer became too much for me and my aniexty became severe that it was causing me not to be able to care for him. I needed to be there for him, I was so thankful the Teva brand worked so I could care for him until he passed. Now I'm alone and scared because I can't go through the withdraw alone.

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Re: Heartbroken2018 (# 8)

This is so crazy because I've been on the MYLAN brand since 2007, and they just stopped manufacturing it. I called their customers service today, and they said it is being discontinued. I've now been taking the ACCORD brand, and feel like hell on Earth :(. Anxiety and my head feels really tight with brain zaps, can't verbally explain how bad it is. I'm hoping to God that it eventually starts working. I called my doctor and left a message. Walgreens told me in order to switch manufacturers or go to name brand, you first have to call your doctor to do a override Rx of the medication and they have to say the current "ACCORD" "MYLAN", or whatever manufacturer that isn't working, needs to be changed. Then you have to call your insurance's prescription provider and tell them what's going on, and take it from there to try getting it approved. I am a firm believer that not all generics work as well as name brand, and that not all generics work as well as other generics.

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Re: Heartbroken2018 (# 8)

Teva does manufacture Clonazepam, I filled it in June 2018.

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Re: John (# 7)

Money John. It’s all about money my friend.

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Re: John (# 9)

The Teva brand of Clonazepam (Klonopin) causes anaphylaxis (causes my throat to swell and tighten up so I can't breathe). Accord brand doesn't do that. But I've noticed several drugs coming from other Countries are causing the same problem.

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Re: HRBB (# 10)

I just called every pharmacy I know today and TEVA is discontinued completely....it SUCKSthey did this! They were the only ones that I could tell helped my anxiety..now I’m going to try and switch to Xanax to help with my panic attacks also...ridiculous

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Re: Leesuh (# 13)

Oh my gosh that's horrible! I didn't know that they were going to discontinue the brand altogether! They keep trying to give me the Accord brand and that is the worst brand of clonazepam I have ever taken. The pharmacy had been giving me the Teva brand for several years and I had absolutely no problems with this brand. Since I refused the Accord they are now giving me Solcol brand. I don't particularly like it but it is better than the Accord. I wonder if Teva is being pushed out because the Accord and Solcol manufacturer might be cheaper for them to purchase! I don't know no one will give me a straight answer! I hope you have better luck on the Xanax. My doctor would never allow me to take Xanax. I'm afraid to complain about it because she just might take me off of my medication altogether. I definitely need them to get through the day and I don't ever abuse them or take more than I am supposed to! I do hope all goes well for you!

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Re: Leesuh (# 13)

Xanax worked well for me but my doctor of course don't want to prescribed it for me I went from Xanax to busprian to klonopin to zol oft now she want to start me on Prozac. It's horrible because non worked like Xanax, I had no side affect with Xanax like I've had with the other few. I guess doctor likes to keep us coming back don't want you to give you what really helps and that sucks

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Hi all... I've been on Teva brand 1mg Clonazepam for almost 5 years...for very bad Anxiety. Doctor gave new Rx to get filled... But local walmart, cvs, walgreens have all said they only have Accord... Very concerned about trying Accord... With my previous Teva Manufacturer i had good results...when Anxiety was acting up i took one tablet & was able to feel myself calm down... DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE IN PHOENIX ARIZONA...WHERE I CAN GET MY SCRIPT FILLED & RECEIVE TEVA??? PLEASE HELP

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Hi John. I have been on clonazepam for 25 years, anywhere from 0.5 to 8mgs. a day. I found that taking the full daily dose in 1 single dose in the morning works best for me. I have taken the brand name Klonopin, and the generics Teva and Mylan. To me, the brand name Klonopin and the generic Teva both worked the same, great. The Mylan was okay but I felt was just slightly less potent. But insignificantly less potent, if at all. Now what I didn't like about the Mylan was that the tablets were more difficult to split, even with a pill splitter, which I always use, especially when splitting a tablet in 1/4ths or 1/8ths. Splitting the Mylan tablets in 8 pieces is pretty much impossible. It will crumble into pieces. But with the brand name Klonopin and generic Teva, it could be done, which is important when someone is trying to wean off the medication. A week ago I went to the pharmacy to fill a new prescription for my 2mg clonazepam. Now I always get a generic brand because of the price difference. And normally I request the Teva brand, which is my favorite generic brand. But because every time I request it, the pharmacy tells me that's the generic 2mg. brand they have in stock, this last time I didn't request the Teva brand. I just requested generic. Well, it was a big mistake. They gave me the generic Accord Healthcare. The medication was horrible. It seemed like a placebo pill. I didn't notice any of the tell tale effects that are normally felt as the medication is taking effect. It felt extremely weak. In fact, I really didn't feel anything much at all. However, my withdrawal symptoms that I was going through DID go away. So I figure it must be clonazepam, and it must be at least close to the normal 2mgs. it's supposed to have. But it feels weak, weird, and not like clonazepam. So next time I refill my clonazepam, ,I'm going to specifically request the Teva brand. Walmart can actually order a certain brand for you if they don't have the brand you want. The pharmacist told me. It's important to request it about 5 days before you're going to run out to make sure you can get it on time. So as for me, I'm not happy with the generic Accord Healthcare brand. Best of luck.

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Re: Vee (# 16)

Vee, I am having the exact same issue as you. I have been on clonazepam 2 to 8mgs a day for over 25 years. I've always gotten the brand name Klonipin, or the generic Teva brand. I prefer the genetic Teva brand because of its lower price. And I think they both work identically. But this last time I filled my prescription, I didn't specifically request the Teva brand like I normally do since they always seem to have the Teva brand in stock. Or at least that's the generic clonazepam brand they order when they're out.

But this last time, they gave me Accord Healthcare brand. I just got it 4 days ago and don't like it at all. It tastes like flour instead of that minty taste that's attributed to clonazepam. And it feels flat when it takes effect. It feels weak, like watered down. I don't like it at all. If you have Walmarts in your area, you can call and request that they order you the Teva brand about 5 days before you're going to run out. And they can order it specifically for you. At least the Walmarts do this here in South Texas, U.S.A.

And look around in doctors' offices or pharmacies to see if you can find a GoodRx prescription Drug Savings Card (in case you don't have insurance). I don't, and you'll save about 75% on your clonazepam - At least I do with 2mg. generic clonazepam. Those cards are free, they don't expire, and you don't have to fill anything out on them or fill or sign any papers at all. You just submit the card with your prescription, they put it in your file, return the card to you, and you will get your clonazepam at about that same discount price from now on. The card doesn't expire. But if you're using insurance for your medication, then they won't allow you to use that card. Best of luck!

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The Accord Clonazepam has replaced Teva, because Teva is not manufacturing Clonazepam anymore. Accord Clonazepam has been independently tested by consumers with the majority of the labs finding 0% Clonazepam to a trace amount. Accord charges 1 cent apiece for these to the Pharmacies. The inert ingredients have made thousands of people extremely ill, besides the fact that people are withdrawing and even suffering Gran Mal Seizures. The Insurance companies, and especially Medicare will not pay for anything but the Accord. Teva tried to sue Accord, but the case was thrown out. I have been researching this, because my Husband has been taking Teva Clonazepam for 10 years from a Traumatic Brain Injury as an anti seizure med and for panic disorder. The third day that he was on the Accord, he had a full blown panic attack which was getting dangerously close to a seizure. His Doctor changed him from 90 1mg Clonazepam to 45 2mg Clonazepam because there are so many more choices of brands in 2mg. I'm so horribly afraid that it is going to take deaths to get Accord shut down. Since Teva stopped manufacturing, we have researched this to the point that the number of people who are suffering from Accord we have seen, is roughly close to 80,000.00.

Editor's note: we do not verify the credentials of our users and nothing stated is intended as medical advice.

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Hi John. I believe I can help you. I have been on clonazepam 8 mgs. for 25 years and have successfully weaned completely off of it both times with little to no withdrawal symptoms. I used the techniques in a book called the Ashton Manual written by a Dr. specialist in benzos and how to wean off of them with years of personal experience weaning patients off of them successfully. It is said to be the "Bible", if you will, of how to wean completely off of benzos. You can Google it and actually read it online. It recommends that if the person is on any other benzo besides diazepam, to gently cross over to the equivalent mg. dose of diazepam first, and then to wean straight off of diazepam (Valium). She recommends this because diazepam is one of the benzos with the longest half-life of all benzos of 200 hours, meaning it will take approximately 200 hours for half of the diazepam and its active metabolites created in the body when taken, to clear the bloodstream. Since it clears the bloodstream so slowly, this should, in theory, make it easier to wean off of diazepam than other benzos with a shorter half-life. The book has a chart with all the approximate mg per mg. equivalencies of all legal prescription benzos to diazepam. And these equivalencies are generally accepted by the medical community. The only thing that didn't really work for me, was the switching from clonazepam to diazepam first, then weaning straight off of the diazepam. It's as if my brain " knew" I was trying to trick it. Although diazepam is still a benzo with antiepileptic, antispasmodic, muscle relaxant, and anti-anxiety properties, it's still a different drug. I was feeling withdrawals with the diazepam even with a little higher dose than the equivalency mg. dose I was on clonazepam. And I was getting very drowsy.

Diazepam is more hypnotic than clonazepam and can make people drowsier. So I decided to wean straight off of clonazepam thinking it may work as well given its pretty long half-life of approximately 35 hours. And it worked! The Ashton manual recommends a weaning off process of about 5-10% every 2 weeks or so. I recommend you try the 10% reduction first. You may surprise yourself and find out to have almost no if any withdrawal symptoms at all. But everybody's different. If the 10% reduction is causing you too bothersome withdrawal symptoms, don't dismay. Just increase the dose back up to your previous dose, and reduce it by 7.5% for two weeks and see how that works. Try to stay at a reduction pace of no less than 7.5% every 2 weeks if possible. Remember, the higher the % reduction rate and the time frame you use will depend on how fast you get completely off of the clonazepam. Listen to your body. Don't hesitate to make small changes if you have to. If a 7.5% reduction is still causing you to get bothersome withdrawal symptoms, go down to 5%. It's okay. Now, you may also try reducing the dose every 10 days instead of every two weeks at a 10% reduction if you're doing great when reducing your doses by 10% every two weeks. That'll also get you to finish weaning off faster. But if you ever make a reduction that causes you too bothersome withdrawal symptoms, just go back to reducing your previous dose from, let's say, 10% to 7.5. This may very well take care of the problem. Adding another 5 to 7 days if necessary at times is also okay. Just try to never increase you dose back up to 2 previous doses because this can be counterproductive and confuse your body in the weaning off process.

Sometimes when a person is down to 0.5mgs a day or less, the person feels like they get stuck at a certain mg daily dose, having trouble lowering the dose even when taking more time to do it or increasing the dose to the previous dose for another week or so. If you have to stay on a dose 3 weeks instead of 2, by all means do it. But don't throw away all the effort you have been putting in weaning off by giving up. It's better to increase the dose back up, or stay on a dose an extra week or even 2 if need be, than to give up. Eventually you will break that difficult barrier you had. For many people it gets harder when they get to about 0.5 mgs. or less. I know it did for me. But I stayed on my last dose for 3 weeks and that took care of the problem. Use a calculator always. If your using pills, you will have to be switching from the 2, 1, and 0.5 mg. tablets to be able to cut the tablets in 1/4ths when the 10% reductions begin to get really small. Switching to liquid clonazepam is the ideal thing to do to wean off of clonazepam since you can be extremely accurate on the amounts you want to decrease. If you can't get liquid clonazepam, eventually you'll need the 0.5 mg. pills. And if you have a tablet that can actually be split in 8 pieces (there are some, but many can only be split in 4 pieces only. Trying to split them in 8 pieces will cause the pill to crumble into uneven little pieces making the reduction inaccurate). I'm sorry about the lengthy post. But I'm hoping that my writing was understandable and that it will help you in your weaning off process. Always use a calculator to make reductions. Round off when necessary to either the higher possible dose or lower. Use common sense. If it's been pretty tough, round off the reduction to the lower possible dose. If you're doing great, maybe you'd want to round off to the higher possible dose. If you're using the liquid clonazepam, pretty much no rounding off will be needed. It is ideal to use liquid clonazepam. Always use a pill splitter when using tablets. Good luck and message me if you have any questions and hopefully I can have a helpful answer for you.

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Is valium better than Clonazepam?

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Obliviously its not the right drug for u. So I would change alltogether!! I suffer from anxiety and shakes I need a stronger klonapin!!!

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Re: John (# 9)

Hello I just wanted to say I understand the problem you are having. I am a disabled veteran with severe panic attacks and GAD and Agoraphobia. I have been on Clonazepam for 25 years or better and got switched to the Accord brand and had major problems. The Accord brand is made in China and if u read a lot of threads on rxchat.com u will find similar stories from many people. Also I read where a psychiatrist was having to take this medication from China and became ill and found other meds INCLUDED with the Accord brand he was taking. He in turn will not prescribe any meds from China due to the FDA only checking very few of them .I myself have had many surgeries due to the military and became dependent on prescription meds so I entered treatment and have remained for over 21 years. During all that time I’ve never had a positive UA seven days of being on Accord brand Clonazepam I was drug tested as usual and I had a substance other than Clonazepam but similar in my urinalysis. This caused a backlash of problems however, with 2 decades of clean tests it didn’t take the doctor long to pinpoint that it was the Accord brand. Inclusion my physician instructed the pharmacy to only dispense USA medications and by no means to ever be given Accord brand again. These meds from China are cheap and to be honest there is no telling what’s in them. It’s a terrible thing when we take these medications to live a more productive life and then in turn have to worry about what could be in the medication your taking. I hope this helps and you have less problems and may God Bless you!

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Re: Openminded (# 20)

I'm currently in the tapering process and am taking 0.5 2xd. It's been quite rough, I'm not going to lie! I've been on 1mg. 2xd for over 20 years- I just felt it eas time to try and get off these pills. I almost feel as though I'm back to square one with my panic which took me to be put on my Klonopin in the first place & im not liking that one bit. I don't want my panic and anxiety to take over my life again. Any helpful feedback would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Kel

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Re: HRBB (# 10)

No they don't, you got leftovers.

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Re: HRBB (# 10)

No Pharmacy in the Denver metro area was able to order clonazepam from the manufacturer Teva since August of 2018. After trying the Accord brand and going through withdrawals the Whole 30 days, my pharmacist then was able to get me a manufacturer called Solco it's okay it does not work as well as the Teva brand.

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Re: BlankGrandma (# 19)

Wow, this is some very disturbing and shocking information about most Accord clonazepam having little to no clonazepam in them, period. I'm not sure if Accord would even be able to legally sell them as clonazepam. This is very interesting. Do you have any links or references you can list so we can look into this info ourselves as well? We would really appreciate it. And thanks in advance.

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Hi John. I go from one room to another and forget why I went there in a matter of seconds and I panic about Alzheimer's. It's a vicious, extremely vicious circle for me. And I hate having to take something to control my own body. I wouldn't worry too much about the memory loss, it's just one of the more disconcerting side effects but not permanent, although you'd have to stop taking it and if you have had it prescribed, stopping any benzodiazepine suddenly, is extremely dangerous and not a brilliant idea. But used correctly is an amazing and in my case, life-saving drug. Hope you get sorted John... All the best.

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Re: Leesuh (# 13)

Forget that bro. Spuk rivotril are absolutely amazing for my anxiety and panic attacks 2mg x 30 £34. I've always had that gold pack or the pink and white box. Box colours don't really bother me because these looked counterfeit but were absolutely brilliant for controlling anxiety and stress-related disorders. I found xanax really screwed with my head and stomach. Teva is usually top notch on all its benzodiazepines mate. Hope you get it sorted my friend. Anxiety and stress are debilitating literally and it's about time doctors realize that and gauge people's anxiety with 2ml diazepam tablets and see how much someone uses to just function in an appropriate manner without mad panic attacks and then it's higher ml diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam, depending on severity. But you really sound like your struggling. I really hope you get the effect you need to function mate. All the best.

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Re: Erica (# 29)

The purpose of the medication isn't to feel high... It's for mitigating anxiety enough for you to use coping skills to manage the anxiety on your own. There's no magic pill to make it all go away. Put in some effort and manage the symptoms on your own the accord. It's an effective medication, it just doesn't get you messed up like the Teva does.

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