Is Mylan Lorazepam Discontinued? (Page 5)

My pharmacy told me that they can't buy mylan any more and they do not know if it is discontinued or not. Since Qualitest lorazepam was discontinued, Mylan is the only lorazepam that works (less effective than Qualitest) but works with less side effects than others (Watson, leading pharma, actavis: don't work causing serious side effects). Any alternatives, or another generic lorazepam that works ok? Lorazepam is the only sedative that works for me for anxiety and stiffness due to side effects of levothyroxine. Other medicine such as clonazepam, alprazolam (xanax), cymbalta, zoloft, lexapro, etc do not work.

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So my doctor was able to get prior auth for name brand. I took my first “Ativan” today. Hit me like a brick. Feel so drugged, jello legs ect. Dizzy and just not right. He suggested playing with the dose as he did state that name brand is more potent. I’m sure some of you will say shut up you’re lucky to have name brand. All in all, I just want to feel like how I did on Mylan. Has anyone else ever taken actual Ativan and felt like this or any updates on how true it is that Mylan will make a comeback? Thanks in advance!

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Re: Jamie (# 81)

I got the name brand. I hated it but I did end up switching to Klonopin for a day which made me feel even worse like a zombie and gave the Watson brand another try and after a few weeks my body adjusted to it. I still don't like it as much as the Mylan but my dr prescribed me an extra 5 pills a month because sometimes when my anxiety is really bad I need an extra half. I actually still have like 30 name brand pills left for emergencies lol. I cannot believe they charge $2200 for them. I'm kinda happy I didn't like them because the insurance would only cover them for 1 month.

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Re: Coley (# 82)

What didn’t you like about it?! It’s so weird it makes me so tired and it gives me more anxiety. It’s HORRIBLE. Weird for the name brand. I hope I adjust to it....5 full days on it and it’s been a nightmare.

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Re: Jamie (# 83)

I think what you experience was drug withdrawals from Mylan. I've been on every generic lorazepam that is available in well States. The only one that worked for me was Mylan or brand Ativan.

When I switched to brand again I had the same experience I didn't back when Biovail took it over from Wyeth. Needed extra to balanced out from time to time. So that's when I went on Mylan. The real Ativan was made by Wyeth and Biovail turned it into a generic. Valeant bought BiovaIl and kept the same formula that Biovail made.

It works for me and doesn't cause any bad side effects. It's just not as balanced as it was when Wyeth made it. Valeant can spin their story all they want its not the same and hasn't been since 04. So I'm not paying for it through my insurance. Drove my premium up.

Watson is absolutely horrible. The only other generic that worked for me was Sandoz that I used for a very short time last year. But nothing like this Watson junk.

I made some calls to find out about the Aurbindo lorazepam but was told it wasn't available. Walgreens told me that. Though I don't believe it because the shortage website said its out there. So no clue where to go from there but to call the company or email them.

My hopes is like yours that Mylan will make a come back. If they're making it for Hospital settings and nursing homes from what Richard said maybe if we keep calling them they'll see a need to bring it back?

Short of calling my local and state reps to see what they can do about making sure these brands that cause so many horrific side effects could be looked into. It makes no sense to me if they have to put the same amount of active ingredients in their brands then why do they mess us up? Yes I know the fillers play a factor in this. Also they change how it is released into ones system.

But man to take the quality of life out of so many of us it's just unreal and unethical.

As for Klonopin it's more addictive and hard to get off then Ativan. Just a heads up folks. When I took it I don't even want to tell any of you guys what it did to me.

Good luck folks....

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Re: Jibs55 (# 84)

Thank you for your input. It’s been a week on name brand today. Thankful insurance covering and only 50 copay just wish it helped more. Friday and Saturday was like I was taking nothing at all. I felt like I was in a withdrawal and have a constant severe panic attack. The tired went away. Now it’s just morning and random afternoon mini panic attacks and dizzy spells. I hope it goes away as I’m not going to take any of the other generics. I couldn’t quite tell from your message-are you still taking the name brand or when you did-did you balance out and how long? This is so scary. Mylan is literally the only one I never had a problem with and felt stable and like a normal human being. I’ve been on Ativan 9 years. Weeend off and came off in 2011 was off for 6 months but relapsed panic attacks workse and came back on them 4 mg a day. Mylan was a miracle. Kept me good all day long. I feel like I’m in a nightmare now and I’m stuck like this forever.

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Re: Jamie (# 85)

I went right to brand name with no transitional period. The only thing like I said was the brand Ativan for me requires a few extra here and there. But I had to stay on whats written for me.

The only thing that messed me up was having to take whatever my pharmacist would stock. As for what I'm on right now I'd rather not discuss that. Nothing personal...

But I can tell you it looks like I'll be back on brand name soon. There is no other alternative for me.

For you brand name maybe too strong. For me it's what works and I don't feel like I've lost countless days. Watson should be banded from ths public a long with all the other trash being marketed.

As I said before I'm in hopes Mylan will regroup and bring it back. Leading and Major, Teva and the rest can kick rocks. I hope they get brought up on a Congressional board.

Do like your doctor said play with the dosage until you adjust to it. But I really think you are having drug withdrawals from Mylan. Some people do. I only felt a minor change not worth writing home to mom about. Y'all are in my thoughts.

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I was previously on Mylan, and I've been on the brand name and having trouble. My symptoms feel like benzodiazepine withdrawal but I can't be sure. I've had tremor, loss of appetite, higher blood pressure and pulse.

Right now my insurance is paying for it, but I'll lose that insurance in the summer and have to pick one of the generics.

I found out that the company that manufactures the brand-name is called Meda. It's a Swedish company that has its manufacturing site in Germany. They make it for Bausch (formerly Valeant).

Guess who owns Meda? Mylan!

I mean it's a subsidiary, but they do own it.

As Bausch owns the rights to sell brand name Ativan in the US for thousands of dollars per month and a Mylan-owned company (Meda) is the one that manufactures it for Bausch, doesn't it seem like Bausch would pressure Mylan not to put their cheap generic version on the market thus pushing people toward the thousands-of-dollars-per-month product instead in exchange for paying them to manufacture the brand name?

I know it sounds conspiratorial, but Bausch is already playing a dirty game charging thousands of dollars a month for a drug that is so old. Why would anyone possibly pay that much if there were a good generic alternative as there had been?

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Re: Marcus (# 87)

Ugh. Horrible!!! I’ve been on name brand for 3 plus weeks and I feel like hell. It’s so scary. Panic anxiety attacks. Headaches. Horrible mood swings. Feels like you said. Withdrawal. Doctor won’t help me. Have no idea what to do. How long have you been on name brand? Is anyone out there taking a generic that works?!! It’s crazy how so many people felt fine on Mylan. I just want this to go away.

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Lorazepam has been discontinued by Mylan. This is a dead issue. It should not be discussed anymore. Find another manufacturer. Here is a link to the FDA website confirming this, which has been available since last July:

fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/dsp_ActiveIngredientDetails.cfm?AI=Lorazepam+Tablets

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Re: RobertCT (# 89)

Relax.. Some folks need this thread to cope with what they're going through. There's always a chance Mylan may come back. Nothing is ever set in cement concrete. Nobody knows why Mylan discontinued. Just like nobody knew why the other companies did. But some made a comeback. Like Sandoz did and a few others only to discontinued again.

I don't think Valeant had anything to do with tanking Mylan or any other company. Its about money plain and simple. Some said Mylan stopped because of the bad rep they were getting from the overpriced EpiPen. That they were trying to clean up their image. Is it true? Nobody know but Mylan.

There's been alot of talk that pharmaceuticals are trying to get away from benzodiazepines. There's a good chance that could be true. Just like they're cracking down on opiates. The sad thing is that so many of us aren't abusing benzodiazepines. Its the high profile folks that can get it readily and end up overdosing from them.

My gut says Mylan will make a come-back. Just my thought. Jamie hang in there girl you got this. Marcus that sounds interesting what you talked about with Mylan. Only one thing is it the same formula and will they put it on the US market.

Mylan is still making the drug but I can't remember who said it was only for nursing homes and hospital settings. Y'all hang in there!

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Has anyone else noticed some of the name brand (Valeant / Bausch) Ativan tablets melt as soon as you put them in your mouth?

For me some do and some don't.

But no other meds I take and no other brands of lorazepam had done this for me.

Sometimes before I can get a sip of water, it's melted and it form a paste.

I am not sure if it's related but I have had what feels like cold turkey withdrawal on the name brand.

The company is replacing it through the pharmacy, but the pharmacy says they can only replace it from the same bottle my last fill came from. So I don't understand the point. The replacement the pharmacy is receiving won't arrive until the end of the week, so they are insisting I replace it now . . . with the exact same product.

They said if it's still bad, I can file another formal complaint and have it replaced again.

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Just curious what everyone has settled on and how it is working for them?

I am on brand name and find it to be variable, like I'm more of a tolerance withdrawal all the time and feel bad withdrawal symptoms with stressors.

For my next refill wondering if I should try a generic and which one.

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Re: Marcus (# 92)

I'm on the brand Ativan 1MG tabs and it's working fine. You may want to ask your doctor to change the pill size and see if that helps with consistency. Ativan is very sensitive to heat and moisture and don't have a very long shelf life. Years ago I was on brand when I had generic issues and at one refill the pills seemed really off (like they were really strong for an hour or so then stopped working). I called the pharmacy with my concern, of course they initially acted like I was crazy but I asked them to humor me and check the bottle for cracks, expiration date or anything else wrong. Turns out the pills were indeed expired. They apologized, reordered a new bottle and then everything was fine again.

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Re: Henry (# 93)

All mine has been in date. They give me the manufacturer's bottle. I've noticed that for nearly a year each bottle, month after month, it's had the same lot number. It's like they only ever made one lot. Mine has been lot 69504 every single time.

I get 1 mg tablets now. I could ask about getting 0.5 mg tablets instead for the same overall dose.

Do you know what lot you get? My pharmacist even remarked she had never seen a med where the lot was the same month after month.

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Re: Marcus (# 92)

Here in northern NJ....there is no choice of lorazepam generics.....Leading seems to be marketing the South and West....not that I want it anyway...it’s as bad as Actavis....Actavis.....which bought out Watson and is still using the same molds (that’s why pills say “Watson”) but a less effective formula than when Watson actually made it.....that’s what I use but my doc has had so many complaints about generic lorazepam he’s put me on klonopin at night because the generic Actavis was keeping me awake with rapid heartbeat when sleeping.....let’s face it...big Pharma doesn’t give a s*** about those they’ve addicted...it’s all about money and their bottom line.

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Re: Marcus (# 91)

Most lorazepam or brand name Ativan has always somewhat melted in my mouth. The brand has always been very easy to have it break down say if it's been transported to you or you carry your meds in your pocket. That's in the pharmacy bottle came in. The pill doesn't have a coating on it like say Tylenol.

You're most likely having withdrawals from whatever brand Lorazepam you were on prior to going on brand name. It can last for a long-time. I know this personally.

Something I've been meaning to talk about with Watson and some of the other generics other than Mylan. If you have gerd Watson will most definitely give some acid reflux as well as a center chest bloated feeling. The stuff just messing me up. And I most definitely go to withdrawals within hours of stopping either brand or when I used Mylan. The stuff is just plain crap.

Again about it melting it will do it. I prefer that if I'm out and about and I don't have any water. I know spit gets it down your throat. Plus I found it gets in your system faster especially when you're having a panic attack.

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Re: Marcus (# 92)

How long have you been on the brand name and what were you taking before? As I mention to you in another post I think you're having withdrawals from the generic you were on.

I can tell you that I've been back on brand for over a year and it still doesn't work as well as Mylan did. And I feel it on bad days as well. But I don't have all the major side effects like from Watson or any other generic. The only two that worked for me was brand and Mylan. Sandoz last year was tolerable but not great for me.

I'd still like to try the Aurobindo lorazepam. Really wished I knew where to find it. I keep seeing it on the list where it shows which brands are on backorder.

Keep calling some of my local pharmacies with no luck. Yes I've heard about the quality control issues with Aurobindo. I'm on another drug from them with no problems.

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Re: Richard (# 95)

Many doctors don't care that were addicted to benzodiazepines either. It's not the fact that were addicted as we are looked at as we're abusing it. It's the fact that is addictive period.

My doc rides me like a horse about being on it. Thing is she knows that I've taken all the other rat poison available to man. She'd be more than happy to nuke me up on SSRI's or SNRI's along with Depakote, Thorazine along with Klonopin making my way of life unmanageable. All of these drugs are abusive just as well. And yes I know Klonopin is a benzodiazepine. Makes sense to her having me on Klonopin but not Ativan. I've taken it and it made not a happy camper. Yes I know it's long acting but what it does to me I won't post.

I've taken every old school drug out there with major side effects. They're only concerned about lawsuits. Crazy thing is when benzos were the in drug these same docs were writing out the scripts.

If anyone is taken a benzodiazepine and not having a need for drug increases what's the problem. Anyone know someone that's a epileptic thats loaded up on phenobarbital or other benzo's to control seizures? I do and there's no difference with us taken them for severe panic disorder.

Same thing with women taken estrogen they will become addicted and there are side effect problems such as cancer. But they still give women the drug just the same. And you can't just stop taking it you have to wean off. I know many women that are on estrogen that can't get orr from it.

So I hear ya Richard.....

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Re: Jibs55 (# 97)

Hi, I've been on Ativan since I was 14 and now 36 so been on it a very long time. I know it's not a good med long-term but my hands are somewhat tied now.

I think I've been on brand name for maybe 6-8 months. I've noticed more variability in my symptoms and seemingly have withdrawal symptoms more easily when I have a life stressor.

Before that I had taken Mylan and it worked really well compared to this. And before that I took Qualitest which also worked well.

I hear you about the Klonopin—I'm not sure why everyone wants to give out Klonopin these days. When I was at college the psychiatrist put me on Klonopin on top of the Ativan and it made me seem impaired to others and also caused severe depression in me. My therapist also likes Klonopin, and I just saw a new psychiatrist today who wanted to switch me to Klonopin. I don't understand because Klonopin is such a high potency drug making it harder to taper it. I'd rather cross over to Valium and taper from that.

I think I may have figured out the melting issue slightly. Sometimes the pharmacy gives me the manufacturer's bottle and sometimes a plain bottle. The manufacturer's bottles has both a canister desiccant and cotton in it, and I've seen other manufacturer's bottles, for example my bisoprolol, where there is no desiccant at all. So it's obviously more sensitive to humidity. My dad makes out a thirty day supply for me at a time where he puts the right number of tablets for the day in Ziplock bags. (I know that sounds bad I don't do it myself. I should. I have a fear of being around chemicals as part of my OCD.) I know he always washes his hands before he makes up the bags and I think maybe there is some remaining moisture getting on the tablets. Although they look fine. The reason this came to my attention is I had been out of bags and was getting tablets myself from a new bottle and left the desiccant in and it hadn't been melting at all. But just yesterday my dad made me up bags and they started melting again. I'll probably have to start handling that myself from now on. Unfortunately he made a whole month's worth of bags ahead of time, and it'll be a while before I get a refill. Today I had a huge brain zap while awake that made me jolt up in bed and make a yelping sound. I was just reading a web page. And I've had a general "seizury" feeling. I've been checked out with an EEG and nothing was found, but I think it's related to the Ativan.

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Re: Jibs55 (# 98)

Lol....you mentioned thorazine.........eons ago (1967) i was put on it as i started having about 10 panic attacks a day, of course the vietnam war, bad grades on a tough schedule for something i didnt want (pre-med)..among other stressors.....docs at that time didn't have "panic attack" in their lexicon-at least not in the Northeast.......when that made me worse...the shrink put me on Stelazine........i got even worse...finally they tried valium..but not enough...when they upped it to 40mg a day i finally got my life back-to a degree....then in 1982 went over to ativan as "valium is addictive"....what a joke but ativan actually was marketed as the non-addictive 'valium'.....well...until someone tried to get off it.....been on it..now generic ever since..2mg 3x day......about 4 years ago.....Watson sold out to Teva (marketed by Actavis)...its not the same.....no way...neither is Leading......actavis 'says' watson but its not the old watson which in my opinion was closest to Wyeths Ativan...not the ativan of today.

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