Is Mylan Lorazepam Discontinued? (Page 8)
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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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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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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: 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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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 (# 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: 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 (# 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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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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So my mylan is about to run out. I was lucky my pharmacy was able to get so much for me. As everyone else only one that ever helped me and now I’m scared. What brands are people taking that are some what okay. They said all they have is leading which from what I see is horroble.

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Took me about 1 month to get used to Watson lorezapam and now CVS has that on back order as well and tried to give me the leading brand which was HORRIBLE like taking a sugar pill.

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Re: Richard (# 77)

Yes I've seen that aurbindo is made in India. I take other medication made by them and have had no problems at all. In fact they work better then the brand names.

Like any company you're going to have mishaps. I would say that is where faith comes into play.

But if it works and the FDA has approved it I for one would like to try it. Yes it does seem like most of the pharmaceutical companies are all in New Jersey.

You've got me beat on the length of time you've been on a benzo. Like others have mention when they were all that they had go treat panic disorders well they were the next best thing to Skippy peanut butter. (Eh?) Those SSRI'S and SNRI'S really shouldn't be on the market.

Most doc's dont have a problem with patients being on benzo's. What their problem is abuse and overdoses by those who can get them more readily then we can.

Too many high profiled actors/singers have caused alot of troubles for those of us that take it as prescribed.

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Re: Jibs55 (# 76)

Unfortunately it seems like Aurobindo is just another generic lorazepam made now in India. On December 20, 2018 one of their labs was cited for uncleanliness. I’m not sure why but New Jersey seems to be popular for distributing India-made Lorazepam......Aurobindo-East Windsor, NJ, Leading-Fairfield, NJ, Actavis-Parsippany, NJ..........(I live (literally) around the corner from the Leading distributor).........when I first started reading these medschat forums regarding Lorazepam generics I had been taking Watson-marked Lorazepam...but my new prescription was filled w/Leading......I read the bad reviews about Leading on here, got nervous but obviously had no recourse. It seemed fine to me......until I noticed a bit of depression starting.....then on my next prescription all I could get was Actavis (which is NOT the old Watson though they bought everything lock, stock and barrel including the molds which still say “Watson”). Then I started with tachycardia upon exertion and less so waking me up at night.......wound up in the ER with 160 bpm....saw a cardiologist and he said heart is fine. My pcp wanted me to get my thyroid checked (that will happen Dec. 31st).....but honestly, I think the tachycardia, depression, fatigue and a whole host of other symptoms go back to the change in generic lorazepam. I know Teva took over Watson in 2013..but there was a huge backlog to sell. Then the pharmacies had the old Watson still on hand, but by 2015–16 the ‘new’, India-made Actavis/Watson was hitting the shelves. Guess when I first noticed the depression/tachycardia?

My major concern is what options are available these days? I’ve been taking benzodiazepines most of my life (51 years..i’m 71)...the name brand Ativan worked well enough for me to function. I never had to take more than the original dose. But now brand name is made by someone other than Wyeth and is unaffordable. And in this environment it seems docs, especially new ones with new patients are VERY reluctant to prescribe benzodiazepines, even though they do work best for anxiety. Ssri’s just make me into a zombie with anxiety.

So now I feel almost as bad as I did when my anxiety first began in 1967 but now i’m depressed with tachycardia, fatigued and losing weight. What a nightmare.

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Re: Henry (# 75)

Well there's always hope. I don't think we'll ever know what the true reason was behind Mylan discontinuing. My guess has always been it wasn't bringing in the profit they needed to continue making it. Plus the competition was hurting their sales. But that's just speculation on my part.

I'm in hopes this Aurobindo lorazepam might be the new generic that might work with out all side effects. Suppose its time to start making a few calls to see who might be able to get it.

Just hoping that Leading and Major gets tanked for taken over the market. I believe I read Teva was on backorder as well. As for Mylan I think they may make a comeback. They've most certainly got/had a ton of calls requesting it. So maybe the higher up's will make it happen.

Just wished the old brand name was still being made by Wyeth. Back when you could afford it and it worked like a champ.

Just so y'all know whoever is correcting my messages I'm fully aware of it. The ... And the added commas I don't use in my messages.

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Re: Jibs55 (# 74)

Unfortunately that means we won’t have access to it. Only distributed to hospitals and other care facilities.

“Mylan Institutional Inc. supplies unit dose pharmaceutical and specialty packaging for institutional and retail pharmacies in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care institutions in the United States.”

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I just read a post on a website that said Mylan was coming back in all strengths sometime around Feb. 2019. "Mylan Institutional has lorazepam 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg tablets in 100-count unit-dose packs on back order and the company estimates release dates of mid-February 2019" Not sure what this means after the countless months being told they've discontinued making it altogether. This was in the ASHP Lorazepam shortage website.

Anyone have any word on the new Aurobindo lorazepam? And if so, how is it working for you?

It would seem Leading and Major has a back order on their brand because they bit off more then they could chew. The same website said it was because of the high increase of demand. I hope they reap what they sowed. Maybe Mylan will have a come back seeing that it was a good generic.

Brand name Ativan isn't brand like it was when Wyeth made it but it does work. Y'all can tell me all ya want that its the real deal but it's not. Mylan works so much better then Bausch/Valeant does. I've said it once I'll say it 10 more times its a generic and was reformulated when Biovail first bought it from Wyeth. So keep paying those high insurance policy some of you have been doing thinking your getting brand.

But I do understand that the truth is it does work and doesn't have all the side effects that all the other generics have had. But some need more to make it work.

But I can't stress this enough ... I really hope Mylan makes a come-back and puts Leading and Major the dust.

Another thought is this. A lot of these mom and pop pharmacies weren't doing many of us any favors. They're out for the sale just like the big brand stores are. They don't have your best interest at hand. I found that out the hard way. The truth is they dont like stocking benzodiazepines period. Just some food for thought folks. But I'm not saying some don't understand. I've got almost 36 years in this deal and have seen it all and talk to them all.

I'd be really curious to know what any of you have to say about the Aurobindo release. They make some really good generics so I'm hoping someone might have a word about it.

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Re: Jamie (# 25)

Me, too. Activists made me zoned out, didn’t help anxiety, and then depressed after a few hours.

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Mylan discontinued both Lorazepam and Clonazepam. I have been taking their Clonazepam for 12 years and it was the best! The last 5 months have been hell...no other Clonazepam is working for me.

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Re: Twig7 (# 14)

It has been discontinued. My doctor called Mylan..They are not making it anymore. I can not take any other brand.

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I was told mylan discontinued.tried leading brand,had headaches,felt panicky, didn't sleep and it has stopped seizures,now the leading brand I felt arua again. I ask about brand name cost me$5000.00 a month. I can't do that.. I worry everyday,what's gone to happen when all mylan used up this month.any other generic available?

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Re: Henry (# 68)

Hey Henry I did in fact try the Roche brand name Klonopin. My doctor has to fill out 2 different forms (brand penalty exception form) and a (tier penalty exception form). I was hoping to god that this would be the solution. Unfortunately, I was having no luck with even the brand name. A 90 day supply of 1 mg 3 times daily was $1689. With the exceptions I received, it brought it down to a copay of $150, which I was fine with as long as they work. They are the same as the Actavis for me. Severe headaches, racing heart, and high pitch ringing in my ears. Some doctors are saying it’s because I’m in withdrawals from the Mylan brand (since I was on that one for 11 years) and some are saying it’s the new meds, so who knows. I’m just at my wits end. I can’t believe the same medication differs this much by manufacturer. Mylan was the best for me for anxiety and OCD. I went from feeling great and going to work as a flight attendant, to having severe anxiety even being around people. I’m very desperate for help and answers at this point.

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