New White Watson 853 10/325 Problem - What Is Going On!? (Page 3) (Top voted first)

Hello all,

I am a longtime chronic pain sufferer. I have taken opiates for pain for over 10 years. I recently got a prescription filled (from a well known pharmacy chain in the U.S.) and I was given these new Watson 853 white (not yellow) hydro 10/325 pills. I wanted to ask the forum here if any of you have had the same experience with them as I have. I know there are some very smart people with advanced chemistry knowledge here that may have delved deeper into whats going on with these things. They are ineffective for me. I've taken hydrocodone 10/325 for 10+ years and have never ever had a problem with pills being ineffective but that is the case with these pills. I've had about every brand you can think of and never an issue. Ever. I thought nothing of the color change when I got the pills home from the pharmacy... I've had the yellow Watson 853's before and figured they just changed the coloring. I've seen people complain before about differences in brands before, but I've never experienced anything like that.... Mallies, Watson, Qualitst... all the same to me. I didn't start looking around for answers until I noticed these pills were not working well at all. Something is 100% wrong.

Based on some initial research I do see that they have taken the yellow dye out but there are other reports from people with the same issues as I see. Obviously you just don't know how reputable some of these reports are... I've seen posts talk about pharmacists telling the patient that the pills now are structured to release hydrocodone slower (even though its an IR pill... what?)... that Actavis/Watson employees have claimed there could be "kinetic imbalances" in their formulation when upset customers have called them... etc.

The only truth I know is that there is something amiss with these things. Any response would be appreciated from you guys.... experiences/info/links to other similar reports, etc. This is the most frustrating thing I have ever run into and it just doesn't make much sense to me at the moment with whats going on....and the implications this could have if these pills have been truly altered by the manufacturer in some way.

I know it doesn't mean much to just say it on an internet forum, but I'm not the type to cry wolf over something like this. I realize it could be a bad batch I've received, but it looks initially like the problem is more widespread.

TIA for any responses to this thread! I came here because I believe this site has people that have the intelligence/knowledge to get to the bottom of it. Again, any info at all in relation to this would be appreciated greatly.

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Well tootie you may be having some minor withdrawal symptoms since there has been a change in the pill you've taking for twenty years. I don't see how it could even work for you after that many years. I ran into a similar problem with morphine ER. The color and shape changed, probably a different pharmaceutical company made it, but my body went through withdrawals, truth be known they are being forced to secretly reduce the amount of medication in them to reduce addiction. Idk how they can legally do that but how can we know?

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No, hubby is terminal.. Friend needs surgery as of 8 years ago to have mass removed. No doctor will touch, or MRI it. She is walking around with this mass growing and growing and having worse and worse symptoms. I understand the emergency room thing too. They don't treat anyone anymore. My issue WAS NOT about being terminal. It was about the MEDS not working anymore AS WITH everyone else that wrote too.

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BL - they may be able to get away with putting only 8mg in a '10mg' tab in the USA but I assure you that generics (and I thought this applied everywhere but obviously only in Europe) MUST BY LAW CONTAIN PRECISELY THE STATED ie same as patent brand AMOUNT OF API PER DOSAGE UNIT. Otherwise they would certainly not be given market authorisation.
I am aware that hundteds of US-made generics are appallingly poor yet highly priced - the result of your ridiculous and greed driven Healthcate policies, which actually allows the industry to regulate itself without any need to report to any agency or Govt department. Also I can not understand how they permit a LAW Enforcement agency to intetfere with doctors' professional ptescribing practices, particularly when dealing with chronic pain patients who need strong opioids - several absolutely essential medicines such as diamorphine and dipipanone which no doc could possibly do without, surely, are scheduled as having "no clinical use"!
Some of your practices (which essentially condemn the less well off to crap meds) are unable to be understood on this side of the pond and only reinforce the idea that the USA is the most divisive country in the world based on income and nothing else, with sickeningly rich companies exploiting the people to enrich executives who often work very few hours with little exertion compared with your average steel worker or miner. And look at what they earn in their often life threatening jobs, which cause diseases which again enrich Big Pharma!
Nope, generic meds should contain what they say on the box, not 10% less just because... of what exactly???

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You honestly think ppl with severe chronic pain get medicine and just because it looks different they automatically decide it's not going to work? That's ludicrous! Do some research into the fraud the pharmaceutical industry has been involved in before telling ppl that a real issue is all in their heads!

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These white 853's are totally ineffective. I pay an arm and a leg (no insurance) and after using the yellow's for years with absolutely positive results in handling my RA these 'whities' are pure garbage. There's no doubt they have acetaminophen in them they are probably ruining my kidneys I have very little confidence there is little to no hydro content at all. I've b****ed to my pharmacy to no avail..."take your business elsewhere' so my solution is to bluntly ask pharmacies around town if they carry the yellows. DEA hates it when you hopscotch around (filled at many different pharmacies) but I'll be damned if I'm gonna suffer this set back with my health. Bottom line...ask around town....or go to another town. I find that the smaller individually owned pharmacies are willing to stock the yellows and/or will work with you to carry them if you stay loyal and give them advance notice of your refill status. PLEASE boycott these miserable bastards and search until you find what you need. It's a bit of a pain in the ass but has paid off continually avoiding being left out in the cold....literally!

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I AGREE THE WHITE DO NOT HELP YOU-MIGHT AS WELL TAKE TYLENOL-- THE YELLOW TABLETS ARE MUCH BETTER !!!

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You are totally right. This is what my dr told me last month. He said the Feds are tightening down so bad bc of some ppl that uts going to be where ppl that get in a car accident and can't get pain meds in the ER. That's how much restrictions there are. I ask him if the ppl making these decisions are in pain and he said no, they push pencils for a living.

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Cory, right off the bat I think you're delusional to believe or trust the FDA. Please read, and you'll see they're tampering with controlled drugs to reduce the efficacy and to discourage tampering, of course. Read through the lines if you dare.

google.com/patents/WO2015103379A1

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Amen jan you are most correct! There is definitely something underhanded going on!

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What is now happening with the companies who produce these meds is that they are producing their medication on the "Fudge factor" rule. They are allowed to produce these medications with a 1.9% increase or decrease to each pill that is produced (guess which one all the companies pick). So you thing you are getting 10 m.g. of the active narcotic but in reality you may be getting as little as 8.2 m.g. to each pill.

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I just listend to a news segment on talk radio speaking of this very subject and their view is outsourcing the manufacturing of the pills to other countries and even the involvment of the russian mafia wtf we just want our meds and the correct ones stick together so our voice is heard

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These pills are sht and eff Walgreens too!!!

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Yeah, so what can we do about this? NOTHING. All painkillers that have worked for years, no matter what manufacturers are not working anymore because apparently the government has ordered them to be weaker and with more fillers. Even my cholesterol pills all of a sudden make me feel lousy. The pharmacist thinks I'm crazy already. Pills are so hard to get nowadays, but you can buy ALL the liquor you want, get plastered, and nobody cares. Wish I could drink, but can't due to high blood pressure. We people with chronic pain are suffering, have to fight to get painkillers, have to deal with the pharmacies... Oh, what's the use? Can't win.

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How can any Walgreens pharmacist. What they are doing is looking at your prescription history as each state has a website for its state and another for all states in America, but what I think they're doing is trying to get people away and selling something and common sense tells you if that person is going to take more than prescribed. People can say what they want but there is some type and sort of conspiracy going on with pills and the government.

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So just ask for the pharmacy manager and explain what I have mentioned in my post (obviously at a minimum)???
All the major places - as mentioned many of times on the forum have all switched to the white, regardless of the name. White•= horrible
I will ask them for PM. I am just so tired of the looks as soon as you/I start to ask or talk about the Norco. They just really really are straight up horrible to me

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Here is the problem I am running into- I can't talk with ANYONE!!! Or even ask questions- ESPECIALLY if I dare ask what brand of Norco's they carry in stock. It is beyond ridiculous.
I want to ask my dr for brand specific. Qualitest is fine with me. Does anyone know if brand name Norco is yellow? Do they work ? What markings do thy have on them.
I found a yellow one in a container yesterday and it had a V on one side?? Is this Qualitest markings? I go pick up my script tomorrow so I would appreciate the feedback.
As for Watson & Millkroft (mis spelled) I just refuse to waste my time or liver on something that doesn't work

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Well... I finally had enough. I picked up my script for Norco... Went to 4 different pharmacies, dinky asking to have my script filled (I also take Methadone & had that script too) and asking what company/brand did they carry of Norco b4 filling my script. I got met with the same 'about stop, oh you want a certain brand, she 's a drug addict look'.... At all 4 pharmacies. By the 4th I was in tears- and simply DONE! I drove back to my dr office- couldn't get in rt then, but seen him the next day.

I sat down with my Dr and told him what was happening, how it was making me feel, how these people were so horrible & ignorant, the multiple places I had enquirers etc. He simply looked at me and told me I didn't not need to go through this.. Made me feel like a i**** for waiting for so long but happy that he was open minded and trusted in my word and his patient. I also handed him 3/4 of a bottle of white Norco's- told him I don't want this useless medication. I'd rather not take it cause it doesn't work. White do not work - PERIOD. He simply said he is changing - he has put me on Oxycodon but 7.5 (I was on 325/10 Norco) because they are stronger. He said they too are an IR medication. I have never taken this medication but I am willing to try. All I know is I won't have to go through the humiliation that these pharmacies & their techs decide they want to throw on people who r really in need of pain medication because we ask for a certain brand that works for us-no more.

Wish me luck on the new medication! Any feed back? Anything I should know? Also thanks for all the help through my Norco nightmare!

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How can they get away with this, is it our government controlling another part of the lives of Americans. I have so much pain in neck, back, legs and hands don't know what going to happen.

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I agree with everything said. I myself just reached my breaking point. Sitting down with my Dr and having this discussion was the best thing I could have and did do. I no longer have to deal with the medication that doesn't work nor (most importantly) I do not have to deal with the ignorance that comes from these pharmacy's when trying to inquire on which brand of Norco do they carry. Over and done... It is simply horrible the way it all has transpired.
My dr switched my meds to Oxycodon and I am happy. You know why???? I am not in pain:) For that, I am greatful.
I hope that whatever is going on between our government & FDA... Whom ever- I hope the focus can return to the patient who is really in need of medication that works. Quit focusing on the drug addicts- worry about those who matter

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Safeway has the yellow ones. This is a legal suit if you ask me

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