Watson Lortab Formula Change (Page 4) (Top voted first)

Does anyone know what Watson did or why they changed their formula for Lortab 10/500? It used to be blue and when I picked up my refill today they are now white. I still have a few days of my blue left but I swapped a few so I can try the white. I'm waiting for it to start working and I took it over 2 hours ago. My rx is 1-2 every 3 hours not to exceed 7 in a day. (my pm dr wants me on a stronger med but anything above hydrocodone makes me euphoric and I can't function) The blue color lortab starts to work within 15 mins. I took my first white color lortab 2 hours ago, waited an hour and took the 2nd and nothing. I will wait 30 mins longer and switch back to the blue until I run out. This sucks. I'm a full time law student, disabled, single mom and can't use my dominate arm because the pain level is too high. (My shoulder dislocates every time I move my arm, even after 3 surgeries the last one being a bone transplant to the shoulder.) Sorry about any typos, I am typing with my left hand and don't have the coordination in this arm/hand that I do with my right. Thank you for any information that you can provide me.

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have them tested so we can have a lawsuit! drugdetection is a site that wil do it for $400 its the only way. i too am disgusted have done all i can to try to get them investigated this is complete bs

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Does anyone know if the 10/500 work better then the 10/325? i have been on the 10/325 for about a year on 3-4 a day and they dont work at all anymore unless i take double that last time i got 7.5 500 they made me feel sick cuz of so much acetaminophen i think. but i am out of money to continue goingto my dr and id like one last month without pain before the year or longer it takes for my disability to get a hearing and possibly be able to afford to go to a dr again.

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I am tired of being in pain because of the FDA. I wish I could trade places with one of them.. I would like to see how long it takes for him to change his mind1111

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Thats just a smokescreen, the tablets dont work as well, they say they want to limit tylenol but if you have to take 2 or more to get slight relief that whole theory is debunked. The truth is they have added ingredients to block the high feeling. If you complain they dont work what will they say? Drug Seeker! I am a relief seeker but it will get harder in the futre to relive pain. They know the hardcore addict will continue to try, but the runner with sprained ankle who gets 12 at a doc in box will say "those dont help much" thus never abuse them. Soccer mom with low back strain gets few, "i dont know why anyone would want those", instead of "oh god i never felt so good". That is what is really going on. If you think about it the truth is around any of us with chronic pain. The hydrocodone is blocked from binding to receptors. yet has the same ingredient. If I hear its all in my head again haha well you are either ignorant or dont have chronic pain, or you tow the company line. Maybe its a good thing that people dont like them anymore, who's to say? Of course there are suttle differences in the different pills but does anyone believe the pills are being redone to make them help your pain better? Dont pee on my leg and tell me it's raining.

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What am I talking about? Well....let's see....

IN BOTH MSGS I STATED VERY CLEARLY THAT I CALLED MULTIPLE PHARMACIES TO FIND OUT WHO HAD IN STOCK, MY RX MANUFACTURED BY QUALITEST!!! As I DID NOT WANT the new WHITE WATSON 853!

MY 2ND MSG GAVE THE NAME OF MULTIPLE PHARMS I CALLED, WHO GAVE ME THE BRAND THEY CARRIED (OVER THE PHONE) WITHOUT HESITATION!!! ALTHOUGH I LEFT OUT TARGET I BELIEVE!!! THE LOCATION OF THESE PHARMACIES ARE IN AUBURN, LOOMIS, ROCKLIN, AND ROSEVILLE, CA!!!! AFTER MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS, I FOUND THAT SAVEMART IN ROCKLIN CA ON PARK DR. CARRIES THE BRAND I WAS LOOKING FOR AS I GET THE BEST PAIN RELIEF FROM QUALITEST!!!!

SO....THERE YOU GO RK!!!. KNOCK YOURSELF OUT! IF YOU ARE THAT BORED AND WANT TO SPEND YOUR TIME "VERIFYING" WHAT I HAVE NO REASON TO LIE ABOUT....HAVE FUN, AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY FEELING LIKE THE COMPLETE LUNATIC YOU MUST BE, WHEN CALL AFTER I'M SURE LONG DISTANCE CALL, YOU RECEIVE THE SAME ANSWERS I DID, WHICH WAS:

"NO, WE DON'T CARRY QUALITEST, WE CARRY ----------------!!!!!" (UNTIL OF COURSE YOU GET TO THE LAST CALL OF SAVEMART IN RKLN, CA WHERE THEY WILL CONFIRM, THAT "YES THEY DO INDEED CARRY QUALITEST AND I BELIEVE MALLINKRODT (sp?) AS WELL"

I THINK YOU'VE MADE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR....WHO NEEDS TO "GO GET SOME HELP"!!! LOL, ENJOY YOUR DAY! YOU CAN THANK ME LATER FOR GIVING YOU SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHAT I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE TO BE A VERY SORRY LIFE!

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called in??? where do you live where a dr can call in a narcotic????wow and yes call ANY pharmacy in Florida and ask if they have norco in stock..watch what they tell you..they cant give that info over the phone.!

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I notice the difference in the colors while On google
I came up on a site that had something to do with Britain
and some part of Africa a trade agreement have been stopped by a
Court order so they having a hard time getting the opium and the people that suffer from critic Paine
are going to suffer

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Changed mine too. Now I just feel sleepy and the pain remains. They did make me feel better, not worse. More stomach upset too. There is more going on thats whats being told. Too bad for those of us that really need them.

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I agree that the Watson 10/500 white ones are different. About a year and a half ago the pharmacy I go to had all of a sudden switched to the whites and I can tell that they do not work as well as the original blue ones, then the strangest thing happened to me, I started receiving my meds from the V.A by mail and low and behold those were the blue Watson's. I don't know what's happening but I don't like it

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Yes it's true. But you can get the 10/500 till Jan 31st 2014 starting Feb.1st they will only have 10/325. I get mine at Fred's pharmacy cause I have no insurance and they DO have the lowest prices. Just take 2 of the 325's and 1 tylynol extra srength with it and you will get the same relief as 2 of th 10/500's. GOOD LUCK CAUSE CHRONIC PAIN SUCKS BIG TIME.

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The hydrocodone is the pain killer. Cutting back on the tylenol isn't as damaging to ones liver. To me that's not the big deal. They have even cut back on what a recommended dosage of Tyenol is now. It used to be 4000mg a day and now it't like 3000 or something. Don't quote me. I know we used to treat a lot of people with tylenol toxicity. Really messes up your liver. A lot of people thought that if you can get it over the counter it must be safe. Not necessarily. Think about it. You start out with hydrocodone 5/500. THen 7.5/500. Then 10/500. The pain relief is in the hydrocodone, not the tylenol really. Plus I'm a nurse, so I had a good rapport with the pharmacists in the area. I did Hospice nursing the last several years before I had to retire. Not trying to be a smart aleck or anything.

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I agree with everyone on this topic. I have been taking the blues since 1995 when I was hit by a train and ejected from my vehicle. After the change my pain was worst during the day and I couldn't hardly get the relief at all. Now they are taking out the tylonol out from my500 down to 325 just ad the Norcos... when will they stay out of our lives!!!!!

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It is the law. If you search it, you can find the notice to pharmaceutical companies, doctors, & pharmacies. The FDA sent out a notice to all of the above that no more than 325 mg of acetaminophen could be in any one med. They had until Jan 14, 2014 to fully make the switch. You can find a copy of a notice that Vicodin sent to drs & pharmacists that had the fda's request, as well as the info about how they were approaching the transition. They were going to begin introducing the new formulas in the fall of 2012 & then work for a full phase out. However, for those claiming that "it's the law" that the remaining meds had to be returned...NOT TRUE! The law simply stated a date in which the new product had to be made & the 500mg discontinued. The pharmacies CAN, however, do whatever they choose...they can send them back, or they can continue filling the scripts until they are out. My pharmacy has chosen the later, & I was able to fill my script one more time yesterday. Well, I assume only one more; thinking they'll be gone by then, yet all the drs are switching the scripts they write so who knows!? As for any dr claiming to NOT KNOW about the change in the law, which has been repeatedly well distributed among med offices, there would really have to be something off for a dr to miss this since 2011!!

For those wanting clarification....this IS def permanent. No more lortab. No more Vicodin as you have known it (has been reformulated) no word on a reformulation for lortabs. Norco it is. Or reformulated Vicodin. There's another name now too, can't remember. I agree there is a difference as well, was from the blue to white & now white to norco, & it's NOT just 175 mg of acetaminophen. As it has been explained to me, it probably is related to the non-active ingredients, the binders, and those in one happen to link up with your chemistry better than another. I swear by the ol watsons but have friends who want nothing to do with them. Some of them prefer percocets, which just make me sleepy. I understand the concerns about liver damage, but come on, 99% of those aren't taking what's prescribed anyway! So, now they just take more 325's. Problem not solved! I don't know at what point the govt's job became to protect us all from ourselves but the reality is~they can't do it. They just can't. But we, and common sense, will be casualties of the efforts of people who feel like the have to "do something" to fix it all...

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Well if this is true, that causes even WORSE liver damage. What the %$#$ is going on?!?! Are they just TRYING to KILL people?!?! I have been on Vicodin HP 10/660 for almost 14 years. I have Lupus, Fibro, Tendonitis, Herniated Disks, Back problems, Headaches, Bell's Palsy, severe damage to my jaw and teeth from years of Prednisone to treat the above but also chronic ITP, which means I can't take Ibuprofen, Aspirin or any other blood thinners as ITP is a condition which affects platelets. I am on disability, what they think a living amount is is a freakin' joke, I can't even find a place to live on it. Now they take me off the ONLY pain medication that has worked for all these years and put me on Norco, which doesn't even seem to help as much as Tylenol! I'm taking tylenol with it and I still get no affects. No pain relief whatsoever. For those who are concerned about feeling any euphoric effects, you sure as hell what feel em with these, that is a guarantee! If anything they just make me tire, irritable, and the pain never leaves. My mom is same way, she takes Lorcet, she's going ape $#^& since they changed her to Norco, she can NOT take them. I asked my dr to write my new RX for the Reformulated Vicodin HP (the 10/300), and he did, as well as some Oxycodone - which my pharmacy always fills with Roxicet which is about as helpful as chewing on a piece of straw and constipates me so bad I can barely go once a week (yeah cuz that's healthy) - but he wanted to cut back my HP, I plead with him not to and he cut back the OC instead. I used to get prescribed 180 HP and 120 10mg Percocets every month. My liver is probably the ONLY part of me that works just fine and I get blood panels frequently. This is BS. They should not have reformulated these medications which the thing that is supposed to be the liver damaging agent is available on every grocery store, pharmacy, hell even well stocked liquor store and gas station shelves in the country! The only conclusion I can come up with is that the FDA is working on orders of a larger shadow conspiracy that seeks to rid the country of the poor and disabled, & make life unlivable for anyone to suffer pain in any future cataclysms or catastrophies. Sorry to get all conspiracy theory tin foil hat - but its what it feels like.

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***NOTE*** The stupid pharmacy would not fill my RX of the 10/300 even though it was the same amount because they said the dr had "decreased the strength". I told pharmacist, yes per my request that I be given the reformulation of the SAME DRUG I HAD TAKEN FOR 14 YEARS!!!! I am not able to pick them up until Tuesday, I will report back and let y'all know if it makes any difference. I have no clue if they will be getting it from Mallinckrodt or Watson or AbbVies or what. All I know is that the 10/325 Norco's are TRASH! CRAP! I thought they were bad when they were the old yellow ones (an old doctor gave me a scrip a long time ago and I had them in the hospital a couple times) - they were pretty sorry then but the new white ones - both the name brand Norco's and the Malinckrodts are utter rubbish. I'd probably get more benefit from chewing a piece of Willow Bark like my Native American ancestors did. This is really crap for people with severe, chronic DOCUMENTED pain, I'm not talking about the loadies just trying to feel high. (FYI they usually want the OCs or Norco's anyways bc they can drink alcohol with them) I have had several friends overdose, and some are no longer here, on meds, so I am all about doctors NOT frivolously prescribing narcotics. Although in just about every case where people OD - like the celebrity nimrods who got the DEA/FDA panties in a bunch to begin with - and with my deceased former friends and acquaintances - in every case they either took a ridiculous amount above the prescribed recommendations (I dont mean taking an extra 2 or 3 a day, I mean like 80-200!) or they mixed large doses with other medications which supress the respiratory system, such as benzos like Klonopin, valium, Xanax, antidepressents like Zoloft, Prozac, etc, cough and cold medicines, sleep meds like Ambien, and copious amounts of alcohol, marijuana, coke or even H. (Which good news for the H dealers - H usage is at an all time high! Small town suburbs in CA have growing epidemics that make the old H days of NYC, L.A. and Seattle look as dangerous a church bake sale. H traffickers from Russia, China, Afghanistan, et so on are raking in the real profits here. )

Anyways I hope you all stay in as little pain as possible til we can all figure out how to navigate these stormy seas. I'll report back with my new meds on Tuesday. I just crushed up a Norco and swallowed it (dont worry I'm not stupid I'm not gonna insufflate the crap) just to see if crushing it would release the binding agent or something, I dunno, I'm just kinda pathetically desperate at this point. Not, find a local H dealer desperate, but just going out on a limb here to see if crushing it and swallowing it makes a dif. That was about 10 minutes ago. Swallowed it own with water and a Pepsi chaser (usually the caffeine helps activate it.) Still. NOTHING. Ugh. Norco. You suck.

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I have been on Lortab 10-500...as of Feb 5 2014 my pharmacy and Dr told me they no longer make it and my script was changed to Norco 10-325. I noticed a difference in my pain management. The new meds take longer to work and after about 4 hours I am in pain again versus the 6 hours.

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Don't let these pharmacists and doctors fool you into thinking NORCO is the only thing that exists for pain relief in the hydrocodone family of meds. They deny that Vicodin and Vicodin HP (which is pretty close to LORCET & LORTAB) still exist - that is til you come in with a RX! Ask your doctors to write you a RX for the Reformulated Vicodin HP = or simply have him/her write it for hydrocodone 10mg/acetaminophen 300. It works WAY better than the crappy Norcos, and its actually less Tylenol so they can't use THAT excuse.

***Note*** For some reason I've found (and discussed with others who agree) that the generic Vicodin HP made by Boca Pharmaceuticals works BETTER than the name brand Vicodin HP made by Abbott Pharmaceuticals.

My doctor still has had to add Percocet 5/325 to my daily meds in addition to the Vic-HP 10/300 as the new ones just aren't strong enough for all my pains. But the reformulated HP works FAR better than the Norcos.

Good luck everybody! May the Force Be With You!
I hope this helps some of you.

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I heard that they are taking hydrocodone off the market. Did anyone hear about that?

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I have MS and my problem is they changed the formula for lortabs period. I take mine 4 times a day and its now 10/325 so now instead of 4 a day I take about 7. They really messed up by changing the formula, because they really don't work as well as they used to!!! But in order for me to get a stronger pain med I'll have to go to a pain dr. and I don't want to I wanna stay with my neurologist!!!! The fda really messed up this time!!!!!

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The fda are the ones who r n control of our meds.now they will only allow 4/ 10/325 of hydrocodone,(lortab,or norco to b given.ive never seen a 10/325 lortab only hydrocodone.y does the f d a prefer morphine(whitch doesent work for me)over hydro.it takes 40000 mg of acetemitaphine to cause liver damage.do ur research.it makes no sence.i think someone is in with the pharm companies.y else such dradtic changes in law?now i hurt all time.id rather b dead.

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