Watson Is Now Actavis Generic Percocet 5/325 What Is Up With This (Page 24)
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I had been taking 5/325 generic Watson percocet for 4 years. Suddenly I get notified by Walgreens which I have insurance that there is no more Watson brand and I was given generic percocet 5/325 by Actavis. It is not the same at all. It has no pain relief for me. I used to break the watsons in half sometimes and never had a funny taste. I just broke one of the actavis white tablets in half and it immediately tasted like salt or alka seltzer? Has anyone had any issues with this drug too. Also, along with it not working right it has made my GI tract and stomach so ill feeling and cramping. This is not right how can they take away a medicine that someone has been on for 4 years without any problems and tell them to suddenly switch. Would a peson who has been on a certain heart medication for years be told to suddenly switch that he can't get that medicine anymore? I don't think so. I don't know what I am going to do but when it comes time to have my rx re-filled it will not be with Actavis and I will have to pharmacy shop I guess to see if I can find Watson. I am very depressed now and so unhappy I can't believe it.

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Lola I will definitely keep you posted. I seen so many people preferred it over watson and over name brand. When I took lortab I could only use qualitest brand. He ordered it for me and had it every month. At the time watson vicodin was bright yellow and norco was awful side effects! I would of been willing to try qualitest percocet but no one has them. Everyone has actavis. Amneal vicodin made me so sick! So I don't want to even try that brand. I'm going to try it today so I will keep you posted. My doctor didn't want to lower my dose. She said I can take half if I need to but if this brand doesn't work I'm going to go back on vicodin because watson still makes that and qualitest does also and they can order that one for me. The mallinckrodt is to strong. I weaned myself off. It's like I take half and I am ok and then the next time I take a half and it's so strong. That makes me think each pill has different amounts of active ingredients and that's making me nuts. I really just wanted a lower dose.

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Lola, I am in the same predicament as you! I have not been able to get Watson and just have called over 20 pharmacies with no luck!! It's so unfair for pts like us to suffer at the hand of these drug companies. What has happened with you? I pray that you have something effective to take.

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Martin, I had BP of 205/103 and muscle spasms from Actavis. YES ASK FOR STRAIGHT GENERIC OXYCODONE THAT IS NOT MADE BY ACTAVIS!! I took the rest of my bottle ( over 100) and gave it to my spine doc. That shows them that you aren't selling it or really taking it. I was in the ER after taking Actavis and I almost had a stroke. I have never been so scared in my life. I got generic oxycodone ( not OxyContin !!!) and took it today. I was a bit tired but the pain was better and no shakes or feeling hot or muscle spasms. That stuff was pure poison to my body.

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Hi Lisa, please let me know how you do on the Endocet. I did get the brand name they are blue pills like I think the endocet is also a blue pill. I don't like the brand name at all it was a waste of money thank goodness my insurance picked up most of the cost but I won't be getting it next time. It upset my stomach way too much and left me anxious as all get out so another one scratched off the list. My pharmacist said he thinks Watson still makes Percodan which is percocet except with aspirin and not tylenol. He said they have a bottle of a 100. Might give it a try if I can get my doctor to change me but he is not willing to do too much so that may be another dead end. But I thought if the Watson Percocet was so great maybe the Watson Percodan will be the same. Let us know how you make out on the endocet - I am sure you will know after just one pill as we all did after taking one pill of those Actavis crap.

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Hi Lisa,

I think you are right. I guess I'll just keep trying the various brands, until I get one that works. I came across this information a few minutes ago:

As it turns out, brand name and generic medications aren't necessarily exactly the same. The differences and the reason we're often told they are equilivant are tied up in the definitions of three terms – bioequivalence, therapeutic equivalence and bioavailability.

Bioequivalence means that two drugs given to the same patient in the same dosage regimen will result in equivalent concentrations of the drug in plasma and tissues. Generic drugs are required to be bioequivalent to the original brand name drug.

Therapeutic equivalence means that two drugs given to the same patient in the same dosage regimen will have the same therapeutic and adverse effects. Bioequivalent medications are expected to be therapeutically equivalent, however, sometimes they are not. Often this is only discovered after long-term treatment when patients who have done well on one forumlation are switched to another.

Bioavailability is the rate at which a drug is absorbed or becomes available to the body at its site of action. This is where the differences can occur. Current regulations permit the bioavailability of a generic drug to be plus or minus 20% of the original brand name drug.

A 20% difference in bioavailability may or may not be significant depending upon the medication. For drugs that have a wide index of tolerence, 20% may not be particularly significant; however, for drugs that have a very narrow therapeutic band, it can make a big difference. And what if a patient taking a generic medication that is plus 20% bioavailability is switched to another generic of the same drug that happens to be minus 20% bioavailability? That's a huge difference mathematically, and I would think it could make a noticeable difference therapeutically as well.

So what should you do if you receive a generic medication that doesn't seem to be as effective as the brand name? Talk to your pharmacist and ask whether other generics of that drug are available from different manufacturers. There's usually a major price difference between brand name and generic medications, so it's beneficial to try to find a generic that works for you. If you're not able to find a generic of a particular drug that is effective for you, you'll need to discuss it with your doctor and request that she specify no generic substitutions on your prescription.
________________________
Sources:

Mossinghoff, Gerald J. (1999).Overview of the Hatch-Waxman Act and Its Impact on the Drug Developement Process. Food and Drug Law Journal, Vol. 54, 187-194.

Food and Drug Administration, (March, 2003). Bioavailability and Bioequivalence Studies for Orally Administered Drug Products — General Considerations . Guide for Industry, 1-23.

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Jan, you know what I think happens to us. I think sometimes one pill will have more oxycodone then others. I actually had that happen with watson a few times. A few times it made me jittery and also gave me some anxiety. I wonder if that has to do with the amount of oxy in the actual pill? Something has to cause that. I notice that even with the mallinckrodt the other day it made me anxious and since then I been fine. It's so bizarre. It's very random. I have a friend who had a month of anxiety from percocet and she was on the same brand all along but that batch she said was definitely different. It made her feel weird and she got bad headaches. How can they get away with that? Ugh!

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Hi Lisa,

I have tried Endocet before, and had to take it to the doctors office so I could get something else. It made me really jittery. I will say that later i had a few left, and I took one or two without that happening. I don't know what the difference was. I know Sam's club has Endocet and I may give it another try next time. I'm stuck with the strength, as I dare not complain to my doctor.

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I am sorry, I got that wrong, endocet is made by percocet, it is generic version. Lola if you read about it, people seem to tolerate it really well in comparison to watson and some say its even better. One girl said it doesn't upset her stomach and all meds do, she said even the watson upset her stomach. She also said it is better then brand name, quite a few people did.

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Hi Martin good to see your posting again. May I ask where you got the roxicet filled at? I have been calling pharmacies and can't locate it. I wanted to try it when I get my rx filled in a few weeks and nothing is helping me and this is probably my last chance/choice. Thanks so much.

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They also have qualitest which I believe makes endocet now. If you find a small pharmacy and not a chain, they are more open to order you something you want to try because he said he can also order the qualitest brand if I ever want to try that. When I was on lortab, they ordered the qualitest brand for me because I had no side effects and I reacted to other brands.

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Jan and Lola, I am sorry your not having luck!! Has anyone tried endocet? I was going to get brand name and the pharmacist told me percocet and endocet are very close so I decided to try that first, because he said people actually prefer it and if I like it, he can always have that brand for me also. My friend takes it and is it all she will take. She said she has zero side effects. My doctor gave me 2 separate scripts so I can try it just a week first and switch to name brand if needed. I haven't tried them yet but I will post as soon as I do. Every place I called had Actavis. I almost got brand and my friend and the pharmacist think I will like these better.

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hi martin...is this support group on the internet? if so, give them the link here....if not, print up this blog n bring it. also, every pharmacy, doctors assistant and actavis themselves have admitted to me they have had a lot of complaints and issues with this medicine. and if someone is in a pain management group being on pain meds...they should do enough research and have enough basic knowledge when it comes to the medicine we re on, and no doubt they should know that generics are not formulated with the same ingredients, binders, and amounts as the brand. that's just ignorance on their part and lack of being responsible in their own pain management. also, I have a script for Norco at walgreens ready for pick up and they are from Watson....so im hoping for good results.....we ll see

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Well said Jennifer. And thank you for sharing what they told you. I called Actavis as well but the just talked in circles and a bunch of crap. Like their drug. Watson will not be coming back. Yes, know the druggies are going to H. There has been a large uptick of H use and overdoses. great job yes.
Kari don't feel alone. Glad you found us. I had two Saturdays in a row where I slept 18 hours. Wife thought I was dying. Well I was sick.
Oxycodone is working ok. It is also called Roxicet by the way. Minimal side effects but they are causing me anxiety. No GI issues though which is nice. The ONLY bad thing about Watson was made it hartd to go to the bathroom but this is better.
Hope people are finding relief. BTW, I am on a pain support group and there are a few people that tell me I am crazy and that the Actavis is the same as Watson and I shouldnt be complaining. I wish they would read this. I find it very offensive that they keep telling me that generics are all the same and THIS is in my mind. Are we all imagining this? I think not.

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Hey guys....I see my post was edited where it shoes a capital H....I hope this goes thru...but the drug I was referring to was the heavy street drug h_r_in. Hope that makes more sense

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Hi everyone,

Thanks all who gave info to contact someone about this problem. Kari, I used the link today and submitted a report to Medwatch. It felt great to finally do something about else about it. I think we've all contacted Actavis, and I was kind of leery about giving all of my info, but I did it. You never know what could come from this. Some have had to spend extra money because of this, and they may get compensated. It's just not right for pain patients to be treated this way. My stomach is bothering me as I write this, because I had some left over Actavis, and took a little piece last night. I was in so much pain that I got a little desperate! I won't do it again as I am paying for it now. Just waiting for the stomach medicine I took to take effect. I think something will come of all of these complaints. My sister in law, lives in another city and she's in a lot of pain. The doctor would give her any oxycodone, saying he doesn't want her to become addicted. They tried giving her Gabapentin instead. Seriously! That has more side effects than oxycodone. I don't understand this reasoning with this medication, other than the fact that the D.E.A. is involved.

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In January I got the Watson for my pain relief. In February I got something called, Murkka. And In March the pharmacist gave me this Alvogen.... Which I have NEVER heard of. I've been in Pain Management since 2008. And I know what works for me and what doesn't. And this Alvogen generic just sucks!!! I get very little relief from this generic!!!! I am so sick & tired of this merry-go-round, that these drug companies keep putting me on!!! I don't feel that The FDA is watching close enough to what these companies, CLAIM is in their product..! I research EVERY medication that I've been put on!. And I have read nothing but negative comments regarding the Alvogen pain meds!! So I know it's not just me, feeling this way! And apparently the Chinese are making this generic......even more reason why I don't trust it.!! There are so many ppl out there, who sell their prescriptions! And I feel that they are the one's causing these problems with our pain meds!! And if their pain is real....well, I just can't imagine WHY they would sell their meds! I for one, cannot get out of bed without a pain tablet.!! Today I found out that I can contact the following website to report poor medications: FDA Med/Watch Program.... And you can bet your sweet ass, that, that is the next step in my investigation!! That is all, for now. Please feel free to comment on my status. Thank-you. This is ridiculous.....ALL this typing and I can't even submit it.!! I have entered these crazy looking letters & numbers 6 times already and it keeps prompting me to do it over & OVER & OVER AGAIN. What the crap,man!!!

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Hi everyone. ..I called actavis yesterday n they called me back today to get my information. I asked the lady what they're doin with the info n she said it goes to the fda but I dont know how eager they are to report their own meds r messing people up...kindof like ratting urself out....so I will contact the fda myself next just as a precaution. They did admit that they have been gettin alot of complaints so keep email coming. I asked her about these meds and what will come of the complaints...she said with enough they will have to consider another option but she didnt know what that would be. I also asked if they were distributing the Watson's anywheren why were they removed n she said they wweren't distributing them any longer and with the joining of the two companies, they had to make a decision on which to distribute n they chose this crap. I told her the company made a tremendously bad call. I told her there are hundreds of blogs with people complaining how these medication is giving no-one pain relief n I wouldn't b surprised if a legal suit is formed because of this medication. I also asked her if the Watson's had the abuse deterrent formula. I told her I have seen many things on the internet about them using that formula for their hydrocodone n she said she knew they did with their Norco but another department would have to contact me with the answers to that. I also asked about the variance in percentage from the brands active formula is the actavis as nd watson since their is a huge difference in pain relief n that needs to b answered by the same dept that she was gonna have call me. So ill let u know what I find out from that. Also someone mentioned depression...I suffer from but since being on the activist, it has been ten times worse. I latex in bed all weekend n only got up to pee. Also, just an fyi...I saw on the internet where these companies have done studies using 2500 people that entered a rehab with drug of choice being oxycontin or hydrocodone. ...but they also used H because it was cheaper and easier to get. So the study wanted to seehow well the abuse deterrent formula helped lower the abuse of oxycontin n hydrocodone. ..it found that people who abused these meds as a drug of choice either figured out how to break up the meds even with the abuse deterrent formula to insufflate or IV or they just moved on to H since it was cheaper and easier to get. The study said it didnt foresee the use of another drug that's even worse then pain meds (H) to rise. They rather see these people abuse these meds rather than H since the effects of H is worse health wise and to the community so they needed to rethink this approach in trying to lower the abuse rate. So basically this abuse deterrent formula is pushing addicts to use H, and not stopping them from abusing drugs all together. Do I hear a round of applause to these people who thought they had a sure fire way to stop pain medication abuse while making actual legit pain medication patients suffer all the while?!?!....lucky us huh....this is seriously b.s. that we are all sick from medicine that is suppose to help us so we can function as normal as possible!

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Hi Keri, glad you found this thread and I'm sure you have been reading all the other posts of all of us sufffering from this horrible drug. Please report it to the FDA and also Actavis. We have to keep reporting the adverse side effects to anyone who will listen and get this drug off the shelves. It is making SO many of us sick and I don't mean just sick for a day - sick for weeks and along with being sick NO pain relief so what is the point of taking a poison pill? After getting our rx re-filled and getting these sugar/poison pills, we are now stuck for another month because we can't get another refill. Please don't take anymore of that Actavis - if you read all the posts on this thread you will see you are NOT alone and there is something definitely wrong with these pills.

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I did it. I wrote a 3,000 word complaint to the FDA. They really encourage that we use our voices so please if you have a moment even to write them a sentence- strength in numbers! accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch

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I feel so validated finding this thread. I have taken Watson Percocet 10/325 for years with no problems and the FIRST Activis tablet I took sent me into a tail spin. I'm terrified to take it at this point. I don't even remember Saturday because it made me so extremely tired. I drifted in and out of sleep on the couch for 20 hours of the day. You cannot tell me that's the same drug when I used to function at normal capacity without incident. I am distraught, as many of you seem to be. My anxiety and depression have heightened to an extreme and my stomach is killing me. I'm going to beg my doctor to try to authroize brand name Percocet from my insurance company. This is insane. Activis made a chemical error- a judgement error- or both. I hope that all of those suffering speak out. That's the only chance something will change.

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