Watson Vs. Mylan Generic Lorazepam Side Effects. (Page 17)

Been on Sandoz mfr. lorazepam for 10 years; no problems; no need to increase dose. Sandoz stopped mfr. Now, can only get these generic's & Actavis. Having lots of troubles getting results; either nothing or zonked. Anyone else w/any experience which mfr. is closer to Sandoz (since FDA approves up to 2% differences in generics). Thank you.

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Has anyone had trouble getting the Mylan brand lorazepam? My pharmacy tells me the last two months they’ve had a nationwide backorder?? Been on this for years for severe anxiety. Qualitest worked for a long time, but they stopped making altogether.

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Update- Last month I switched to a local compounding pharmacy to manufacture a liquid form of lorazapam in order to taper off over an 8 month period. I can honestly say that this is the best quality I've ever used. When I wake up I do not feel groggy and it works better than the pill for anxiety even while tapering.

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Re: Pjcentral (# 308)

Pj, when Wyeth Pharmaceuticals sold the drug rights to Biovail Corporation they turned it into a generic. Biovail was out of Canada. After that they merged Valeant Pharmaceuticals International in 2009 I believe it was. I talked directly with Biovail back in 2005 and they confirmed that they kept the dog shaped look but put BPI on it as well changed the ingredients into a generic. I stopped taken it after I had troubles with it not working at all for me. Understand that I was taken 4mgs daily for years with no drug tolerance or increases. But I slowly started having withdrawals in that timeframe. That's when I did my research as well as talking to countless pharmacist prior to calling Biovail. They were strictly a generic pharmaceutical company. Valeant Pharmaceuticals kept the same formula Biovail used. So they may say it's brand name but it isn't. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals made the only original brand name period. From what I read the price on Valeant's version it's like astronomical. Please note I have no ill feelings about either of the companies. I'm not bad mouthing either of them in any shape or form. I'm just telling you the facts that it isn't brand name Ativan. Also note that I had no clue that Biovail took over. I never once notice there was a BPI imprinted on the pill until I started feeling the drug withdrawals. That's when I took a magnifying glass and seen the changes stamped on the pill. The rest was a downward spiral for me. Since your post I'm not sure where you're buying the Valeant made Ativan. But if they're still making it and you're still getting it I'd be curious to where you're purchasing it and what the cost is for their version. Also where you got your facts from its still brand name. Pj I'd give my eye teeth to have rhe true brand name available cause right now Mylan is on backorder. Fill me in when you have the time. Peace...

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Re: Dee (# 321)

Dee, if I didn't know better I think I might know you (joke). My pharmacy called me the day you posted this and said the very same thing you just did. Apparently Mylan is on backorder till the end of May she said. I called Mylan and they confirmed it. They had me try a different brand and it didn't work. Trying to see if they can order the .5mgs so I can double them up to make 1mg. Mylan said that strength is still available. So if you take Mylan like I do maybe you can call your pharmacy to see if they can order that strength. Hope that helps.

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Re: Twig7 (# 324)

Strange... if you’ve been on this as long as I have, you know when you get a brand that may be a placebo or just not made as strong. I posted a while back stating that the pharmaceutical companies are literally allowed to decrease the main ingredient by 20% and replace with fillers. The Leading brand they carry tastes like pure sugar, and my panic attacks suffered greatly, so never again. Qualitest used to be a good brand but they stopped too. A friend who lives up north just had her rx filled yesterday and she was given the 1 mg Mylan, so hoping next week when I fill again it’ll be back out. If Mylan makes the 0.5 mg, there’s no reason why they can’t make the 1 mg. Usually they can’t make because they don’t have any of the formula. I really didn’t mind the 0.5mg, as I sometimes didn’t need a full 1 mg anyway. Watson, Mylan and Qualitest were the top companies for making these, then Qualitest dropped them over a year ago. Good luck to you too. I just wonder if we use the same pharmacy, LoL.

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Re: Lainej (# 320)

It can’t be Mylan. I can’t take anything else and so I verify before I leave the store and my 0.5 has an M on one side and the numbers 321 on the back. If you really want to know, google the markings, shape, color, and it will tell you. I bet it’s Leading, and I swear it’s a placebo. Good luck.

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Re: Deedee (# 325)

Hi Deedee, ya they gave me Leading brand. But just 1mg made me loopy. Lowered my Spo2 blood level down, but raised my heart rate. They wanted to see if I could tolerated. (Negative ghost rider) - ugh!. They were able to get 2mgs from their supplier and the fun begins having to break them from 1/2 to 1/4. I asked for the 0.5mgs but my lead pharmacist said that the DEA and or her supplier doesn't like to see large amounts a of pills in patients hands. I'm assuming they think someone would sell them. Man ya know I get it but not all of us our going sell their meds. I need mine to take care of me not so dope-head. Yes I'm out here off and on. I can tell you that Actavis hands down is the worst of all generic lorazepam. And they've pretty much taken over the whole generic group "of" lorazepam. What stinks is if you don't backtrack these companies you end up thinking you're taken what you're use to and to find out Its Actavis just with the old shape and letters/numbers on the pill. I believe it's to have us consumers in a tailspin purchasing the same darn thing even if it's what we used to think it was. As in Watson, Sandoz etc. And find out Its all the same maker. That's dollar signs to them. Which then makes us look like drug seekers. I like the person Doc76 took the real brand name Ativan by Wyeth- Ayerst Laboratories. When they sold the formula to Biovail they kept the same dog shape pill and for awhile they left Wyeth on them along with the number associated with each strength. In my case it was the 1mgs. Like Doc76 I was on it for years with no drug tolerances or any increases needed.

Like him I had the same reaction to the change in formula. Bovail was strictly a generic company that was out of Canada. They kept the dog shape pill but added BPI on it instead of Wyeth. Then Valeant merged with Biovail and eventually bought them out. Valeant makes both the BPI still and a so called Brand Ativan which I called one of my local pharmacies and they told me that's how they brand them. I'm still working on trying to find out whether Valeant actually has the same formula as Wyeth did. Because the pill they're selling as the brand name is like unbelievably priced out high if you're paying cash. Pj says his doc writes him a script and his copay is only 50 bucks. For 100 1mg pills you don't want to know the cost. I'm not sure we can post that out here so I'm not going to. Not sure if Doc76 has seen his post and I think I may post to Doc76 that my local Wal-Mart carriers both the BPI in a generic form and Valeant as their brand name Ativan. I believe Doc76 is Ex-military as I am. So with that said we both have to take what either the military base pharmacy has or the Veterans Administration pharmacies. For years my VA doc just put in a consult for the brand and that's how I eventually got it. Prior to that I had to go to a outside pharmacy and pay out of my own pocket. I'm back at that again with the Mylan because they will no longer honor the board approved consult that was given to me.

Trust me that isn't easy to get. So with all that said Mylan is the only one that works for me as I've tried them all and suffered the lost of funds and side effects. I've been on the route of SSRi's and SNRi's to Buspar and other types of meds to help extreme panic / anxiety. The was a time that benzodiazepine drugs were not the evil drug they're made out to be. Disclaimers by No means am I slamming any of the companies I've spoken about here or my docs or pharmacist. As for the pharmacies that have branded Watson, Sandoz, Purepac and others all into Actavis I'm not impressed with that. I realize they need to make money. But they don't seem to have any concerns about us patients? I hope you find the right brand Deedee. As for Leading Brand it was a no go for me, but worked differently on me and it did on you. So I so feel your pain I really do. :(

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Re: Deedee (# 325)

I forgot to say that makes no sense that your friend was able to get the 1mg in Mylan. I literally spoke to them last week and they said it's on backorder till the end of May everywhere.

The only thing that might make sense is if her pharmacies warehouse may still have some in stock? That's what mine said about the 2 mgs. (They have 2mgs) still in their warehouse b4 this shortage.

Yes I knew about the amount of active ingredient generic companies are allowed to put in their medications. A lot of the fillers are what actually cause the active ingredient not to work as well. I've been told by pharmacist the fillers can cause many of the allergic reactions we have to different generics. I can vouch to that from experience.

At any rate, I hope everyone finds the brand that works for them. It certainly is no picnic having to switch back and forth from different brands. Have a good one.

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Re: Lainej (# 320)

I was on Leading for three years. Did nothing for me. My pharmacy then changed to actavis brand. Ended up taking long naps. Again recently changed to sandoz1mg.
Awful. more naps. leaves me loopy!

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I just took .0.5 mg of lorazepam and I'm getting a massive headache, my throat is hurting and I'm having some swelling in my face. I'm not relaxed yet either. My chest is still tight from the stress of today.. my bottle shows Lea.

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Re: Deedee (# 325)

I just checked a bunch of different pills of lorazepam on line. Some showed inactive ingredients and some didn't. So the ones that didn't show, I wonder if there are any inactive ingredients to them. Wish I had copied so I could have pasted the inactive ingredients that are listed.

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Re: Lainej (# 331)

Im reply to my post. Here are the fillers

Magnesium Stearate.
Microcrystalline Cellulose
Polacrilin Potassium
Microcrystalline Cellulose

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Re: CathyInNH (# 314)

Yes there is a huge difference in generics . I recently was given leading pharma brand . Just like a sugar pill . I went through horrible suffering . The best one I ever had was the mylan 1 mg tabs . No problems . Watson brand made me very uptight . I had to pay 3000 for an Ativan 20 day supply . I was having. Horrible anxiety on the leading brand . That’s all anyone is carrying at the pharmacies where I live and mail order . It’s so sad . My doctor wants me on the Ativan brand now . Fighting insurance to cover it . I contacted the fda over the leading brand . It’s a horrible med !

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Re: Savannah (# 333)

Does that brand say LED somewhere on the script. If so, then I have that.
I looked at previous pills and they were Mylan.

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Re: Twig7 (# 328)

Went to refill today for Mylan lorazepam. CVS told me they were told it's back ordered for three weeks (approx 6/21). They were able to give me a partial fill based on the large bottle they had ordered for me months ago.

Mylan is the only generic lorazepam that works in my 12 years experience with Ativan. For many years when my insurance covered it, my scripts were marked 'Dispense As Written' for the brand Ativan. Initially owned by Biovail then Valeant when they merged with Biovail. Valeant are the worst kind of scum and ran the pill cost up to $25 per pill (not a typo). They were hauled in front of US Congress over this and other similar practices, but nothing came of it most likely because it's a Canadian company and there is a generic available (irregardless that only one generic is any good). In January my insurance changed and I switched to the Mylan as it was the least problematic of the generics I had taken prior to the brand. There was an adjustment period for the first month where it felt like it wasn't quite as potent as the Brand, but nothing horrific like trying to take the sugar pills from Actavis. Now unfortunately there is a problem getting the Mylan lorazepam. Not sure why as they are the largest generic drug manufacturer and supposedly the largest producer of benzodiazepines. Hopefully Mylan begins to keep this stocked regularly or else I will have no choice but to talk to my doctor about switching to a different med which would be a shame as ativan works great for me.

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Re: Henry (# 335)

Unfortunately mylan is discontinuing their manufacturing. I have talked to them twice. They said if they have enough ingredients they will make a small amount more. I had to go on Ativan and I am fighting my insurance to pay for it! Actavis and leading brand are the only two generics they have and neither work for me at all! I tried for 14 days and it was pure hell ! Not enough active ingredients. The fillers made me ill. I do not care what anyone says generics are not all the same! The leading brand tasted just like pure sugar to me. Mylan was the only one who helped as a generic. Now they are gone!

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Re: Savannah (# 336)

I just found out from my pharmacist yesterday that Mylan is DC'ing the lorazepam. On May 3rd I emailed Mylan to ask them about the nationwide backorder. I got a call from a rep saying they would be back on the market by May 21st. Now when my refill is due I get this info from the pharmacist!! I’m soooo upset. Qualitest was the best brand until they stopped making them, and until I did research on this site I went through horrible experiences with Actavis, Sandoz, then this Leading that does taste like a cube of sugar. What can we do to get someone to listen? My blood pressure goes sky high during my panic attacks and the Mylan formula was finally getting me back to feeling somewhat normal after 2 years of playing around with this garbage?

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Re: Henry (# 335)

I've been on Ativan since the 90's. I tried many different medications from MAO's, Tofranil (tricyclic antidepressants), to SSRI's and SNRI's. I've been on almost every benzodiazepines starting with Tranxene, Xanax and the list goes on until Ativan came in the picture. I'm not sure what generics I took with Ativan (lorazepam) because I never pay attention to those things back then. But I do know the one I was given semi worked but tasted like chalk. So my pdoc wrote like you dispense brand name only and life as I knew it got better. The brand was made by Wyeth- Ayerst Laboratories. Wyeth was the original maker of brand name Ativan since the late 70's. I took it from the 90's to 2004. That's when I started having troubles with it working. They kept the original dog house shape pill and left Wyeth on the pill as well for about a year. Then they put BPI on it. I never thought to look at the pill until one day I grabbed my magnifying glass and saw it said BPI on it. I wasn't happy at all. At the time I was on 4 mgs a day for many years. Never had any drug tolerances of any kind. There was never a need to increase my dose ever. My story is almost as the same as the writer Doc76 spoke about. With that said my provider at the time only carried Mylan. We had to try a little more to get the same therapeutic results. I wasn't happy with that either. But it is what it was I suppose. As far as Biovail being the original maker that would not be true. Biovail was a generic maker of most of their drugs. And they most certainly change the formula. I called them and they explained what they did with it. You can Google and still find that Biovail did change the brand name Ativan to a generic. Even to this day after Valeant bought out BPI (2009) they make the BPI (Biovail) generic and the so called Brand name that is priced off the hook as you stated. I know this because my local Wal-Mart has both and you can see it on Valeant's website. I still don't believe Valeant is making the original formula. But I can't prove it and Its not a priority in my life. I've read their dealings with our govt. I really have no comment on what they've done. I just wished that Wyeth would have never sold it. But their patent came up to renew and they choose to sell it. Lots of folks suffered because of that. But here's the ticker. Many were fooled for years and still are that they thought they were getting brand name Ativan when in fact they were not. They paid the cost as well for it. Like I said just look at Valeant's website and you'll see I'm not misquoting anything here. BPI did work for me but you needed to increase it and my provider would know longer keep the board approved consult i had for brand name only. Why because there were other generics they could get for a lessor price. And for me Mylan adjusted for me better. As I've quoted Mylan has their 1 mg tablets on backorder. My provider can get the 2 mgs. We just switched to them. But with that said and short of sounding like a broken record Mylan is not discontinuing any of their lorazepam. If you have read what I've posted about talking to them I don't think they'd lie about it. I mean why would they? But with all this said Valeant's BPI generic if it is still the same formula Biovail made it's an alternative to anyone out there looking for one that works. Have a good one people.

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Re: Savannah (# 336)

They're not discontinuing their Mylan. If I had to guess some of you that post out here go by many different names. Not sure why anyone would post false information. Read my other post folks and see what I've had to say about this issue.

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Twig7 (# 337) --

Hey Twig7, you and I have been sticking together on our facts that Mylan just had a backorder, and like I mentioned before, Mylan did respond to me that after May 21, they would be back on the market. As of yesterday, May 31, when I called my pharmacy to refill my rx, they told me that on their ordering computer it stated Mylan is discontinuing at least the 1 mg for now. I asked if it could be a mistake as Mylan called me directly after my email. He said that’s the only computer they use to direct order so it’s up to date. After getting so upset, I sent an email back to Mylan last night and am yet to hear from them this morning. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear from them. I know we’re on the same page with this.

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