Watson Vs. Mylan Generic Lorazepam Side Effects. (Top voted first)

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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I have been using Watson generic Lorazepam for years and occasionally the pharmacy has given me other generics. The problem is that the other generics are not as effective as the Watson. Why is that?

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Hello! I have been getting 90 days supplies of Lorazepam 1MG from SANDOZ....my new Rx just came and it's from ACTAVIS.....it does not work or relieve any anxiety at all....I might as well take a placebo...it does not work at all....I took 2 pills...nothing and then 1hour later took 2 more....before with the other brand...I would probably be asleep....but,nothing with this new brand.....I do not know what to do about this.......

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It is unlikely that the problem is solely related to the binders/fillers in the tablets.

The real problem with some generic medications stems from the fact that to be able to be sold on the market, they only have to be within plus or minus 20% of the amount of the active ingredient in the name brand. The FDA considers this an acceptable therapeutic window.

Where the problem arises is usually due to the fact that they only have to measure themselves against the name brand and be within that plus or minus 20% of it, they do not have to measure against each other.

This means that there can be dosage fluctuations between generics from different manufacturers.

Some manufacturers of Lorazepam that haven't been mentioned, that you may want to see if your pharmacy can order for you to try are: Biovail Corporation, Excellium Pharmaceutical, Mutual Pharmaceutical, Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceuticals.

https:/­/­rxchat.com/­wiki/­Lorazepam/­

Is there anything else I can help with?

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Yes just last moth i was switched from "Watson" Lorazepam to the bed "Actavis" brand....NO effect at all, other than to put me to sleep.... I don't recomend it at all

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I have been getting 90 day supplies of Lorazepam 2MG from SANDOZ my new Rx is from ACTAVIS. It does not get rid of nervousness, panic attacks or help with my dysautonomia and I feel like I have electricity running through my body. My pharmacist said it was the binding ingredients and we would try a new generic next month. I hope I can keep it together that long. This generic is causing me more trouble and I feel like I am back where I started. Sorry for you other guys because I know how it feels.

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I have been on 1mg of Lorazapam for 5 yrs. manufactuerd by Sandoz when I got my new pills they were from Activas. Terrrible replacement.
Did nothing for anxiety only made me a little sleepy. It also gave me a terrible edgy feeling. I had to resort to buying the brand which is fine but costing a fortune. Does anyone know of a good replacement for the Sandoz Lorazapam

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same problem have been taking Ativan for 25 years for anxiety health insurance changed and now I get a 90 day supply from Actavis they do not relieve anxiety

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I have written to the company and it is very easy to do. I f you are having problems with the drug you can email them or call them. They called me back and said by law they have to do an investigation. I am still working with them on this. I am not dropping. Everyone who has problems needs to contact them. I truly believe if you had a drug test with their stupid pill they would probably find no benzos in your system. It is not a pill. Of course you know I am talking about Activis!!!!!!

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Those Activis pills are awful. I have complained about them to the company. I tried Ranbaxy did not work. I am now on the brand works better but still not as good as the Sandoz. I am thinking of trying the Watson. I am so sorry you are having trouble. I know how awful it is.

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Kitty, FDA actually allows up to a 20-25% difference.....plus or minus active ingredient. This is one of the main reasons pain meds, anxiety meds, etc are not working for people anymore. Not to mention the binders and fillers, some sub par ingredients even from other countries, that our bodies are not utilizing the active ingredients very well! SO, we suffer and no one cares! Sure the H not the FDA! Come on, 20-25% is a MAJOR amount of med to be out of a single dose! How many pharma companies do you know that would actually put in more of the active ingredient and charge the same amount for them? Right, NONE! It's crazy.....take a 10mg hydrocodone ( Norco, lortab, etc), it can contain only 6.7 MG's of hydro and it doesn't work well, if at all! I can't take ANY meds from India because of the crap they put in them. Not only do I not get pain relief but I get very sick! I am assuming this is the problem with your lorazepam. Don't listen to anyone that tells you generics are identical to brand name where the active ingredient is concerned.....its total bs!

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Every now again I come out here to see the new posts on lorazepam. I'd like to start out my saying that there is no brand name Ativan being produced by anyone. The fact is that there hasn't been a brand name Ativan since 2004. And it was made by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. They then sold it to Biovail out of Canada that turned it into a generic. Totally ruin a drug that many of us took for years with no drug increases.

I was on 4 mgs daily for extreme panic disorders which I still have. When Wyerh sold it to Biovail they still made it in the dog house shaped pill with a A on the front and I believe 64 was on the back and the tablet was scored. Slowly I started having drug withdrawals. Didn't have a clue why for years. I suffered until I somewhat balanced out.

When I leaned of the change out my Pdoc switched me to Mylan since at the time it was the only brand my VA clinic carried. It took years to find a dosage that helped me. When we finally achieved a level that worked I was at 8 mgs a day. Then the nightmare happen when he retired. My new VA Pdoc stripped me down so fast it wasn't a pretty site. This guy was anti-benzos to the max.

Prior to this changed I had taken every drug on the market for panic disorder. This Pdoc didn't care. So needless to say he's got me on nearly nothing & fills my script every two weeks.

As for the brands most of you have spoken of like Watson, Actavis and others, they made me worse. Mylan just does what it does for me. But the real brand name worked so well like someone above said, I had days where I skipped a dose.

But there is no brand name any more. I'm not sure who has been snowballing many of you about it. Sad facts are many companies that make generics hurt patients more than they help in my opinion. Hope you all find the brands you're looking for. Mylan is the best for me.

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Has anyone had any experience with the Randbaxy generic for Lorazepam.

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After having taken 1mg of Watson (I think) lorazepam PRN for years and years (and real Ativan, on a few lucky occasions), I ended up with a prescription from Actavis. The Watsons knocked out my anxiety/rage literally within five or six minutes and never gave me the slightest trace a side effect, even if I took two or three in a day. These Actavis pills are darn near useless and make me so tired! They're so tiny that at first, I thought that they were 0.5s; no wonder they don't work; there's probably hardly any actual lorazepam in them. Then again, I've had actual 0.5s that worked better.

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Service at Target pharmacy was so bad I finally walked out, had been getting 2 mg lorazepam from Watson, 242/2, very good, no problems.

Walgreens carries Purepac (Actavis) and it seems like real garbage.

Gotta do something about this. Stuff costs money.

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I agree with previous poster. They had it right a year ago. But now i have to take 2 to 3 1 mg pills to relieve my anxiety. Does anyone know of a pharmacy that carries generic other than watson 241/1 in sacramento area? The major pharmacies walgreens, rite aid, target, and cvs all carry crap that is so weak it doesn't work .

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Due to the major chain pharmacies seemingly only filling lorazepam with Qualitest or Actavis brands lately, which made me somewhat jittery, I searched for a local pharmacy that was willing to special order Excellium brand for me. Wow what a difference!!! I think it may even be better than the original Ativan...at least for me.

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be very careful when with drawing from Ativan. don't do it yourself. seek professional advice and help. it's true that serious problems could occur if withdrawal in one or two months. it's a powerful drug. and if you have been on it for a while your body will be damaged.

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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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I tried the Ranbaxy brand did not work for me. I have had to go back to the brand. Has any one found a good replacement for the generic made by Sandoz the brand costs a fortune. I have been in contact with Actavis with their horrible product. The brand is good but gives you heartburn. Sandoz had the perfect generic. I also found out after talking to my doctor that since I was on their product fo 4 years and was switched to a new product Actavis which is not the same I am having withdrawal symptoms even though I was taking it but the brand works once you get started on it but not right away.

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As an Ativan user my view of the problem is this: All manufacturer's versions of lorazepam do not work. Up until the last day of 2013 one manufacturer did offer a lorazepam version that would work at a reasonable price. This is what most of us were taking. When they stopped offering them, due to sellout, etc. the ativan user market was forced to get their med's from other companies. Generic med's can legally allow a 25% difference +/- in each pill. They may also use different fillers in their pills that are cheaper & neutalize the affect on reducing anxiety. The price for brand only ativan then shot up to $1200 for a 90 day supply. Due to the absolute need for the brand only ativan many people have lost their life savings, ordered on line to outside sources or have been put into hospitals to control their anxiety, panic attacks & seizures. Those that go to in care facilities are given lorazepam PLUS other med's to control the anxiety attacks. This is a microcosim of the power & greed of pharmaceutical companies. Realiiazation of this problem is not concurred by Doctors, Hospitals, health plans, pharmaceutical companies, politicians, etc. It is sad that the only people who understand the problem is the user. The higher % income people can afford the drastic jump in price of the ativan & are probably investing in the company that makes it. Pardon me to all of you for being very wordy. On purpose I did not mention any manufacturers names. Sometimes we try to solve the problem by bouncing from one manufacturer to another but in today's world that will not help. This is only my personal view & I have placed a note in my health records of the need for brand only Ativan in my case. Last thing, it is sad to retroflect & think of all the people who are living in anguish today because of this., Sturg

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