Xanax/alprazolam Spring 2022 Sudden Inefficacy/side Effects

I've been taking Xanax brand name for panic attacks and anxiety as needed, not regularly, for the past five years. I've never increased my dose of frequency of taking this med at any point, and am not physically dependent at all. Up until last month ago, the label had always said it was manufactured by "Pharmacia" or "Pharmacia/Upjohn". For years they worked fantastically
with no sleepiness or other side effects. I was totally functional.

I was shocked when--at some point last month--I took my Xanax to ease panic and did not notice any relief at all in terms of my mental state. Instead, I felt physically hot, dizzy, sweaty, and as if all motivation had been sucked out of my body. It was a terrible feeling in addition to the panic. I thought it was just a bad coincidence, but when it happened again, I looked at my bottle and saw that the new manufacturer had changed to Viatris/Pfizer.

My pharmacist is aware that generics don't always equal brand, but this was an issue of brand Xanax changing their manufacturer and possibly their formula. He said that I was not the first person who had complained in the previous few weeks, in terms of both no efficacy and unusual symptoms with the brand switch.

The most recent refill, he filled my prescription with Sandoz Alprazolam. I was so relieved leaving the pharmacy. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I took the new Alprazolam for anxiety before a dentist appointment. I found myself dizzy, fatigued, heavy-feeling, and too exhausted to even get ready for the appointment. No hot and sweaty feeling like with the Viatris/Pfizer Xanax, but even more deadening, weight-on-my-whole-body fatigue and no relief from anxiety. It was an EXTREMELY unnatural, chemical feeling that I'd never experienced before. It felt as if instead of taking a low dose of a benzodiazepine, I had overdosed on cold medicine with the Sandoz and taken too many Benadryl while having a sudden high fever with the Viatris/Pfizer (which I didn't, I was completely healthy).

I know benzodiazepines are "under heat" and wonder if this was not just a bad coincidence. And even if it was, what on Earth was in those pills, both the new Viatris/Pfizer Xanax and the Sandoz Alprazolam?

To hammer the point home that something odd is going on, I had my wife do a "double blind" test prior to my dentist appointment today. Yesterday, I had my wife set aside two Sandoz Alprazolam, two Viatris/Pfizer Xanax, and my last two old, reliable Pharmacia/Upjohn Xanax I had left over and, after marking the new Viatris/Pfizer with a tiny black pen mark since they had the same markings as the Pharmacia/Upjohn, put the six pills each in their own empty opaque white capsule and then put all six pills-in-a-capsule into a bottle. All the pills were the same exact size, shape, and color. Today, I had my wife pick a capsule out of the bottle and put it on the back of my tongue.

I swallowed the pill with some water and then sat down with my usual pre-dentist anxiety. Within a half an hour, I was free of panic and fear without any sluggishness, lack of motivation, leaden fatigue, dizziness, sleepiness, or sudden hot, sweaty flush. I felt ready to take on the dentist appointment and then have a productive afternoon at work.

Neither of us were surprised when she broke open the remaining five capsules containing Xanax/Alprazolam and found that the pill I had taken, like the one that had done the job for years, was the old Pharmacia/Upjohn Xanax, not the awful Pfizer/Viatris or Sandoz of the last two months. Now I have no idea what to tell my pharmacist, as both Pfizer/Viatris and Sandoz feel like poison and are not behaving like Xanax/Alprazolam.

Anyone have similar experiences with Xanax/Alprazolam recently? Or if you have filled with another generic in the last few months and not had trouble, let me know which one. Thanks!

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I picked some up from Wallgreens the other day that didn’t work at all. Like AT ALL. They didn’t make me feel ill, so I am grateful for that.
I rarely take them so I was shocked they did nothing.

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I haven't heard anyone else comment on this, these are Psych drugs, It might be just you? I have mostly Mylan with at least one fill of the Viatris, no real complaints here?

Under the proposed deal, Pfizer Inc. will spin off its Upjohn division—which includes Pfizer's authorized generic business Greenstone, LLC—and combine it with Mylan. The new entity will be called Viatris

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Re: EDDY (# 2)

As if I would trust Pfizer. Or any Big Pharma. In saying this I also take Alprazolam and after I take my 1 mg, my heart races. I wonder if there are fillers in these since they are not made in the USA.
Look what’s going on in the world.
In my own opinion, I feel the medical field has drastically changed. And not for the better.

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Re: Bella (# 3)

I bet you didn't even get vaccinated for COVID 19? I'm sorry you don't trust 'Big Pharma' because of those nasty fillers and being made in a different country. That's racist and ignorant

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Re: EDDY (# 4)

Well I wasn’t going to dignify this with a response, as it is Lent, and I am a practicing Roman Catholic. But since you called me ignorant, and judged me for you do not know me, I can simply say… I will pray for you. And pray you do research as to what goes into your body. Have a wonderful Easter.

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Hi
My Alprazolam 0.5 is made by Breckinridge. Has anyone ever heard of that manufacture ? I have been on these for 20 years and sometimes they work sometimes they don’t . It could be me for being on the mg all these years .

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