Zolpidem Generic (Page 8)
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ALL CVS pharmacies just changed the zolpidem from MYLAN manufacturer (out of PA) to TORRENT in India. Because generics can certain behave differently, I am nervous about taking the (10 mg) oblong peach Torrent brand one after reading some things online. I also don't like the idea of CVS using from out of the country manufacturer which HAS to be due to a better price because MYLAN brand is still very readily available. Any comments?

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Actually I caved and paid quite a bit for just 5 real ambien & low and behold I slept like a baby

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Wow!!! I cannot believe that the formulation of 10mg brand by Sanofi would change. The markings on the brand are the same? This is truly incredible. I would let your pharmacy know about this immediately and inquire as to where they were manufactured and ask them to show you the supply bottle that they filled your prescription.

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So 2 weeks ago I had my pharmacy order Brand Name Ambien 10's. I had my doctor submit a daw and write Medically necessary on the script. I received the white "sanofi?" Ones. They were marked the same as the original, but dissolved (not) and seemed different. I Took one, nothing, 2 nothing, 3, started getting a little sleepy!!! The next few nights I figured, well maybe my body needs to adjust... Nope, have to take 3 to get the results of one Dr Reddy's generic or some of the other ones. I am upset to see that obviously the Brand name has been reformulated. The peach ones that drug mart was selling give me way more side effects, upset stomach and a headache the next day. These new brand name ones did not give me any side effects, they just didn't work. Also I woke up after 4-5 hours of sleep, not the normal 6-7. I miss the old good ones as well as Dr Reddy's....

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@Terrific to what brand are you referring to? The original poster talking about Mylan? Or Torrent, Teva, Northstar (No longer manufactured in the us only PACKAGED in the US Same as Mylan they got cheap & are now also manufacturing the meds overseas), or are you talking about the Qualitest generic that EVERYONE loved but now is no longer packaged in the instant release traditional Ambien which they now call Zolpidem?

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I am having the same problem. When you find out where to get that brand please let me know!

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Carol I would be skeptical of ALL generics NOT manufactured in the US. I'm absolutely broken life's in shambles without sleep for so many months I've gained more & more health problems I believe because of that & whatever poisen these 3rd world countries are putting in our generics! I've NEVER had this kind of a problem with generics until now with the ambien generics. Could you please give me( & others who read) more info on what generic works 4 you or if you somehow found a way to get the brand ambien covered by insurance??? Please I'm begging you Carol

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Carol & all do you know that there really aren't ANY generics of Ambien 10 mg on the us market that Are made in the US And that the FDA relys on "the honor system" from pharmaceutical companies based outside of the US & they have the pharmaceutical company submit their own data aka lies because the FDA only cares about money & doesn't give a crap about us

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It does matter where its made and the FDA mostly does not check.
I would be skeptical of drugs from India.

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peach on is mylan-worst product on the market-I took three and did not affect me at all

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You are absolutely correct regarding some generics. In essence, it is a huge scam for the public. Some are great and some are actually made by the brand manufacturer and either privately labeled for the generic distributor/manufacturer and work the same. Some are made having the same key ingredients-- but the pill fillers and casing are different---resulting in different absorption characteristics. Also, the FDA approval process is not as stringent as it was for the original brand version. Also, the generic manufacturing facilities --- especially offshore are often not as well inspected by the FDA for compliance. This was the case with one facility in India, which was banned for importation into the U.S. (I am not saying that Torrent was manufactured there -- it was some other generic and not the Dr. Reddy facility.

My daughter was on a generic birth control pill and then the pharmacy had switched her to another generic manufacturer. (Although the pill worked --- she broke out in terrible acne). She then demanded the original GENERIC that she was on and the pharmacy had to order it --- and that was one generic to another. In the case of generic Qualtest Ambien, I strongly believe that it was really made by Sanofi and then their marketing agreement fell apart with Endo/Qualtest, so that is no longer available. I truly wish that for all the good that generics do---lower pricing etc., more care is given to the actual approval process. Now you will also see the very expensive drugs (biosimilars) being offered as generic ---that is a total joke, as the manufacturing processes of those drugs are very stringent and difficult. Patent protection of the major pharmaceutical companies have now been shortened, so the incentive for research has suffered. (Not saying that they are still not making a fortune BUT the difficult drugs to manufacture will not be anywhere as effective as the original).

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I also suffer from chronic pain. After getting off virtually all of the extreme amounts of pain drugs like Oxycodone , etc., it’s left me unable to sleep because of pain. Branded Ambien puts me right out - and I and to get uninterrupted good rest - and don’t feel drugged in the morning. Unfortunately the MYLAN version almost feels as if I took a stimulant (no sleep effect at all), and while the Torrent version is slightly better, it certainly doesn’t come close to the Ambien.

It has really made me think about all generic drugs. I was always under the impression that they were “identical” .. the formulation was shared with other manufacturers when the patent was up. I now realize that can’t even be close to being true, based on the way it works.

What scares me most is if many of the drugs I am taking are actually as effective as they could/should be if I was taking “branded". Obviously if you can’t sleep you know the generic Ambien drug is not effective. But is the blood pressure, or cholesterol medication working to its potential? WHO KNOWS? This concerns me.

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I think it would be an uphill battle.
1. A lot if Drs. Will not do it i.e. write your insurance plan to make an exception. Only lip service
2. A lot of insurance plans will not pay if it is not in their formulary.
this happened to me and pharmacy was going to charge me over 400 per month.
3. I tried importing drug from Canada, but no luck as it is a controlled substance, so Canadian pharmacy will not ship to U.S.
4. Do not even bother contacting your congressmen, as they have no clue and will not be an advocate.
5. also, since Ambien has a negative connotation, the public is not sympathetic as to the ineffectiveness of the generics. I have settled for 10mg.Torrent.
6. I have contacted Endo pharm which bought Qualtest but got shuffled around to various CSR so if you folks can come up with something, I am "in.
I am empathetic to everyone's common situation.

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Hey Chris M I'm just wondering if you have tried having your doctor directly notify your insurance company to tell them that you are having adverse reactions to the generic & that ambien by sanofi has been the only thing that works for you? I'm doing just that tomorrow when I go into my Dr's and he's already agreed to call them and submit the proper format for claims that they are looking for. I am at my complete wits end my baby is 6 months I have a time period at night where I can take my medication & sleep without it intruppting my child's sleep cycle but, I still have been unable to sleep us crappie generics which are down to only currently 4 for regular ambien in the us are complete crap as we discussed before. I just don't know what to do there isn't even a current program through Sanofi that helps cover the cost of Ambien if you follow in certain income brackets etc. It's total BS we need our rest! Will we ever get it???

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I was given the Mylan 10mg (very pale purple beige round small pills) on my last refill last winter. I tried one, one time--up all night when I might have slept on my own eventually had I taken nothing. Then feeling awful entire next day. I keep saying: I should check it again, maybe it was just that one time, but honestly, there's never a time when you feel okay about exposing yourself to an awful night. I am at my wit's end. I do not want to go back to sleeping twice a week only.

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This is really a sad situation as generic Ambien, with the exception of Qualitest does not work effectively. I have not tried Northstar yet. Mylang-ylang and Teva are ineffective. Torrent is marginally effective on me.
It is the small things in life that make me happy, like being able to sleep uninterrupted.

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Hey MissMyBrandNameAmbien, Im in the exact same boat as you. My insurance used to have brand name Ambien at the highest tier, but at least it was on a tier where I could get it for like 50 bucks. Then they removed the brand name completely, so you cant even get it at all unless you pay $500! So ridiculous. For a good year after I was on Qualitest which I loved and now there is nothing left. Its frickin insane. All the other generics are horrible. Im currently on Mylan because its all I can find that kinda works. But its also terrible.

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@Ryan you say torrent is AWEFUL but, then you say these ones are "incredible" what generic brand are you taking I want some of those!

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I was taking Qualistest which worked very well, but they no longer manufacture it. I'am now taking Torrent which is working, but is making my stomach sore. Don't like the fact that this is manufactured over in India.

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I feel the same way. My quality of life has gone way down with less sleep. My dr won't write the 10 mg now, and I have tried all other types. I need 10 to sleep 5-6.5 hours a night. I can't live with the pain the less sleep brings for arthritis, Fibro, and stenosis in my neck. With the 5 mg I only get 3-5 hours a night and my energy is non-excistant. This brings on more depression. The FDA scares Drs into not prescribing it. I would be more likely to hurt myself with sleep deprivation than from the Ambien 10 mg. Help us all, please!

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No offense, but that's not true. Go to several of these boards and you will find many patients who are having problems with their medications since the FDA began allowing India and other countries use different components in the manufacturing of those medications. Some people don't know why, all of a sudden, their diabetis, heart, pain, etc., medications, started being ineffective, or producing new life altering side affects, like depression, anxiety, excessive drowsiness, etc. But many of them do know that Indian manufactuers changed components in the manufacturing of their scripts, leaving them with substandard medications, and they have and experiencing major changes in them.

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