Is Generic Kadian Available Now?
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Has the generic Kadian been approved and is it now available?identifyvea

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You are a selfish creep who should immediately get the hell out of the health industry .

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Dose any one know if the kadian 100 mg capsule are full or half full

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This is a reply to a very old post about generic Kadian. It is available and I've used it for several years, but it's becoming very hard to get at pharmacies. They carried the MS Contin version which is a tablet. Kadian is a capsule with timed release pellets in it. Works better for me than the pill version. The pharmacy told me that even the generic version is very expensive for the pharmacy to buy. About $400 for 60 of the 100 mg tablets. If you have insurance and it covers generics it may only cost $10 as in my case.

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I feel like I could have written the comments you posted! I'm going through the exact same struggles with generic Kadian. For a few years I was able to fill it at my local pharmacy, using my Blue Cross insurance with the $10 co-pay. Without warning, they tell me that my insurance company reimburses them for only about 75% of what they must pay for the drug. So of course they aren't going to sell the drug and take a huge hit -since they would be losing a couple of hundred dollars. I took the prescription to a CVS, where they assured me they had the medicine in stock. When I picked it up, it was morphine extended release tablets – not the capsules with the extended release pellets that my doctor had specified on the prescription. I have tried the tablets in the past and they simply do not work as well as the extended release capsule version. So I called Walgreens and they said I have to bring the prescription in to them in person, so they can run it through to make sure it's covered by insurance. They said there would be a $10 co-pay for it and yes it's covered. The pharmacist confirmed that Kadian generic is a capsule, not a tablet.

I called Walgreens tonight to check if the prescription was ready, got the automated system, and was informed that my prescription will be $840!!! As you said, I have been skipping a few doses and taking break-through meds instead, so that I don't run out of medicine before I can solve this fiasco. It's becoming a nightmare to simply fill my prescription. With fibromyalgia and major fatigue and pain, this is the last hassle I need to have to deal with every month.

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Tee tee generic kadian is by far the best for my low back pain and I have 7 separate conditions not including each herniated disc. And for 120 of the 100mg my insurance had to pay over 2400$. LIKE WHAT THE HELL!!!! It works so well for my back pain, even better than fentanyl but I don't know what the price is going to do to my insurance premium..... I'm pissed. I finally found something that really helps my back pain and I am probably going to have to stop taking it because of its price. I have insurance but I know they won't be happy about paying over 2k for one med. But the medicine is great.

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The company is putting the exact pill in a bottle labeled with it's generic name. It even says Kadian on it. I am convinced that they did this to get rid of their free program for people who couldn't afford it. I was on that program and went through quite a mess being accepted and then within a day told that the program was being discontinued because it was now available in generic form. The price is still high and it kicks me into the Medicare coverage gap in just a few months. Still, it's the only one that works for me.

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I need some help. I have been on Morphine sulfate er for about 4 years. I take 100mg. 3x a day. If it weren't for this I couldn't move, it also got me off about 30-40 norco a day! Now I take Morphine 100mg in the morning with one norco 10/325mg and I take the same around 5:00 and that's it. Once in a while when I hurt bad I will wake up and take a morphine in middle of night. Anyway, they started raising prices on me and I pay around $350 a month for my morphine. I have called all the pharmacies in the area and they are all around the same and they all say it will continue to go up every month. I don't know what to do, I have no income and awaiting social security, and no insurance. I am severely stressed just waiting for my next prescription on 20th and don't know how I am going to pay for it. Any ideas? I live in Oregon.

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I'm not going to go into a long post. I simply want to state that I too was on Kadian and a stable breakthrough med dose for years. The change of insurance and "generic" availability caused me to have a similar situation/read nightmare! The difference between the Kadian and the Watson generic- horror show! I also was able to compare the same dose side by side and found these SAME results. Less pellets-imperfect in size and shape and easily 20% less if not more! I was fortunate enough to be placed back on Kadian NAME BRAND ONLY. Now we just have to deal with the DEA and the proposed legislation to limit ALL PATIENTS TO 100MG morphine or the bio equal per day. I have been able to make positive lifestyle advances in the face of a degenerative diagnosis with multiple treatment approach. Removing medication nul and voids everything else-as I learned recently. Again-thank you for your detailed information- my results back up your experience.

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@PAPnomore. Have you ever used Kadian? I have. Yes they are both Morphine, however there IS a big difference. Kadian lasts longer and works much better. I don't know why this is but for me the above is true and I'm sure others would agree. I tried MS Contin before and it doesn't come close to Kadian. I think it works better because of the way its made. Somehow the pellets inside have a much better effect. Avinza is very similar with the added effect of releasing some of its contents faster. It also is a capsule with pellets in it. The downside is, it doesn't come in as many different dosages as Kadian.

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What was the generic price and for what mg.?

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I can tell u I was on Oxycontin 80 mg 3x a day (Brand) for many years starting out on the 10mg all the way up to the 80s , what a nightmare roller coaster is correct and the dose wears out in 6 hours as it is marketed as a 12 hour pill NOT TRUE. When my doc switched me to KADIAN I got my life back no withdrawal it holds for 12 hours and ny euphoria like Oxycodone based Oxycontin I also found that Generic Oxycontin is garbage putting me into withdrawal. Stay with KADIAN Brand but its expensive.

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@JL,
You sound like a scientist to me, a very well educated one. I appreciated your paper.
Found it to be informative, with the correct investigating and study to prove. The only kind I will bother with. Being a scientist, I can relate to formulary much better than complaints. So thank you very much.
Have had to be on the Kadian since I broke my back in two places, and fractured my neck. Refused to let them experiment on me after about four failed attempts, with the fifth leading to possible, most probably being paralyzed waist down. That's when I said enough is enough. Spent the next five years on the couch losing my life. Finally agreed to the Kadian 60 mg x 2 day, with 15mg of oxycodone three times a day for breakthrough. Still not pain free, but don't expect it, I'm realistic and realize it can't be done. Plus I have my life back, how could one not be more blessed? I was considering going with Watson and their generic, due to what else; money that is until I read your paper. Now I won't even consider it. Have been on for 8 yrs. now, no complaints.
I know this is way later than when you wrote, but had to thank you anyway. You were the deciding factor in my final decision.
BJ

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The difference between Kadian and Generic MS Contin is night and day. when I was taking Kadian I never knew I was on a pain killer except that it reduced my pain. Now I am on Social Security disability and have to wait 24 months for Medicade I take the Generic MS Contin. It is not even close. It is suppose to be time released but it is just a roller coaster. It works quickly when taken but also wears off long before the next dose is due. Plus I was on Kadian 80 mg and Generic MS Contin does not make 80mg I am now on 100 mg and it is not ever half as good. I do believe people who abuse might prefer the Generic MS Contin but being a person in pain who is trying to live a normal of a life as possible it is no contest. I do know Kadian has a generic now but the cost is still about $800 a month. They just are not the same drug. Generic MS Contin is CRAP!

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I've been using Kadian for about 6 years now. Before that I took oxycontin and ms contin. There is a BIG difference between kadian and the other two. I had terrible withdrawal symptoms on the others starting an hour or more before my next scheduled dose. With Kadian, I never feel anything unusual. Something about the way the capsule releases the medication works wonders for me. But my pharmacist said generic Kadian would have the same co-pay for me...$100/month. So there's no advantage to using the generic. At least the patient assistance card reduces my co-pay for the name brand to $50 a month. Still a lot more than I want to spend for just one of a dozen medications I have to take.

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Thank you all for commenting in this thread! IMHO, it contains the most complete and accurate description of the problems associated with being dependent on the opiate morphine sulfate in its' various forms that I've come across yet, and I just want to add my own experiences to confirm what some of you wrote, and summarize what I've found to date. Maybe it can help some of you, too; I hope so.

Background: my sciatic nerve root was shredded by a "blown" disk in the mid 90s, and my pain has been severe and chronic since. I began treatment with the usaul OTCs many doctors start with, but within months was on T&C; then after a few years was at the maximum dose and could not continue. My doctors tried various meds during that time; I am one of the patients who almost died using the defective Fentanyl patches, and suffered withdrawal serious enough to end up in the ER on generic extended release morphine sulfate tablets, until we tried Kadian capsules. So far, it has been the only medication that controls my pain to a manageable level, without ANY serious side effects, just as some of you have described.

Until now.

Before I explain, I think we need to be very conscious of our terms here, because some people have used the words "tablet" and "capsule" somewhat loosely, but they are NOT the same, they are NOT equivalent in action OR effect, and they do not LAST the same amount of time, especially in generic form, nor perform as well as the brand name Kadian capsules. I hope we can all agree on - MS Contin is NOT the same as Kadian capsules, nor are the various MS tablets. Let me just stress that for those who would try to say "they are all the same," as some have here - what I've discovered from having used the various forms over the years is that TABLETS are NOT the equivalent of Kadian in any way; they do NOT act the same in the body - they are gone much too quickly for me, for example, as if I get a full 24 hour dose in less than 12 hours! I used to go into withdrawal at least once a day on them - sweating, shaking, mounting confusion. The absorption mechanisms are so different and seem to be entirely dependent on how a body absorbs the coatings, in terms of duration of effect; in fact, having been on so many I think I can safely say that NONE can compete with Kadian capsules for long-term release in the body. Those tiny "beads" each have a coating that seems to actually work more evenly in more people than any other type or brand that I've been prescribed and I think that no single coated tablet can come close. That's been my experience and echoes that of what I've read from others across the websites, at least. Mine included an elongated pill which was easier for me to cut into quarters, which was a bit better - but it is NOT a long-term solution, just a stopgap measure to keep me out of the ER again until I could get another medication! So the generics and tablets were finally all out, at least for me.

Once settled on Kadian caps, as high as 100mg X2 daily, things have always gone smoothly, with no real side effects - other than those listed for long-term opiate users, which I had never heard either, thank you SO much for listing them, PAC! My GP came close to putting that mystery together, although my pain specialist never brought it up and probably doesn't even know; and I think it's time for me to find someone who does. I've lost all my armpit hair, and my testosterone was so low my GP gave me an Rx for monthly shots. I am now in my 60s, so some testerone loss is natural, but my levels were very low, and that fits the long-term opiate use profile.

However, I am now forced to use the generic form of Kadian since the supplies being sold as "generic" but stamped Kadian seem to be gone. It's now the bi-color Watson "equivalent", and I could see and feel the difference right away! The action IS inconsistent in my experience - for some reason, although the contents are supposed to be the identical "little white beads" as Kadian. Since I had a couple of leftover 80 and 100 Kadian capsules, I decided to compare them with the new generic - right away I could see that the (3) 80mg Watsons DO NOT contain the same number of beads as the Kadian 80s - just hold them up to the light and compare side by side. I opened them and emptied them into a pill divider (I keep it for nausea), side by side - and it's clear that the Watsons contain about 10% LESS medication than the Kadians; this is consistent with every Watson I held up to the light.

In fact, I took digital pics of each, and with free software ("ImageJ" from the NIH website), used the "Cell Counter" plugin to actually count the beads in each capsule - you can do this yourself to prove what I found! Here are my results with 100mg and 80mg caps:
100mg Kadian - 1) 251 beads 2) 254 beads
80mg Kadian - 1) 201 beads 2) 204 beads
80mg Watson - 1) 181 beads 2) 184 beads 3) 182 beads
Here is the math I did to show the difference:
@ 100mg/250=0.4mg/ea
250 x 0.4 = 100mg
@ 80mg/200=0.4mg/ea
200 x 0.4 = 80mg
@ 80mg/180 = 0.444444444444444444mg/ea (not consistent!)
180 x 0.4 = 72mg, NOT 80mg... 10% LESS

Not only are they dropping the bead count by approx 10%, but the individual beads in the generics, under 10X magnification, are less uniform in size and shape, with the majority being smaller than the actual Kadian beads. Draw your own conclusions about what it means to us as patients, but my body felt the difference within a day of the changeover. I KNEW something was different, despite all the assurances that they are identical - they are NOT, and you can prove it also.

As for what kind of "windfall bonanza" this can give them, I'll only point out at the retail rate of $20/capsule in my area, they are making an extra bundle on every single capsule - all perfectly legal under FDA rules for generics? My understanding is that generics must reach the same strength in the bloodstream in a given time, but how can that happen when we get 10% LESS per capsule?

Here is the URL of the FDA site about generics - please read the rules yourself and draw your own conclusions.
fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingGenericDrugs/default.htm

Why am I posting this? There's a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about this issue, and it's hurt a lot of patients like me, as this forum shows; I am trying to explain why our experiences with these potent opiates differ so widely, aside from our individual biological differences. I hope others will compare the other strength capsules that I don't have access to, and together maybe we can prove there IS a measurable difference between the brand and the generic, and get it corrected. My contention is simply that 10% less medication and inconsistent bead sizes DOES make a difference in bioavailability AND action - if others can verify that, maybe we will suffer a bit less and still save some money by having more consistent generics in the future.

I also hope it helps some of you who bravely posted here, too - thank you all for spurring me to action!
JL

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MS contin generic is morphine, but the formulation is so different it's down right unfair to say they are the " same" Name Brand Kadian got me out of wheelchair and got me a life with HOPE in it. Now the allowed variables in the generic, my quality of.life is now on a slow downward slope. Lossing hope...because CEO's have got to live!!?? How far above the rest of us??

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YES IT IS. I HAVE BEEN TAKING IT. THEY SAY IT'S NOT IN 10'S AND 200'S. I TAKE 100.S

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Whats all the fuss. MS-Contin is the same thing and only 10% of the price of Kadian. The only draw back is it only comes in 30,60,100mg

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Toonces1, I tried generic Kadian for two months early in 2012 and had a similar experience to yours. I wanted so badly for it to work (for financial reasons) but it's just not the same. The difference was subtle... did not release evenly, pain relief was not as effective, I felt "on edge" and irritable similar to PMS. On Kadian, my pain is 1 out of 10 vs. on generic it was about 2 and no opiate, I rated it 7-8. I'm back on Kadian and paying full price without insurance for now. I previously took MS Contin and switching to Kadian was such a blessing. I did not feel it "kick in" or "kick out" and woke up pain free. I used to take a booster dose of MS Contin a few hours before I woke up so I could get out of bed... I dropped that on Kadian. This has been the most "normal" I've felt in the last 10 years and it's unfortunate that big pharma, the insurance industry, and government agencies can't help us out.

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I have been taking the generic kadian now since it came out in November. At first I didn't really notice much, a small increase in pain, but there are always ups and downs with chronic pain so I just chalked it up to that. I didn't experience any other side effects. However, I have begun noticing that my pain seems to rise pretty predictably in the 1.5 to 2 hours prior to my second 12-hour dose. I NEVER had this problem with the brand kadian. In fact, I could go about 18-20 hours on the brand kadian without redosing if I had to, but I took it every 12 because every 24 wasn't quite sufficient and every 12 was the only other reasonable option. I kept and eye on this for several weeks and it is like clock work. On the brand I never, ever had pain in the morning when I woke up, but now I almost always have discomfort or even outright pain when I wake up in the morning until about 1 hour after I take my dose. Likewise in the evening before my evening dose, my pain control spirals downward and I usually end up with break-through medication until it's been about an hour after I have taken the kadian right before bed I feel okay again.

This is not a huge difference, but now that I have had several months to see, I can tell a small difference. Has anyone else experienced a similar effect?

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