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Clonazepam from different manufacturer making me sick! Help!


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Hello,

 

I have not been here for a few months.  After reaching my halfway point of titrating from 0.5 to 0.25 mg's Clonazepam I decided to hold at that point since I was going through a lot in my life.  I have now been at 0.25 mg's for several months.  Since around April the pharmacy has changed my meds several times and everytime I go to get my refill they are a different color.  I asked the pharmacist why they are doing this and they said that "Teva" the brand I had been getting for years was not making this med any longer and the pharmacy purchases whatever they can or whatever is cheapest.  Well... I have been so sick from this change especially when they give me the brand "Accord".  I have now asked the pharmacy not to give me that brand as I feel like I am going through full blown withdrawal on those. I just don't feel good at all since they changed the manufacturer... in fact I feel like most days I cannot function.

 

My question: Is anyone else going through this or has anyone gone through it and found a solution? I have to do something because the quality of my life has not been the same since this change with my meds.  I've been depressed, isolated and have no motivation.  When I go to my Psyche Doc she wants to put me on an antidepressant and I don't want to start on those.  Been there done that and they all make me really tired with weird side effects.  I checked the internet to see if others are experiencing this and there are many so I know I'm not alone and I know I don't need another medication like an antidepressant. This Clonazepam is making me sick.  Please.... any suggestions would be welcome.  Thank you for your help.  :'(

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I tried the accord brand at walgreens and felt the exact same way,so much so I got a lot number and filed a complaint on accords website.So I switched pharmacies and my current pharmacy is still getting teva when I get mine filled.I agree accord brand sucks.Sandoz are blue with an e64 on the 1 mg,they worked for me.I think somebody said some other company bought out teva but they said they were still going to make teva.
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I tried the accord brand at walgreens and felt the exact same way,so much so I got a lot number and filed a complaint on accords website.So I switched pharmacies and my current pharmacy is still getting teva when I get mine filled.I agree accord brand sucks.Sandoz are blue with an e64 on the 1 mg,they worked for me.I think somebody said some other company bought out teva but they said they were still going to make teva.

 

Teva sold out to Activis.  I filed a report with the FDA this morning.... I seriously do not think there is any medication (or very little) in the Accord pulls and I found a website with hundreds of complaints. One person had bloodwork done while taking the Accord brand and there was no medication in their blood!  I will not take Accord again. Thank you for telling me about Sandoz... I will check that out.  :thumbsup:

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Yes you are not alone. Ever since they stopped teva in late may I have had to put my taper on hold and even updosed, and still don't feel good. I found accord to be the worst one as well, sent me into full blown WD. I am currently on Roche Brand K and I still find it to be inferiot to Teva, but atleast my pharmacy won't keep changing up generics on me now.
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Some other ppl I know switched to valium or librium because of Teva K being discontinued and they had good luck with that, so there are always options out there don't feel like you are stuck. And teva still makes klonopin in the wafer form which some had success with.
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I think my old Clonazepam was light green. Since about last May, my pills have been white. I haven't noticed a difference, but that may be due to being used to always feeling screwed up. I always felt so drugged and anxious for the past 18 years that I don't know what "normal" feels like anymore.  :-[

 

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Yes you are not alone. Ever since they stopped teva in late may I have had to put my taper on hold and even updosed, and still don't feel good. I found accord to be the worst one as well, sent me into full blown WD. I am currently on Roche Brand K and I still find it to be inferiot to Teva, but atleast my pharmacy won't keep changing up generics on me now.

 

That is good that you can get the Klonopin.  Unfortunately my insurance won't pay for it and it would be over $100 to get that med every month.  I cannot pay that much for medication so I am stuck.  I am determined to taper off the rest of this crap and to be done with it in less then a year.  I hate being a slave to meds.  Never again. 

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Some other ppl I know switched to valium or librium because of Teva K being discontinued and they had good luck with that, so there are always options out there don't feel like you are stuck. And teva still makes klonopin in the wafer form which some had success with.

 

You mean the tablet that dissolves in your mouth?  I will check that out as well.  My Dr. will not allow me to switch to Valium as I already asked a year ago and Lithium lands me in the hospital.  I cannot take that drug.... horrible side effects.  Thanks for the response.  :thumbsup:

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Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who has taken the time to file complaints about the Accord pills. There will never be accountability if people don't speak up, so thank you. In my experience, the Qualitest / Northstar brand has been reliable. I have now switched to the disintegrating tabs and am feeling okay so far. I recommend anyone who feels that their pharmacy isn't serving them well to switch pharmacies. Call around to see what is in stock, and ask what is available for order. The more educated the consumer becomes, the more educated the pharmacists will become, and that education must begin to inform the system. 
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So is Qualitest the next best option?Why did you switch to the dissolving tablets are they better than Qualitest?Thank you

 

Qualitest Has been discontinued. The only generic makers left are actavis, accord and solco

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The pills previously sold under name Qualitest are now being called Northstar brand. Don't know if one company bought the other out, or what, but the Northstar pills are identical in color and markings to Qualitest, and worked well for me, at least in comparison to the Accord. To confuse things further, if you look up the markings on Drugs.com, I believe it says they are made by Sandoz, but Sandoz no longer exists, I think. So perhaps Sandoz sold out to Qualitest,  who sold to Northstar? I don't know. I can only say that my local Safeway is carrying the yellow pills, which are labeled in their system as Qualitest, but printed on the bottle says Northstar. And that they worked fine for me.

 

As to the disintegrating pills, I switched to them because it is the only pill that comes in a 0.125 dosage for klonopin. So far I love them. Easy to handle and cut, and I haven't noticed any new symptoms after switching. Probably not cost efficient for cash pay people, but if insurance will cover them, helpful for tapering, I think.

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Would your doctor consider Librium? It is working well for me. I was in clonazepam hell and feel for you.

 

Lithium makes me VERY ill. I was given that drug several years ago and it felt like my brain was on fire! I will not take another med.  Getting off the Clonazepam and I'm done with phyche meds!  :-\

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So is Qualitest the next best option?Why did you switch to the dissolving tablets are they better than Qualitest?Thank you

 

Qualitest Has been discontinued. The only generic makers left are actavis, accord and solco

 

I took Solco and Solco wasn’t much better than accord and Intoo went through full blown withdrawals as well. I had previoisly been taking the Actavis brand. I couldn’t get it anywhere! So I’ve sweated it out for the last month and have had interdose withdrawals almost constantly. I too filed a report with the FDA about Solco not seeming to have any Clonazepam in it.

 

I might just ask for the brand name going forward because getting Solco

Now is proving difficult. What the hell is going on? Ugh!

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Would your doctor consider Librium? It is working well for me. I was in clonazepam hell and feel for you.

 

Lithium makes me VERY ill. I was given that drug several years ago and it felt like my brain was on fire! I will not take another med.  Getting off the Clonazepam and I'm done with phyche meds!  :-\

 

Lithium and Librium are two different drugs. Hope you are doing well. Take care!

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So is Qualitest the next best option?Why did you switch to the dissolving tablets are they better than Qualitest?Thank you

 

Qualitest Has been discontinued. The only generic makers left are actavis, accord and solco

 

I took Solco and Solco wasn’t much better than accord and Intoo went through full blown withdrawals as well. I had previoisly been taking the Actavis brand. I couldn’t get it anywhere! So I’ve sweated it out for the last month and have had interdose withdrawals almost constantly. I too filed a report with the FDA about Solco not seeming to have any Clonazepam in it.

 

I might just ask for the brand name going forward because getting Solco

Now is proving difficult. What the hell is going on? Ugh!

 

Solco was a nightmare for me too and made me feel acute. I am tapering Librium now which is easier than any K manufacture I have tried but still no walk in the park.

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I think I'm going to go brand name.If you all need help paying for it Genetech will give you brand name free if you meet the requirements. https://www.gene.com/patients/patient-foundation/apply-for-help

It sure is discouraging switching while trying to taper.

 

onemoretry,

 

I saw that you posted this link on the Teva Discontinued Group. Looks like people will have to call the phone number listed to see if klonopin is included in the medication list. I sure hope it is.

 

And you’re right when you say it’s discouraging to be switched around while trying to taper.

 

I’ve been switched 5 times time now, and I’m looking at my 6th switch soon. I decided to try those disintegrating tablets first. I’ve been on actavis clonazepam 3 times now and on Sandoz clonazepam 2 times. It’s turned into a real ordeal for me.

 

And no matter what Teva tells anyone, actavis clonazepam is not that easy to get. They spent all summer touting it as their “new, official” version of clonazepam, and it’s certainly in their 2018 generic product catalog, but pharmacies here have pretty much given up getting it. Or I should say that their wholesalers have given up.

 

Now it’s accord and solco and NOT actavis here.

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Yes definitely call.Because the way its worded it could mean thats the list they help with or those listed are also on the list.I'm going to call them here in a bit.
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Well I just called and they said the only one's they help with are the one's on the list of the enrollment form and klonopin isnt on it.I'm sorry everyone.
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Yes definitely call.Because the way its worded it could mean thats the list they help with or those listed are also on the list.I'm going to call them here in a bit.

 

onemoretry,

 

I searched the website. I found Klonopin brand by going to “Medical Providers” at the top of the site.

 

Under that category and over to the left, it says “Our Medicines,” And a click on that brings up a list of all the ones they’re referring to. Klononopin and Valium are listed under the “Other Medicines” category.

 

I have a very rare speech disability that’s gotten much worse with all these generic clonazepam switches so calls are hard for me. I’ve made so many calls already to Genentech (didn’t know about this program at the time), Teva, Sandoz, qualitest, that I have tremendous difficulty making calls to anyone.

 

Would appreciate what you find out when you call. I do make calls on very rare instances if I can.

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Yes definitely call.Because the way its worded it could mean thats the list they help with or those listed are also on the list.I'm going to call them here in a bit.

 

onemoretry,

 

I searched the website. I found Klonopin brand by going to “Medical Providers” at the top of the site.

 

Under that category and over to the left, it says “Our Medicines,” And a click on that brings up a list of all the ones they’re referring to. Klononopin and Valium are listed under the “Other Medicines” category.

 

I have a very rare speech disability that’s gotten much worse with all these generic clonazepam switches so calls are hard for me. I’ve made so many calls already to Genentech (didn’t know about this program at the time), Teva, Sandoz, qualitest, that I have tremendous difficulty making calls to anyone.

 

Would appreciate what you find out when you call. I do make calls on very rare instances if I can.

 

onemoretry,

 

Did see where you just called. Well, you did your best, and that’s what matters. Thanks for your efforts.

 

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Your very welcome.I figured they would but thats what I get for thinking.My girlfriends lyrica isn't coververed by medicaid,she a paraplegic,but she gets it free from phyzer or however you spell it, through uams in little rock and thats like a 1000 bucks a month for that crap.Even on goodrx.com its still 650.00 plus.So there are programs out there,you just gotta find the needle in a stack of needles.Blessings to you I hope the best for you
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