Sandoz Ativan (Page 4)

I switched pharmacies and was given Sandoz Ativan, I have been having a terrible time- it is like it is creating more anxiety. I switched back to my old pharmacy and am counting the days until I get back to the Milan manufacturer. It has been a horrid 2 weeks. Melatonin helps a great deal with sleep. I started off with Milan and had been on that for 2 years with no problems, I wonder if your body resists another generic brand and you have to adjust. All I know if Milan is what I need and I always get the same manufacturers for all my meds since 12 years ago from CVS- they are very consistent. Be very careful if you switch pharmacies, I learned that all generics are NOT THE SAME.

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Hi HighAnxiety, Denise, Joe, Marjorie..... I took the lorazepam SZ 198 yesterday and I have to say it seemed just as effective as the old one. I will continue with it and let you know how it goes but so far I would say thumbs up! let me know what you think if you get a chance to try it. Thanks

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thanks Mary 2, will give it a try once my current prescription runs out

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Mary..as effective as which old one? The 59)) or the older Sandoz version? I just found out from my pharmacy that if you want the Brand Ativan it is over $600 for 90 1 mg pills!!?? What the ______! My ins co pay would only be $50 but I will stick with the generic Sandoz. It seems to work for me. The Gov\FDA needs to look into the price gauging and other under handed practices going on with drug co's. Notice how many drug commercials are on tv? She said they make a killing by charging that amount for the Brand name because hospitals & institutions pay it.
I'm going out on a limb here but has anyone actually bought the drug online without a script? I know some people who do, I have not.

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Hi Stephanie, the most recent lorazepam I was using prior to getting the sz198 was imprinted ((59 and the bottle said Sandoz. I do recall before that , it was imprinted R and a number maybe 59 also not sure. It is awful how they are always changing the brands and we are at their mercy. I've never ordered on the internet. My insurance won't pay for original Ativan since I've been taking the generic. Pharmaceuticals are really playing money games at the expense of quality drugs for the consumers :( Let me now if you try the sz198 Good luck :)

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Ok, thanks Mary. My pharm just gave me the Sandoz 59 )) and they are ordering them for me as I requested. (They now buy a generic version made by Major Pharm. and that one is a really poor quality!) So obviously Sandoz still hasn't used up all the older version yet? Will let you know when I do get the SZ 198. Sounds like they work for you, that's great. The current Sandoz works for me so I'm sure the 198's will too. I had one pill left from Major Pharm. and it was like taking nothing, in fact I felt anxious so I don't recommend that generic to anyone.

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Hi ALL!

Got my Sandoz SZ/198 today. Took it after 9pm, and it does work. One thing though, the taste is pretty bad. I have trouble swallowing and this one took the cake! It makes you groggy faster then the other ((59. I really think the formula has changed besides the logo. I'll let you all know how it works in the morning, whether I'll be groggy or feeling good with no side effects. Walgreen sells it, without insurance it cost (90 day supply) $94.00, with insurance (depending on what you have) $2.55.

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Well, its the 2nd day I have been taking the "new SZ198's." They are nothing to brag about. The formula has been changed. I feel like am in the twilight zone in about 1 hour. Like I took Valium or something. Groggy like. They do knock you out and you will sleep like baby in no time at all. I would not recommend taking this if you have a panic attack while driving! The old version ((59, I could slip in my mouth with no taste whatsoever. But these, you have to swallow whole or crush them. Crushing them and put it in apple sauce, no drink! Leaves a really bad taste in your mouth if you suck on it with drink. DON'T DO THAT! Take and swallow. It just takes about 1 hour for it to kick in and believe me, you will feel it!
So this is how I would rate this formula from Sandoz SZ198. 1 Being horrible thru 5, - somewhat okay, thru 10, excellent. I give it a 3. That's just me. Perhaps others can tolerate more. So am taking it because there isn't anything else there that will work for me.

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thanks for the info H/A, sandoz had no choice but to change the formula, that farce that they tried to pass onto the public came back to bite them, if they thought that the public would actually continue to buy that stuff, they were fools, people will buy something that works and nothing else, as a former activus patient it was insulting to see sandoz change the formuls and then have the nerve to tell the public that it was the same product, you don't need a lab to know that changes were made and to tell people that its the same product really shows you how little respect this company has for the product, i will ask my doctor for maybe a 10 day supply to see if this is close to what i had when i was taking the activus. anyone else starting with the new sandoz, it would be appreciated if we got more feed back on how this sandoz product is affecting you, i will write as soon as i get my meds.
thanks again

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Okay, have been doing research and found out that Sandoz has same formula of old R59/((59 lorazepam. But, it has added a coating to the tablet. The original R59 and then the ((59 did not have any coating on it. The Sandoz brand SZ198 does. It leaves you with a bad taste on your tongue, kinda numbs it for a few days. My mistake, could not swallow it whole, somehow took awhile to melt after trying several times to swallow in my mouth. Left my tongue numb with loss of taste buds. As for the formula it does work, but in less then 2 hours, I do feel sleepy but with a headache. I think they added coating to the pill to help it go down more smoothly. ??? Never had problems with it before it became Sandoz! Nothing ever stays the same, the old versions worked so beautifully for us who used PurPac/ElizabethNJ/Activus R59 and ((59. No coating on them for years!

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They have always had a bitter taste if they sit in your mouth too long... Maybe drink as soon as possible or something like juice that has a taste.... They have the same effect on me... Sorry your having trouble.

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Hi, yeah, I had one ((59 left and used it last night. The Sandoz made me feel like I was on something high. I realized that this brand has the coating on it. The ((59 doesn't have a coating on it. I checked the Druglist that works with the FDA, and the formula is the same, but they have added a coating. But the tablet does work. I had to remove what I could of the coating. That is the only way I can take it. I must be overly sensitive with taste. I don't want to lose my taste buds! So tonight I had some apply sauce and it wasn't that bad. Am drinking orange juice and that seem to help some too. Oh well, I have a 3 month supply now so that's better then having none.

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went to walgreens and asked if they still are selling the sandoz 59, they said they had something else, got home and looked and it had 197 on the back side, anyone have any idea what this might be, i noticed people using 198 on the back of sandoz but not 197

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I have been using ativan the name brand for a number of years to control a chronic anxiety problem as well as prevents panic attacks. All was fine all this time until my employer changed to a different insurance company. Prior I was paying about $70 for a months supply. I was getting the original from Wyeth which was a five sided white pill. A year and a half ago I had to change to the generic or pay over $500. I went to CVS for my generic and it was horrible. Made by Qualitest. made me feel very jittery. The next day I discussed with my doctor and he gave me a new prescription which I took to Rite Aid. That was made by Ranbaxy. it worked very well for me though not quite as well as the name brand. Now I find that Ranbaxy was not available from Rite Aid. I went to my local pharmacy and they got me Ranbaxy but could not get a refill as it is being taken off the market. I tried Watson from them and had very bad anxiety. Now I just received Sandoz for a 2 day trial. it makes me a bit tired and I feel a little anxious at first.I want to go back to the brand but it is so crazy expensive! Has anyone used the brand lately? I'm a bit worried from what I've read that the five sided pill which I used to get until short time ago may not be what I would get today. Does anyone have any experience using the name brand and how would you describe how it looks? It was a nearly perfect solution for me. Hardly ever tired no side effects I felt very even and the quality of my life has not been the same since.

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Sandoz and Watson have the same ingredients...never down to the inactive ingredients. People with anxiety a very creative, which is a good thing at time... But there are times I scare myself ...I don't trust changes... But once I realized how I was scaring myself with different companys or pill stamps. Once I found out the ingredients of these product and stop fearing everything... The fear went away and I don't fill any diffrence between pills. Most people don't even care about the changes... But those of us with negative thinking freak ourselves out.... Be kind to yourself.

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Denise,
been on activus for 15 years almost, once sandoz bought the rights to the activus lorazepam the product changed, the first few sandoz i took, kept me up all night, i had no idea that i was taking anything but activus, i later read that the activus product was sold to sandoz, you can't have that much of a change and say the product has the same ingrediants, looking at this forum, its plain to see that the sandoz product is not identical to the original, something has changed, activus was still making the product for sandoz last i heard, but you don't need a lab to tell you that the product you have been taking for years has changed

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Atavis bought Purpac and the stamp remained the same... Same product .... The Atavis and Watson merged and stamp changed still same ingredients ... The they were order to give op right to some of their generic, Adivan was one... Sandoz was given all their moon 59 and 57 and so on.... Now Sandox is making their own new label ...all this time the active ingredence is on the internet along with all the company changes and why... I too have been using Adivan for years... I feel nothing has changed.... Maybe the reason you couldn't sleep is your body has people so used to the med or being concerned that it was different. I feel for you if your med isn't working for you...Anxiety and no sleep is a hard thing maybe you should talk to your Doctor and you can try something new. Hoping you find the answer. D

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All of us have different bodies. Its just terrible that these pharmaceutical companies like to switch their meds. Sandoz Lorazepam SZ/198 is now made in India. I guess they agreed to put a coating on it. I checked around and there are no MORE ((59's on anyone's shelf's (Walgreen/Rite Aide/CVS and the likes, except Walmart, they carry their own brand. I guess am very sensitive to any new medication and Sandoz brand SZ/198 is new to me. Even if the medication sits in my mouth for 3 seconds before I swallow, my taste buds go numb. Go figure! Even my doctor and I discussed this and he agrees that I am super sensitive to medications and other things like perfumes, cigarette smoke, sprays, and I dare not walk down the aisle with the soaps in the stores, I'll pass out. My doctor said, he has over a period of time with me given me prescriptions for various other substance - Lorazepam and none worked as well as the R59 Purpac. He said many other patients (those who took this) loved it. Now they are up the creek like many of us who used Purpac brand. I guess it will be an adjustment for all of us who now have SZ/198. I don't know of Sandoz SZ/197? Never heard of that one till I read it in here. Call a pharmacist and ask if they known the difference. Here's witty saying from long ago about Change! "For those who are for a CHANGE, do not intermeddle, (why) For their disaster will arise so suddenly, that who is aware of the extinction of those who are for a CHANGE!" Sometimes Change is good, but in these cases its bad for some of us!

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hi Joe I found out that the Sandoz lorazepam is labeled : sz 197 for .5 mg, the sz198 for 1 mg, and the sz 199 for 2 mg. Hope this helps.

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thanks Mary

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I understand i used Lorazepam from Excellium since June 2013 and one time my dad bring me Watson Lorazepam and make me feel very very bad. I stop using it and i found a local pharmacy and they had the Excellium for me. I took .25 mg(three times a day) i know how a person feel when they switch from manufacturer to manufacturer.

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