Is Mylan Lorazepam Discontinued? (Page 9)

My pharmacy told me that they can't buy mylan any more and they do not know if it is discontinued or not. Since Qualitest lorazepam was discontinued, Mylan is the only lorazepam that works (less effective than Qualitest) but works with less side effects than others (Watson, leading pharma, actavis: don't work causing serious side effects). Any alternatives, or another generic lorazepam that works ok? Lorazepam is the only sedative that works for me for anxiety and stiffness due to side effects of levothyroxine. Other medicine such as clonazepam, alprazolam (xanax), cymbalta, zoloft, lexapro, etc do not work.

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Re: Becca333 (# 152)

The type of U/A needed to detect benzodiazepine is as followed. See below.

The most common analytical methods to screen for the presence of benzodiazepines in urine are the immunoassay methods such as enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The immunoassay methods are class specific in that they detect oxazepam, a common metabolite of many benzodiazepines.

As I said earlier I'm wondering if your psychiatrist just doesn't want to write you a script.

If you don't want to be labeled I would get ahold of your primary doctor as I expressed earlier and have this U/A ran.

I do hope this is it help to you.

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I don't know if I'm in withdrawals or it's too strong. This Leading brand is unreal. I'm beginning to believe they're trying to bump us off. Whole body is tensed up with muscle spasms. SpO2:is ok but heart rate is slower. My word how do they get away with this stuff.

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Re: Richard (# 159)

What do you mean by illegal? Was it counterfeit? I had some tablets with black specks on them I reported to them, but they never responded. Unfortunately I can't get the brand name anymore. It wasn't as good as Mylan, but it was better than the other generics I've been on since.

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Re: JC (# 161)

She is sending to a lab to get tested. Hopefully they will be able to.detect I been taking my medication on a regular basis. Thank you for responding

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Re: JC (# 156)

When a patent expires on a name brand and generics become available, i do not believe they are held under the same constraints the name brand was.......i believe its now <5% differentiation. However ...to make them more competitive (like we who take these meds really care)..under the Bush II administration generics imported from other countries can now have a 5-20% differentiation in the active ingredient...... hence we have Actavis. Leading, etc...being imported......and many people here dissatisfied with the results.

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Re: Marcus (# 163)

The pharmacist didn't go into any explanation about what was meant by illegal...but it wasn't in reference to benzodiazepines. Google the company and you will find some class action suits being brought against it for other medications...if your meds got affected by humidity, the black specs could be mold but I'm just guessing here...

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Re: Becca333 (# 164)

I do hope that they find it in your system. If they don't, like I said, contact your primary doctor and ask him/her to run the test I spoke of. If your psychiatrist is sending it out to a different lab they'll most likely be doing the proper test. I've seen this before and one has to cover their back. With you taking it regularly it's going to turn up with the test at a high level. That's a good thing. Glad I could help and keep us posted.

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Re: Jibbs55 (# 160)

The 1mg have been on backorder since July/Aug and depending on which pharmacy you call they may be able to order the other strengths. I called Walgreens last month and they said no strengths available but CVS was able to get 2mg for me (and said 0.5 are avail). For the amount of money Bausch charges for this stuff it should always be available, their markup is insane.

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Re: Henry (# 168)

Thanks for the reply back Henry. I did a look up on the GoodRx website and for my monthly cost out of pocket was almost 10k. (That's the RX discount price) Could you imagine what it is regular price. I about fell out of my chair. It's no wonder why insurance companies don't want to pay for it. I have no words I want to use what I think about that. I mean I do but yeah.

The only thing I can say about their shortage is with all the generic companies not making it any more they've had a major increase in sales that wiped them out?

I just don't understand how they only supply their PAP program so much a year. Than they just dump on their patients like they did me. It was about the same time you mentioned 1mgs being on backorder.

Leading was short for sometime my way. Which was just ok with me.This is the first time I've had to be on it for weeks. Watson isn't great but one can manage. Least I can for the most part.

I called Mylan just for the sake of it to see if they have considered remaking it. She said they completely stopped in April. I told her there's many of us that wished that wasn't so. She said she knows. Enjoy the rest of your weekend guys.

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Re: Richard (# 165)

I've read so many articles about what pharmaceutical companies are allowed to put in with the active ingredient.That the FDA has strict rules that these companies have to meet their guidelines. We all know this. Well most of us do.

Question is do they have FDA staff on each companies payroll watching each batch made. One would like to think so. Or do they visit each facility frequently. I don't have the answer to this. One can speculate a lot of things.

All I know is I'm never taken this Leading brand ever again. Was able to get a fill of Watson/Actavis about 2 hours ago. Just trying to flush the Leading out as best I can till I take it.

I think I read others say they've had their spouse or friend dilute a pill in a small dixie cup and take it. (I've done this without knowledge which one it was to see if I was just imagining the side effects) Each time I was given either Watson or brand when I could get it always had the same results. Watson started showing it's signs. So there's no way were imagining this. That was many years ago when Wyeth was making it and one could afford the cost.

I realize the power of the brain and what it can conjure up but this test was flawless for me.

Thanks for the reply back. Btw what brand are you currently on at the moment if you don't mind me asking and how's it working for you?

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Re: Richard (# 166)

Oh yeah, I know they're terribly corrupt. They've had to change their name just to avoid the bad publicity they had for buying drugs and then jacking up the prices like crazy, which still seems to be their MO.

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Re: JC (# 170)

In answer to the FDA and staff, i haven't a clue how they regulate. As for what i take currently.....its Actavis 2mg 3x day.......when first switched from Leading i though it was even worse than Leading.......but either my body adapted somewhat or my brain did......now they seem 'slightly less' than the old Watson....but there is a third factor in play....when i presented the 'generics' problem to my dr., he pretty much ignored it saying it was my anxiety......but i've been at this benzo thing for over 50 years and know myself pretty well......next visit HE brought up the topic....seems every single patient of his taking generic lorazepam were complaining about their meds being less effective....worst part for me was getting to sleep and staying asleep.....so he gave me 1mg of klonopin (the generic form) to take going to bed and that seemed to balance out the now lighter generic lorazepam......didn't want to take more meds...some nights i skip it...it doesn't wash out fast like lorazepam...much longer acting but i have noticed some short term memory issues i didn't have before taking it.

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Re: Shelby (# 6)

Exactly. A number of smaller pharmaceutical companies (all using Pennsylvania addresses but manufactured in India) have been bought up by SUN pharma. I believe Mylan is one of many. Type SUN pharmaceuticals - accused of and also add FDA in your search. You will find out things that we all should know about the hanky-panky going on.

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I am currently taking the Watson brand and I am having decent results. I noticed everyone raves about the Mylan brand. Do they still make that brand?

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Re: Becca333 (# 174)

Pretty sure we all know that Mylan no longer is being made. If you want better results try brand name Ativan. Thats if your insurance company will cover it. That or try Bausch health's patient assistance program.

Only hitch with going through their program is be prepared to not get your meds on time.

Their operators don't know what their left hand is doing less then the right.

They give you a date that you can refill your prescription and 9 chances out of 10 it will never get fill on time or sent out to you on time.

If you call them up about this they'll say they are looking into it and will return your call later in the day or the next. Never happens.

Countless times my doc had to write a 10 day supply to cover me till Bausch health or their pharmacy they contracted to fill their scripts could figure out what was wrong.

The pharmacy they use to mail your prescription out thinks they have a doctor's degree and will question everything your doctor is doing.

My new doctor will not write any more scripts outside of his clinic. This was due to a power hungry pharmacist and tech questioning why I had prescriptions written with a outside pharmacy. (Read above comment and next paragraph)

One of the answers was they ran out of .5 mg and 1mg as well as they only get so much a year to use for their patient system program. (Then they'll accuse you of having multiple scripts written that they were the reason why my doc had to cover me)

I've got every prescription receipts and days I received them. Along with receipts from the postal service on the days my medication got delivered.

If none of you guys know that in the past 4 years if one is on a benzodiazepine you will be put on your states prescription monitoring program.

Another fact that I've spoken about on here. Many doctors, hospitals, mental health clinics as well as the veterans administration are taken folks off benzodiazepines.The reason behind this is they say it cause dementia and other health issues.

Richard you and I have talked about this subject a few times. Trust me when I say this I do hope you'll never havr a doctor retire or the pharmacy you go to decide you're too old to be on what you're on. They will either start cutting you down or take it away soon.

Never in a million years did I think that being on a drug that for the first 25 years taken was told you'll be on it for life. To now going through this roller coaster of dangling a carrot in front of your face.

Hope y'all are weathering through this covid-19 pandemic well and safe. I hope that none of you are going through what I am.

Becca by any chance do you work in the medical field? You seem to pop up around the time many of us are struggling. Just a gut feeling you do.

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Re: Jibbs55 (# 175)

For what its worth, i've spoken to a lawyer about docs taking patients off addictive medications they've been taking for decades....and under the 'do no harm' disclaimer, the docs would fail miserably...none of us asked to be put on this stuff......he says i've got a huge case if i'm ever taken off it against my will.....suits against the docs, the practice and the pharmaceutical houses.....benzodiazopines are still one of the most prescribed medications...someone is writing the scripts somewhere....and my therapist said it is absurd to worry about older patients having been on benzos all their lives ...its much more costly to take them off than keep them on it.

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Re: Richard (# 176)

I just know one thing the VA is getting away with taken Veterans off from them at any cost. My new psych says when I hit 65 the taper will start. I told him so what do I take after 'you try' and take me off?

There was a long pause before the reply. Well SSRI's, SNRI's or other antidepressants that are supposed to help panic disorders.

I said have you taken the time to read my medical jacket yet? Huge pause this time. Well there's cognitive behavioral therapy. Again doc have you read my file? Well we'll figure that out when we get there.

I questioned why he hasn't requested a board approval to get brand name Ativan for me. As I have failed on all the generics but for Mylan and Sandoz. Watson helps but isn't as good. Also failed on everything class of antidepressants along with mood stabilizers.

He said he'd check but that was 7 weeks ago. Now my new fill coming is Leading. "Back to the hell again"

Not sure if any of you have notice that each time were switched back and forth that one ends up in a spiral of withdrawals. This has been going on with me for about 2 1/2 years now since Mylan discontinued making their brand.

I'm all for trying something I haven't already taken. But there's nothing new.

Richard what you said about contacting a lawyer was he/she willing to have your back on this issue if it comes to it? Will he/she find you a doc that will fill your script if it comes to it? Also is this a medical malpractice lawyer or just a family practice attorney.

Please don't read the above that I'm being snarky. But lawyers talk a lot hype till they got to do what they say verbally to their clients.

As I said in my last I was doing fine until Mylan discontinue their product. I qualified for the Bausch health patient assistance program. But every single month I never knew whether I'd get my meds on time. There were times I just broke down from them playing the head games.

I've got a few things I'm working on and I'm in hopes I can reach someone that's seeing this shortage of lorazepam and stigmatizing patients that have been on them for years.

I believe Mylan stopped making their lorazepam because they weren't able to keep up with the competition. Also there was word they no longer wanted to make a class 4 drug that I'm sure they were concerned about legal suits. The second is just word of mouth from folks I've talked to about this issue. Can't say it's true.

Only other avenue for me is to pick up a private insurance and find a doctor that's willing to fill my script. The old school docs are retiring and lots of us will get left in the dust.

Something I forgot the VA isn't the only clinics not wanting to prescribed benzodiazepine. Where I'm at all the mental health clinics are refusing to write scripts for them.

I have family here that's dealing with the same dilemma I am. Even the pharmacies are bulking at wanting to fill scripts.

If you're abusing them i can understand their concerns. But if you're taken it as prescribed it's really difficult to understand. Plus many docs and pharmacist will go to the mat with you that all generics work the same. Wished that was so.

I believe that I've said how I've taken mine with it diluted in water and within 35 minutes or so I knew which one took. (My spouse did the diluting so I had no idea which was given to me)

Thanks for the reply back Richard. Fill us in how you're coming along with your journey.

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Re: Jibbs55 (# 175)

Sorry it took me so long to reply. I am in school for
my Bachelors for clinical/counseling psychology specialization. I just changed my major from social work. I was minoring psychology and enjoyed those courses so much more I decided to major in it.

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Re: Becca333 (# 178)

Hi, don't know why but I just had a feeling you worked either in health or pharmaceutical.

By any chance would you be able to give us your feedback on what is being taught about benzodiazepines.

Also have you ran into any problems having a script written for you under the current circumstances with benzodiazepines.

I would be grateful to hear your take on what works for you and whether you also have run up against doctor's wanting to take patients off. Thanks

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Thanks

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