Watson 853 White Or Yellow Pill (Top voted first)

I've been taking the Watson 853 yellow hydro /acetaminophen for several years. I get them from a well known pharmacy company. My most recent script was filled and I noticed the color was white, even though the markings of Watson 853 are identical to the light yellow pill. There was a huge difference in side effects with the new pill; constipation, dry mouth, and a little nasal congestion that I typically get from preservatives like sulfites. Many people get these symptoms when taking narcotics, but I have been fortunate with the hydrocodone as it has never affected me that way (oxycodone does however) I called the pharmacist and he said he couldn't get the yellow tabs anymore but wouldn't say one way or the other whether the formulation or fillers in the white pill differ from the yellow. I am guessing that there has to be something different..maybe cheaper ingredients? I have enough medical issues to deal with, I don't need these pills to add to my issues with uncomfortable side effects.

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I will get back to you with more information it's very late, but I must give you some of what I know. I'm a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and I have chronic pain from a screwed placed on my L-4 nerve in 2006 I have RSD the pain ranks with bone cancer. The new white Norco doe not works it is causing so much problems I'm having problems walking again plus I'm so tired I can walk maybe 100 feet. I called Watson spoke with a pharmacist he told me they had so many complains of the new white Norco not working some people cussed him others cried. Everyone needs to called Watson ask for the department for a complaint of a medication. This employee of Watson admitted they didn't do a quality check on the drug when they removed the yellow die. So as you can see we are all right Norco has been messed up. I'm having my pharmacy compound my Norco. I hope it works. I will get back on tomorrow night with Watsons number of course you can get it from your pharmacist. We must stick together and file complaint's with Watson and our pharmacy board.

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I had my dr order brand necessary and what do you know, they work. .. so I know there is something up with the new white ones. And no one can tell me any different.

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I just got these yesterday & I can so far note they are active but indeed different. I noticed that they are not near as smooth as the previous yellow ones like almost porous. If you put one in your mouth you can tell this w/ your tongues as well. I have a masters in organic Chemistry & though i didn't notice till after leaving the reputable small family pharmacy, that has always carried the very best generics. Once in the car & I opened the bag to take one, I was like " what their WHITE, same but WHITE, so I went back inside & they said the same about the dye thing, & the technician grabbed the old yellow ones & the bottle of the new white ones ( why I don't know, as to prove what, I was not nasty just curious as even the description on the label said yellow) so I say that just fill it with the yellow ones you have their, he said they couldnt do that & that they were going back to Watson, & having several pharmacist manager friends from college that are still close friends I ran this by them, only to find out THAT I WAS LIED TO, THEY CANNOT SEND BACK THEIR USED PORTION OF MEDS & THAT THEY CLULD OF USED THE LAST OF THOSE TO FILL MY SCRIPT, even if only 3/4%. Then my friend tells me that Watson was bought out by Actavis, & that they were moving out of New Jersey ( Watson headquarters ) & like Apple moving to the tax friendly country of Ireland, apple has admitted that they saved millions in taxes by doing this, so I'm assuming this will also lead to lots of jobs lost as well. For everyone that has real pain issues, ( my back & neck are completely shattered & all discs broken into pieces from falling of a two story scaffel on a job, & somehow fell off trying to get a bucket of stucco from a co worker, & landed on my back, only to awaken in the hospital in critical condition, this was near two years ago. I refuse to take anything more stronger or addictive than 10 Mg's. Of hydrocodone & having no insurance & only getting my hospital bills paid for as the subcontractor were all Mexicans that ran under a different name, so my attorney could only get my friend the head contractor to have his insurance at least pick up my doctor bills & hospitals. Anyways I pay a lil more than most generics to get the yellow watsons, but I'm sad they are no longer, I am on my second day of these & will repose what I think of them in a few days, they most of had been doing something right & actavis knew this or they would not have bought the rights to continue to make the same pills or at least their imprints & looks, now it's much easier to slowly work into the market. Some research on Actavis, they are one of the top three generic pharmaceutical companies in the world, & are a fortune 500 company, not that this matters, but it does show that their not some cheap India based company. I think we should all call them (Actavis) & voice our concerns. Well thanks for reading my works on this topic & again I'll repost. I did notice that this morning I didn't awaken to that headache & hangover feeling, only thing to report for now, oh one last thing they do have active hydro in them, take some black seed oil to aid in both potentiation, absorption, & just overall health in general, take care to everyone. One Love, Rider!!

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I have been taking the yellow Watson 853 (10/325 mg) for several years for my severe chronic back problems. With my last refill a week ago, I received the white pills and was assured they were the same except for the yellow dye being removed. I can state categorically that they are not the same and that the white pills are at least 50% weaker than the yellow ones. I have complained to the manufacturer with no positive results although I did get the customer service rep to admit that Actavis has different componet suppliers than Watson (as in cheaper, less reliable). Watson has been the leading supplier of meds for chronic pain and unless everyone who takes the new "substandard" pills, Actavis will not restore the quality. They are concerned only with cutting costs and improving profits. Each of us needs to demand better quality and spread the word.

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Just an update on the new Watson ( Actavis ) brand of generic norcos. In the last few days, I've not only had terrible headaches that nothing can get rid off, which means waking up to a headaches & the worst which is going to bed w/ a headache. I also have zero energy & I have been thinking not only do these new white watsons suck, but I'm getting a flu, but I've read hundreds of posts w/ others saying the same thing, so I'm now almost scared to take the so called new watsons. I'm thinking since they bought watsons name out & claim to only have removed the dye & alluminum fillers. I'm sure by being able to still print the name of a company that is no longer in operation onto the pill, I bet they don't have to ( so far ) prove their pills & or do any updates w/ the FDA. They can just hack it all up on Watson having had a bad pill, when the time comes that Actavis maybe makes their own pill & inscribed it w/ their name. Their are lots of legit pain medication folks on here & I honestly think that hydrocodone is a weak pain med., especially for severe injuries & pain, but none the less I don't want to take Oxycodone or other harder natcotics, trust me I wish I didn't have to take any medications or see any doctors, not a fun thing to do, but I need to live a life not in pain anymore. My guess is since I use to take the 10/325 but w/ ibuprofen & the same thing happened w/ those, price went up near 500$ & the pill was still the exact same, markings & color, yet bought out by another company, I wondered how they could get away w/ that, but now I'm seeing it w/ one of the best ( WAS ) generic norcos available. Plus moving out of the states, this gives them plenty of time to get s*** figured out & to dodge the FDA & the IRS as that's why they are moving out of the US & into Ireland, saving them millions in revenue as they don't have to pay all the taxes. I would think if they are dodging the IRS & making their pills overseas, that they are more than capable of taking away a few of the ingredients in a medication. I actually wouldn't doubt it if the Govt. Is not involved, all this right before the launch of the Pure hydrocodone set to be released anytime now, zohydro er. Everyone let's keep this going & again I will give more feedback & also read your posts. Thanks for listening & I wish everyone the best. "
PEOPLE SHOULD NOT FEAR THEIR GOVERNENTS, IT'S GOVERNENTS WHOM SHOULD FEAR THE PEOPLE"

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I SO Completely Agree!!!! I also have been a patient battling severe pain and was on your same dosage for a few years. Then they changed me to the white ones. My pain became debilitating and I became less and less able , "to hold my own." My daily life suffered and the severity of my pain was overwhelming. My Pharmacist eventually explained to me that the dosage was not the same as the prior due to the "crap" that is placed inside these pills, was "iffy" as far as dosage-levels. Every pill was inconsistent. Not one was the same. I have been suffering over this generic crap for a yr. or more and Dr.s do NOT UNDERSTAND. I need those yellows back. It is horrific.

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I'm sorry you're having such issues, Razz. You aren't the first person to post with complaints about the new white tablet.

However, it's likely that your pharmacist didn't have any other information for you, because so far all the available Watson information lists the tablets as being identical and that they have only removed the dye that was in them, due to the fact that some people were sensitive or allergic to it.

You can learn more Vicodin details here.

As to whether or not they are using cheaper ingredients, they aren't required to let that be known, at all, as long as they list the ingredients and they are from sources that are considered safe for use in oral pharmaceuticals.

There are two suggestions I can make that you can try, which may help…


The first would be to ask your pharmacy if they can order you the medication manufactured by a different company, so you can see if it works better for you.

Or you can ask your doctor to prescribe it as 'brand medically necessary', so they can't provide you with a generic.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

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I've been taking the yellow ones for over a year for chronic back and hip pain, and received the white ones for the first time last month. I noticed right away that they weren't as strong, when my pain didn't go away. I also started having extreme swelling in my calves and feet, but chalked it up to my blood pressure meds I started again, even tho I never had that side effect before. Then I went out of town for a few days and forgot my meds at home...whaddya know, the swelling went away. I've also been experiencing headaches, abdomen bloating, restlessness, and my pain is not being treated by these white ones. I get mine from Walgreens, and they say they cannot get the yellow ones anymore either. I've also seen posts on another forum, where many patients are complaining of the same problem. After I received my refill last week, I'm positive all the side effects are from this new formulation. I'm going to call around to other pharmacies tomorrow to hopefully find one that carries another brand...keeping my fingers crossed that I can find one that carries the Qualitest kind, I'm more worried about getting my PM doc to give me a new rx when I do! Best of luck to you all!

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Hello all! I called around and found that Rite-Aid pharmacy does carry the Qualitest 10/325, they said just to have your doc specify to dispense that type to you. I hope you all have that type of pharmacy near you, to be able to get them. I called my PM doc to request a new script and have not record a call back, so ill have to wait until next week to speak with her. I even offered to turn over these white ones in order to wt a new script called in, whatever it takes to get something that will treat my pain. I'm also going to call CVS (used to be Long's in the west coast) to see if they carry them, just so we know if they're available there. More to come...

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I'm convinced the white pills have caused severe symptoms. Tingling in arms and legs. Now high protein levels in my urine lab work! I'm so afraid damage has been done.

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I used to be a lab tech before I became a mechanic and depending on the maker and manufacture depends on what color and what the pill is going to say such as Watson or m 367.it also depends on where you go to get your prescription certain places such as Walgreens will only carry yellows and sometimes whites while Walmart will always carry white and only sometimes yellows you can tell your doctor that certain colors are certain brands such as Watson or the M 36 Evans don't work correctly for you and you will have to usually wait for the other colors or brands to come in that's usually why they give you a different color or brand when you go there because they're just trying to give you the ones they have in stock but if you want to wait you can get the ones that work better for you and yes each color and manufacture does have different effects for certain people such as me

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I agree! I recently went through the same thing! The pharmacy has agreed to put on my records Watson brand only, however, these white caplets are extremely inconsistant! I've been taking for years, please tell me why one minute I may get a slight "high" which I haven't felt in years and then the next dose I could take two and still feel no pain relief! I'm tired of crawling into a fetal position! I can't believe these big pharmaceutical companies just mess with people who need them desperately!

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I've also just been switched to the white ones and feel like I'm having withdrawal symptoms. Very tired, severe headaches and restless leg. Why? What can I do? Should I take more? Are they not as strong??? I need pain meds due to neck problems from wreck. Will increasing the dosage help?

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HI NB,
you seem knowledgeable on your research of this change of yellow to white watsons. and like yourself DO NOT LIKE the change. i have tested the white 853 for about 10 days now and have numberous side effects with the top effect is that its about 50% or more less effective, also with that there is headeaches, sleeplessness, irritability , fatigue, dry mouth. the only other generic Norco and is yellow as well that seems to work well and i have taken in the past is from Qualitest pharmaceuticals and has a V imprinted on it is the closest pill to the Watson 853

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Yes he should look up the price for you especially if its from the same doctor. Get your doc to call the pharmacy and let them know the situation. U could try a different pharmqcy and just say you don't have insurance but you'd be taking your chances on the last fill being run through a database depending on the state you're in. If your doc has given it to u for legit purposes then you have the right to fill it. I'd try a different pharmacy and if that doesn't work call your doctor and have him call. Explain you're willing to turn over the ones you have

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well, I just got my prescription refilled today, and I also was given the white ones. I have taken two today, and the pain in my back is no better. They are not working. whats the deal? Can I bring them back? do I call the med provider or the pharmacy?? this sucks, you finally find a drug that HELPS your problem, now we need to deal with a drug that doesn't help and who knows what its doing to other parts of my body I just switched back from percoset to vicadin, and the vicadin isn't working now. It was always my best choice,and always went traight to the pain, never made me sick now today I have a headache, and the pain is still there. they're different alright

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I am taking the white tabs as well and noticed a difference immediately. I was taking the exact same dose and amount. I started feeling sleepless, sweats, etc. It was as if I wasn't taking anything at all. I went to my Dr and he said it sounded like I was going through withdrawals and he had many other patients with the same complaints after the change. There clearly is something different with these pills and I am not happy about it. I noticed that tramadol has a much better affect than the Norco 10s do and that was never the case with the yellows.

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TRYING TO FIND OUT THE SAME THING

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Hello all. So, my PM doc called me today to let me know I could pick up a new hard copy RX to take to a new pharmacy, so I could get the Qualitest brand. I get to Rite-Aid, and they say my insurance will not authorize refill of my RX for at least one more week, even tho my Dr wrote out a new one because the Watson brand was making me sick. The pharmacist asked me why I didn't just return the Watson brand to Walgreens to be swapped out with a different brand (gee, I wish I would've thought of that). I informed him that I tried to, but they only carry the Watson brand, and that I also tried to swap them at Rite-Aid since I used to get my thyroid medications there, but was unable to because they were not dispensed there. He said that they should had offered to order a different brand, and I told him I had tried everything to get them to help, to no avail. He said he still could not process the order for another week, and to come back then if nothing could be done at Walgreens. I asked how much it would be to pay out of pocket for them, and he wouldn't even look up the price for me. Isn't he still supposed to check for me, even if my insurance won't cover it? I'm not some crackhead trying to get high, I even had the crappy white ones with me that I stopped taking last week, in case I was able to persuade him to swap them for me. It was obvious I haven't taken many out of this bottle, and I understand they probably deal with addicts sometimes. I don't know if I should just go to a mom and pop place and say I don't have insurance, or fight my insurance company, whose customer service line closed at 6pm, to pay for them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks everyone!

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Absolutely!! Im with you!

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