Mallinckrodt Hydrocodone Side Effects And Info Needed (Page 2)
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I was prescribed hydrocode 10/325 by my md. I was getting yellow pills.now I'm getting pills that i believe are from mallinckrodt the hotel says manufacturing company is MLKCM. My concern is that this MLKCM brand make me feel ill. It causes heart palpitations, increased bowel movements, and it does not help the pain as well add the other. Is this mallinckrodt and had anyone else had these symptoms with this brand? Thank you so much for any help you can give on info with this brand

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I changed pharmacy’s because they went from the Watson brand (which is no longer manufactured) to the Actavis brand which is totally awful for me. My prescription was filled with the Mallincrodt brand and, while they are not as good as the old Watson brand, they have helped me to get by. The reason that all of the opioid medications are awful is that ALL of the manufacturers tried to reengineer their pills by reducing the oxytocin content by 70%. The problem was solved to the extent that the pills were less addictive but in removing the oxytocin they also removed a good portion of the effectiveness of the pill. Plus, the manufacturers have been allowed to only put in 80% of the active ingredient so, for example, a 7.5 pill can legally only have 6 of the active ingredient. So we have been hot with a double whammy. 70% LESS of the oxytocin’s and a reduction by 20% of the total amount of the active ingredient.

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Re: DAR (# 3)

I used to get yellow qualitest but that store started shipping orders then closed ggggrrrr. I now use walmart :( they havve mallinckrodt ..... 10/325 the designation on bottle after strenth is MAL .... i asked what manufacturer was & they confirmed mallinckrodt does have M367 on 1 side & break score on reverse ......... qualitest seem better but these do help some but since they cut me over 85% on my meds it may mess up my objectivity some ........ hope this helps

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Re: Ty Dollar Sign (# 27)

I agree with you!! I hate Mallinkrodt. I've even been telling my pharmacist for 2 years about how bad it is and he laughs . They do not help!! Nobody listens!!!

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They are HORRIBLE!! I had a pain in my stomach the whole month I was stuck with them, plus they gave NO pain relief. I now have my pharmacist order Endocet brand in the 7.5 mg and I have to cut another one in half. Not all pharmacies can or will do this, but mine will as long as he is able to order them. They work great. I could write a book on what I’ve discovered about generic drugs. They ARE NOT all the same and most are being made in China or India so who knows what’s in them! There’s very few FDA watch dogs and they announce 2 months ahead of time so the manufacturers have plenty of time to hide all the things they’re doing wrong that are making people sick. It’s not just pain meds. Do some digging on this site.

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Re: w john (# 20)

I was once prescribed Oxycodone 30 mg. way before all this B.S. opioid epidemic was mainstream news. (made up B.S. in my opinion) Are they doing this because they have stock in Narcan, or maybe someone has a huge Kratom company?? I am starting to believe in a conspiracy theory here. Anyway after about 6 mos. I started counting the pills when I got home and I noticed I was exactly 20 short, so i called immediately and the pharmacist himself say's "oh, so sorry, come right back up and we'll fix you up." There was no questions asked, no telling me I should have notified them at the time of purchase or anything, because....I am SURE he is the one that took them! (This was a Walgreens too, 2013) You canNOT trust anyone anymore! I am more than certain that someone at this Mallinckrodt co. is switching blanks out for the one's with the actual codeine in them, NOT a doubt. You better believe someone is getting filthy rich off of this scheme. It has to be someone within the facility itself OR the distribution center and it is in a whole different state than the actual mfg. facility. They are made in Mo. and distributed in N.Y! It must be a pretty lax place because I KNOW something is going on. Every single site like this one there are hundreds of people saying the exact SAME thing about Mallinckrodt Hydrocodone, EVERY ONE that takes it say's the same thing, that there is NO narcotic in this medication, IF there is you can bet it's less than 1 to 2 mgs. I wished I could afford to take some to a lab and have them analyzed and then we could all file a class action suit for damages & suffering. I went through this all last year, month after month with no pain relief and getting stuck with this crap. I even had my pharmacy changed to Walgreens again and low and behold they had Mallinckrodt too! Me and another person who happened to be there at the same time asked for the Norco by brand and was told they would have to order and it takes 7 to 8 MONTHS and that is IF they can get it. The only way to find out what is going on, I think, is to hire a private investigation team, I know no other way because Mallinckrodt is not doing anything and I know people have filed complaints with the FDA as well and nothing is happening. So anyway, after a year of this crap they suddenly seemed to be o.k. about 4 mos. back and were o.k. up until I got my new supply on 6/7/2019 and low and behold it's back to blanks, NOTHING, NO pain relief whatsoever! Also, I have been experiencing screeching ear ringing NON stop for 3 mos! My doctor say's my eardrum and canal are bright, bright red and told me I had an infection, BUT I have no fever and NO earache pain, so how can it be an infection? Also this crap gives me terrible heartburn, it's nothing but JUNK! Something has to be done but the powers that be don't give a damn, NO one does their freaking jobs in the government all they want to do is draw big money and do NOTHING. We are SCREWED!

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I am new to this board. I've had many issues with generic Percocet. Now, I am taking brand Percocet and I'm in disbelief that it doesn't help at all!! I have OA in both knees along with back pain. The only brand that has helped me tremendously was the WATSON brand. I live in North New Jersey. Is anyone else in Jersey dealing with the same issue? Walgreens has stopped selling Watson (that is where I used to get it); now they have CAMBER it is awful!! Yellow oblong pill that is manufactured from INDIA (DIRT CHEAP). I AM NOT ABLE TO WORK BECAUSE THE pain is so bad...When I was using WATSON I was able to work. I don't know what to do!!! I am consumed with this problem all day every day!!! Sorry for the caps...Thanks for reading and any suggestions.

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I too have had same experience with Mallinckrodt! I've had 3 wrist surgeries and for yrs Watson & Qualitest have been available & worked! Now they are unavailable Mallinckrodt is under cutting them in price!! Pharmacist told me that! Like CVS & Walgreens, lg Corp. have no control locally. I've had some Mallinckrodt that worked & didn't make me sick, but most of the time they make me sick!! I've broke out all over my body this time!! I've been in bed for days with flu like symptoms!! I'm disgusted!! Their products are not consistent & the FDA ought to be investigating!!! Immediately!!! Also the Co. is trying to sell the part of the Co. that makes/produces pain medication!!! Whats that about??

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Their generic Adderall are crap. I have to take 2 to get the dose of 1Teva. I stopped going to CVS because half the time I got that brand and it was a waste.

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Re: Manuel777 (# 6)

I know exactly what you are going through. I had been taking Mallinkrodt 5.25/325 for several months as my pharmacy changed brands and for some odd reason my pharmacist couldn’t tell me what brand I had been taking for approximately 7-8 months in the 7.50/325 strengths. So he told me that Mallinkrodt was what it was, but it wasn’t. Anyway, I had to cut 1 pill in half to get the 7.5 dosage. I decided to try the 10/325 in Mallinkrodt as I didn’t have any bad reactions to the 5.25 strength. Was I wrong!! For some reason the 10 mg are TOTALLY different. I immediately got a bad pain in my upper stomach and NO pain relief! I actually went through withdrawal symptoms for the month I was on them ~ it was a LONG month. I had been researching brands by reading people’s reviews on sites like this for months and the one brand that seemed to have the best reviews was Endocet so I had my doctor specify that brand on the prescription. They work great and I want to try the 10 mg but am a little gun shy after my experience with Mallinkrodt. I get the 7.50/325 and cut one in half so it’s like taking 10 mg. I forgot to mention that before I went to the 10 mg Mallinkrodt, I was given Amneal. My pharmacy switched brands and didn’t tell me. I knew the pill was shaped different and they were a different color, but I didn’t think too much about it until I took the first pill and instant headache and pain again in upper stomach that NEVER went away the whole month I was stuck with them. They also had very little pain relief.

After all my research, I discovered that Amneal has more complaints for their Percocet than any other brand so stay away from them! What most people don’t know is that the majority of these pills are now being manufactured in CHINA OR INDIA and the quality control is non existent. They are making people extremely ill as we have no idea what is being used for fillers. Aside from “light dosing”, it’s the fillers that are making people ill and sometimes hospitalized. It’s all so wrong. What most people don’t realize is that you can have your pharmacy special order a brand IF your doctor writes it on the script and says “as medically necessary”. You DO NOT have to accept any medication that is making you ill!! Of course you have to check with different pharmacies to see if they can order the brand you want. You might have to try several before you find one that can. I talked to a nurse who didn’t believe me when I told her you can do that ~ she said I’ve been a nurse for 20 years and I’ve never heard of that so she actually called my pharmacist to verify it as she didn’t believe me!! There are 2 things I would advise to you is that you have to be your own advocate because nobody else is and DON’T accept any meds made in China or India but especially China! You can search The People’s Pharmacy for an article about it. Here’s the link:

[1] Why We Have Lost Confidence In Generic Drugs: New Report Casts More Doubts On Imported Medicines

Good luck!!

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Re: ManuelG (# 15)

There has to be an answer. I've thought about drinking also but it's not going to stop the pain. There has to be an answer to our questions. I'm in terrible pain right now and just took my last pill for the day. I can only get 2. My doctor is so afraid of the DEA that he will not write anymore and now that only Mallinckrodt makes them I don't get any relief. I had no idea why I was having palpatations at night and stomach problems. Thank you for your post. I hope you find an answer for all of us that are treated like addicts when we have legimate pain.

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@Manuel--I believe you may have a valid point when you state that many pharmacists will tell you that they do not have a certain medication available. It just could be a security issue. They actually have the medication but they say they do not because of a fear of being robbed. Some hours after you leave they call and say they now can fill your prescription. I never have thought like that until you (I believe it was you) brought it up.

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Re: Manuel (# 4)

My guess is you may never receive a reply from Malinkrodt. First, you have to CARE and, with the political climate being what it is, the people who could do something about the problem are not going to do anything because they simply do not CARE. These manufacturers are being allowed to deliver the worst quality of pain meds that they can manufacture. If you are prescribed 7.5 milligrams of a substance (like hydrocodone for example) they are getting away with delivering 6.0 milligrams of very poor quality hydrocodone. The quality of the binders have also changed dramatically. Long term pain med patients that have sound medical reasons for being PRESCRIBED a pain medication are being grouped in with street drug addicted heroin and fentanyl addicts, criminals that steal their friends and relatives medications, thieves that steal from pharmacies, and any other illegal users of pain meds. I saw a story on the internet about a college student that was using copious amounts of cocaine. He was also mixing it with every kind of pills available. It was mainly the cocaine that killed him. What did the headline of the story say? "Promising College Student Dies Because of the Opioid Crisis". Opioids had NOTHING to do with his death. THIS kind of garbage is what all LEGAL, LONG TERM patients of pain meds have to deal with. Lies, lies, and more lies.

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Re: DAR (# 3)

Yeah, those are mallinckrodt pharm - it should be written somewhere on ur Rx bottle (usually in small print) I used to take those myself in the 10-325 strength. Here in Michigan, a few months ago, they worked quite well, not anymore- for me - now they give me a headache & just don't help pain. So it seems that government/ FDA is allowing many generic company's to put God knows what in this medication, making us pain patients with real problems to try and figure out what few are left that actually works. This b.s. should be very illegal. I'm pretty desperate myself to get a couple honest opinions as to which norco 10-325 still works on my pain without terrible headache & queezy stomach! I have real pain issues, & the 1St odd ball generic I got from family fare pharmacy was a new one by Aurobindo pharma - found out it is made in INDIA - this one gave me migraine headaches upset stomach, so could not take it at all & anybody I know never heard of this crap. So I had to suffer greatly for over a month, cuz pharmacy refused to help in anyway. Just got newer white Watsons, (different pharmacy) before I could check this or other website - too late - stuck for another month, & new pharmacy said these should be much better & patients seem to like them just fine- wrong headaches again! Then I got some feedback & opinions that these white Watson 10-325 are bad news too, & supposedly u need the yellow Watsons. If u can find them, that is. Looking for a couple honest opinions myself, what are a couple good brands to look for, & see if pharmacy even has it? If I get a good opinion that works out for me, helps pain w/ no frikin headaches, I will be glad to share the information, again it's down right cruel what they're doing to people in real pain. Thanks for any good suggestion !

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Everyone gets sick on mallinckrodt pills... How are they legal?

I have the same problem. These pills are worthless... No hydrocodone what so ever... Someone at the plant is making a fortune out of the back door... If you need to puke or have a bowel movement, they are excellent.

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I take generic Norco, 10/325. It must be a more regional thing because in all the years since my first Vicodin, I have taken Watson generics. I just got my monthly refill and checked after reading these posts just to make sure and yep, they're Watson's. I've never, in more years than I can count, ever had any side effects (except good one's in the beginning). Fortunately (from what I've read) we're still dispensing Watson in my neck of the woods, the Chicago area.

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Same complaints about this brand.
10-325 mg.
I will add severe headaches, blurred vision with extreme light sensitivity, less relief, more agitation.
I was traveling to west coast and had to get Rx filled at CVS there. My record was on file at the Carlsbad CVS. I don't know if the pharmacy lists the manufacturer of my normal Rx, but I will not get a refill of Mallinckrodt product again!!

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"TheUntoucables" (the pharmacists) know something we don't know. and they are not telling... This is what happened..At the time "Tracy" was posting her comments (see Tracy Wed, Oct 29 '14, 10:31 AM) About me and other person not affected by Oxycodon "Activus"..I was not lying about my statements at all at that specific time when I said .."That I was feeling fine for the first month of taking "Activus" brand from Walgreens ....truth is that about the time of her posting..that drug was actually not having 'enough ' effect on my pain, but a week Later, I began having the same reactions I had with Oxycodon by "Millinkiroftd", and as Tracy stated, thru her research, that Farmacorp' companies buy other Farma companies or 'Pharmacorpanies'. The deal is that I still had an unfulfilled Rx for Oxycodon, but when I asked the 'Pharmo' at Walgreens, to get me something different than either "Millinkirfoftd" or "Activus" because It appeared that the old side effects as was having with "Millinroftd" previously I was now having by trying "Activus for month and a half..I said give me something from either ENDOCET / QUALITEST / MYLAN (as per Tracy's recommedation..) and I whished I had a video recorder of some type, so I could make this more graphic, but oh well..The pharmacist, takes the prescription in his hand, takes a quick look at it and says, matter of fact.."Listen buddy...this is not a supermarket of pills..You'll get what we give you and we only have "Activus" and at the time we don't have that strength..(7.5/325)

He says, this Rx is good until Nov-12, you can leave it here, but we don't guarantee we are going to have it for you..so you might want to come back until the 12th, and even then; we don't know if we are going to have any that day, also; Try not to leave the paper Rx, here, because we might loose it......I said what..!!!!?? So I left the paper Rx there and see what happens
on the 12th. So what is going on here..? Another day, as I came out from the public library, some sinister looking character approaches me and asks..Hey buddy..do you take pain meds..? I said..not anymore..He says..well if you do, I can give you some pretty money for a few pills... I say..I'll keep that in mind..

So right now I'm stuck between 'tweakers' and 'zealous' pharmacists...The crazy guys wants pills and the pharmacists, does not want to make the product available anymore, either for fear of being robbed or just plain security reasons, but I'm paying for all this with dyscomfort and possibly the loss of my life, because I'm trapped in this mess, and I don't know how to get out of it.. I have pain, but the pain medication is making me more ill; then I cannot stop taking the pain medication because the withdrawal symptoms coupled with the unbearable pain begin to wreak havock at around the 6th hour after taking the last pill...An old lady, told me.."just go 'cold turkey' and get rid of the pill dependence...you'll find a way to manage the pain without pills..believe me."

So after seeing and dealing with all these pharmaceutical FOOLS...I think I'm just going to to out and "grow me a pear" and take it like a man and kick off the need for the pills and let the government and all his Conspiracy B.S. games go to Hell....At the end I will come out better..no chemicals in my body..and that sounds really good.. For last: Here is just a single entry of side effects experienced after taking a single dose of "Activus" Oxycodon 7.5/325..(One every 4 hours)

2:00 pm Take pill
2:45pm Sharp headaches right side forehead /Begin weakness
3:30pm Sharp stabbing pains on chest (Heart..?)
4:00pm Begin shallow breathing...(very frightening..!)
5:00pm Shallow breathing continues, pain in most joints
6:00pm Take pill (Repeat every 4 hours....) Nobody sees this--nobody cares..!!! 4 hours spent lying and suffering and trying to make a decision if to call the paramedics or not..!!

Thanks for reading.. I think is time to open the bottle of Booze after 8 years of sobriety..

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Hello Tracy and everybody else; I've read your posts and I keep an eye out on this blog almost everyday. It's the first time I hear a complaint against 'Actavis /Watson' I have been free of pain as much as possible and no notable side effects since I started taking it. But unlike the MALINKROFTD brand, which I began to feel 'ILL' immediately after I started taking it.

I been around doctors trying to prescribe pain medication for nerve damage (neuralgia (?) and I've tried GABAPENTIN, CYMBALTA, TYLENOL 3, TRAMADOL, HYDROCODONE, and lastly MORPHINE but I developed some weird rashes and palpitations, so the doctor sent be back to Oxycodon, and it's there, where I found the "Battle of Manufacturers of Pain Medications" and the evil pharmacists who NEVER TELL YOU when you are about to take a new concoction of chemicals...

But overall...Do you notice something in all this...??? We pain sufferers are being LEAD... DRIVEN... DIRECTED... Almost like a flock of sheep...manipulated without hope and on our own to find the trash that hopefully does not kill us soon...And now I will ask you..What the heel Am'I supposed to do if I run into in some side effects with this new medication I started taking....? I've already gone through this charade as described in previous posts....See What Am' I saying...??? Where do you go..? Who do you ask for help..?! You are lucky if you end up at the ER and be given treatment while they look at you like a strange animal from outer space...Thanks for the post and stay around..hopefully, Uncle Sam is reading these posts with all his modern devices and he will in no time will come and rescue us all...!!!

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Manuel, you are one of only 2 people I have read posts from that can take the Actavis brand oxycodone. They and the FDA have been flooded with complaints since last January. Their formula is absolutely nothing like the Watson brand, of whom they bought. I am happy it works for you. You are an extreme exception! This isn't the only narcotic that has been complained about to actavis and to the FDA. Since, it seems, most pharmacies are carrying their brand, many, many people are either going to continue to suffer or worse! Please keep us posted how Actavis is working for you past the first month. Thank you

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Manuel, I don't know if anyone commented on manufacturers of oxycodone yet, but Mallinkrodt is NOT the only manufacturer. I actually go the Watson brand from a walgreens 2 months ago but, I guess they are no longer being made. Actavis bought them out and their brand is not worth the paper they are written on. Many people have had luck with Endocet, oxycodone made by Endo Pharmaceuticals. They didn't work well for me but qualitest or Mallinkrodt did work. Now I am hearing these 2 have changed their formula and they are not good anymore. I have also heard that Mylan Pharmaceuticals also makes oxycodone....not sure. I do know, however, that Mallinkrodt is not the only brand made. It's worth checking into. You can ask your doctor to write a 1-2 week script til you find out what you can use. Good luck. But, stay away from actavis!

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