Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 87020

Shown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Klonopin better than Clonazepam???

Posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 16:21:40

I have a friend who took Klonopin to augment the jitteriness she got from Luvox. She then had to stop her job, and she switched to generic clonazepam. She swears that the generic form is not as effective and seems "dirtier". She says it has a slight hangover and seems to produce more cognitive dysfuntion. This really raised my curiosity, because I too mix Clonazepam w/ Luvox, but I've never taken the brand name.

Can anyone corroborate that this might indeed be true: Klonopin being slightly cleaner than the generic???

 

Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam??? » bob

Posted by Rick on December 15, 2001, at 18:33:44

In reply to Klonopin better than Clonazepam???, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 16:21:40

I long avoided the generic because I had heard such stories. To my dismay, I inadvertently ended up with generic clonazepam six months ago. After raising a ruckus with my insurer's mail order prescription division, I agreed to try it awhile.

Turns out I can tell no difference whatsoever, other than the taste and texture of the pill. It may depend partly on which generic manufacturer of clonazepam you end up with -- there are many. I have been getting Teva (an Israeli company that bought a longtime major U.S. generic maker whose name escapes me). I read that clonazepam is in fact Teva's largest-selling medication.

I did some research on the clonazepam vs. Klonopin issue and found one artcle in a medical journal, a letter from two pdocs who said their patients had to reduce their dosage when they started taking the generic. Apparently that generic -- don't know which one -- seemed stronger. (This surprised me, since the usual complaints I had seen in posts from users was that their generic seemed *less* potent than the brand.)

There was a post here a few weeks ago from someone who switched from Xanax to clonazepam (also Teva's generic), and was very pleased with the theraputic benefits of the med (at least as of the time of the post).

I suppose it's possible that if any differences exist they might be more likely to show up at higher dosages. You didn't say how much your friend is taking. I take 1 mg/day.

Rick

> I have a friend who took Klonopin to augment the jitteriness she got from Luvox. She then had to stop her job, and she switched to generic clonazepam. She swears that the generic form is not as effective and seems "dirtier". She says it has a slight hangover and seems to produce more cognitive dysfuntion. This really raised my curiosity, because I too mix Clonazepam w/ Luvox, but I've never taken the brand name.
>
> Can anyone corroborate that this might indeed be true: Klonopin being slightly cleaner than the generic???

 

Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam???

Posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 18:41:29

In reply to Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam??? » bob, posted by Rick on December 15, 2001, at 18:33:44

I take .5mg/day, separated into .125mg chunks. I believe my friend takes .25mg/day at bedtime.

My pill is a round, yellow, scored .5mg tablet. Does that sound like Teva?

By the way, your post was quite informative. Thanks.

 

Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam??? » bob

Posted by Rick on December 15, 2001, at 20:33:47

In reply to Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam???, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 18:41:29

> My pill is a round, yellow, scored .5mg tablet. Does that sound like Teva?

Yes, my .5mg tablet looks like that. Of course, it's possible one or more of the other clonazepam generics might look similar. But I think most pharmacies put the generic manufacturer name on the prescription bottle, and if it's not listed you can always ask which one they dispense.

 

Re: Klonopin better than Clonazepam???

Posted by Elizabeth on December 15, 2001, at 20:37:58

In reply to Klonopin better than Clonazepam???, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 16:21:40

Roche no longer makes Klonopin(R), but there may be substantial differences between different generics (the FDA requires them to be close to the brand-name drug in bioavailability, but the requirement isn't all that rigid). Take note of what company makes the one you've been having trouble with -- you might talk to your pharmacist about the problem and ask them to order a different one.

BTW: I take the Teva generic too, but I take 1 mg tabs and don't know what the 0.5s look like. It should say on your bottle what company makes the generic you got.

-elizabeth

 

Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics

Posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 15, 2001, at 21:51:38

In reply to Klonopin better than Clonazepam???, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 16:21:40

I have found that compared to the Walgreen's version of generic "Purepac" clonazepam, that the Roche laboratories "Klonopin" is superior. Also, about 10 people on this board have complained about "fake" benzodiapines made by a company called Mylan laboratories. Also, Mexico, India & Thailand are know for making "fake" benzodiazepines with less than half the potency of name brands.

I would not take any chances, especially considering that Klonopin & the other name brand Benzodiazepines made by Roche are not that expensive anyways, & if you have insurance the difference is only a $5 to $15 co-pay.
Somewhere I read that generic makers have trouble duplicating the secret formula that Roche labs made to make the Klonopin pill- after all Roche practically invented many of the benzodiazepines.

Also, the Klonopin magazine ad says that Klonopin surpasses USP requirements (manufactured to meet the highest standards).

Here is more proof about the superiority of brand name valium, which is another benzodiapine that Roche laboratories invented:
,"The proliferation of generic forms of Valium can vary quite alot in their availability. Tastetests run by your faithful author and others have proven to our satisfaction that only name brand Valium can be counted on to deliver as advertised, though some knock-offs do come close."

"This discrepancy is borne out by extensive tests by Valium's makers, which compared their drug to generic competitors using electroencephalographs (EEGs) to monitor the drug's effect on no fewer than 22 brain wave variables, and found generics seriously lacking. The FDA, in contrast, only monitored 4 EEG variables, & worse yet allowed a "leeway" of 20 minutes difference between swallowing of the pill and onset of action. To anyone with anxiety, this is far too long & encourages overdoses."

"From the book Pills a Go Go : Fiendish Investigation into Pill Marketing, Art, History, and Consumption, Jim Hogshire, bought at Virgin Megastore."

 

Re: Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics

Posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 22:39:42

In reply to Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics, posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 15, 2001, at 21:51:38

Very interesting, 3beer... but what of the statement Elizabeth made, to the effect that Roche no longer makes Klonopin? Is that true? Does that mean that soon we're all going to be stuck with only the generic?!

 

Re: Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics » bob

Posted by Elizabeth on December 15, 2001, at 23:50:42

In reply to Re: Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 22:39:42

> Very interesting, 3beer... but what of the statement Elizabeth made, to the effect that Roche no longer makes Klonopin? Is that true? Does that mean that soon we're all going to be stuck with only the generic?!

I'd also like to point out that the generic I get, made by Teva, seems fine (and I have a good deal of experience with benzos, including brand-name Klonopin). There's no use generalizing; different generics are made by different companies, and some may be worthless but that doesn't say anything about others.

-elizabeth

 

Re: Roche still makes Klonopin

Posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 16, 2001, at 1:48:38

In reply to Re: Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics, posted by bob on December 15, 2001, at 22:39:42

> Very interesting, 3beer... but what of the statement Elizabeth made, to the effect that Roche no longer makes Klonopin? Is that true? Does that mean that soon we're all going to be stuck with only the generic?!

I have a current prescription for Klonopin made by Roche Laboratories and I checked on the Roche USA Website and it is still listed on there as one of their current products. I think they make quite a bit of money on that drug (& they have been making it since about 1976) & will make more money on it as more people are diagnosed with social phobia & figure out that paxil often doesn't work well for people with that condition- I don't think they are discontinuing it & have not heard any news like that.

Elizabeth, what did you mean by that- did you hear something we didn't?

 

Re: Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics » 3 Beer Effect

Posted by Rick on December 16, 2001, at 2:31:26

In reply to Roche Klonopin, Valium, far superior to generics, posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 15, 2001, at 21:51:38

>Also, about 10 people on this board have complained about "fake" benzodiapines made by a company called Mylan laboratories.

Mylan is a major generic manufacturer. I used their Xanax (alprazolam) which I didn't like as an anti-social phobia med, but that's just becuase Klonopin/clonazepam is so much better for that disorder. The alprazolam works just fine for me when I need a sleeping pill once every few months.

Mylan got in some deep doo-doo for conspiring with other companies to jack up the prices of the benzos lorazepam (generic Ativan) and clorazepate (generic Tranxene) by 2000%! There was a class-action lawsuit and settlement in 2001. (I received the lawsuit notice because I had a single prescripton of clorazepate almost two year ago.)

Mylan also makes some branded drugs such as Eldepryl (very expensive brand of selgiline), and is conducting trials to receive approval to import nebivolol, a new kind of beta blocker (nitric oxide based) that's been in Europe for awhile.

Rick

 

Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » 3 Beer Effect

Posted by Elizabeth on December 16, 2001, at 13:42:31

In reply to Re: Roche still makes Klonopin, posted by 3 Beer Effect on December 16, 2001, at 1:48:38

> Elizabeth, what did you mean by that- did you hear something we didn't?

Yes, I heard it -- just a rumor, but it came from someone who's generally pretty reliable. Huh. Oh well. Hey, do they still make them with the "K" cutouts? I always thought those were cool (or kool :-) ).

-elizabeth

 

Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » Elizabeth

Posted by Rick on December 16, 2001, at 14:34:00

In reply to Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » 3 Beer Effect, posted by Elizabeth on December 16, 2001, at 13:42:31

> > Elizabeth, what did you mean by that- did you hear something we didn't?

> Yes, I heard it -- just a rumor, but it came from someone who's generally pretty reliable.

Roche's website does cite declining sales due to heavy competition from generics.

>Hey, do they still make them with the "K" cutouts? I always thought those were cool (or kool :-) ).

They do.

To Cam or any branded Rivotril users out there: Do those have an "R" cutout?

Rick

 

Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » Rick

Posted by Elizabeth on December 16, 2001, at 23:11:09

In reply to Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » Elizabeth, posted by Rick on December 16, 2001, at 14:34:00

> To Cam or any branded Rivotril users out there: Do those have an "R" cutout?

< g > I happen to have gotten some 2mg Rivotril tabs at one point, and alas, they don't.

-elizabeth

 

Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » Elizabeth

Posted by Cam W. on December 20, 2001, at 8:45:24

In reply to Re: Roche still makes Klonopin » 3 Beer Effect, posted by Elizabeth on December 16, 2001, at 13:42:31

Uh...Betty...it's pronounced "kule".

=^P

- Cam (sorry about the Betty thing....no, really)


> > Elizabeth, what did you mean by that- did you hear something we didn't?
>
> Yes, I heard it -- just a rumor, but it came from someone who's generally pretty reliable. Huh. Oh well. Hey, do they still make them with the "K" cutouts? I always thought those were cool (or kool :-) ).
>
> -elizabeth


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