I was on Alprozalam from"98"-"04",but the pharmacy stopped carrying the brand(Roache),and the new generic they had was like taking candy,did nothing for anxiety.My Pshyc explained that the filler in the various generics was the difference, and he started me on name brand in "04". I've been taking 8 mg a day for the past 7 years. I have new insurance now and they will only pay 50% per script of name brand.I can't afford the 400.00 a month to stay with name brand.So I'm trying to find out what brands are the most popular in the group.I take Xanax for extreme GAD,and it also helps with bi-polar,BPD,COD,PTSD,sleeping and eating disorders as well.Any answers would be greatly appreciated!!
What is the best generic alternative to Xanax?
Question posted by tejas129 on 13 Aug 2012
Last updated on 1 August 2023
75 Answers Page 5
Its 2015 now but the generics that have helped me the most are the (sandoz gg249 2mg) and ( greenstone 2mg).. if ur on clonazepam qualitest are magical definetly the best.then the teva are my 2nd favorite clonazepam... if u aquire a prescription of either medicine u wont be disappointed with these suggestions...
Just an FYI for anyone still reading this thread. I was taking the Sandoz 1mgs and they took waaaay too long to kick in, even under the tounge. I had filled at Walmart a few times mostly due to travel as I needed to refill in another state. Today, I refilled at Walmart and did not get Mylan as previously reported. I received ACTIVAS (Purepac). For me, the Activas work very well. This doesn't mean all Walmart stores are now using Activas but when I asked the pharmacists I was told they are moving to Activas from Mylan but can get both in addition to brand. If I wanted brand my new insurance company will cover it for only $35 so I guess I am lucky. I paid $8.71 for 90 tablets without my insurance at Walmart, as my insurance doesn't go into effect until 9/1. I talked to the pharmacist at length about the generics as well as my psychiatrist today, as I've been reading this thread over the last few days and was curious on their thoughts. Please feel free to contact me or reply if you have question!
I also have tried Walgreen's Sandoz and recently got a script filled at Walmart for 1mg and it was Activis. I noticed it begain working even before I left the Walmart parking lot. Much more potent but the effects don't last as long as the sandoz. I am sure I am getting the full strength with either generics but I don't know if its all at once (with ACT) or extended over a few hours (with Sandoz). Anyway I recommend Activis over Sandoz for anxiety. I'm going to see if I can take it 2x per day sense they don't last very long.
I agree that the ACTAVIS brand work well. I stopped Greenstone and Sandoz after years of taking them. They didn't work as well with the last batch I received.. I can tell after 15-20 minutes when it kicks in. I also talked the pharmacist and a sales rep from a pharmaceutical company. All generics are not the same... trial and error. What a waste of time. The FDA needs to step up its game.
Hello bellystar:
I have been taking 1mg of Alazapalom manufactured by Sandoz, for 2 years now. Recently I have been having trouble getting every single well know pharmacies to mom and pop one and nobody can get it. I had no choice and was given Activis. I have to pick it up soon and I'm so afraid it wont help. O have been hospitalized twice before taking Xanax since then 2016 no more. Can you tell me what your thoughts are on Activis since you have took it. Im very sensitive to any type of pill I get sick and have to stop ex: antibiotics, z-pack,etc, Paxil, lexapro, u name it I've been on them. I had to go back to Effector that was the only one I didn't get side effects with. I'm on 225mg 1 time in the morning, and then 3 1mg of Xanax when needed which is almost everyday. Any feedback from you or anybody would be so much appreciated this is given me anxiety as I write it
I see no one with this most updated personal response: I have been on this medication (.5 mg.) since 1987 (when it was not available as a generic, sold only as Xanax, and the cost was reasonable.) When it went generic my insurer said, "You want name brand, you pay the list price." I tried the generics & as everyone has attested, Mylan is bad, and St. John is a little better but not by much. For over 15 years I've had great success with Greenstone. But, this past year, they must have changed the filler of the Greenstone brand, because with my last 4- three month refills, this brand is not effective on me anymore. Is it in my head? Absolutely not! I have a half dozen old (3 years old) Greenstone tablets I keep in my suitcase when I go on the road just in case I forget to take my meds along, (as an emergency.) As the year progressed, I noticed the newer Greenstone pills were not working well. I tried a 3 yr.
old 'suitcase pill' and boy, it worked like it did in the old days. So, I've got a problem (and maybe many other Greenstone users are experiencing the same.) Greenstone must have changed the filler. Does this mean Xanax (by Upjohn) also changed the filler? I'm going to talk to the doctor at tomorrow's appointment to see if he's gotten any feedback from other patients.
What did you find out? I thought name brand Xanax, which I've been on 4x day for panic disorder since 1992 was owned by Pfizer. Now I see Upjohn. Did the companies change.
I've tried to change to generic, including Greenstone and they wear off much sooner. Any advice?
Follow up: I saw my doctor. He's been practicing over 40 years and was my roommate in college. We've known each other since we were 13, so I know he's trying. I always thought the manufacturer of Xanax was Lily, but someone mentioned Upjohn as the manufacturer of Xanax, so I'm confused also about that issue. Doctor concurs that ONE of the reasons generics work differently from one brand to another is the filler ingredients. He didn't elaborate. He simply prescribed another prescription of alprazolam and advised me to try a different brand. So I did. The Activas brand is what I tried and find it only the smallest fractional bit more effective. This brand is not the solution for me. So, I'm still in the same boat... feel like I'm plugged into an electrical outlet and have muscle spasms all over all day (and night.) Wrote the doc, and am waiting for his response. Meanwhile, I had a few name brand Valiums 5mg.
left over (quite old) since the days when I suffered from myofacial pain syndrome. The valium worked much better than the alprazolam, and I informed the doc re: this fact. Waiting for his further suggestions/instructions. (One reader said he was prescribed Greenstone alprazolam... letter dated July 15, 2015, and he's doing much better. That's 4 months after my last prescription of Greenstone was filled. So, I'm curious. Has Greenstone switched its filler again, and if so, is it currently effective? I don't know. I'm old enough to remember the time before generics existed & there were only name brands, and the name brands worked great and were very reasonably priced. So why did the system change to where name brands are so cost prohibitive and generics are, for most of us, the only viable financial game in town? I speculate it has something to do with driving the soaring costs of medicare down. If so, a lot of us are in trouble, unless we're in the infamous financial 1%. :(
Actives-I haven't tried it. Since I still am using name brand, my plan is to try generic for morning dose only and use name brand for other 3 doses. I'm going to wean over, hopefully, because of $$. If morning dose works, will then figure out next (either noon dose or 6 PM.). At first, dr said just switch entirely, but that didn't work. Even if only one dose per day, I'd save money. CVS carries only Sandoz where I live. I still have a few Greenstone, so am going to try that. Any more info is appreciated. Thanks.
The definitive answer re: who makes Greenstone... Greenstone is a generic division of Pfizer. I filed two formal complaints recently with the FDA re: non-efficacy of the Greenstone brand of alprazolam, (both the .5mg & 1mg. strengths.) I have received (from Pfizer) letters requesting my experiences after taking their drug. ATTENTION PEOPLE: To initiate FDA complaints, you must fill out form 3500B (can be downloaded from FDA website) but most importantly, YOU MUST also know the LOT NUMBER(s) from which your drug came. The lot number is NOT listed on the bottle you receive from the pharmacist, nor is it listed on your receipt the pharmacy gives you. The LOT number IS listed on the big white bottle on the shelf from which the pharmacist pours your prescription pills into the little brown vial container you receive. Without that lot number, the FDA will not proceed with any investigation.
So, from this date on, when you pick up your prescriptions, promise yourself you will ask the pharmacist, "What is the lot number printed on the bottle, from which the pills came from?" Assuming the pharmacist still has that big, white bottle, they will tell you. When you fill out form 3500B and send it to the FDA, the FDA also requests the NDC number (which is always listed on your prescription bottle and/or receipt.) At that point, you fill out the form 3500B & send it to the FDA. The form is processed by the FDA, and an investigation begins; the FDA contacts the drug manufacturer; the drug manufacturer will then requests you send them a sample pill from your prescription for THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY'S OWN LAB testing. A few weeks later, you will most likely receive a letter from the pharmaceutical company stating "we found no irregularities with the drug." Now I ask you... do you think the pharmaceutical manufacturer is going to tell you there WAS something wrong with the batch (lot) they manufactured, and you used? That would open the door to class action/personal injury lawsuits. The FDA doesn't have the manpower nor funds to hire INDEPENDENT LABS to check complaints. If you have the funds to hire an independent lab, and that lab finds something with the drug is bad, you may have grounds to proceed with a lawsuit. Unfortunately, that's a very, very expensive route to go, but probably worth looking into if you or a family member dies or endures a permanent handicap after taking the drug. P.S. I'm still looking for a generic alprazolam that works for me.
I am suspecting the same thing. What is the G number on the old pills and the new ones? Not the same?
my last batch of Greenstone alprazolam 2mg xr did not work. For months I felt sick: dizzy, nauseous, heart palpitations, lost 12 lbs etc. I took me sooooo long to figure out it was the medicine and not another panic attack. Ironic. Sandoz in .5mg works less effectively than it used to. I switched to DAVA .5 and feel a difference. Tomorrow I call my neurologist for an Actavas 2mgxr prescription. Not many companies make the 2mgxr.
I have never tried DAVA. Both Walgreens, & CVS' suppliers do not supply the DAVA or Qualitest brands. But after going through both .5mg & 1 mg. of 6 other different generic companies, I'm convinced ALL the current generics (including Greenstone) lack the efficacy of Pfizer's original Xanax. (The G number on Greenstone generics for both the .5mg. & 1 mg. strengths have not changed.)
2ndchair... need an opinion. I'm taking the name brand and finding they don't work. My heart palpitations are gone, but I am still dizzy and unable to walk steady. This is after a month on this name brand. Are the name brands worth it?? Are they better than the generics?
As of this date, I have given up on all the generic alprazolams. I requested my doctor put me back on Pfizer's name brand Xanax. Result: I find name brand Xanax has 2 to 3 times the efficacy of any of the generic alprazolams. But the formula must has changed slightly... they take longer to 'kick in.' But once they do they have efficacy. How's this for inconsistency of generics: While trying them "all" I found Sandoz & Activas to be the best (of the worst.) Then, my refills of these two brands had NO EFFICACY. I saved some Sandoz & Activas pills from my original prescriptions and believe it or not, the original fills actually work better than the refills of those same brands!
Tejas129 chain stores get different brands that corp.makes a deal with different generic companies so this is why they change so much... ANYWAY GREENSTONE IS YOUR BEST CHOICE IT IS MADE BY THE SAME COMPANY AS XANAX... try a small store if you know one and they can order it.Let them know you well get it monthly if they well stock it.Good luck.Your doctor is correct it is the binder that is not the same but the alprazolam is in there it is relesed different because of the binders
My new update. Stopped taking Sandoz and they put me on Mylan. I agree stay away from Mylan! Now I'm on Greenstone and I'm doing so much better. Ty everyone for your help ;-)
Greenstone is the only one for me. If I try Sandoz or another brand I have a terrible reaction and cannot sleep properly until I find Greenstone again. Why are they different?? Generics are supposed to be the same aren't they?? Where is the FDA on this? What is the problem? Whistleblower??? This is very serious for me.
The only good Mylan Xanax is the 2mg. They r good. But when i cant get sandoz 1mg I go for greenstones that aren't as good anymore so I do like the dava 1mg or 2mg They work fast but don't stay with u as long but there worth getting. The purepack 1mg doesn't seem as good as they use to be a few years ago except for the 2mg. There is so many different generics and all change in quality. Brand xanies r the best in any mg. I still like the 1mg sandoz though when I can find them or the dava's. But if u have to use the same pharm for everything that's a bit@$!.
Still to date after many years I get my best results myself from Mylan or Greenstone and that is all the pharmacy well fill for me. Granted other things can come into factor what is in our stomach's our own chemestry and the way we break down pills etc but I really wish more would believe me that you can go right on this site and read about generic and brand it's called the orange book and its in the DEA AND I believe the FDA site PLEASE don't hold it againest me we are all different chuck1957
I agree Ive been on 2mg xanax a # of yrs . When Dava came out with the green 2mg ,the FDA verified it was lacking the molacules of Benzo. When adjusted , it was one of the strongest 2mg on the mkt ! however, all good things must come to a end.Now the are one of the shortest acting 2mg out there ,( dont even try Mylan ) . For the past three yrs I have found Purepack (yellow bars) to be of best quality . They seem to hold me just as well as name brand . The freshness of the pill also makes a HUGE difference. However I dont recomend the purepac 1mg . Greenstone is good as well as Sandoz , wich are dark blue in the 1mg div.
I agree Ive been on 2mg xanax a # of yrs . When Dava came out with the green 2mg ,the FDA verified it was lacking the molacules of Benzo. When adjusted , it was one of the strongest 2mg on the mkt ! however, all good things must come to a end.Now the are one of the shortest acting 2mg out there ,( dont even try Mylan ) . For the past three yrs I have found Purepac (yellow bars) to be of best quality . They seem to hold me just as well as name brand . The freshness of the pill also makes a HUGE difference. However I dont recomend the purepac 1mg . Greenstone is good as well as Sandoz , wich are dark blue in the 1mg div. Some people are under this impression that the " yellows " are time released . Thats dead wrong ! Like I said Ive tried every generic available in the NYC area . My top favs are #1Purepac #2 Greenstone #3Dava
O have no idea. I never took it. Also I try not to pay attention to who made my pills because the mind is a powerful thing and it can convince you that only one brand of something works.This was shown about a year ago when watson took the coloring out of norco. All they did was take out food coloring. Many people were convinced only the yellow pills work. Its also pointless because the pharmacies are limited to what they can get. They have to take what the distributor buys.
You are be right about the mind being a powerful thing, but if you never took Xanax or generic, you cannot possibly understand that differences in strength and delivery system can be dangerous because of the way the med works. What you wrote can mislead those of us trying to not have to pay a huge amount for name brand and find a cheaper and still effective alternative. For me, it's not the 'nocebo' affect when I've tried to change. There was a big difference.
I could tell the difference within 30 minutes among the generics. I also can't believe the money I wasted o these pills trying out different brands. Lawyer??? Maybe
Hi Connie, did you find one that worked? I had decided to 'tough it out' & change because of money. Awful. So, now am back on name brand. I agree - they basically lie to us - The People's Pharmacy agrees about generics. Class action suit, but how???
Hello: I've been on name brand since Feb.4. Within 5-7 days I could tell there were not potent. I'm experimenting with a generic that did work (DaVA) because for one week I felt 95% better. Now I'm experiencing, blurred vision and brain fog. Maybe it's just the anxiety creeping in again, but i really don't want to increase the dosage my neurologist recommended. In facet, I'm trying to cut it back .25mg each day this week. Today is only day 2. Wish me luck and the same to you!
coca
I've taken between 4-6 mgs of xanax a day for the past 12 yrs and have ALWAYS found that GREENSTONE generic works the best.I pay $27.31 for 75 2mg tablets at a mom n pop pharmacy. Also,SANDOZ & ACTAVIS/PUREPAC GENERICS WORK VERY WELL ALSO. Just whatever you do,avoid MYLAN!!!
As a nurse practitioner I rarely prescribe Xanax but there can be a certain amount of difference in potency in generics and still fall under the umbrella of f.d.a. guidelines. If u like the band name Upjohn/roche Xanax then try to find a pharmacy that stocks the greenstone generic because greenstone is a subsidiary of roche so the manufacturer of that generic also makes the brand name. a few of my patients have complained about the round blue ones that have an r and 039 on back. they seem to come mainly from Wal-Mart which will always use the cheapest supplier. People complain about the weakness of their Norco generics made by mallinkrodt. one pill says m363 or m357. Watson has always made quality generic pain meds as well as vintage or now qualitiest.
when i looked into this about a year ago, in march 2014, i found that there are supposedly huge differences between the generics made by different manufacturers. at that time, Greenstone seemed to have the best reputation, so i finally found a pharmacy that carried Greenstone alprazolam. i take one or two half-milligram doses each month, not a lot, but when taken, i want it to work as close to the name brand as possible. apparently, none of them are nearly as good, but some come a lot closer than others. now, if Greenstone was bought out by someone else this past year, it may no longer be the best alternative. that is how i found your post, is looking into the generics and how they compare with each other right now.
btw, i forgot to include this, the pharmacy i found in arizona that carries the Greenstone alprazolam is Avella Specialty Pharmacy. there are probably other pharmacies that carry it as well, but this one carries it for sure, as of march 2015.
I don't know how long I was taking the brand Sandoz. I never thought to check the manufacturer, I didn't know it was important. Now I know! My Sandoz hasn't been working so I'm now I'm taking Mylan. It's crap!! I'm waiting for a third one to try. In the meantime I'm hanging on by a thread. I've been on alprazolam and Prozac since the late 80's. Is anyone fully satisfied with their meds? Head games that's not fun :(
about a week after confirming that the Avella Specialty Pharmacy was still carrying Greenstone alprazolam, and posting the information here, i went out of my way to go to that pharmacy to have my prescription filled. when i got there, luckily i asked again, and in that interim of a week, max 10 days, Avella had switched manufacturers to, i forget the name, i think Activis, the manufacturer i recollect Walmart, Walgreens, Fry's Food Stores, Safeway and other huge outlets i contacted in 2014 were all carrying. my recollection is that this brand doesn't get good reviews, but i will look into it again. further, Pfizer only sells their Greenstone alprozolam to big distributors and does not (they say) know which individual pharmacies carry it, nor will they provide the names of the distributors who would know which pharmacies are carrying it. so yet again, i am going to have to get a list of phoenix area pharmacies off the internet and call them one by one until i find someone who carries the 0.5 mg Greenstone brand.
I'm trying xanax for one month to see how I feel. It's not generic so with my co pay it will be $360.00! Ridiculous amout. I need to try it for my own piece of mind.
I used to take the Dava 2 mg generic Xanax (green bar) and they were strong. Then my pharmacy changed to Sandez (sp?) brand (white bar) and I didn't think anything of it but after awhile I noticed a huge difference (they weren't working) and it just dawned on me that I should try to get back to the Dava brand. I could take 4 mg of the Sandez and not feel anything. Maybe that's the point, to not feel anything but that's not what I'm going for so tomorrow I'll ask for pharmacy if they can change supplier.
I have not seen a greenstone generic at any pharmacy in my state in about 3 years.. I dunno whats up with that.. However, I find that the 1mg activis purepac (blue round 031) seem to be the best generic that's common in my area. I have never had an actual name brand xanax ever, so I can't speak as to how they compare to any generic. The generics made by Dava seem pretty good, and are a second choice after purepac. The Qualitest ones are pretty decent as well, but I've only had one script of the .5mgs of them as an extra while I was going on an extended trip, but they were surprisingly ok considering what others have written about them online...
However, the one thing I absolutely concur with on this and every other forum is that the Mylan generic 1mg alprazolam are absolute junk, my doctor actually took the rest of my remaining Mylans (which was all but the 4 days worth I'd taken) then wrote me a new prescription (which I had to pay for out of pocket but oh well) because he had heard from so many of his patients that the Mylans are awful... They seem to have about 1/5 of the effect they should have.. I know this is supposedly impossible due to generic guidelines laid out by the FDA, but somehow these people are getting by selling almost fake xanax. I feel bad for any anxiety sufferer who ends up with these some month, cuz they're so awful... If a pharmacy tries to give them to you, hand em right back and ask for a different generic. (Yes they can do this as long as you don't walk away from the pharmacy window or leave the store with them.) This is what my doctor told me to do should I ever encounter this issue again.
believe it or not, Walgreens ordered greenstone in for me with no problem whatsoever. they even had some on hand but not enough to fill the prescription. i was ready to call every pharmacy in arizona, and Walgreens in my hometown got it in for me!
tree1957: You hit the nail on the head in your earlier post~! Frustrating isn't it. And each time you pick up your Alprazalom ask what the brand is and make sure they look at the bottle or the pharmisist will guess and you might be in trouble~! They change brands and don't tell unless you ask carefully~!!
I get "most" of my medical care and medication through the Veterans Administration health care system... Except my brand name Xanax (Which they don't offer veterans... They did offer the little round white pills... Have no idea what generic they were... But, I found the to be just about useless.)... That was some long while ago... So, I have always had to pay out of pocket for my Xanax... When I decided to try Greenstone, my regular outside of the V.A. system was very happy to special order Greenstone generic for me... As I said in my previous post... I don't think that they are as potent as brand name Xanax... But do seem to work to a rather somewhat effective degree once they kick in... But, as I say, it does seem like, it takes one and one half tablets to approach the effectiveness of one brand name Xanax... And sometimes feels like possibly needs two. (I haven't done that!)... My Psych told me years ago, when I tried the V.A.
generic Xanax, (That did nothing for me,) that effectiveness for generics was rather all over the map.. As I say, I am not sure that the Greenstone will indeed, do the trick for me... But, I am hoping that it will, since I have no insurance that will help pay for the brand name... I've noted in some comments, that some folks feel that as of this time, Greenstone is no longer as effective as it once was, and yet others who still feel that it is the got to one, for generics... So, I am going on the assumption that I will only be able to know by trial and giving it a chance... I wonder if those of us who have been on brand name Xanax for many years... (From 1986 for me.)..will perhaps have more of a problem with almost any generic simply because we have been on the brand name formula for so many years??
Greenstone altered their formula in 2013, not for the better.
Thankfully my insurance approved Xanax for a year at $3.80 for 30 2mg.
Each month, not knowing which generic I was going to get caused undue stress at fill time.
Go with the yellow Actavis bars for the top generic medication. Next would be G3722 Greenstone white bars and green S904 Dava bars. The last two are indistinguishable to me, but different people have different preferences. Mylan is OK, but I have nearly suffered apoplexy after being stuck with only Sandoz (white bar, shiny, GG249).
Well now I'm using a mom-n-pop pharmacy where I do the greenstone klnd each time now... I pay 2.00 bc of insurance but cash it would be $28+change for 75 2mg tablets.
The mylans just don't agree w me :(
For me, I like the Mylan 1 mg generics. As for the 2 mgs, I Prefer the Sandoz brand. I don't know where you are getting your scripts filled, But 90 of the 2 mg tabs @ W... t are only $35.00
I have a bad reaction to Sandoz. Only Greenstone brand Alprazolam or Xanax works for me. I see both brands come under the Giant Phisher name now. They have bought up many smaller manufacturers or merged.
Is Greenstone or Sandos labs more effective. Wicch do you approve.
Sandoz brand is the best for me & all of our stores r not carry it or Greenstone... only Dava(never even heard of it) hmmmmm? What to do?
I get 90 1 mg Alprazolam a month for anxiety and panic attacks and its all about looking at the inactive ingredients I took the Dava brand for a while and that is the worst generic form of xanax made so is mylan but Dava has the inactive ingredient crospovidone and it is the only brand of generic xanax that contains that inactive ingredient. So I stopped taking the Dava brand and I either get Sandoz or Greenstone those are the 2 best generic no matter what. I go to CVS and they always carry the Sandoz.
Greenstone I'm asking anyone no a pharmacy in Brooklyn around bayrige. Or Boro park or anywhere in that area that may carry 2mg. Greenstone there so hard to find thank u
Target special ordered from Greenstone for me.
Greenstone told me on the phone. " Try a local Mom and Pop pharmacy" I did and after checking with many, I found a small pharmacy that had some on the shelf. They also had Sandoz and were not aware of the difference. I am ok for a month now at least (whew) Medicare will not cover Xanax brand but I believe Greenstone is the same as they are both made by Phisher and I see no difference. I switched to generic when I went on Medicare.
Have to find the small mom and pop pharmacies. I found one with Greenstone and paid under the table for him to get the bottle for me and keep it in reserve. I pick up with script once a month. Aware of some Greenstone changes but as always get the same batch I am ok. Others have said the recent formula is not as good.
My doc gives me a script for more than I need so I store in the fridge. I take a piece of .5 and crush with mortar and pestal and mix with water and drink half. I can sleep for 3.5 hours then up for the other half (insomnia from concussion and being #Floxed" If I take all .5 in one shot I can sleep for 30 minutes more and need another .5 and then brain fog when I wake up. Long term use of Bennies is bad for you and the main reason I titer. Also saves money and helps build my fridge stash as never know when no more Greenstone.
Big Pharmacies will get the cheapest generics that they can, always~!
Greenstone is carried by CVS where I live though I notice a difference in name brand.
Rite aid forces the cheapest generic. i think by store policy after I rejected the ones he attempted. he explained pyhzer owned xanax who owned greenstone. I looked at the dementions everything's the same except the 2 and g37something instead xanax cvs Walgreens have all tried only store that's successfully gotten whatever manufacturer I order its rite aid . & have mad good brands on deck but r forced to try and push u the cheapest like they make up for pushing bs mylan and they had them on deck and sandos. they buy whatever is the cheapest that month. and some ppl r jerks don't be nervous to ask they know thier trying to push garbage on u cause. he explained it down to the t. that's what he would personally take & since rite aid changes brands by the $ it's a open window just get a cool pharmacist I won't dare ask the one dt .but my local one I have a great relationship they have the ability & might not have to order it cause it's prob thier
i can honestly say that GREENSTONEis the best generic... its actually made by the same pharmacuetical company that makes the brand name. your pharmacist will confirm this. i pay 24.88 for 60 2mg tablets. also ... sandoz,actavis(purepak),and dava are also very good generics.what ever you do... AVOID MYLAN!! wal-mart is notorious for carrying this defective brand of alprazolam. beware of it! hope ive helped! :)
Thanks Slosippa!! I made the decision to go with Greenstone a couple of days ago after some research that showed they were the most comparable to brand name.And have no fear... I will NEVER go to Walmart pharmacy again!! LOL
On the upside of having to go generic, I am doing mail order through my insurance pharmacy,and will be getting a 3 month supply (360 pills) for 20.00 dollars!
that is SOO great! im glad you found the answer with the greenstones. to me ,there is no differance between them and the brand xanax.my pharmacy keeps them in stock for me because im pretty adament for the past 7 years greenstone is the only generic ill accept. and congrats on the mail order discount! if you dont mind me asking,what milligram is your tablets?
Hey slosippa! My tabs are 2 mg... SOOO hoping these Greenstones are the right ones for me.Otherwise I'll be stuck with them for 3 months... NOT a pleasant thought..UGH
Yes, I just switched from Dava to greenstone and I noticed a big difference. Sticking with greenstone from now on. Best of luck!
Coming from someone who has been on benzodiazepines since around 2000 and having pretty accurate understanding of most all benzodiazepine generics. I currently am prescribed 120 2mg alprazolam and 150 2mg colonies a month. I do agree with Greenstein being one of top three generics. Personally I have found that the Purepack is no.1 to me. Regardless federal law requires all generics for all meds to only have up to a 10% difference from any name brand drug. So all you anxiety ridden people including myself, the mind is a tricky thing, so don't psych yourself out.GDF for life. Jerry Garcia forever.
Wow! Greenstone's do nothing at all for me.
Reason I even started requesting "Greenstone's"in the late 1990's was BC if you read up on it Greenstone's are made by the SAME company who makes BRAND xanax.Alot of healthcare professionals,pharmacists even,say there is absolutely no difference between brand name xanax and Greenstone's except the imprint and, of course... the price! Lol ( 90 brand xanax about 400.00 where I live as opposed to $29.00 or so for 90 Greenstone's lol) I also find the yellow purepac/actavis 2mg tablets imprint " r039" are also VERY good quality and are affordable. Those can be filled at any Walgreen's as its their in-house generic. Pick up Greenstone's at local mom n pop pharmacies and sometimes CVS. Greenstone's seem to be the most popular tablet available due to its popularity :) Again I hope I have been of some help!
My local CVS no longer has Greenstone :-(
I tried to wean over to generic... Greenstone I felt would be a good choice. I tried but find they deliver the dose quickly... and wear off quickly... to the point my muscles ache & I feel sick - I really want to not have to pay $300 month... pharmacist(s) have told me that the generics can be made differently from batch to batch. My psychiatrist says rarely has he seen a PT be able to switch from name brand to generic. If you start off generic maybe it would be less noticeable. He also said the difference is allowed to be 20%, not 10. For the person who says it's all in our heads that we notice a difference, please realize it may be your perception but it's a known FACT - not imagined - there are differences. It's criminal, in my opinion, that we are told no differences & there absolutely are. I might try the Pureapack several have mentioned. I'd love to get off Xanax, anyone know an expert in GABA receptors & getting off this drug?
Looks like Greenstone has changed their formula recently. I called them and they are not talking. Not as good as they used to be. I need them to sleep after a TBI Concussion. The Doctors don't know. They are brainwashed by big Pharma totally. Some pharmacists are more in the know. If Big Pharma can save money by cutting corners, the executives get bonus and we get the shaft.
Mylan is the company Rite Aid is now carrying. They are constantly changing. I feel like all my meds are sugar pills these days
I know you wrote this in AUG 2012 and I am unsure of the exact year real Xanax broke off from greenstone. The reason the date seems confusing is because many places still had a years worth after the cut off. So the last time I had greenstone that was the real Xanax was March 2014. I do think they separated before that but I was lucky w a place that had old stalk. Then I move to a new state March 2014, ask for greenstone again but this time I do not feel it, subtle shakes and it dissolves under tongue in two seconds not the real 4 minutes it used to. So, now I take sandoz. I tried a lot and it is ok, nothing like old greenstone but old greenstoen was real Xanax but xanax said it only wants high end clients so they cut ties w greenstone. Before on the real stuff if I quit I went through terrible withdrawals, now w this stuff I may not be able to sleep but no other withdrawals, such as nightmares, etc.
I have taken generic alprazolam by Dava for 12 years, I have been with my pharmacy for 3 yrs, always I have gotten my alprazolam by Dava, last month I was given yellow ones, I suffered that month, found a pharmacy that carries Sandoz, took a chance tried them, they're ok but not as good as Dava. This month I called my pharmacy to ask if they will have the Dava brand this month, the person checked and said we have Par, then 3 days later my pharmacy called and said we do have Dava, I said 3 days ago I called to check and the girl said you have Par, she said they were the same.e thing, My question is how can they be the same and different names???
Hello tejas. Generics differ amongst themselves. Its a hit and miss to the one(s) that work best for you. Following are GENERIC XANAX manufacturers. Sandoz Pharmaceuticals--- Greenstone--- Actavis Elizabeth--- Apotheca Inc. Regards, pledge
* And--- Mylan Pharmaceuticals
Thanks pledge!! I am assuming that Sandoz is either one of the better alternatives or the most dispensed of the generics. In many of the questions and responses to others questions that name is at the front of the line. Thanks for responding!!
Hello again tejas. As of the generics the two that over the years, reading up on most people preference side with Teva and Mylan. (both giants in generics) They make literally hundreds of generic brands) but again, trial and error. Its such a competive business. Billion dollar industry alone meaning generic. I might do some reading up and if I do happen to find you an answer, will post it. pledge
Thanks pledge. I did a bit of investigating myself an came up with a general consensus that Greenstone LLC is the next best thing,so I'll be trying that one for the next 3 months. I'll certainly post my thoughts on that brand when they arrive.And please DO let me know if you come up with anything too!!!
Thanks again
Sandoz is a reputable company too if you need to try another one.
Thanks mama!!
we got some generic from the mylan company which are awful
samdoz are like taking candy they don't work for me and I have been taking.them for 20 years. My insurance won't pay for the real and tried to get them to pay what the can n I pay rest but no. And your getting ripped off if you have to pay 400.00 keep researching and you will find what WORKS. Good luck
kaismama: You may consider Sandoz a reputable company but there Alprazolam is not the same as Greenstone. You are speculating.
I assume you know that these generics are made in third world countries. The FDA says that there can be a variance of 3.5% of the active ingredient. Some of the companies have a 10% variance and then look at the fillers!!! On one of the generics, part of the filler was wood chips. I found this on the internet. No wonder we go from one generic to the next trying to find something that works. The FDA only controls those under patent in the USA. Even some of those are made in Canada, Ireland, etc. Then there is cross contamination coming from whatever company is used overseas. Yikes!! This tells me something about our pharma companies.
Thanks for company names. Connie, wood chips ! OMG. Now for sure I'll 'swallow' (get it - swallow ) paying for name brand. I knew generics can be made in other countries & same company can randomly change countries, ingredients, whatever they please - I ask if made in USA - but when you said FDA doesn't check - that's shocking that some have wood chips.
ACtavis is like taking candy I get withdrawal. How do I get Walmart to change to another company???
They are giving me trouble.
avoid Actavis
You forgot Dava Pharmaceuticals.
Greenstone is the best generic brand to me personally, which is why pharmacies are having trouble getting it. It's always on back order. Sandor is the second best, from there it's how your body responds to the rest. Milan is the last resort, which really you might as well try to call around every pharmacy near you and find out who carries the best bands. Right now I'm forced to try actives, so if anyone has tried it please let me know how well it works.
Good Luck!
Sandoz is one of the weaker(possibly the weakest) alprazolam generics I've encountered. I can think of three others that are much better, and they come in yellow, green, and white bars (lower doses as well). The Sandoz bar, GG249, can be mistaken for something else entirely. Very weak, you can get sick if moving from another mfr to Sandoz. If that is somehow the fault of the binder (skeptical) than address that. Sandoz is quite clearly built differently; it does not orally disintegrate very easily, and the taste is markedly different.
There has to be more then one company making generic xanax. I would try the generic, and if it doesn't work, ask the pharmacy to try to get it from another company. According to drugstore.com you're getting cheated for the brand name. If your insurance is paying 50% you shouldn't be paying more then $240. That's still outrageous for a drug that's been around since I was a young person. When are these drug companies going to stop worrying about how much they can stick in their ceo's pockets, and care something for their fellow man.
Thanks for the comment kaismama. This IS the problem. I already have tried the generics that are offered at all the pharmacies. I live in a town of about 25,000 and we have 6 pharmacies.I wish hubby would just let me get the name brand,as I have a 1200.00 maximum cap on the insurance,so I would only need to pay for it for 3 months. Unfortuneately, he falls in with the "All generics are the same as name brand, because they have to" group. He was okay with it when the copay was 45.00,with the odd tantrum every now and then over generic,which is why I went with generic at all 6 pharmacies.Still hoping some might answer with a specific pharmaceutical name that I can search for.
my nternist told me they can have a 60% difference depending on the company that makes them. mylan co. is the worst. you need the generics made by the top brand companies. i ask my pharmacy to show me what is in stock. the dark blue oval ones are the best. if they don't have those go to another pharmacy. you can go through mini withdrawals with the weak ones. or take more a day and run out, either way your screwed
So true between the drug companies and Insurance companies we have no chance of getting ahead.It's a no win problem
Debb, Your Internist is nuts and just does not like generic companies look at the F.D.A. WEB SITE AND READ ABOUT GENERICS THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS BINDERS AND at most no company encluding brand name can be off by more than 3.5% plus or minus on a generic brand.chuck1957
I was getting Greenstone from Publix. They changed to Sandoz and didn't tell me. OMG a terrible time until I realized and asked the pharmacist and they admitted they changed brands. They look exactly the same~! The brand is never noted on the bottle I receive. Found Costco had Greenstone and I was ok for a year and then they changed brands and didn't tell me. Omg another discovery and nights of sleep depravation again. Called Greenstone. They told me to try some small local pharmacy and perhaps better luck. Visited many pharmacy and finally found a small one who had some Greenstone on the shelf and the last month was ok. Why are they different and why do they all look exactly the same?? Believe me, generics are not all the same~!!
Lots of companies make Alprazolam (Generic Xanax) but they are not the same. Generics are supposed to be the same but they are NOT~! Greenstone brand appears to be the same as Xanax and believe they are made by the same company.
Alprazolam was first released by Upjohn (now a part of Pfizer). Upjohn named it Xanax. It is covered under U.S. Patent 3,987,052, which was filed on 29 October 1969. Founded in 1993, GREENSTONE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer Inc and they make the generic Alprazolam that works for me. I believe it is the same as the brand Xanax after taking it for 9 years to help with a traumatic brain injury problem (Insomnia). Other generics are very different and I have a terrible reaction with them.
Those dark blue ones u are talking about are the worst ones u could ever take. Just taste one and u will know there is something wrong with that kind of Xanax. Stay away from it.
Again, while I agree about expense, if you read the comments you'd see people ARE trying different brands. I'm sure you're 'trying' to be 'helpful' but you say you have never use Xanax. If so, why are you joining in this discussion with 'shaming' unknowing advice? What would help would be to spend your time first educating yourself about generics and get back with truly helpful information about each company (which can change manufacturing process or ingredients at will) and give us a list of ingredients, delivery system and statistics on anyone who has success using generic, changing from name brand to generic. Thank you !
My comment showed up underneath someone else's comment. It was meant for kaismama. Apologies to anyone else, the rest of you have helped tremendously and I thank you. CVS just told me they recently changed the 2 mg to Greenstone. I found the .25 gave me withdrawal but since the way my dosing goes, I might try the 2 mg (I use .25 & 2 mg rather than .5 or 1 mg because food coloring bothers me. I take .5 in AM, .5 at noon, 1 mg at 6 & 1.25 at bedtime. I may go back to getting all .5's (orange) name brand, new dr wrote it & I saved $100 month that way. Goodnight all for now. These posts give me hope & more acceptance of paying the high price for name brand.
The doctor is so wrong he or she is getting all there info from the salesrep. Better look in the orange book by the FDA by law the maximum difference in brand name and generic is 3.5 to 4% in any one batch of medication. This includes taking blood levels from patients at different hours and it still has to be that range if it's done at 3 hours or 6 hours the biggest problems are binders in the medications but the active drug has got to be the same. Look for the post that I put up when i explained it or go to the Fda DRUG site right here and check it out.
I am really happy to have found this site. I totally understand that there are many generic brand's that work very differently than others. I'm not sure but the white 2mlg with the imprint GG 249 I think it is Sandoval, but it is so horrible. As above the person who is stating that they all must have the same amounts may be right, but that has nothing to do with how they are compounded an that's why some work and others you feel do nothing. I've been on this as well as Valium and I can tell there is a difference the second I put it under my tongue. I've asked my specialist and I have been told that the cheaper ones do not work as the other yellows or even green ones, because it's the way that they are released and I have had an Oncologist call a pharmacy and have it out over the phone because Malincrot literally any of there drugs make me I'll. So now when I first start with a new pharmacy I put down allergic to Malincrot.
The white ones that CVS carries with GG 249 for me have been by far the worst case scenario I have ever been through. It's worth asking ahead what type they offer. Health Marts you have a choice. Walgreens have carried the yellow 2mlg an are as close to the name brand possible.manufactored by Actavis, also your local medicine shop. It's not worth being stuck with the generic brand's that don't work. An you should not be afraid of requesting the information from the pharmacy. We have a right to look into the drug we are taking. Good luck an I hope this will help in some way.
I agree, ACT alprazolam does not work for me Dr thinks i'm nuts, did research and found different companies use different fillers!! Sandoz works but its mail order and I cant depend on that.Sandoz works!! I have done a 3 week trial with both.
I have been taking .5 four times a day for almost 35 years for panic disorder. I had been using Dava's generic but it was switched to Sandoz. I could tell the difference immediately. The Sandoz starts to wear off in about three hours... with the Dava I was fine for 5-6 hours between dosing. My problem is that I just had it filled for 90 days and I need to get approval to have it filled again and am going around and around with the insurance. There definitely is a difference in the generics!
Chuck, I'm not sure how you can be so adamant that all generics always work as well as name brands and among the other generics. Different fillers are digested differently. This doesn't make a difference for most people. However, pharmacists and doctors agree there are people for whom the fillers set off an "allergic" reaction, maybe "sensitivity" is a better word, and the actual drug is not going through the body as effectively as it would in others. I have a bunch of allergies, lupus, Sjögren's, acid reflux, etc. and unfortunately it means I take a bunch of medications. There have been times that we speculated that adding a new drug, or replacing it with a generic, sent me over some threshold of a particular filler also used in one of my regular meds. I could take either Drug A with filler z and it work fine, or Drug B with filler z, but taking them both significantly reduced their effectiveness.
I notice that a lot of these comments are from a couple of years ago when pharmacies usually carried one or two brands of generics for a long time. Now with health care system changes it is a lot more difficult. Find a pharmacy and pharmacist you like and keep your doctor up to date on what's happening. A year or so ago I was on Norfolk for a few months after an injury. They worked fine, then BAM, they gave me a different manufacturer's generic and I had virtually pain relief at all. Pharmacies can't afford to keep the stock they once could, and generic manufacturers from which they are buying meds from changes week to week. Bless the pharmacists at my little Rite Aid who, when the generic we knew worked came in stock they actually set aside with my name on it.
Hey there so I see this thread is rather old but did you know that your pharmacy is responsible for ordering any generic you ask them to order. My experience has been that the yellow and green rectangular (bars) are the best. If you do some research and find a different generic that you haven't tried them pharmacy should order them for you free of charge!
we have been through this in the past if you read back and see greenstone is the best and possible exactly like xanax but generic. the other generics are not the same as you will see as you read back a long time. that is the whole issue~! not only that, some are saying the new batches of greenstone are not the same and many are upset.
Greenstone
Activist aka purepac bought them.
Sandos
Mylan
Quietest
Dava I believe discontinued green 1s
That's my best to worst except qualytest.never tried
Walgreens gives yellows CVS mylan rite aid they could have every 1 caus they buy cheapest that month stop and shop sandos
I stick with Rite aid and whatevr manufacture I prefer they get by 3pm the next day I just learned this just stuck with Walgreens yellow ones pure pack or now activist are good greenstone the best .sandos 3rd I won't accept anything but those 3
Why would anybody even buy the brand name when you Can get the green stone brand which is owned by Pfizer and Xanax has made in the same lab as the Pfizer brand name Xanax and they had the exact same inactive ingredients in there what’s called an authorized generic which are different than regular generic look them up
Agreed.
Today is June 8th, 2021..some time since original question was asked.
Myself, I've been (off and on) since their Inception and for the last 19 years it's been generics all the time. I know a bit about the different pharmaceutical companies that manufacturer the generics. Yes, it is true about the different fillers. In my humble, yet experienced View, Greenstone© is the best and closest to the original. Greenstone© is manufactured or affiliated with Pfizer©. As you may know, Pfizer© is a well-known and highly respected company. For a reason!
Best regards,
Kevinb1953
Related topics
xanax, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, pharmacy, generic
Further information
- Xanax uses and safety info
- Xanax prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Xanax (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.