I occasionally take .5mg of Teva clonazepam for nerve pain. I find there is quite a lot of variation in the effectiveness of the tablets -- some work 100% well and some only 50-70%. I was wondering if this is due to it being a generic. Any thoughts?
Does generic clonazepam (Teva) work as well as brand Klonopin?
Question posted by PattyP11 on 14 July 2014
Last updated on 22 November 2023
36 Answers
gquin
22 Nov 2023
The generic bioactive compounds are strictly regulated ... it depends what you ate, when you ate, and when you take them.
They have always worked consistently for me because I eat very healthy ... nutrition is very important! I take them on an empty stomach!!
Klonopin works great ... Teva can't even come close ... generic is substandard!
Harmony22
22 Nov 2023
I totally agree. Teva used to be great until they brought back their different formulation.
Do you take the Klonopin?
Thanks.
Harmony22
20 Nov 2023
I have been on the .5mg of Teva and have found there are big differences in the batches.
The last batch has caused horrible nausea and withdrawal symptoms.
The variation is too much.
Teva used to be great before they discontinue and brought back the new formulation.
They claim it is the same, but not true.
I may have to go to H2 brand klonopin.
TheE10
12 Nov 2023
I take 1mg of the Teva -generic Klonopin, 2x daily for panic disorders caused by anxiety , & sometimes for insomnia.
Years ago , I was on the generic Xanax for the same things.
For over the last 20 years I have a job that needs me to be alert at all times as I am a CNC programmer /Machinist.
I prefer the clonazepam over the alprazolam . Alprazolam for me, kicks in way too fast & too strong, wearing off in about 3 to 4 hours.. far too quickly in my opinion . Where as 4me, the clonazepam takes effect slower , lasts longer with its longer half life, and I'm not freaking out during my work shift or the next morning, having a panic attack & needing to take a dose right away. I drink plenty of water each day. I've cut far back on the intake of sodas. Especially dark sodas .
I get plenty exercise & I find that my supervisory role @ my job, is much easier to perform , having this miracle working drug in my system.
I say miracle working drug, because for me , that is what it is. I believe it is the same, too,
for many other people. Thats of course when they are not being abused.
Years ago, i was taking 10mg of generic DAN, diazepam 3times daily. All the discussion on the differences between generic and name brand , reminded me that the Dan blue tablets 10 mg diazepam, and the yellow Dan 5 mg diazepam, were far superior to both the really junk orange 5mg & green 10mg tabs.
All generics, in my well experienced opinion, absolutely most definitely ,are not the same, period! I honestly feel there shouldn't be so many variations of the name brand in generic form. If there was only one generic version which was produced by the same manufacturer of the name brand, then and only then the statement the pharmacist says " the generic is the same exact drugs as the name brand" would absolutely hold water all the time . Because all pharmacies get the generic brand(s) for pennies on the dollar, compared to the name brand. To me obviously that is realistically the only possible means they are able to charge so much less. if it's really the and also why they pushed the substitute the generic.
I would venture to say tho, they would be exactly the same, if produced by the same exact company that makes the name brand of the drug.
Who knows if that will ever happen there seems to be a new versions color shapes sizes and manufacturers of every medication I take almost every month or every other month price fluctuations as well having to pay cash now without insurance that works on prescriptions also specifically) these last few months has not been easy any recommendations on cheap health insurance for a single no dependent male who will be 50 next year?
kevinb1953
2 July 2023
Hello.
All generics are not made the same. They all have the same active ingredients but the fillers may be different. Plus everyone's system(s) are not alike.
The fillers can act on a drugs effectiveness by dispersing the main ingredients at different levels which will cause different absorption rates in some people. Not in all people but a lot of people. Some generics are made by the exact same company but most are not. When costs are affected companies can use different fillers and that's why they are generics. As long as the main ingredient is the exact same in the exact amount is all the (FDA) regulations calls for. It's the fillers that are a problem for some people, in my humble opinion.
Ask your trusted pharmacist for more information, as that is their main responsibly (to know all about medications).
Best Regards,
kevin
gquin
1 July 2023
Has absolutely nothing to do with the medication ... tablets are all 100% identical. The problem is your system ... you're diet intake varies which affects the drug efficacy. I eat an organic healthy diet and Teva is very effective each time I used it!
Quando62
12 Nov 2023
Exactly!!! Taken both Klonopin and Teva generic, works without knocking me out going on 20 years!!!
Satori3636
30 June 2023
I realize how old this thread is but I wanted to give my two cents worth. For me I have been taking clonazepam for at least 20 years. I don't even remember which brand I started with but I know a few years ago I ended up with the original Teva which worked fine. And then my Pharmacy switch to Accord brand and I found them far superior to anything else I've taken including the brand from Roche. I am scripted for 1 mg three times daily and sometimes with the Accord I would forget to take my afternoon dose so on good days I could get away with one every 12 hours. Now Accord is no longer being manufactured and I was given the new Teva which did not work for me at all. I went back to the pharmacy to show them that I wasn't crazy and my hands were shaking and I had anxiety almost constantly for the first week or so. After that they seem to last about 7 hours and then I would get a sick stomach and had to deal with that three times a day for 90 minutes.
60 Minutes to wait to take the next tablet and 30 minutes for it to kick in. I found out my insurance covers the brand Klonopin so I switched to that and it works far better than Teva but not quite as good in my opinion as the Accord. As I said the Accord lasted about 12 hours and the brand lasts about 10. I find it strange that different people have such different reactions to different brands although as they say everybody's body chemistry is different and lower down this thread I responded to someone who claims that all generics are equal. Feel free to scroll down and read what I found. It was from an abstract on WebMD so it wasn't some off the wall post.
I hope everyone finds what they're looking for because I understand the horrors of benzo withdrawal.
Good luck to everyone and take care.
S.
TodJay
8 June 2023
For me, therapeutically, the TEVA ODT/wafers worked the best, next, would be the Solco Health Care regular tablets, and third, the Sun Pharma ODT/wafers, 4th, Accord Health Care regular tablets, and 5th Teva Regular Tablets, because they gave me chest pains, and I didn't feel much therapeutic effects.
TKMarsh711
21 Sep 2022
I actually have to take the name brand of Klonopin. My insurance does not pay for it. I haven't tried the Teva brand since a few years ago when they changed it. Does it work well now? I may have to try it.
Quando62
20 Sep 2022
Teva is the closest
generic to Klonopin. Takes a little bit more to dissolve than Accord but nearly identical, been taking 1mg 4 times a day since 1998
Kicavok
1 March 2020
Come on people! I am sick of hearing about generics being 20% less in strength. This is just simply NOT true! The chemical composition of the drugs have to be identical to the T (molecule for molecule). The only thing that varies from time to time is the bio-availability or how well your body absorbs the active ingredient, clonazepam! And it can vary from a small margin of about ~ 1% to 3%. I have confirmed this fact with multiple pharmacists whom I trust... A LOT!
The only people whose opinions really matter are the one's who are taking Klonopin for muscle spasms and seizures, or any other PHYSICAL reason. Not like me, who takes it for anxiety / mania.
They can tell you whether or not a generic company's drug is working better than we can because detecting physical changes day to day given the physical disease, it's much easier to see changes in prescription medication.
God I hope this helps! Stop reading about generics. What If one day you felt awful on Activas/Mylan/TEVA and asked for the Brand Name Roche? What if for the next month you felt as though you were NOW getting the correct drug and dosage??? And what if you went back to refill at the end of the month and the pharmacist looked at you and said, "You know, we weren't giving you Roche Brand name this past month! You were getting Mylan all along. It was all a test to see IF IT WAS IN YOUR MIND PLAYING TRICKS ON YOU"
Discovering2018
15 Dec 2018
Teva is one of the largest distributors of generic drugs in the US. It is an Israeli company whose corporate office is in Kansas. I am not sure if they contract out the making of their medication. However, I would start by reading the label and scouring the internet for information as I have done.
However, I do take clonazepam - the 1mg dose. This is prescribed by my doctor and is filled at the local pharmacy. I have noticed that the 1mg is not working; so I did some digging. I found out that my pills are from Accord Pharmaceuticals (on the label). Accord Pharmaceuticals is located in Durham, NC and buys clonazepam from Inlas Pharmaceutical LTD, which is located in Ahmedabad, India. So, that means that my generic Klonopin is made in India.
The funny part is that it is illegal for us to buy medicine from India but somehow the FDA has approved Accord Pharmaceuticals to allow them to import what they claim to be Clonazepam from India (of all places!)
I looked into buying the real Klonopin and it costs over $200 for one month. I want to know how Indian medication is being approved by the FDA!
RES1068
6 Nov 2018
It is my understanding that TEVA bought Actavis. TEVA stopped making their generic Klonopin (yellow pills) early this year and switched to selling the formulation by Actavis (pink pills) this summer. I have taken generic Klonopin for 15 years. TEVA has always worked best for me, and their new formula from Actavis also works well.
The generic that gives me problems is the one made by Accord (orange pills). They are completely useless for me. Unfortunately that was what CVS gave me when I picked up my RX last week. I wish pharmacies would let us know when they switch generics. It makes a huge difference with mental health meds. Not all generics are effective!
Klonz
6 Nov 2018
I’ve also been on TEVA for 15 years and am scared to switch to Actavis.
Did u need to do a dosage adjustment upward for the switch? Also, what differences, if any, have you noticed with TEVA vs Actavis?
RES1068
6 Nov 2018
Hi Klonz,
I did not notice any difference between the .5 Teva (yellow pills) and the Actavis (pink pills). They were equally effective for me. No dosage increase needed.
But, I had been taking the Accord (orange pills) for two months before switching to Actavis. (Teva had stopped production and no pharmacy in town could get it so they were all dispensing Accord.) So I didn't go straight from Teva to Actavis.
That being said, going from Accord (orange pills) to Actavis (pink pills) was a huge relief! Actavis felt as effective for me as the Teva (yellow pills). It was like going from useless sugar pills to being back on my correct dose.
Medlinkcc
25 Sep 2018
Yes absolutely. Month to month you can “request your pharmacy” refill only one kind of manufacturer..☀️Than talk to your Dr. if you need dose adjustment.
Good Luck
allsugar50
16 Sep 2018
Been on Teva brand clonazepam for 8 years(4mg per day) for seizures. Per call to Teva, they bought out Activas and Teva said they are using Activas formula now. Just got Teva brand after they said they quit making it. It was a sugar pill, had a bad reaction. Weird from one month to the next of no problems then bad reaction. The lady at the CVS pharmacy showed me the medication before I got it. Looked like TEVA but had a reaction to it. 1st time that happened. Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it is the same. Had the same reaction to another brand Accord. This is playing with peoples lives. I take it for seizures. I know when it works and when it doesn't. I haven't had any side effects in the 8 years of taking Teva till now. Now the doctors dont want to give you something else you can take. Brand name from Genetech Roche I haven't tried. It costs over $300 who can afford that every month. I called them for financial aid. They said sorry we don't provide financial aid anymore. Imagine that.
275northwestswell
18 Sep 2018
I've been on the name brand by Roche now for a few months (see my comments above). I get it pretty inexpensively, around $10 for a month's supply because our insurance is pretty good. But honestly, it's not TEVA. I have not felt the same since I started the Roche. I have more energy, but TEVA worked so much better on the whole. I am so sad for all of us that were depending on TEVA to keep symptoms at bay and now we are all suffering.
KEE33
30 Dec 2018
Are you still on the name brand? If so, how is it working for you now that it has been a while? I am on the Activas brand 1 mg after being on TEVA for 21 years and it isnt touching my anxiety at ALL. I am having horrible chest tightness and shortness of breath. My doctor switched me to Diazepam (actually made by TEVA) and I only took 1/2 and it made me so nauseated :( I feel like I am suffering ...
Addie138
23 July 2018
Ive noticed recently that Accord brand are very strong and give me a hangover type feeling if I take the prescribed dose. I was able to cut back on my meds some so in a way it was a good thing. I always took Teva before which worked good but I never felt hungover or like I could cut back. Im curious if anyone had a good experience with Accord or if you noticed this too. Thanks for any reply.
Shane1072
23 July 2018
I took Accord .5 for a week when Teva stopped making my usual .5. It was the worst week of my life. I'd say effectiveness was about 50% less than Teva. The doctor ended up switching me to 1mg of Teva in half doses, and worked fine. As far as I've seen, Teva won't be making new batches of Clonazepam. I wouldn't take Accord again if my anxiety depended on it. Horrible.
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klonopin, pain, neuralgia, clonazepam, generic, nerve, tablet, brand
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