Pfizer Xanax -vs- Generic Alprazolam Xanax

[JOHNNY LATS]

My doc prescribed me 2MG Xanax to relieve anxiety. The first month I got the non-generic brand name Pfizer Xanax which worked like a charm. I took them as needed and that was it. Obviously generic's are far more cheaper than the brand name, so this month I tried the generic Xanax (2MG Alprazolam) and they do not compare to the brand nam ones at all. All they do is put me to sleep within 30 minutes and do nothing for stress. Is this normal that there is such a noticeable difference? My doctor told me there was a significant difference between brand name and generic's when it come to "benzo's". Can anyone say they agree or have experienced what I have?
When these runn out, you can bet I'll pay the $40.00 and get the brand name (as opposed to $12.00 for generic).

[JustSomeGuy]

I was on Xanax several times before. And, I experienced the same exact thing as you. I was on 4 mg/day, and at one point, I was on 8 mg/day (too much!). But I will say this about brand name and generic. I noticed that not only did the generic work not anywhere as well as the brand name, it was slower to take effect. And that is not a good thing when anxiety or panic attacks strike you. I noticed that the real Xanax used to relieve symptoms in roughly 10 minutes, or less (never timed it, just guessing from experience), whereas the generic took substantially longer to take effect. I'm off that drug for some time now, and happy about it too. I had a few bad experiences that turned me off to it. Like once, when I was on 8 mg/day, I had a real a**hole doctor who was prescribing it to me. Well, after being on that sort of a dose for like three months, me and him have a big disagreement during one of my office visits. Well, after I left the office, he called the pharmacy and cut my dose from 8 mg/day, to -get this - 1/2 mg/day. Thats right! No tapering, just all of a sudden dropped me by 7.5 mg with no warning. Needless to say that withing like 12-18 hours, I suffered a seizure - I totally lost all muscle control and just dropped to the ground and started shaking uncontrollably for what seemed like forever. And it was the dead of winter with no one around to help me. Things eventually worked out for me (not him and me though, just me) and now I am off those pills. But they were effective. I just had some bad experiences mainly due to irresponsible psychiatrists who were prescribing them like candy to me.

[Dave87666]

Just some guy--Sorry to hear that! I would sue that Dr. because what he did is VERY wrong(malpractice),and he SHOULD have known about benzo w/d...I am NOT into law suits at all,but with this one I'd want to do something about it..Im sure that drop in dose is what caused your seizure...He should have not only warned you that he was going to ween you,but also ACTUALLY ween you! What a dumbass..

[JustSomeGuy]

SOme number of years ago, I was on Xanax. My dosage ranged from 4mg/day to 8mg/day. I had both the name brand and generic (not sure which generic), but I do remember there being a difference. One of the biggest differences I noticed was how fast the name brand took effect. And when you are in the middle of panic attack, the last thing you want to do is wait for some cheap substitute to begin to work., as minutes seem like hours at those times. Name brand literally took effect in minutes (5-10 minutes, maybe, somewhere in there), And they didn't put me to sleep. They did what they were supposed to do, which I cannot say the generic did for me.
I am beginning to be a believer that this stuff that doctors and pharmacists tell you about generics being exactly the same thing is a crock of BS (If interested, see my post on Adderall vd Barr generic). I do not know what the chemical composition or whatever it is that makes them different, but in my experience over the years with a number of different frugs, the name brand has always worked better in some way or another when compared to the generic. I simply don't buy into this "they're the same thing" line anymore. At least in my case - and it may be different for others - the name brand is generally superior to generic for just about any drug I have been on, and had both the name and generic to compare.

[rhollusstar]

Yes, indeed there can be a difference between generic and brand benzodiazepines. Just as well, there is oftentimes a difference between generics. I have had generic lorazepams which did not phase my panic attacks, and other brands did just fine, for example. I have noticed that the generics I have tried in Xanax did differ from the brand name samples I used. Some of the generics were close enough to the brand to keep buying. Bottom line: stick with the brand that works for you best.

[DanMcc]

A friend of mine (whom I happen to trust) is taking a third generation anti-psychotic. Since it is a fairly new drug, the patent hasn't expired so there are no generics on the american market. Thus, he had to get it from a Canadian pharmacy. To make sure they are the same thing, he tracked the brand name pill, and the generic to the factory they were made in India. They were made in the same factory from the same chemicals.

Also, I would be skeptical of anything posted on an open forum (do not trust me about what i posted ^^, check it out for yourself). Pharmaceutical companies are just as able to post on these sites as anyone else.

[MindThing]

I've heard some of this generics just simply dont have the MG's in the pill it's suppose to have. It make look and feel like a 2MG but in reality it's a 1.7 for example. So it's not so much a chemical thing it's the manufacturing process. However I don't know how valid that is I've just heard that through other forums and things of that nature.

[LaPlaceDude31]

I've taken brand name Xanax from Pfizer a few years ago. Now I am taking 2 mg. generic Alprazolam and for the first month or so the pills were (yellow and in bar form). I went to a different pharmacy this month to get my script filled and I received (round, white pills). These different pills are terrible. I was breaking the yellow ones in half and they did control much of my anxiety symptoms. I was used to taking 1/2 twice a day. With these white round pills I can't break them in half easily and they often end up in pieces.
I first noticed the difference in it's strength and decided to take the whole pill around noon or so. All these white, round pills do is leave me frustrated, (still anxious) and drowsy. I didn't have these problems with the yellow, bar shaped pills I was taking and frankly I'm a little pissed off. What am I supposed to do?

[ayla87]

I've taken brand name Xanax from Pfizer a few years ago. Now I am taking 2 mg. generic Alprazolam and for the first month or so the pills were (yellow and in bar form). I went to a different pharmacy this month to get my script filled and I received (round, white pills). These different pills are terrible. I was breaking the yellow ones in half and they did control much of my anxiety symptoms. I was used to taking 1/2 twice a day. With these white round pills I can't break them in half easily and they often end up in pieces.
I first noticed the difference in it's strength and decided to take the whole pill around noon or so. All these white, round pills do is leave me frustrated, (still anxious) and drowsy. I didn't have these problems with the yellow, bar shaped pills I was taking and frankly I'm a little pissed off. What am I supposed to do?

You are probably stuck like Chuck for the duration of the month. You'll have to count it as a lesson learned. I live in a rural area, right at the state line, and on my side, there are only 2 pharmacies I can use. When I try to take my scripts across the state line, the pharmacists always say they're not familiar with my doctor! I don't know why - it's less than 15-20 minutes away, with NOTHING in-between! But the one pharmacy is right next to my doctor's clinic, so it's real convenient, especially since they tend to schedule me in the afternoons. That doesn't give me time to make it to my other pharmacy I'd rather use, but they obviously have the better brands. The lousy pharmacy seems to specialize in the ???? medicine, I got burned once, then I got burned again, on a medicine they suddenly changed brands for some reason! They gave me the green Dava 1 mg at one point, and they sucked big-time! I was sooooo mad! But, the pharmacist looked at me like I was crazy when I told him there was a difference. It wasn't even worth taking them. But, a lot of doctors and pharmacists will tell you there is no difference in the generics, but there is! The FDA allows generic manufacturers up to a 20% reduction in the actual medicine. I have a high tolerance to benzos, but I really need them. I've had panic disorder and GAD most of my life, not to mention, I've had trauma after trauma, and even now, I'm in a violent situation that keeps me anxious. This new doctor (a psychologist) prescribed me 1 mg klonopin, and that REALLY isn't doing anything for me. Has anyone else had an experience like this with the klonopin? Around here, they're very conservative, and the ones who will prescribe, make you come back every month, give no refills, charge you twice as much as their other patients, and it's so frustrating that they're so scared to prescribe, they don't always treat the problem appropriately. So, yeah, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you're in the same boat with the rest of us, trying to work through this benzo maze we're in. I'm still confused myself!