Benzos Clonazepam refill...100% ineffective.

[His Name Is Frank]

Okay, so my doctor has me on Clonazepam, two 1 mg doses per day. I've been on Clonazepam for nearly a year now. Since I know I won't have Medicaid after May of next year and I probably won't be able to afford them afterwards (after all, my refills only cost fifty cents per bottle), I have been taking them very sparingly, knowing that my anxiety is going to require me to need them for a long time to come. It seems as though every time I get a refill, the pills are a different color, or they'll be thick instead of flat. They vary from refill to refill.

Anyway, I started a bottle that I received a few months ago. Now mind you that, because I use them so sparingly, I have a very low tolerance. I took one 1 mg that morning, because I knew I was going to be prone to having a panic attack. Although my anxiety was through the roof that morning, I didn't have a panic attack. Luckily for me, because the pill I took had no effect. I might as well have taken an aspirin. So I waited a few days, and I took two and a half this time. Normally, two Clonazepam at once would have me to where I would be barely able to keep my eyes open. But once again, I felt nothing.

I decided to give it one more try, plus I gave my mom one. She takes one half mg Clonazepam each night at bedtime. So, giving her one of my 1 mg would be the equivalent of her doubling her dose. As for myself, I took five this time. Now I haven't taken more than two in one day (aside from the two and a half the previous week) in years. I stopped abusing pills around a decade ago. These should have had me out for the entire day. Again, nothing! Not even so much as a yawn. My mom also called me and told me that she didn't feel anything.

With street drugs, I get it. Every once in a while, you're going to get some bunk pills. But the pharmacy? Really? I have another bottle with the exact same pills. Same shape and color. I took one, and I was more chill than a polar bear's toenails. I gave my mom one of those, and she definitely noticed a difference. I even lied and said it was from the same refill, as to avoid the placebo effect. Has anyone else experienced this? How in the hell do you get bunk pills from a pharmacy? Their pills are manufactured in a lab with state of the art equipment, ffs! How can I avoid this in the future? After all, it's not like buying a shirt from Walmart. Once you leave a pharmacy with your script, you can't return it. It's a done deal. Any input or advice would be very welcomed. Thanks.

 

[scatterday]

What's the expiry date on your clonazepam you claim is bunk and what's the expiry on your old ones you claim are active/effective?

The only thing I can suggest is to send one in for a laboratory analysis and one of your old ones to compare the peaks on the gc/ms analysis or potentially even get a quantitative analysis on them.

If they come back as inactive it could be a manufacturing fault with the pharmaceutical company and you can most likely open up a law suit against them if you wish to take that path or take matters further with the pharmacy that sold them to you.

Maybe put them both on scales to see if they weigh up the same until you can get around to sending some off for testing?

There's no way of knowing until you get them tested unfortunately and you won't know what the story is until you do.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Dam. I would take them back to the pharmacy in person and explain that you had a panic attack 2 hours after taking them and even with tripling the dose you received zero effect, Maybe embellish a bit with a tale of insomnia after said dose tripling. You might not be the only one who's had issues and hopefully the Lot / batch number can be used to report them to the manufacturer/ distributor. Even an expired batch would have some effect at 5X your normal dose. Please report back on the results.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

What's the expiry date on your clonazepam you claim is bunk and what's the expiry on your old ones you claim are active/effective?

The only thing I can suggest is to send one in for a laboratory analysis and one of your old ones to compare the peaks on the gc/ms analysis or potentially even get a quantitative analysis on them.

If they come back as inactive it could be a manufacturing fault with the pharmaceutical company and you can most likely open up a law suit against them if you wish to take that path or take matters further with the pharmacy that sold them to you.

Maybe put them both on scales to see if they weigh up the same until you can get around to sending some off for testing?

There's no way of knowing until you get them tested unfortunately and you won't know what the story is until you do.

They're only a few months old. Benzos, if properly stored, are potent for years. There's no reason at all for them to be completely ineffective. I called the pharmacy, and they gave me the runaround about some batches are ineffective for some users. Being that I gave one to my mom and she felt nothing, I'd say this batch is ineffective for ALL users. What the pharmacist said made no sense, and the way she was talking, you could tell she was just making it up as she went along.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Dam. I would take them back to the pharmacy in person and explain that you had a panic attack 2 hours after taking them and even with tripling the dose you received zero effect, Maybe embellish a bit with a tale of insomnia after said dose tripling. You might not be the only one who's had issues and hopefully the Lot / batch number can be used to report them to the manufacturer/ distributor. Even an expired batch would have some effect at 5X your normal dose. Please report back on the results.

But it's a few months old, and I'm sure they would wonder why I'm just NOW taking that batch.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

I called the pharmacy, and they gave me the runaround about some batches are ineffective for some users.What the pharmacist said made no sense, and the way she was talking, you could tell she was just making it up as she went along.

This is the usual approach by most pharmacies, I was hoping they might be familiar with a problem pertaining to the brand and would have been more helpful. Maybe try contacting a customer service rep from the manufacturer or distributor, they might be familiar with a problem, the corresponding Lot numbers and could corroborate your story to the pharm. Lastly there's the FDA but that might take a decade unless someone died from a contaminated batch or something more serious than ineffectiveness.

But it's a few months old, and I'm sure they would wonder why I'm just NOW taking that batch.

Even being a few months old shouldn't relieve them of the responsibility of providing effective meds, the timespan in which you take them is between you and your doctor. Sucks that it's such an uphill battle though.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

This is the usual approach by most pharmacies, I was hoping they might be familiar with a problem pertaining to the brand and would have been more helpful. Maybe try contacting a customer service rep from the manufacturer or distributor, they might be familiar with a problem, the corresponding Lot numbers and could corroborate your story to the pharm. Lastly there's the FDA but that might take a decade unless someone died from a contaminated batch or something more serious than ineffectiveness.



Even being a few months old shouldn't relieve them of the responsibility of providing effective meds, the timespan in which you take them is between you and your doctor. Sucks that it's such an uphill battle though.

Okay. I just got off the phone with Walgreen's customer service (I'd been calling the store directly until now) and I explained how I take them only when I need them, because I know once my Medicaid runs out in May, I won't be able to afford the doctor's visits and medications. She was very nice and polite, and told me that she would have someone from Walgreen's return my call within the next 48 hours. I doubt they'll do anything, but all I can do is try. At least I'm only out fifty cents, but it sucks to be stuck with a bottle of 40 clonazapam (there were 60, but 20 were taken over a period of a month) that are completely worthless.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

it sucks to be stuck with a bottle of 40 clonazapam (there were 60, but 20 were taken over a period of a month) that are completely worthless.

Could you share the brand with us?

 

[Coolwhip]

They should absolutely change out your pills for another batch/brand if you take them up to the pharmacy you filled them at with the bottle.

 

[scatterday]

They're only a few months old. Benzos, if properly stored, are potent for years. There's no reason at all for them to be completely ineffective.

Yeah I'm well aware of this it's just the process of elimination.

A thought that was running through my mind was the expiry date and how they were stored at the pharmacy you purchased them from.

But it sucks to be stuck with a bottle of 40 clonazapam (there were 60, but 20 were taken over a period of a month) that are completely worthless.

I can understand how you must be feeling currently.

Why did you consume 20 though out of curiosity if you knew they were inactive after the first few ones like you mentioned in your first post?

A few should have been enough to identify they weren't active.

Regardless of that, If you manage to get in contact with the pharmaceutical company and they deny claims of the batch being ineffective you can always send a sample off for gc/ms analysis and get them to provide you a quantitative analysis then email your results to the pharmaceutical company and provide the report to the pharmacy.

You might be reimbursed with a refund or another bottle.

Though it comes back to you consuming so much of the bottle you received again. They may ask why you consumed 20 if you felt like the first few were ineffective before contacting them immediately if you had concerns regarding your clonazepam.

I'd be interested in hearing which brand you purchased too, Kind of worrying you state that every time you get a script filled they appear to look different.

That would have been a huge red flag for me and I would have swapped to another brand and pharmacy straight away.

Let us know how you get on with updates.

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Benzodiazepines don't "have to" help with a panic or anxiety attack, sometimes they just take the edge off. It's somewhat proportional to how awful the panic/anxiety is, in my experience.

A year is a long time to be taking it, do you take it every day? You probably are tolerant to the effects.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Yeah I'm well aware of this it's just the process of elimination.

A thought that was running through my mind was the expiry date and how they were stored at the pharmacy you purchased them from.



I can understand how you must be feeling currently.

Why did you consume 20 though out of curiosity if you knew they were inactive after the first few ones like you mentioned in your first post?

A few should have been enough to identify they weren't active.

Regardless of that, If you manage to get in contact with the pharmaceutical company and they deny claims of the batch being ineffective you can always send a sample off for gc/ms analysis and get them to provide you a quantitative analysis then email your results to the pharmaceutical company and provide the report to the pharmacy.

You might be reimbursed with a refund or another bottle.

Though it comes back to you consuming so much of the bottle you received again. They may ask why you consumed 20 if you felt like the first few were ineffective before contacting them immediately if you had concerns regarding your clonazepam.

I'd be interested in hearing which brand you purchased too, Kind of worrying you state that every time you get a script filled they appear to look different.

That would have been a huge red flag for me and I would have swapped to another brand and pharmacy straight away.

Let us know how you get on with updates.

Well, Walgreen's isn't going to do anything. It's kind of my fault, since I have bottles that date back from as far as nine months ago, and I think, while counting them one day, I got some switched up with the wrong bottles. Below is a pic of the exact pills I have. But again, I have another bottle, the exact same pills, and they floor me. It's baffling. From here on out, I will take a pill from my newest prescription, to make sure they're good. That way, if this ever happens again, Walgreen's will be able to switch them out for me.

*I haven't uploaded pics on this site in years, and thought I could directly upload it from my saved pics. At any rate, here's a link to what mine looks like, fourth row down, green, M on the front, C/14 on the back.

https://www.drugs.com/clonazepam-images.html

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Benzodiazepines don't "have to" help with a panic or anxiety attack, sometimes they just take the edge off. It's somewhat proportional to how awful the panic/anxiety is, in my experience.

A year is a long time to be taking it, do you take it every day? You probably are tolerant to the effects.

I'm supposed to take them every day, two 1 mg, one in the morning and one at night. But I only take them when I absolutely need them, because after May, I doubt I'll have Medicaid. As it is now, my doctor's visits are free and my refills are fifty cents. So I store them. My tolerance is very low. In fact, I have another bottle that has the exact same clonazepam (same color, lettering, number, shape). I took one to see if I had two bunk prescriptions on my hands, and I fell asleep within 40 minutes. I woke up four hours later, feeling so relaxed and in my own skin. That prescription was even older than the one that had zero effect. Also, if I had to estimate, I'd say I take twenty or less a month, depending on how bad my anxiety or risk of a panic attack is. I'd rather be on them for life, then go back to life before them. My life now is crap, but at least I have a life jacket when things get really bad.

In the past, when I abused pills instead of actually using them to help my anxiety and panic attacks, my girlfriend at the time found a bottle of clonazepam in her grandmother's room that had expired nearly five years earlier. So they were actually nearly six years old. We took a couple to test them out, and they were just as potent as a new script. Clonazepam has a very high shelf life, if stored properly, in a cool, dry area. Mine are definitely in the best environment possible. I just chalk it up as a loss, some bizarre incident that I've never had happened to me before. Hell, I've never heard ANYONE with a similar story. Sure, you get bunk pills on the streets all the time. That's the nature of the game. But bunk prescription pills? That's a new one on me.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Could you share the brand with us?

https://www.drugs.com/clonazepam-images.html

This little guy right here. It's the exact same one as what I have. And again, I have another prescription with these exact same pills. I took one of those to test it, fell asleep 40 minutes later, and I woke up feeling tip top. It's bizarre as hell.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

https://www.drugs.com/clonazepam-images.html


This little guy right here. It's the exact same one as what I have. And again, I have another prescription with these exact same pills. I took one of those to test it, fell asleep 40 minutes later, and I woke up feeling tip top. It's bizarre as hell.

So it's Mylan's clonazepam eh? They don't usually come to mind when I think of shite quality control, but maybe their aspiring to be like Teva.

 

[His Name Is Frank]

Yup, Teva out of Israel has had Quality Control issues before so that isn't all that surprising. They make 1 out of every 6 generic drugs now and are huge in the States unfortunately.

teva-pharmaceuticals-and-poor-quality-generic-drugs/
&
www.mdjunction.com-teva-pharmaceuticals-generics

Wtf? Not THAT one. I swear fucking...it's the 4th one down, green pill, M on one side, C/14 on the other. Why is bluelight still in the dark ages, when it comes to posting pics straight from your saved pics?

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Okay fixed the pic to Mylan, BL doesn't host pics because of memory constraints iirc.

Looks like they do have some issues with Clonazepam as well as overcharging the hell out of Epi-Pens..


https://www.fiercepharma.com/manufacturing/mylan-recalls-more-than-100-000-packages-klonopin-generic

Mylan recalls more than 100,000 packages of Klonopin generic

"Even as generic drugmaker Mylan is dealing with a host of other issues, it is recalling more than 100,000 packages of clonazepam, its generic of Klonopin, a drug that is used to treat seizures and panic disorder.

It turns out that at about the same time that Mylan began its recall, Health Canada issued a recall of 1 mg clonazepam tablets manufactured by Canadian company Pharmascience because the lot might also contain tablets of hypertension drug Terazosin-HCl.

The recall is the least of Mylan’s worries these days. The company’s price hikes on the EpiPen have led to a firestorm of controversy. It is currently trying to finalize a $465 million settlement with the Justice Department for Medicaid overcharges for the ephedrine injector."


Dam, so far that's three companies with clonazepam issues..

 

[Chronicpain54]

Just an FYI...
I take klonopin too and the monthly price for 60-1 mg tablets is $7.65 at the pharmacy. I believe that even after your Medicare runs out that you'll be able to afford them. They have always been less than $10, regardless of the pharmacy I used. So don't stress yourself out too much about it. Btw, I get different colors/brands pretty often. I currently have blue pills with nothing on one side and C1 on the other (too lazy to get the bottle out of my lock box to see who manufactures them). Just got these last month. The month before I had very light yellow pills.

 

[Lorne???]

Um.. ��

What's the question? I
take clonazepam too, and that's, somewhat disturbing. Are you soliciting information? The burden is on you to prove if they are bunk, so to speak. Then you can pursue action (to further Teva's legal problems?) Seriously they have had issues before, and come to think of it, someone else has posted complaining about Teva clonazepam tablets (0.5? Not sure though) Just clarifying

Wow not Teva... Ok I am at the Hospital right now, excuse me. Still, just trying to get some direction. Btw, this is mostly irrelevant, though long term PRN Clonazepam just isn't very effective. I get it, (seriously) but if you can afford a doctor that will give you refills, clonazepam are super cheap, especially a reasonable dose like that

Sorry, that sucks hope it works out. You have another bottle so your ok atm?

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Having a GC/Mass Spec run on one of them is probably going to be really pricey vs the 10 bucks to replace them but it's nice to hear the pharmacy is stepping up and making things right...not. 8)

My pharmacist at his small non chain pharm said he would swap them out in a second if you were a good customer of his, if anything so as to not lose your future business. Big chain pharms could care less.