Benzos Are You Getting Screwed by Less Potent Generic Benzos Like I Am?

[jai guru deva]

This is something I wish more people talked about. Not ALL brands of the same type of benzo work the same, and while I know pharmacies are in the business of turning a profit, it'd be nice if they could give patients a heads up that they're switching their reliable meds to dirt cheap Indian placebos, BEFORE we get our script filled.

Thanks for bearing with me, I'm a little pissed of right now because my pharmacy (rhymes with White-Fade) decided to switch my lorazapam from Watson to some junk company called Aurolife, which I found out has a freaking alias because they're embarrassed of their dummy pills, or trying to avoid scrutiny. They're also known by Aurobindo.

Has anyone had experience with the Aurolife brand? I knew they were bunk as soon as I opened the bottle, and saw the U33 imprint, felt how cheap and crumbly they felt, and ate one WITH ZERO EFFECT TO BE HAD.

I was prescribed lorazapam for sleep, and took 2 mg before bed, and 2 mg at noon or so, so now I've diving off 4 mg, which isn't the worst wd in the world, but dammit, I'm tired of getting screwed by some pharmacist because he ordered Aurolife junk pills from India, instead of something with the actual active ingredient. Aurolife pills are all binder and filler, no therapeutic medication. Their employee profile on Glassdoor even has workers saying Aurolife doesn't practice quality control, is a shit company, and each batch of medication turns out different- no standards.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

 

[kleinerkiffer]

Welcome to Bluelight

junk company called Aurolife, which I found out has a freaking alias. They're also known by Aurobindo

Aurolife is a 100% owned subsidiary of Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc (APUSA) and is part of $700+ million strong Aurobindo group of companies.

Aurolife has 100,000 square feet state-of-the-art US FDA approved cGMP compliant manufacturing facility

http://aurolifepharma.com/aboutus.html
While generics can vary in binders/fillers composition there are strict rules and I don't think that they sell bunk pills. Placebo (in in this case Nocebo) can play a role in how you feel.
But if you really think that the generic isn't working you can always talk to your doctor/pharmacist

 

[aurelius39]

Hi.

I am having the exact same problem with Aurolife/Aurobindo lorazepam.

I was on name brand Ativan 3 mg daily. I have been on it for over 20 years.

My insurance stopped covering name brand, and I was given Aurobindo/Aurolife.

The first month was OK. This last month with a new bottle has been the worst month of my life.

I feel like I am in cold-turkey withdrawal, seeing strobe light effects, seizure shocks, and the most indescribable horrible brain feelings.

I've reported it to the company and they could not understand me well due to a language barrier. I don't know if they will look into it or not.

The name brand I was on costs $4,000 a month without insurance coverage.

I am going to try another generic as soon as I can refill.

I saved some of the old name brand tablets because I was worried about the switch, and I take one when it gets the worst, and I feel like myself again for a little while.

These Aurolife/Aurobindo have at best maybe 1/10th the potency of the brand name I had been on prior to this.

 

[kush407smoke]

If you want name brand tell your doctor to write Ativan on the script but he hasta write you need the brand name n that it's medically nesaacery it will cost a lot more n won't be covered by insurance

 

[aurelius39]

If you want name brand tell your doctor to write Ativan on the script but he hasta write you need the brand name n that it's medically nesaacery it will cost a lot more n won't be covered by insurance

Yeah, my previous insurance covered brand name with a brand penalty fee, but it was do-able at $75 a month. Now I'd have to pay the full price which is nearly $4,000 a month.

 

[kush407smoke]

Yeah, my previous insurance covered brand name with a brand penalty fee, but it was do-able at $75 a month. Now I'd have to pay the full price which is nearly $4,000 a month.

Yea ita called pre-authorization the doctor does it when he sends the proscription in I guess it's all n how he does it that depends on if there's a copay or not

 

[aurelius39]

Yea ita called pre-authorization the doctor does it when he sends the proscription in I guess it's all n how he does it that depends on if there's a copay or not

Even when my doctor sends a pre-auth now, the insurance plan is such that they won't cover it. The way they word it is strange. They say they are "covering" it but the co-pay is basically the same as the retail cost of the drug. What they call the "brand penalty fee" is the retail cost, minus a few dollars of what the generic costs (so you're paying brand price minus generic price, but the brand price is nearly $4,000 and the generic price is a few dollars). They consider that covering it. I had better insurance before where the penalty fee was affordable.

 

[kush407smoke]

What country do you live in ??

 

[Jaredborgetti]

I can tell you that I have used brand name Xanax (tafil) here in mexico from Pfizer and generic alprazolam, as well as original rivotril and valium vs generic cheap no name brands from mexican generic, and they have used exactly the same, if generics werent tightly controlled to have roughly the same active ingredients as the original, people would be dropping like flies believe me, fillers and binders may vary as said not active ingredients.

 

[draculic acid69]

Yeah, my previous insurance covered brand name with a brand penalty fee, but it was do-able at $75 a month. Now I'd have to pay the full price which is nearly $4,000 a month.

How the hell does a benzo cost $4000 a month? That's the most disgusting price gouging I've heard of since that hiv drug scandal.pyrimethamine or daraprim or something

 

[draculic acid69]

This is horrifying to hear of.

 

[Wilson Wilson]

I can tell you that I have used brand name Xanax (tafil) here in mexico from Pfizer and generic alprazolam, as well as original rivotril and valium vs generic cheap no name brands from mexican generic, and they have used exactly the same, if generics werent tightly controlled to have roughly the same active ingredients as the original, people would be dropping like flies believe me, fillers and binders may vary as said not active ingredients.

Yeah for real. I've used all sorts of generic benzos. Actavis, Teva, Crescent, Auden McKenzie, Galenika, Hemofarm, Martin Dow, as well as brand name Roche and Pfizer stuff, and many more.

There is no fucking difference. And two of those brands come from Serbia while one is from Pakistan. Still no fucking difference.

The only ones I've noticed a difference in is those MSJ from Sri Lanka. They're notorious for dose variations. But those come in loose baggies so fuck knows how legit they even are.

I get scripted Roche Rivotril branded clonazepam at the moment and it is exactly the same as the generics. I've had many brands of diazepam and they've all been the same.

If your benzos come from a pharmacy there is no reason they wouldn't be legit. Definitely nocebo.

But if you really want a specific generic, just ask the pharmacy for it. You'll have to wait for them to order it in but they will happily do it for you. Or just ring a few local pharmacies and ask what brand generic they have in for your medication.

How the hell does a benzo cost $4000 a month? That's the most disgusting price gouging I've heard of since that hiv drug scandal.pyrimethamine or daraprim or something

That's America's "healthcare system" for you.

Even by US standards I can't imagine a benzo costing so much though, maybe he's talking about a different med? Drugs are usually only so expensive when they're in patent.

 

[draculic acid69]

That country is so fucked up.

 

[draculic acid69]

It can't possibly cost that much if u bought it illegally from some other country or off the street.

 

[draculic acid69]

Yeah, my previous insurance covered brand name with a brand penalty fee, but it was do-able at $75 a month. Now I'd have to pay the full price which is nearly $4,000 a month.

That's the price of four ounces of coke or meth or Mexican tar.thats fukd up.fukd up is all I can say.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Yeah 4,000 dollars a month for lorazepam is ridiculous. I have no direct experience with lorazepam Rxs, but I know that a month's supply of diazepam is dirt cheap at American pharmacies, even without insurance. Lorazepam has been around forever too if I'm not mistaken, so I don't know why it would cost that much.

 

[draculic acid69]

I'm sure it's nothing more than becoz they can

 

[Wilson Wilson]

It can't possibly cost that much if u bought it illegally from some other country or off the street.

Benzos are dirt cheap from India or Eastern Europe.

 

[thefirm]

yup, with a script, 1,40 dollars a diazepam (30 pills) box in eastern europe, lorazepam may be 3 dollars max, and there are 50 pieces in a box. I'm shocked everytime I read about american healthcare prices, man even if you bribe a doctor here to make it rain. for 4,000 a month you can start your own damn brand.

 

[somnilicious]

I've never had health insurance and my ativan, klonopin and methadone scripts were never more than $15-$30 in the United States and this is for 90ct....