June 7, 2008 - 12:25am
I am curious about other patient opinions on the effectiveness of the Mallinckrodt generic brand compared to the Watson generic brand of Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (i.e. Vicodin, Lortab 7.5/500, Lortab 10/500, etc). Has anyone else experienced that the Watson brand seems to be more effective than the Mallinckrodt brand? I have had to take this particular medication intermittently for several years and have noticed that the Watson brand seems to be significantly more effective pain control. I initially thought it was "all in my head", right? But regardless of the strength that I have been prescribed, the end result seems the same. The Mallinckrodt brand consistently caused me to have epigastric pain and increased nausea with far less pain relief; the Watson brand has never caused any epigastric pain and only occasional nausea (primarily if I take it on an empty stomach) and works quite a lot faster with longer duration. I feel it necessary to also add that I have purchased the brand name of the above medication and have found that the Watson brand works just as well as the brand name, each and every time.
I feel sure that I am not the only person that has, upon filling their prescription, requested generic only to find that the generic brands vary and, contrary to what we are told and expected to believe, due to the "high" 
standards of the FDA, that generic medications work the same for obviously less money.
My next question ... if one doesn't inquire at the pharmacy which generic brand they carry and you are given the Mallinckrodt brand, find that it does not work, what can or what do you do? I feel quite sure that any pharmacy would not take a return or replace this generic brand for brand name, even if you would agree to pay the difference, on this or any other controlled substance. I completely understand this, given all the "crazies" out there who have nothing better to do with their time than to attempt, and sometimes succeed, at "altering" medication. Also, in regard to asking the pharmacy what generic brand they carry, prior to filling your prescription, in my experience I have found that I am looked at quite suspiciously, like I shouldn't know this ... hmmm. I don't know about anyone else, but before I put any medication into my body, I thoroughly research its side effects, etc. Also, who wants a medication if you have found that it just doesn't work as well as another brand? I feel that this applies not only to prescription medications but to any purchase that we make. When I have been "brazen" 
enough to inquire about the generic brand that they have, I have been met with, yet again, suspicion and the infamous "look" (I must add, that this is not every time, but quite frequently). I assume that anyone who has had to take narcotics on a regular basis are most probably are quite familiar with what I mean (sadly enough). I realize that there are many people who abuse this medication; doctor hop; pharmacy hop, etc., I think you understand where I am going with this, but seriously, just because some of us are using the medication as directed, for very valid medical conditions, do we not have the right to obtain our preference? Why should we be looked at and/or treated any differently than any other individual filling a prescription of, let's say, a non-controlled substance?
I really didn't intend to get so lengthy, or to get "on my soap box and preach"; but as I've obviously stated, I am concerned and curious. To those who made it through my "thesis" 
on this subject and have reached this point of my posting; if you have any information you can give me or direct me to, on the FDA guidelines regarding generic vs. brand medication, it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading and I wish you the best of health!
God bless,
Ren 
June 7, 2008 - 9:49am
#2
watson..
i used to use both brands, and i too thought it was in my head that the watsons seemed to work better. most of the time i did get the watsons. the watson 503 10/650, light green pills. even the qualitest 10/660s worked better than the mallies. BUT it COULD be in all our heads.
(edited)
June 7, 2008 - 10:12am
#3
I am usually an avid hater
I am usually an avid hater of Mallinckrodt. There are some preperations by them that are in my opinion on par with Watson. They are the 7.5/500, 10/500,10/650,and to my suprise the most recent batch of 10/660 Ive gotten are pretty good too. The Mallinckrodt 7.5/750 and 5/500 are IMO garbage.
mdonia said that "even the qualitest 10/660's work better than the Mallinckrodt". IMO all Qualitest generic hydrocodones are superior to Watson and Mallinckrodt.
June 7, 2008 - 10:22am
#4
I have used mallinckrodt Oxy
I have used mallinckrodt Oxy IR's many times,now I use Amide only becauses Walgreen's switched to them I could find no difference between the two. There is only one generic I will not take for diazepam. My town is notorious for using MYLAN brand and there is only one pharmacy that carries the TEVA brand of Diazepam which I use and that is only because the MYLAN are very soft and easily crumble in the vial.
June 7, 2008 - 5:25pm
#5
Mylan Diazepam
gcdylan said:
Quote:
There is only one generic I will not take for diazepam. My town is notorious for using MYLAN brand and there is only one pharmacy that carries the TEVA brand of Diazepam which I use and that is only because the MYLAN are very soft and easily crumble in the vial.
I'm playing with images this afternoon and thought I'd link to this one. No sense uploading it since we have a nice image of Mylan 345 submitted previously by Dr. Hillbilly.
Notice the texture and all the little 'cratered' areas. Sorry that the image is so large, but it's necessary in order to view all the imperfections clearly.
I agree with gcdylan. The Mylan diazepam is so soft, so porous and so crumbly that it could be an orally disintegrating med. And I honestly think Mylan completely omitted the diazepam from this particular batch of pills.
I'm not a pharmacist or a medical doctor. This message is not medical advice nor is it an offer to provide medical advice. All drug identifications should be validated by a licensed MD or pharmacist.
June 7, 2008 - 5:39pm
#6
It is not just their
It is not just their diazepam, as their lorazepam has the same characteristic. As long as you dont need to take them out of the house, they are fine. But I always carry my meds with me (at least a dose or 2 in a key-chain med container) and they will barely last 2 days before they are dust. Ive never had the problem with brand, or the Teva diazepam, or even my roxi's, which are soft themselves.
June 8, 2008 - 2:22pm
#7
you are correct in that
you are correct in that after you take a med home you cannot return it to the pharm, or even trade it for another brand. it is always good to ask beforehand what brand they use, so if needed you can request a certain brand. many pharms will order a different brand than what they have if you ask a few days in advance.
for my fentanyl 50mcg patches I always ask before what brand they are using, and always request the mylan since they stick better, and work better or me. they always find this odd and say that most people do not like those and would rather have watson or sandoz. I hate the sandoz!
I'm a social worker, not a medical professional. All comments and thoughts are simply my opinion and experience.
June 9, 2008 - 5:05am
#8
mallies 10/325
How do you feel about their 10/325?
June 9, 2008 - 10:42am
#9
kpins
This is kinda related to what the others were talking about. I have to say that I like the caraco kpins. i get the blue 1mgs, and as soon as u put them on your tongue, they start dissolving, and b4 u can pour a drink to wash it down, its already all dissolved. thats y u need the water to make sure u got it all down. i used to get the teva brand,which are hard as a rock, but that rx closed on me and automatically switched every1 to walgreens which uses the caracos and i gutta say i like them a lot. and they definately kick in quicker than a pin is supposed to.
June 26, 2008 - 9:32pm
#10
Interesting
I, too, have noticed a difference in the brands. The mallies aren't (or don't seem as strong) as Watson. I had been taking 2 5/500 lortab mallies, and when my doc switched me to 7.5/500, I got watson and they seemed stronger than the 2 5s! Surely, we're not ALL having the same hallucination
Fish
October 24, 2008 - 3:55pm
#11
Mallinckrodt generic "quality"...
Hi Ren, and every1 else who reads this. I have adult ADD (AADD?!), so you can imagine some of the looks I get when I "drop off" my 'script ;p Anywho, of the 5 methylphenidate generics I've tried (Danbury, Watson, Sandoz, Mylan, Mallinckrodt), the Mallinckrodt brand is the only one that doesn't work for me. Like you, at first, I thought it was me. Methylphenidate is an excellent drug -- really a Godsend in my case -- but it's a very "tempermental" drug: you can't take it w/ anything acidic, which a lot of people don't know (think of all the kiddies who take it w/ orange juice!). Vitamin C blocks absorption. Something alkaline, though, like milk or cheese intensifies it. You really need to take a bigger 2nd dose than the first to notice its effect. Most people, including doctors don't know that, but as a user I know it, and the makers of a time-released version (Concerta), know it too. Also, too little (say as small of an amount as 2.5 mgs) won't have any effect, and too much (again, as little as 2.5 mgs) will have exactly the OPPOSITE ideal effect, making you sluggish & sleepy. AND, if you find that after an hour or so, you didn't take an adequate-size dose, you still have to wait at least 3 hrs to dose again, because the receptors need several hours to become "receptive" to it again. Sorry. I know that was too much info, but I had to get that off my chest. It took me 3 bottles of that brand, before I realized it was them, and not me. Here's what I do when I go to ANY pharmacy, even one that's never dispensed the Mallie brand to me before (they can start anytime). I always bring a note card on which I print neatly: "Pharmacy, Please do NOT use the methylphenidate generic made by Mallinckrodt (aka 'Methylin'). For what ever reason, it doesn't work well on me. Any other generic (Watson, Danbury, etc.) is fine. Thanks." Then I sign my name. It really helps to have that info written down. Some days, I'm just not very eloquent. Some days, the clerk waiting on me isn't very 'with it', etc. This way, if they're really busy & fill your 'script with the wrong brand, you can stick your notecard in their face and say that it was their mistake not yours. Just make sure the clerk reads it. I always hand them that with my 'script & ID, and sometimes they hand it right back to me thinking I made a mistake. This method has saved me a lot of grief. I like the price of generics, but there's a lot of collusion between pharma cos, pharmacies, and our government about how they're just lower-priced EQUALS of brand meds, and they're NOT. Did you know that, legally, via FDA standards that generics can have "up to a 20% differential" to the brand meds?! It took me a lot of online searching to find that info, but I knew it had to be written some where. My first clue was when my doctor told me to buy a brand name antibiotic because he said it worked better. Then when I was researching ADD meds, a doctor wrote online how the generics can be up to 20% weaker. I think I found that "20 percent differential" quote on the FDA cite. Good luck finding it. There's pages & pages on that cite, and every where else that says they're just as potent. Now that's bad enough for us -- especially you folks trying to manage your pain -- but I really wonder about antibiotics, and meds for disease control. If a patient's doctor isn't med savvy, imagine the potential for unnecessary pain, complications & death using generics?? Oy. Thanks for reading. My methylphenidate's working today ;P
October 24, 2008 - 5:27pm
#12
First I just wanted to say
First I just wanted to say that i have had the 10mg methylin before and it definitely worked. Second generics can not be 20% different this is a common misconception. The generics have to have the exact same active ingredient but the time to reach peak plasma concentration and length of peak plasma can vary by 20% if i remember correctly due to the fillers and binders that vary.
(edited)
September 25, 2009 - 9:15am
#13
Brand vs. generics
To bluexmas, I also read a supplement to the FDA guidelines, which stated that "Generis brand can contain between 80 to 110% of the advertised dosage", and there is not anyone who is going to convince me this is not correct. I have been on Pain Management for many many years. When my insurance decided not to pay for the Roxane Oromorph ER 60 mg any longer, my Doc, put me on the Mallinkrodt 60 mg MS contin. I only see him once every quarter, unles of emergency, and when I told him that the new pills he was prescribing were about as effective as a heart patients aspirin" - he said, "You are the 5th person to tell me the exact same thing", so he upped my dose to the 100mg, and said try this. I have still not gotten proper relief from the 120mg increased dosage. I take three tablets per day, along with 80mg of methadone, and 180mg of roxicodone (for breakthough). My insurance will not pay for Oxycontin, but as far as the finest generic narcotics on the market, I have had the best luck with Roxane. Qualitest are garbage. I have taken both the 15mg and 30 mg Roxicodone and even the Mallinkrodt are better than those. A lot of people who know that I am on Pain Management cannot believe the amounts of medication that I take on a daily basis, and I never even got to the Benzos, Diazepam 10mg 3x a day and Clonazepam 2mg 3x a day for seizures, and then 70mg of Soma at bedtime, because I am a chronic insomniac. But people tell, I have never seen you to look like you are under the influence of anything. I do not drink alcohol, never have, and my only other vice is cigarettes.
When they changed the amount of time for a Brand name drug to be released in generic form, is when the Pharmacuetical manufacturers got greedy putting low quality and high price replacements for the brand name products. I wish I could go back 35+ years to the god old days, when pain relief was simpler and much less costly.
September 25, 2009 - 11:48am
#14
Generic Norco, each tablet having different effect...
Hi guys, I have a question and concern... I been on the Qualitest Norco 10/325 for almost 10 yrs and took the brand name for reasons with the generics and stomach issues, I recently switched to generics because insurance wont pay for the brand, I have tried a few of them and found the qualitest to be the best and they work great!!! Now for a few days at 4 a day, At first they worked great and I had no problems and really was doing great with them.. They seem to work different after getting into my system, I get a upset stomach and do besure to eat with them... I also notice that each pill effects me different.. Some work great! then its like I took a totally different medication, now its either all in my head or its what my doctor and pharmy has said about each pill has a 20% variance and could be effecting me different, I thought it was the 20% in the fillers but I have recently been told by the Doctor and pharmacist its the active medication.. My equal librim is off, I get itchy really bad and feel like I took 2 of them when I did not... Its kind of worrying me as I dont understand why each one would react differently.. If anyone has any advice on this or noticed this to happen please let me know... I was hoping I would get used to it and would adjust but it has me concerned as why each pill would react different if its the same medication and dose each time.. Thanks for your advice and input on this concern..
October 1, 2009 - 8:53pm
#15
Ladyvirgo, I have two
Ladyvirgo, I have two possible reasons why you are getting uneven pain relief from your Hydrocodone tablets. Whenever I used to take them with milk or Ice Cream I didnt get any relief and would always have to take a second dose like 2 hours later. Another possible option is constipation. Since Ive moved onto stronger pain meds Ive experienced a little blockage, lol. Ive noticed that if I get backed up for a few days my meds dont work nearly as well. I know that most opiods are excreted via urine, however about 10% of the dose most opiods are excreted via the ^*#%. So this may play a role or it may not.
Now onto my complaint. Everyone needs to really stop spreading lies and misconceptions with the "Theres a 20% Difference in the actives". Its not even a 20% difference in the inactives either. Im not going to explain it again here for the 3rd-4th time, but believe me when I say Im right and not lying to you. There is not a 20% difference in the amount of active ingredients allowed by the FDA. If you want to try and understand how it works you can search for:
Bioequivalence 90% Confidence Interval
either here at pharmer, the FDA's website or any search engine cause it will take you to the FDA's site. The FDA allows certain numbers (ie. drug levels in blood, time to achieve these levels, etc.) to be between 80%-125% of the brand reference drug.
All this aside, do I believe you can tell the difference between some generics? yes. Since we are talking about opiates, its probably more likely a potency issue with the active ingredient not a quantity issue.
I also want to formally disagree with you BigDon. Qualitest makes an awesome Oxycodone 15mg IR tablet, very close in color, texture, size, taste and pain relief as Actavis whom IMHO makes the best oxy IR. IMHO Actavis makes the best then Qualitest with Mallinckrodt falling short of the pack by two nose lengths.
October 2, 2009 - 1:05pm
#16
I believe that
the Watson Hydrocodone/APAP is far superior to Mallinckrodt. I think that you will find that most people on this forum would agree. I will not take anything other than the Watson brand hydrocodone. Fortunetly there is a mom and pop pharmacy and they will order whatever I request.
]Ray
I have been getting the generic norco made by Watson for a few years now,but my pharmacy switched to mallie which I was not happy about.Watson in my opinion makes great hydrocodone products.I too call to find out what manufacturer they use, but dont give my name to avoid the pharmacy scrutiny.Looking to change pharmacy that carries Watson. Its hard enough to get the script in the first place and when your paying without ins should have some rights.