January 9, 2008 - 3:44am
#52
Mallinckrodt
Mallinckrodt seems to be the ONLY generic for opiates my pharmacy carries, so I have no choice. I am on a pain contract with my doctor and cannot change pharmacies, and this pharmacy is one of the few on my insurance provider list anyway. I just had my oxycodone refilled yesterday and am under the impression that a mistake was somehow made, as these pills seem more effective than the others have been even though they are the same brand and strength. For some reason, they simply seem stronger. They also seem to make me much sleepier than normal as well. I'm not certain what is going on. However, I will be stuck with the Mallinckrodt brand, it would seem, for as long as I am with my present doctor. I wish there were some way to persuade the pharmacy into switching generic brands, but I'm sure that would never happen. There is also no way I could afford the name brand, and my insurance won't cover them at all unless the doctor would write a legitimate reason for the change. I wish there was a way we could work to insure that all generics had to work exactly as the name brands.
Peace and Love
January 12, 2008 - 1:02pm
#53
7.5 better than 10's
Finally somebody else noticed that the blue speck 7.5 are far better than some of the 10s. I have traded my 10s for specks before.
January 12, 2008 - 2:18pm
#54
hydrocodone
I have just, about an hour ago, needed to take SOMETHING for breakthrough pain; my OxyContin 40mg, original brand-name product (the patent does not expire in the UK until 2016, 20 years after the introduction of the product), certainly does NOT last for 12 hours as printed on the box; but it's still quite rare for me to resort to additional analgesia unless it's really bad,and I think today's weather has a llot to do with my need for extra.
I took 20mg hydrocodone (not 10 x German tablets, but 2 x US-made Mallinckrodt 'M367' 10/325mg) which I will only do in emergencies because of the high paracetamol content; I also took 60mg codeine phosphate. The Bohringer-Ingelheim hydrocodone is PURE, not adulterated with that dangerous liver-destroyer. As I noted above, of the three types of hydrocodone I have tried from the US, Mallinckrodt's product is far and away the best, much more effective than either Watson or Vintage/Qualitest. Because my condition has a spondylitic cause, I find that adding a 350mg Wallace CARISOMA (carisoprodol, a skeleto-muscular relaxant with both pain-killing and mild tranquillising properties as well) helps my analgesia brilliantly; but it is advised that long-term use of this very useful drug (known merely as 'Soma' in the USA) can cause several problems, so restrict my use of it to around two weeks out of every four.
I was writing more to ask about a comment made by a previos poster: Norco made by Watson? Are they not two separate brands? Norco being a brand-name product and Watson being primarily a manufacturer of generics? In which case, Watson could certainly NOT describe their product as 'Norco'. Anyone answer that one? And how come US Pharmacists are generally in agreement that Mallinckrodt's goods are of very high quality, as I have found for myself, and so many of you people who have posted in this thread take the opposing view? I have noticed that in general, American consumers are wont to 'put down' products that are cheap, probably thinking that cheap = nasty. NOT TRUE! Clonazepam made by Roche is more expensive than that made by ICN Galenika, but there is absolutely no difference in effect or quality between the two, the ICN being branded 'Rivotril' just like the Roche product under their licencing agreement. And Roche similarly licence the Macedonian firm Alkaloid to manufacture bromazepam; their brand, Lexilium, I have always found superior to Roche's own Lexotanil, yet it is about half the price. The most well-known example is probably again a European brand of diazepam, APAURIN from Slovenija, which is as cheap as chips as we say here, yet far superior to Roche VALIUM. So price is definitely NOT an indicator of quality.
I have used a generic alprazolam from the USA marked 'G3721' and 'G3722' for the 1 and 2mg strengths respectively, and found them to be as good as, if not better than, the branded XANAX by Upjohn etc, the three companies involved now known collectively as 'Pharmacia'. Really the only difference I could ascertain was that the Greenstone pill was blue whilst the more usual branded 'Xanax' was its usual purple colour, marked 'UPJOHN 90'. (The 2mg bars are marked 'U94').
So if this very anti-Mallinckrodt campaign I'm seeing is based on price, because for sure they are very high-quality analgesics, though even at their relatively cheaper price still a very OVER-priced product like all hydrocodone when you consider the strength of that drug and compare price with the likes of dihydrocodeine, (which I find about one half to two-thirds the strength of hydro) then people are surely on the wrong tack, as evidenced by the price comparisons I have made here.
Let's just say that I would much rather have the 'M367' than any of those yellow pills I have tried before. I also find that their effect lasts long enough to see me through to my next OxyContin.
Oh yeah, when discussing Roche, I meant to say I don't trust that company much due to wild variation in quality and potency of their pills, dependent on which of their factories made them. I find that the Roche facilities in Buenos Aires and Karachi produce the best of that company's goods, South-East Asia the poorest.
"NEVER ingest anything unless you are 100% sure what it is."
January 12, 2008 - 3:04pm
#55
Watson Pharmaceuticals
Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. is the manufacturer of the brand name Norco in strengths 5,7.5,10/325mg. They also manufacture there own generic version, which I think is kinda weird. Watson also has another name brand Hydrocodone product called Maxidone and 10/750mg is its strength. Mallinckrodt has a name brand hydrcodone product called Anexsia, which I think they bought from another company or updated and out of date patent on another combination product. If you go HERE you can do a search to validate that watson makes norco and a whole plethera of generic hydrocodone. Another thing is that here in the US there are only like 5 products that contain Dihydrocodeine and the highest strength being 32mg with it only being 1-1.5x's as strong as codeine. IMHO DHC is better than codeine but still very weak compared to Hydrocodone.
Also I cant find any information that says Boehringer-Ingelheim makes any Hydrocodone Products. If you have any, please post it or PM me with it. One last thing, Hydrocodone is only expensive when you get it illegally. You can get #100 10/650mg tablets for like 30$ at a discount pharmacy like costco.
January 12, 2008 - 4:46pm
#56
fibrolady
If they are more effective, then why worry 'bout changing?
Have you recently laid off of the Oxycodone for any duration of time? If so, that could be the cause of the unexpected effectiveness.
October 19, 2008 - 6:38am
#57
hello
OK IM ON THE SAME THING YOU ARE THE MALLINCKRODT OXYCODONE 30 MG SAYS TO TAKE 2 TABS EVERY 4 HRS OFR PAIN. IVE ALWAYS HATED MALLIN AND PROBABLY ALWAYS WILL BUT LIKE YOU SAY "THATS JUST ME "
I GOT MY REFILL TODAY OF THE OXYCODOE 30MG DISPENCE #100.
( ONE-HUNDRED) TABS IM JUST SICK TO KNOW ITS THE WORST GENRIC````````````````````````````````````````````````.
ANYWAY, ITS A 2 WEEK SUPPLY FOR ME ANSNEXT WEEK IM GETTING BRAND OR ETHX I THINK THATS WHAT THEY ARE NO MORE MALLINCKRODCT FOR ME
October 19, 2008 - 6:39am
#58
HELLO
WRITE ME BACK AND LET ME KOW OK>
October 27, 2008 - 10:51am
#59
Malli Pharm hydrocodone/Apap 5/325
I had this filled 10/24/08. The pharm that made it was Malli the pill was oblong with M365 on one side and blank on the other side. I have not taken any Meds made by this Malli pharm especially generic hydrocodone. It was always by Qualitest, or Watson, Teva. This is also different pharmacy I went to, for their free delivery;it was a big mistakes! The med HA5/325 from Malli pharm gave me the worse stomach pain, along with a bad headache, GI and this is only half a tablet! I have no problems with the other brands. After I had taken it and felt the side effect my intuitive screamed at me that this pill was from China! It did not alleviate the pain instead it cause other diseases that the other pharmacauticals created. I've always take this mg by Watson, Qualitest, or Teva from pharmacies such as Walgreens, Savons, and etc. Malli meds are useless regular tylonol is more effective than this H/apap 5/325. I stop taking the same day and going to this pharm and take the rest of my prescriptions that have not been filled yet. Ouch! my stomach and head hurts...have to go
October 27, 2008 - 11:32am
#60
Watson Pharm's hydrocodone 10mg
Research has been done; the tablet marked 'NORCO' and that marked 'WATSON 853' are exactly the same tablet; the only difference is the price, which shoots up when imprinted with the 'NORCO' name. This is, as I have written elsewhere, profiteering of the most despicable kind. I have been learning a lot about the US Pharmaceutical industry recently and am shocked by a lot of things. Quite apart from having the highest prices in the world, the generics are mostly of terrible quality and still expensive compared to what we would pay for name-brand drugs in the UK and Western Europe - I find Belgium to be the cheapest place to stock up on 90 days' supply for personal use which Customs allows to be brought into the country. e.g. 50 x brand Xanax 2mg bars (rare in Europe) cost only GBP £21.50, the TEVA 2mg are £19.00. You can still get benzos there which have been withdrawn in the UK, like prazepam (Lysanxia 40mg, NOT Centrax), nordazepam (Calmday, Nordaz) and Roche Rohypnol 1mg (though there are some excellent generic 1 and 2mg flunitrazepam available in Belgium) which costs £1.06 for a strip of 10 - less than £25 for 180 tabs, 90 days @ 2mg/night!!
Anyway to return from my tangent, my view as somebody who rarely sees hydrocodone/apap (DICODID 10mg pure hydro is much better) since I have lost my contact who used to send me half of their script every month is well-known. Of the three types you have tried I have tried all, and found the Mallinckrodt to be far the best though the Vintage seem to last longer. I can't really understand how the dosage in the tablets can vary. By law, generics must contain exactly the correct amount of active ingredient. I have heard that the US FDA actually allow a difference of + or - 10%! That is disgusting and quite frankly a kick in the teeth for consumers who medically NEED the correct dosage of a medication. I have never heard of any other country who allow such abuse.
But, as I say, the profiteering of Watson by charging so much more for the same tablet with a different imprint is also abuse of the consumer.
"NEVER ingest anything unless you are 100% sure what it is."
October 27, 2008 - 12:56pm
#61
You are the first person I
You are the first person I have ever heard of being prescribed Norco 5mg generics. And teva doesnt make a hydrocodone generic unless there is a subsidiary or different name for their manufacturing part that does. Also you said you ate half a pill and since it is then only 2.5/162.5 hydro/apap so I would have to agree with you since it is such a small dose that one tylenol pill (extra strength prolly) would be just as good but I believe this to be from low dose not from quality. I have had the Norco 7.5 and 10mg generics imprinted m366 and m367 respectively which have never caused me stomache pain although every once in a while If I take too many (which is not advised) then it would cause a headache but that is above normal prescription dose. But this happens with a couple different opiates and a couple different manufacturers not just the Malli.
October 27, 2008 - 1:17pm
#62
methadose
I would have to agree on the methadose, I could tell a big difference in the two.
October 28, 2008 - 8:11am
#63
malli difference?
Hi everyone, I too noticed a difference with Malli generics. First off, I take 30 mg roxicodone generics and have taken them since 2004. Until last year, every pharmacy I went to(Walgreens, CVS, Med. Shoppe) all carried the blue Amide/Activis 30mg oxycodone. I switched pharmacies about 1&1/2 yr ago & they only carry Malli brand oxy. This was my 1st exper. w/ Malli. First off I had such a strange & strong reaction to these meds that I thought I had been given the wrong med. I felt immediately anxious and shaky plus less pain relief and much shorter durration. I am now on methadone manufactured by Malli. Last mo. I was on a different brand of methadone & had excellent pain control. This mo. w/ the Malli the pain relief does not last more than 6 hrs, this is with 45mg methadone. Plus I feel much more sedated. In conclusion, I personally feel that Mallenckrodt brand oxycodone and methadone is inferior to other brands such as Qualtest, Ethex, Amide/Activis. Take care, lil red 0005
October 28, 2008 - 9:35am
#64
Malli differences
I just wanted to add that the generic brand of methadone that I used last mo. was by Roxane Labs. This meds far outweighed the Mallenckrodt brand methadone in both strength and duration. Once again, these are ONLY MY OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES. Take care, lil red 0005
October 28, 2008 - 10:23am
#65
Mal's
I also agree with pain above. I really dont think its just a head thing. I always call and order my Roxi's the day before my fill and still its easy for the pharm to make the mistake. So I check before I leave, such as today. They filled with mal's. I said Roxi was ordered with my name on it and sure enough they did and filled with what I orderd. I for some reason notice a diff. Again all people are diff. Just me....?
November 23, 2008 - 11:30am
#66
Well it's been over one year
Well it's been over one year since I started this thread. I would like to personally thank everyone for their input on the matter. I've come up with a total of 30 responses as to whether Mallinckrodt seems better, the same, or worse as compared to other generics. (2 responses were omitted, one for being incoherent and the other was from someone that had only tried the Mallinckrodt brand once and became ill, that was excluded since it was only one use and I have doubts that the pill made him violently ill)
The results:
6.66~% Said they preferred the Mallinckrodt brand
13.33~% Found Mallinkrodt to be no different from other brands
80% Felt Mallinkrodt to be inferior when it comes to at least one or more of their drugs
That's 24/30 for inferior, 4/30 for no difference, and 2/30 for better
It appears that their various hydrocodone formulations are the biggest problem, while their Percocet and OxyIR formulations seemed more hit or miss. As many of you are aware, Mallinckrodt has recently began manufacturing generic Oxycontin, so far I've heard mostly negative about it.... but it's still too early to say anything for sure.
Personally I know many people that also feel the Mallinkrodt brand to be inferior. Also, I know for sure ther have been many other threads complaining about the quality of their meds. I think 24 out of 30 is pretty #%^*! bad looking.
Again thanks to all those who gave their 2 cents, and feel free to add on to this thread. It's been going for a year, might as well let it go for another while we see how the new Oxycontin turns out
-----
All information is my own personal opinion. Please check with a medical doctor/pharmacist before following any medical/medication advice.
Tuna
November 23, 2008 - 12:09pm
#67
malli problems
Hi, I hope everyone is experiencing a pain free day or at least a better day! As far as Mallin. generics go, I am on their 30 mg. roxi. Before being switched I took the Amide/Activis brand 30 mg. I immediately noticed a difference. I honestly do not believe this to be power of suggestion since at the time I had not read anything negative about this brand. These pills make me feel wired. At first I thought the pharmacy accidentally gave me adderall, I was that wired. I eventually got accostomed to it. I had to as this is the only brand of generic roxis available around here. I also only get about 3 hrs relief.
I have also had Mallin. brand 10 mg methadone and it made me so tired! It also did not last as long either. Before I had Roxanne 10 mg methadone and did not have these problems. I don't know why there is such a difference but for me there is. Take care, lil red 0005
November 23, 2008 - 4:53pm
#68
The Mallinckrodt generic
The Mallinckrodt generic 20mg Oxycodone ER work great! I wouldnt be willing to say they last a full 12 hours though. In me personally some days they last around 8 hours but other days its around 10 hours. Im sure things such as diet and metabolism are the cause of this though. The potency in these are really good. Much more potent feeling than taking two of the Mallinckrodt 5/325mg 512's every 4-6 hours, IMHO. It is my strong opinion that the people who are going to say that these are inferior are going to be abusers. There are some reports that these pills might or might not have abuse deterants in them, however before the presribing info was pulled from there website I looked up every inactive ingredient in them and none of them are gelling agents. When I get my fill tuesday or wednesday I will ask the pharmacist for the PI so I can re-lookup the ingredients.
November 23, 2008 - 6:40pm
#69
I can personally say that
I can personally say that the new 40mg oxycontin generics are very good. Just as good as the abg's or brand name. They seem just as effective as name brand and are slightly smaller and harder. I cant really say much more about how i think there are no gelling agents but i believe there isnt or just havnt noticed it. I dont think any oxycontin generics last the full 12 hours for me but these malli generics last just as long as brand name would for me. I would put the malli generic right next to the abg imprinted generics and might go as far as saying they are as good as brand name but because it is a generic subconsciously i think it is slightly below brand name. The bottom line is that these new generics are very effective and have had no complaints at all.
(edited by admin)
November 23, 2008 - 9:08pm
#70
I agree with KNY re: the
I agree with KNY re: the hydrocodone and oxycodone made by Malli. The Malli hydrocodone, IMO, seems to have the same duration and potency for all brands/generics. (except for Vicodin, I have never had any adequite (sp) relief from this medication, but I have no idea who makes those.) However, I am currently taking oxycodone IR's 30 mg and I do notice a shorter duration and potency with the Malli's in the oxycodone compared to other manufac.s for 30 mg IR oxycodone.
November 24, 2008 - 11:36am
#71
I can't believe this site
Sometimes, I just can't believe what I am reading on here! I have never seen ppl on a chronic pain site so quick to judge others as addicts. The assertion in this post that everyone who has problems with Mallin. brand is an addict is completely unfounded and rediculous. That's like me stating "oh anyone who takes morphine is an addict". I know that I try to avoid generalized statements of this nature. I didn't have so much of a potency problem with Mallin roxy 30s as much as a problem feeling speedy and their methadone made me feel tired. When I changed pharmacies 2 yrs ago, the new pharm. only carried the Mallin. brand. Instead of freaking out because I didn't get the Activis brand, I stuck it out and eventually got used to the brand. I love my new pharmacy so I was unwilling to go to another just so I could obtain Activis or Ethex brand roxi. I DO NOT ABUSE my meds! All I did was make an observation that the Mallin. brand was the only brand generics I found to be different. How does this make me an addict? I don't know why ppl on this site feel compelled to judge others? I just don't get it at all!!! I am not trying to cause problems and forgive me if somehow I missunderstood but as a young person with chronic pain, I have to deal with prejudices all the time because of the medicine I take. I thought the point of these sites was to offer advice and to offer support. That's just my take so that's all. Take care everyone, lil red 0005
(edited by admin)
November 24, 2008 - 5:36pm
#72
I stand by my statements
I stand by my statements regarding the dislike for certain generic OxyContin brands because of abuse deterants. 99.9% of the people who say they dont like Teva or Dava generic OxyContin is because they gel up. So, at the time of my post I was slightly under the impression because of some misinformed posts on other sites that the Mallinckrodt generic OxyContin gelled. Which lead me to believe that most all people who are going to complain about Mallinckrodts generic OxyContin were going to be people who run into problems with abuse deterants, because I know for a fact that they work GREAT when used as directed. I am well versed in Mallinckrodts line of generic Hydrocodone and I personally think some of them are bunk versus others just like I think some of there oxy/apap and OxyIR formulations are bad so I dont think all complaints reguarding Mallinckrodt are going to be by abusers. Just ones reguarding there generic OxyContin since I was somewhat under the impression that they have abuse deterants in them.
November 24, 2008 - 5:44pm
#73
I too am a young person
I too am a young person with pain, 26 now, started on legit narcotic pain meds around 19. For some reason Ive never had to deal with the judgemental people...pharmacists, doctors, co-workers, family, etc... I wonder why? Locale, personal appearance, sex, the way I carry myself? Kind of weird I guess. Also, Im pretty sure you did misunderstand my statements reguarding Generic OxyContin. My post had nothing to do with Roxi or OxyIR brand preference. It had to do with the abuse potential and deterant contents of a specific brand.
December 31, 2008 - 4:09pm
#74
My Negative Experience with Hydrocodone APAP 5/500 by MALI
For several months my MD had been prescribing me LORTAB 5/500 mg but my insurance only covered the generic Hydrocodone APAP 5/500 by WATSON, 120 tablest for $2.85. Great deal! Then I stopped taking pain medication for a few months. Then I started again. Went through the same route until one time, I got prescribed Hydrocodne APAP 5/500 by MALIN. The Tablets had the letter and numbers M357. I noticed immediately that the pills were not the same, the pain was still there, got a very mild sensation AND my feet started to swollen all of the way up to my knee. I got concerned and went to see my doctor. It was time any way to ask him to increase the dosage of my Hydrocodone to 10/500 MG and to specifically write "GENERIC BY WATSON only" I found the complete spelling and website of "malin": http://www.mallinckrodt.com/index.aspx. I found the complete name thanks to this forum. I had a conversation with my doctor and later with my Pharmacist who was vey interested in knowing more about MALLINCKRODT. I am dealing with Sav-On Drug stores and they are very concerned about bad drugs. I stopped taking Malin pain tablets since they were not very good. Another thing, they cost more than the WATSON. Hope I have been able to help you. Thank you!
January 1, 2009 - 6:35am
#75
I have been prescribed 30mg.
I have been prescribed 30mg. roxi for 2 yrs now for cronic pain. I have had all brands, as well as the name, and have noticed no difference at all. The Mallin are the ones my pharmacy carries as generics for some time now, and they work as well, or better than the name brand. They are a large pharmacy, and fill hundreds of mallin prescriptions a month, and no huge complaints by the public.
January 4, 2009 - 5:50pm
#76
Mallinckrodt
Man! What a thread. Thanks Tunafizz. I just opened a bottle of oxycodone. I freaked!! They weren't my usual little white pills. Apparently the VA has switched from Mallinckrodt to Ethex? ETH 625. Anyway, I've always felt that consistancy was lacking in Mallinckrodt's oxys. They're just 5s. The VA doesn't give you much. But in the past, some of them hit me like a hammer and some didn't do &*&?. I'll check back and let everyone know if I can tell.
I don't like Mallinckrodt because they're part of Tyco. I was a shareholder when they went belly up in the late 80s, early 90s. Pennies on the dollar. I lost big time. Everyone remembers Cabbage Patch Dolls. Who knew? Then they come back as Ranger Industries and Tyco International and for years now they've been getting more money because of me.
I'm glad the VA switched. Now that I figured out what these new things are.
Peace,
NotheonlyDreamer
January 5, 2009 - 3:05pm
#77
malli's same as others
I have tried all different kinds of Roxy's and the Malli's are just fine, many people i have talked to agree. I Cant afford brand and it would look suspicious if I asked.
(edited by Mod2)
January 16, 2009 - 8:30pm
#78
120 10/325
120 10/325 qualitests for 59.00, at my local walmart. dont know who that guy is paying, take care,oh ya they are hydros generic for norco10
January 16, 2009 - 8:41pm
#79
Not sure where you live
Not sure where you live ocrage but where im at with this card they are only $32 at walmart.
January 16, 2009 - 9:08pm
#80
10.00
i only pay 10.00 copay for the 120,but for cash they are 59.00.i know that a few places i can get the watsons 120 of them for cash for no more than 40 bucks.my insurance i pay 10 for generic and 60 for brand OUCH,what a gouge.but when i was on oc 80s and actiq 800mcg. pops, i was getting 90 80mg abg 80s and the generic actiq couldnt tell mujch of a difference when they went generic,90 of those a month, for 20 bucks.cant beat that unless free.the actiq is VERY EXPENSIVE.have since had to switch to ms contin i believe due to pressure from the ins company on my doc to rx a less expensive er med.he cut the fentanyl out totally.bummer,it was more sedating than anything,but i got great nites of sleep,just dont choke with a sucker.i actually get good therapeutic results from the ms contin,i am dosed 100mg X 3 a day.take care
(edited)
January 16, 2009 - 11:23pm
#81
jump on board YES I AM GAME
I am currently on hydrocodone 10/325 mallinckrodt brand, and they just stop working after about 2 and a half hours, then my pain is back again, Yeah i wish something could be done to get rid of this brand, something is just not right. If you come up with anything or i find out anything i will be sure to share my info, let's work together and solve this problem. Here all along i thought it was me.
January 16, 2009 - 11:40pm
#82
To be honest with you most
To be honest with you most instant pain release meds only last about 2-3 hours for me. The peak relief is from 30min to 90min then it starts to diminish. I have never taken a time release medication for pain. I have take extended release adderall and that lasted a litle longer than instant release but I could really tell. I wish they would come out with a time release hydrocodone medication. I feel it would get less negative press then oxycontin and would be able to treat moderate chronic pain for the long term. I am currently taking mallincroft 7.5 lortab and they work well. I was prescribed 90 for a month which only gives me an average of about 3 per day. I am in control of my dosage so I will make them last but I feel I need probably 6 per day becasue I take two when I feel pain.
January 25, 2009 - 10:47am
#83
more mallin
I registered purely to add to this thread.
I am a CP ( spinal cord impingement) and have been on the same dose of OXY 10 mg and 5 mg. breakthru meds since 2000. Yesterday I picked up my new breakthru med presciption. It was the FIRST time EVER that I never received ANY neuropathic pain relief from my breakthru meds. I normally take 10mg OXY - 1 every 12 hours and one to two break thru meds for pain( .5) during the day. Yesterday I took 6 (!!) breakthru meds and did not receive ANY relief. This morning I drove to the pharmacy when it opened to talk to the pharmacist. She said that CVS had just switched me to Malli. I am not an abuser - I have never bumped up on my doseage amounts for 9 years! Until yesterday. She told me that I normally receive ETHEX but yesterday received Mall. I told her that there was no medication in them and I wanted a brand that actually had medicine in them. I made her keep them - telling her that I would rather suffer pain than take this garbage med ( very unlike me to be so strident) and that the ball was in her court. She will call my MD. I did also. While considering that people have unique chemistries I still maintain that *somthing* is inferior/wrong with Malli formulation. I knew within 1 hr. of taking it when my pain did not bate. Igave it all day yesterday; giving the med the benefit of the doubt. By this am after being up all night I realized that it was the MED- ( i received a worthless alprzolam before) . How these companies can get away with this ? it infuriates me---it creates a major ordeal for the patients, the MDs and ultimately the pharmacy. The pharmacist indicated to me right away that it was the brand---somthing that I could have told her as I've been on the SAME doseage with well controlled pain for 9 years.
I will NEVER, EVER accept Malli again. If I knew who to take this issue up with on a Federal level, I would.
All generics are not the same. Like other patients I have learned this the painful way.
February 9, 2009 - 9:11pm
#84
hydro 10/325 mallinckrodt
Oh my yeah, i don't see why people complain about the mallies. By far, they are better than watson, qualitest, vintage or whatever other brand. I have tried them all. mallinckrodt rules for pain for sure. It works immediately and i don't have to take nother one for 4 hours as prescribed. I am wondering why people on this site complain. HUUUUUUhhhhh. works for me.
February 9, 2009 - 9:19pm
#85
mallinckrodt
i think they make great products
February 10, 2009 - 12:18pm
#86
Tuna, another two cents worth
MCK 7.5/500 APAP POT - AV DUR - VP made me sleepy
Qualitest 7.5/200 IBUP POT - AV DUR - PR sleepy and constipated
WATSON 7.5/500 APAP (Ph. ran out of MCK) POT - VG DUR - GD could NOT sleep
Norco 7.5/325 APAP POT - VG DUR - VG EXCELLENT
Sargeant Mom
February 18, 2009 - 11:01pm
#87
20mg Malin generic Oxycodone
I am new to this so please have patience with me. When I went to refill my oxycontin ..my insurance doesn't cover brand name....$377.00 way too much..So for $7.00 I bought the generic. In the past when I bought generic it had wax or gel.. Don't know if anyone has experienced this..but it upset my stomach terribly..does this brand have wax or gel in it????.I think it's called Mallinckrodt the pill says M on one side and 594 on the other... I have tried to find the answer to this on the net but to no avail..So thanks for any help you can give me..
February 19, 2009 - 12:30am
#88
Sarge, its interesting since
Sarge, its interesting since th name brand norco are made by watson. its an interesting situation that one company makes both name brand and generic
past experiences have made me believe that while mallinkrodt does make quality products, their hyrdrocodone/apap preps never seem to be on par with watson or qualitest(the best in my opinion). however, when taking 5mg oxy ir, couldn't notice a difference between mallie or ethex. i have read on this board before that the main problem with people have with mallie is with their hydrocodone. some do have problems with them for oxy, but mainly complaints about hydro.
to Lnzintown,
you are taking OxyContin(Oxycodone Continuous release), meaning that it is a controlled release. most controlled(or extended) relief meds have some sort of make up to make it an extended release drug. weather it be a coating like on name brand OC or a release matrix, such as tussionex. I have read some info that they are trying to formulate an extended release formulation that is built into the entire pill so as to prevent abuse but dont know the accuracy. i have never seen the mallie OC's but im guessing they either have a coating or something similar
February 24, 2009 - 10:07am
#89
TBaker
Yeah, I'm still learning. What I meant was that my Norco's are actually peach colored Watson with an imprint of 3203. I believe the difference is in the filler or APAP amount. the 7.5/325 do not make me tired at work, but the Watson with 500 mg APAP for some reason gave me too much energy. I dunno, but the peach seem to work well for pain and last a good while.
Well now, check this out: went to get the other 90 doses the Pharm owed me and they gave me Blister Pack Mallies 7.5/325, I think imprinted with M355 (they are out in the car). I complained that I had just found a med that works after 6 years and the female Pharmacist gave me such a crude look (like I was pond scum) that I busted out crying, not like me at all! The male Pharm. waited outside for me and asked me what's up. I said that I'd been aware of the shortages and all since going on this site and recommended it to him, he seemed interested. He's gonna discipline her I bet. Dang, what a horrible experience!! Sarge
February 24, 2009 - 1:49pm
#90
Opposite Experience
I've actually found that the Mallinkrodt products are the only ones that work for me. I take 4 60mg Morphine ERs and 3 30mg Morophine ER's per day (so basically 3 90mg doses and 1 60mg dose). At one point my pharmacy switched to the Ethex morphine and I started to go through really bad withdrawals (I see now that they had some pills recalled, so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it). At one point with the Ethex brand I was so desperate for pain relief and to stop the withdrawals that I took 2 and still nothing at all. I felt like I was taking aspirin. I couldn't figure it out, and thought I was just tolerant of my current morphine dose. The next month they were back to the Mallinkrodt (they have contracts with both companies they later revealed to me). It was like night and day, I actually felt a little too much pain relief from the Mallinkrodt at that point because I had spent a month not getting enough relief from the Ethex. Just to be safe, I asked that they only fill my prescription with the Mallinkrodt from now on. My pharmacist actually said a lot of people were asking for the same thing to be done. Well, unfortuately not too long ago they only had 110 of my 120 60mg's so they had to give me 10 Ethex with the Mallinkrodts. Same experience as before, the Ethex morphine did absolutely nothing for me. So, to sum it up I prefer the Mallinkrodt to any other brand and now go to a different pharmacy for my pain killers (with my doctor's knowledge and both pharmacies having my medical history and current prescription list, which normally I would greatly advise against).
February 24, 2009 - 10:25pm
#91
oxycontin 20mg
I would love to know where I can get oxycontin for less than 400.00 ... the generic is 7.00...Can anyone tell me why the brand name is so expensive..My insurance will not cover the brand name Oxycontin. I just don't understand this at all. I am getting use to the generic now..but it doesn't seem to work as well for my pain as oxycontin. I suppose this really isn't a question..but I think it's unfair that the brand name is so expensive. Thanks for any advise.
March 23, 2009 - 3:30am
#92
The diffence is no difference,
From my experience, it seems like anthing that says WATSON on it works faster, better, and longer. It could very well all be in my head, though. (something like a placebo effect)since they're all chemically the same, right??? They have to be!
But I also always tried to avoid any of the Mallin. pain meds. To me, they always "seemed" weaker, AND didn't seem to last as long.
I really don't think that the chemicals of any brands, generic or not, are any different from anything else.
Remember the "Pepsi challenge"? FACTS CANNOT determine if Coke tastes better than Pepsi. It's purely opinion! But it IS a fact that Pepsi has more sweetener added than Coke, so it is a fact, NOT OPNION, that Pepsi IS sweeter than Coke. I certainly hope that the FDA regulations for pharmacuticals are stricter than they are for beverage companies!
I have but one THEORY that might explain why different brands of drugs seem better than others: The age of the medications.
Usually, if something is sold cheaper than another company's product, it's because they manufactor more of their product. (The higher the output is, the less the cost is per unit.) So maybe the brands that seem to work more efficiently are just fresher. And on the other hand, the meds that don't seem as potent are mass produced, so it takes longer to move the product... The end result being a batch of cheaper mass produced pills that have lost potency as they've gotten older.
Well, that's MY theory. Really, what else could it be???
March 28, 2009 - 11:15pm
#93
Mallinckrodt's questionable quality control....
I feel certain the Mallinckrodt Oxy IR (generic-oxycodone 5mg-tablets) are of a 'highly questional' quality....I have read that they contain numereous (& innapropriate) 'fillers' which (can?) cause adverse reactions in some people...
Because of the virtual dissapearance of all Oxy IR's in recent months, it appears that Mallinckrodt was the 1st company to get a generic replacement back into many pharmacies. However, Mallinckrodt's generic OxyIR's are one manufacturer's product that I wold avoid, if at all possible...I think they are a very poor quality product without any (or minimal) quality control before being sold into the market...
I would like to know what brands are preferred by most folks who are prescibed them for 'orthopedic-arthritic' types of chronic-terminal pain issues and if anyone has experienced any 'side effects' from this newest 'batch' of Mallinckrodt's OxyIR tablets (& capsules)...<br>
Thanks-all...
T~
March 28, 2009 - 11:30pm
#94
Time magazine article on Generics...
I cannot locate the (Time magazine) issue right now, but after reading 'WingsAllTheWay's comment:"since they're all chemically the same, right??? They have to be!"...it reminded me of the article concerning the (surprise!) amount of greed by pharmeceutical companies, where a particular part of the article made it's case by telling the story of a patient who after being rushed to the emergency room (within minutes of taking the 1st dose from a recently filled prescription)...He had taken the medication for years, but because of some new insurance guidelines(?), he'd had to have the generic filled, rather than his usual name-brand (heart?)medication....
As it turned out, the generic (which was 'made in China') had ingredients that had actually caused the attack/seizure (and it was speculated that he would have died without the emergency treatment he received)...The point was really that even though the medication 'looked' (even) better than the name brand, it contained dangerous levels of ingredients that when 'mixed' can cause catastrophic side effects and (not so rarely) death!...The only way the (potentially deadly) ingredients were even discovered is because his attorney had to get involved and force an investigation of the medication/manufacturer...Otherwise, his attack wouldn't even have been attributed to the poisonous meds!...
So, no...I am certain that 'all meds are NOT created equal'...
If a mfg'r of children's toys will use toxic levels of lead, then I don't think some would hesitate to substitue 'cheaper' & dangerous ingredients in medications (being shipped to North America - under another manufacturer's name)...
...especially when there is monetary profit involved...
Signed: Not paranoid...Just know what greed is capable of...
April 5, 2009 - 5:35pm
#95
I'm not gonna follow your "format,"
...but Mall. makes some of the best generic Oxycodone products on the market. In addition, their Restoril is superb, and their MS ER is more than halfway decent.They (Mall.) are unfairly bashed for some reason, although I agree their Hydrocodone is terribly inferior to all others.
My 2 cents.
March 30, 2009 - 5:55pm
#96
P.S.
When you put a foreign substance into your body, you're ALWAYS playing Pharmaceutical Roulette. I don't care who made it, or where. Keep that in mind. No one can predict adverse reactions. However, the mind is a powerful tool, and if we keep reading articles from unknown sources that feed into this media induced paranoia, our brains will convince us that our medicine is not working, or we will work ourselves up so much, we WILL have an adverse reaction.
P.S.S. It is very difficult to determine with any ammount of certainty that a particular episode, like the one described by the above poster can be attributed to a medication change.
March 31, 2009 - 12:50am
#97
I can remember a long time
I can remember a long time ago(about 5 years) when I had my first shoulder surgery. I got the mallis 5/325 percocet and they worked amazingly. Their hydros arent bad either but I have limited experience with them. I take oxycontin and malli does offer a generic for that. But my doc gives me a 60 dollar off coupon for brand so when the total comes up it is about the same so I just get purdue brand. I thought solo's post in another thread was very interesting on how he compared the brand to generic.
April 5, 2009 - 4:03pm
#98
YES, Malli 30mg IR Oxy had major adverse effects on me!
i've been doing research for several days on these malli 30mb IR tabs i've been takin for 10 days becasue i have had horri ble problems withthem.
In fact i have a whole scrip with that i Will Not take becasue of huge adverse reactions, including increased bloop pressure, heart rate, nausea, confusion, irritation, anxiety out the ying-yang, and general discomfort.
I have been on this medicine for a couple years, same dose. Just introduced to Malli because my pharm and all others, couldn't get the same brand i always took. ii've had two batches of the malis, the first were very brittle and would break in my fingers, these last ones from a couple weeks ago are hard as a rock.
Last week after lunch, i'd taken my second dose of the day and got so messed up i thought it was a blood sugar issue. shaky, sick, high blood pressure and pulse rate... just sick as ???$*. i wnet and bought a blood sugar tester and that read normal. i t went away after about 3.5 hours for the most part.
I changed my diet after that and took as small a dose as possible to get by and was okay for two days... then friday, bamo, it happened again only worse. i actually left work and weent to my docs office and by then everythign was getting back to normal. an hour after i left the docs i took my next dose, within 45 mins all theysymptoms started returning and i was in agony for another 4 hrrs. next morning tried tiny dose again and same thing on smaller scale. I had kept 3 pills from past scripts, 2 from Ethx, and one i think Watson (smaller and darker blue, round and scored in middle). took those yesterday and today and no problem.
Im as close to 100% sure it is the mallis as possible that caused the problems. Veyr bizzare, and scary frankly. Don't want to take them again.
I just joined this forum to make thisinfo available.
Anyone else had similar issues from the IR Oxycodone from Malinkrodt?
Thanks.
April 5, 2009 - 10:57pm
#99
Yes they do not work
I usually get the Watson hydro 10's and for the past 3 days I have had Mallincrot and had a pretty consistent annoying headache, general malaise in my stomach like a queasiness, and am very irritable. It seems to have a slight effect on my pain- I am not in allout withdrawal or anything but certainly not satisfied. I take them for pain and it is giving me a headache! I keep trying to take more at dose time cuz I want a few hours to feel normal and not be so uncomfortable and now I am going to run out early. I am SO frustrated about this. I actually have been avoiding Malli's for the past couple years and finding Watsons. When I first got a chronic pain condition I had insurance so I got those Malli's and they were bothering me so I asked for brand name every time. Now I can't afford that without insurance so I found out about the generic brand difference and have got Watsons instead. Unfortunately I didn't have a choice this time and thought maybe it would be alright, but NO IT IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I wish we could sue them. They are surely stealing the medicine right out of it. I think they have put something else in it that tests right, kind of like how if you eat poppy seeds you can test positive for opiates. I think some chemists figured out a way to scam us cuz they are addicted themselves. Else, they are putting in some filler that ruins the effects of the hydro. Something is definitely not right, cuz I have been avoiding these all on my own thinking it was just me. I didn't even know other people had this issue. I am sensitive to a lot of subtle things, like naproxen makes me tired, ibuprofen gives me a stomachache, so I just figured I was sensitive to something in the Malli's too, but now I am mad! I can't believe I have to keep feeling like this now for weeks to avoid withdrawals and extreme pain. And it is not even helping my pain the way it should. Pharmacists and some doctors think it is all in our head. How can it be? No one is complaining about any other brand, and how come I came up with avoiding Malli's all on my own without hearing about it from anyone else then? I wish there was something I could do. Apparently some people double up- then you run out too fast, and get a bad headache anyway?
April 7, 2009 - 7:42pm
#100
hyrocodone
when i was taking loricet, the watson brand name i would notice that 1 in about 25 would appear DEAD, basic ineffective kinda like when you bake a cake an get a little more bitter chocolate in 1 corner an get a bad piece, after the winter of 08, i d beleive anything about any manufactor, due to FDA warning them of ineffective ingredeints, an some unapproved ingredeints, i beleive quality control was keeping all the codeine, an syntheic morphine for theirselves
I was on norco 7.5/325 for two months they were mfg. by watson. i was recently switched to norco 10/325 mfg. by mck and i can tell the difference in strenght.. i have taken m359s which is a lortab i beleive a 7.5 or 5mg and a watson of the same strengh and the only difference i could tell was the time it took to take effect. the only mfg. of meds i can tell a difference on on the qualichek or what ever. I got some 7.5s with green speckles and could not feel any releif at all, it just made me couldy which i have not gotten in a few years of taking pain meds.. here in oklahoma wal-mart on lower strenghs and target have the qualichek brand.