Brand Switch

[[Jt...]]

Hello,

I've been on Clonazapam the brand Teva for 9 years 0.5 mg, apparantly there is a shortage or Teva in the US. My symptoms have spiked significantly when the pharmacy gave me the brand Accord. Does anybody have any experience with a brand switch and how long did it take your body to adjust to the new brand?

Thanks in advance!!

[[Cr...]]

It varies. As far as I can tell your adaptation may depend on what the brand differences are. If, for example, the Accord brand is utilized by your body to a lesser degree than Teva, then adapting would be a matter of time.

Let's say with Teva you fully absorbed .5 mgs. Now when you take Accord, you are only absorbing .47 mgs due to fillers. It is a small difference, but enough over time to be felt like a cut.

If you have called around to all the pharmacies within distance you are willing to travel (looking for Teva), then another option may be to switch to brand name Klonopin as it is likely there will never be a shortage. If in US, your doctor may have to confirm that other generics were not tolerated before insurance agrees to cover the cost of name brand.

@[Li...] usually offers great advice regarding this issue. Hopefully she will grace us with her presence.

[[Jt...]]

Thank you so much for your reply Crono! I have called every name brand pharmacy in San Diego within driving distance, and they all do not have Teva. I spoke to Teva USA over the phone, and they said they're having a shortage of materials and can be back on shelves around November.

But the brand name Klonopin I didn't even know was an option. Would just normal CVS Walgreens I assume carry it? Can definitely make some calls to see if they do. And I assume brand name klonopin would be very well absorbed compared to generic versions. 

Much Appreciated!!!

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[[Li...]]

Hello @[Jt...].

It’s cold comfort, but you are not alone in having to change manufacturers due to the nationwide shortage of Teva clonazepam.  Other members are dealing with this as well.

You’ve also given us an important piece of information from Teva USA - that they expect the shortage to resolve in November.  Thank you!

@[Cr...] is correct that switching to brand Klonopin (currently manufactured by H-2 Pharma in the US) is a good option to consider.  In addition to being less likely to go into shortage, another advantage of using brand is that brand manufacturers typically have higher quality assurance standards than generic manufacturers.

Potential negatives of brand include higher cost plus some pharmacy benefits managers and Medicare Plan D providers may require prior authorization.  Also, your prescriber would need to write a new prescription with a DAW (Dispense As Written) order for brand.

In my opinion, the advantages of brand outweigh the negatives, but that’s just me.

Re: adjusting to a manufacturer change …

When you make a reduction in dose, how long does it typically take for your withdrawal symptoms to emerge, peak, and stabilize?  This might give you an idea of how long it may take you to adjust to a manufacturer change (assuming you are not having an adverse reaction to one of the excipients in the tablet — tablets from different manufacturers use different excipients).

[[Jt...]]

Thanks @[Li...]! 

Just fyi the phone number for the representative I spoke to with Teva USA is 1-800-545-8800 just in case anybody else would like to speak with them.

Regarding brand name Klonopin that seems like the way to go. Tomorrow I'm going to call a bunch of local pharmacies to see if they carry the medication or if I can order it with my doctor's specific prescription and then if somebody does have it, schedule an appointment with my doctor to see if he would be open to prescribing it to me. 

 

As far as tapers go, I've been on a 3% hyperbolic taper since April, and I have been going well until the brand switch. I will hold at current dose until symptoms stable out, but I believe it should be about 2-3 based on tapering experience. (I got cold turkeyed for three days after I forgot my pills on a cruise after a two-year taper and had to up-dose from .35 to 1mg to stay out of the hospital with severe withdrawal symptoms.)

Thank you so much for your advice and hopefully I can get a hold of brand name klonopin! @[Cr...]thank you so much for your help as well!

 

[[Li...]]

You’re most welcome @[Jt...].  Thank you for sharing the phone number for Teva USA with us. The ASHP drug shortages database was just updated today and is giving an estimated a resupply date of early-August 2024 for Teva clonazepam.  I suspect the November date the Teva USA rep gave you is more realistic in terms of when pharmacies will actually have stock in hand to fill prescriptions again.

Good luck with your phone calls …my (limited) experience is that big chain pharmacies can be less than enthusiastic about filling DAW prescriptions.  If you encounter this, I suggest you try contacting independently owned pharmacies.

[[Bu...]]

Hi @[Jt...],

I just wanted to add my two-cents here, as I was in this spot many times.  I had terrible reactions each time I had to switch among brands.  I was originally on Mylan for about 10 years then was switched to Teva and then Accord.  The Teva switch was the hardest for me.  It took me a month to get used to it and feel well again, but I did.  The issues from the Accord switch only lasted about a week.

I eventually talked with the pharmacist at my local Walmart and told them that I had a problem with allergies to fillers in other brands and needed a specific one.  He made a note in my file that I was only to have that brand.  I still had to check each time I picked it up to make sure it was correct before I left the pharmacy.  If it was wrong, and I had taken it home, they couldn't take it back, but if I checked there, they could fix it.  (It was often wrong on the first try.)

I hope this helps some and that it's settled for you soon.

[[Jt...]]

Thanks @[Bu...]

I think that's probably what I'll do. it definitely sucks having to hold my taper with this unsuspected news but I'm sure I'll adjust to the Accord brand with time. I was just on the phone with a bunch of different pharmacies in my area (San Diego) and all of them said they didn't have brand name klonopin and wouldn't be able to order even if my doctor's script even if he specifically said to do so. So guess Accord it is from here all the way down.

Thank you!

[[Go...]]

58 minutes ago, [[J...] said:

Thanks @[Bu...]

I think that's probably what I'll do. it definitely sucks having to hold my taper with this unsuspected news but I'm sure I'll adjust to the Accord brand with time. I was just on the phone with a bunch of different pharmacies in my area (San Diego) and all of them said they didn't have brand name klonopin and wouldn't be able to order even if my doctor's script even if he specifically said to do so. So guess Accord it is from here all the way down.

Thank you!

Hi! I’m in San Diego also! I’m so happy I came across your post. I’ve been on klonopin for 5 years and have been tapering for a little over 2 months. After my last reduction I noticed a HUGE increase in my withdrawal symptoms. The withdrawal was bad before that but I was managing. After the last cut, it was not manageable and I ended up going back up to the previous dose. After I read your post, I looked at my bottles and sure enough, they switched me from Teva to Accord! I hadn’t even noticed the brand change. Now I’m wondering if that’s why the last cut felt so much worse!

[[Jt...]]

Yes seems to be a nationwide shortage for teva. I would recommend holding until your body gets used to the brand switch. Thats what ive been doing and i can notice some improvement.

[[Jt...]]

Just called my local rite aid to refill my script and they said they only have Accord right now but soon all Rite Aid's will be switching to Teva next refill so it's coming back! Thank god! I'm in Southern CA in case anybody around here was wondering the same thing.

[[Lo...]]

4 hours ago, [[J...] said:

Just called my local rite aid to refill my script and they said they only have Accord right now but soon all Rite Aid's will be switching to Teva next refill so it's coming back! Thank god! I'm in Southern CA in case anybody around here was wondering the same thing.

 

[[Lo...]]

I called Teva a couple hours ago and they said all clonazepam is on back order until November. It says something different online but that’s what Teva told me. I’ve been having a bad reaction to another manufacturer since May 2. CVS had some. 

[[Li...]]

 

@[Jt...], @[Lo...] and other interested readers …

Per the FDA drug shortages database:

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Revised 07/10/2024)
Presentation Availability and Estimated Shortage Duration 

 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: December 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: October 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-05) Available

 

[[Lo...]]

9 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

@[Jt...], @[Lo...] and other interested readers …

Per the FDA drug shortages database:

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Revised 07/10/2024)
Presentation Availability and Estimated Shortage Duration 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: December 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: October 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-05) 

10 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

@[Jt...], @[Lo...] and other interested readers …

Per the FDA drug shortages database:

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc. (Revised 07/10/2024)
Presentation Availability and Estimated Shortage Duration 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: December 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, .5 mg (NDC 0093-0832-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024 

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 1 mg (NDC 0093-3212-05) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: October 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-01) Limited Availability Estimated recovery: November 2024

Clonazepam Tablets, USP CIV, Tablet, 2 mg (NDC 0093-3213-05) Available

 

 

[[Lo...]]

Thanks. I was looking at ashp.org, but different from what I was told by Teva. I didn’t adjust to name brand Klonipin. I felt so bad. I hope I can get through. I take a little bit of aprazalem too. My understanding is I would need to taper that before klonipin.