I have tried many, some work very differently. I heard some generic's are 20% more potent than Brand Name Xanax and some are 20% lower in potency. Does anyone know which ones are which?
What is the most potent or effective manufacture of Alprazolam?
Question posted by sinistermonk on 10 March 2013
Last updated on 23 December 2023
Added 10 March 2013:
I have had Greenstone Lab
Sandoz
Purepact
Mylan(useless)
Dava which was Stada on my bottle,
I am on 4-7mg alprazaolam a day and my tolerance cant handle the changes in manufactures, they shouldn't be aloud to lower potency that much between generics.
10 Answers
hughestrm
14 May 2023
4-7 mg is an extremely high daily dose and renders the medication ineffective, after 2mg you just end up in a benzo loop and hit blackout territory, there's no benefit to piling on more medication. If you read the prescribing guidelines, they suggest staying on it not more than 6 weeks. it's not recommended for long term or daily use. I highly suggest you reduce your dose , I can only imagine how difficult you are to live with on that much. I hope, 10 years later, you are not still taking this much medication, and hopefully you haven't died of an overdose.
Probenzo101
23 Dec 2023
I have no idea where you’re coming up with this asinine statement that after “2mg you just end up in a Benzo loop and are entering blackout territory” 4-7mg is actually an average/moderate dose of alprazolam in patients with GAD, severe panic disorder with or without agoraphobia. The FDA recommends the average dose is around 6mg but some (myself included) benefits from up to 10mg daily. I’m not sure if this idea applies to something you may have heard on a bad article demonizing a proven safe and effective drug for personal gain or from your personal experience but in any case it’s a moderate/high dose and the chances that anyone could overdose on 7mg of alprazolam is less than a fraction of a percentage point. Even at 500 times the dose of the FDA recommended limit for humans, it’s still highly unlikely that you would die from alprazolam alone.
If I’ve been taking 2mg 4-5x daily for 17 years along with dextroamphetamine/amphetamine quad salts 30mg 2x daily and have had no adverse effects whatsoever. Everyone is different. Some people can take a .25 tablet and be out like a light and others can handle 4-10mg for years without having any side effects.
CathyB0925
16 Nov 2022
I am a daughter of a pharmacist. Your generic drugs are different. Each mfg is different. They use different fillers in all…. That is why one drug works better than the other. Greenstone has been the best. Milan the worst. This all depends on the individuals system. What works for one may not work for the other.
monghuni
4 Aug 2021
Actavis is the only one that works for me re: potency. Also, the "fillers" used in generics can be a factor as per my pharmacist.
Dottie25
22 Aug 2019
The active ingredient is FDA regulated- the fillers, coloring and other ingredients are not. The efficacy of the pill can differ wildly I’ve heard Greenstone is the best, but most pharmacies aren’t stocking it.
Restlessgypsy
1 March 2022
Greenstone actually gave me stomach pain after taking. One of the inactive ingredients didn't sit well with me... Found a Pharmacy that would order Mylan brand for me that i had been taking and worked great for me ( For Me, your experience will differ ) But has recently been discontinued by Mylan. So am now taking Aurobi brand. I don't feel the calming affect as i did with Mylan, but i think it works more subtle compared to the Mylan. Time will tell. I do know i feel more anxious than before though..
WildcatVet
22 Aug 2019
"A generic medicine works in the same way and provides the same clinical benefit as its brand-name version. This standard applies to all FDA-approved generic medicines. A generic medicine is the same as a brand-name medicine in dosage, safety, effectiveness, strength, stability, and quality, as well as in the way it is taken and should be used.
The FDA Generic Drugs Program conducts a rigorous review to make sure generic medicines meet these requirements.
In addition, FDA conducts 3,500 inspections of manufacturing plants a year, ensuring compliance with the agency's regulations on good manufacturing practices.
FDA staff also continually monitor drug products to make certain the medicines at all levels of the supply chain, from active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) to products being sold to consumers, are safe, effective, and high quality.
FDA requires drug companies to demonstrate that the generic medicine can be effectively substituted and provide the same clinical benefit as the brand-name medicine that it copies. The abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) submitted by drug companies must show the generic medicine is the same as the brand-name version in the following ways:
The active ingredient in the generic medicine is the same as in the brand-name drug/innovator drug.
The generic medicine has the same strength, use indications, form (such as a tablet or an injectable), and route of administration (such as oral or topical).
The inactive ingredients of the generic medicine are acceptable.
The generic medicine is manufactured under the same strict standards as the brand-name medicine.
The container in which the medicine will be shipped and sold is appropriate, and the label is the same as the brand-name medicine's label."
Key words: FDA APPROVED
Restlessgypsy
1 March 2022
Same effectiveness? No, not all do. And you actually state the reason in your response! The Inactive ingredients of the Generic medicine are "Acceptable" Herein lies the problem/issue.. The fillers or "inactive ingredients" have to be safe! They do not have to be the same as the original manufacturer, thereby making some better than others for people. Based on a persons body and metabolism, some may have side effects to an inactive ingredient where others are just fine. Some inactive ingredients may cause someone to metabolize the active ingredient in a different manner.. The FDA knows this.. *When you don’t do as well on the generic. Very rarely, people respond poorly when they switch to a generic. For example, they may absorb it differently due to how the tablet is made. The same study above found that a small number of people’s symptoms got worse after they switched from Celexa, a drug used to treat depression, to citalopram, the generic version.
cherokeerose1847
22 Aug 2019
You are absolutely correct, I don't care what anyone says different pharmaceutical companies vary in strength some are worthless! And it should be against the law for them to switch and change and not tell you. Eespecially when one pharmaceutical company buys out another and gives you the same week medication that you have requested NOT TO BE GIVEN... ( And you are told it is not the same pharmaceutical company therefore cannot be the same medication! )You can ask your pharmacist to put in your chart what you will and will not accept. If they give you the song and dance we only get in what they send us look for another Pharmacy. I find Greenstone and Activist to be the best. I hope this helps I know exactly how you feel.
scarlettmichelle
11 Aug 2019
When it comes to the best generic Xanax, alprazolam, you want to get the Greenstone generic brand. The company that makes Xanax, Pfizer, owns Greenstone so they’re made by the same manufacturer. It is the closest to the brand name you can get. My Dr. always specifies this exact generic brand only when he writes my Rx. I have tried other generic brands in the past and the Greenstone brand definitely works better, and it is not just in my head. I suffer from PTSD as well as a major anxiety disorder. So it’s not a psychological thing. It honestly works better! A lot of people think that all generic medications are the same as the brand name but that’s not always true. My doctor was a pharmacist BEFORE he became a doctor... So I trust he knows what he is talking about.
EricaMEd1234
13 Feb 2017
I've always taken the generic, alprazolam white 2mg bars enscribed GG 249. And weirdly thats my preference. But today I got the brand name Xanax white 2mg bars enscribed xanax and 2 on the other side. But they seem so different, and I dont like the differences, they taste different for one, and they are very hard to break in half let alone crush. And honestly at first I thought they were fake. They seem weaker to me, and maybe idk its because of the way I take them I crush them and need a straw and dont take them orally if you know what I mean.
Can anyone tell me why they are not having the satifying effect I used to get with the generic brand?
Volsmet
8 June 2018
A change in manufacturers can make it feel like the real thing is fake.
Thelarch17
19 Aug 2018
It's because your obtaining then illegally. The xanax bars you have are pressed meaning someone made them most likely in a basement. It's most likely not even alprazolam. They put fentanyl in those be careful but it sounds like you got some weak or fake presses. They discontinued the actual xanax bar with the 2 years ago.
cherokeerose1847
22 Aug 2019
I understand completely, it can make the difference in your day and your week and month until it's time for your next refill. Ask your pharmacist if they can order you something different some cooperate and some don't. You may have to go to another Pharmacy and state from the beginning that you don't want a certain manufacture. God bless
DzooBaby
11 March 2013
When you talk of 20% difference in a 1mg pill, it is such a minute amount, your body will never know the difference. 20% of a 10mg pill is only 2 mg. Your body wont be able to detect that difference. Your mind, however, can do funny things.
Volsmet
8 June 2018
That is absolute nonsense. Almost everyone will have a physiological response, some far more pronounced than others.
MacIntosh12
10 March 2013
Hi sinistermonk,
May I ask where you heard/read that different manufacturers are less or more effective than the name brand?
It's usually a matter of opinion on which manufacturers work better or not.
I've found that all the generics of Xanax, (that I've tried, and I've tried many) are usually equally as effective.
You could call different pharmacies to find out which one carries the brand you prefer. Or ask your pharmacy to order the one you prefer.
Best wishes,
Lara
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xanax, anxiety, panic disorder, alprazolam, generic
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