Hey Shmokey, how are you doing?
This is something I can't really address fully. There are a lot of factors here. I will put it this way: I know of not one but 3-4 places from which one can purchase knockoff PEX-2 pill molds.
I've personally had 3 different batches of PEX-2 over the years. The first time I had them, it felt like maybe .75mg of alprazolam. The thing was... I felt warm and calm and just... nice. It was a familiar feeling but I couldn't put my finger on it and honestly, it was strong enough for me to not care too much as long as I wasnt constantly dealing with that floating feeling you get with GAD between attacks, so good enough. That is until about 3 months later when I got a new toy at the place i was employed with at that time. GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry machine), the holy grail of "what the hell is in this pill" investigative tools. It turned out the tablets were something like .87mg/alprazolam, ~50mg tramadol (ultram). Never took those again.
The second time I'm pretty sure they were either total bunk or such low doses per pill that it wasn't worth it. I'm going to guess the latter because that alp taste was there, just very very buried in the taste of fillers and binders. I took 5 over the course of 2 hours before my anxiety decreased to a manageable level. Maybe it was placebo effect, maybe it really just took that much. I'll never know.
The third, they were actually very good. I was surprised as the packaging was different than the other 2 times (the first 2 were in blisters with red print on the foil that read PEX-2 in block lettering with the dose, drug name, etc... third time there was no color and a very stylized PEX-2 printed in an interesting font with the details around the edges). I no longer had personal access to the GC-MS as I had changed jobs but a friend who still worked in the previous place ran them for me and of the 3 tabs tested, the lowest dose was 1.88mg and the highest was 2.07mg.
So the short answer is this.... use your own judgement. Keep in mind, though, the most counterfeited alp tabs are Pfizer's XANAX 2s, GG249s, ONAX 2s and PEX-2s in my experience. Also keep in mind, counterfeited doesn't necessarily equate to "bad," just happens that way most of the time. I know ROA discussion is prohibited but I don't think I'm breaking that rule saying that I NEVER SWALLOW ALP. I let it dissolve. I think anyone taking questionable alp should have a few 100% known to be real tabs on hand to compare with. People like myself actually really like the taste of alp. Most don't. One thing is certain, though. Once you've chewed up a few positively real tabs, that's not a taste you'll ever have a hard time identifying again haha.
I have to say this and I'll try to not be too much of an ass about it. I don't know these people obviously, but some people are full of crap. I've seen people barred out of their minds telling someone else that they took 4+mg and feel nothing. I honestly think it's a... I don't want to risk any crude language.... "whizzing" contest. As in "look how awesome I am, I took this much and I feel nothing" kind of thing. Then again, as I've stated, some people just have different chemistry. As much as some will deny it kicking and screaming, the combo of some people's chemistry mixed with a certain compound CAN AND OFTEN IS affected by the different fillers and binders used by different companies.
Again, this is my actual personal experience. I, for example, have a script for 1mg alp tablets 2-3 times daily. My mother has a script for all 0.5mg 2-3x daily, both prn. Both different manufacturers. If one of us runs out, we can't loan any to each other as 2 of hers barely bring my anxiety to manageable and half of one of mine puts her directly to sleep. So yes, that can also be a factor. As I said, use your judgement. If it works for you and you're not obligated to provide these others with tabs and you're comfortable taking them, who cares if they work for them?
As a final side note, my absolute best experience consistently (aside from the now near-mythical status Gador Alplax [which, by the way, the hype is true regarding... GC-MS routinely put them at 2.35-3+mg] ) has been with Tranax. As always, my opinion/experience/makeup. But they did always work for me and dosages ALWAYS were within a +/- 3% max margin of the stated 1mg. That's better than most US manufactured pills, i'm case you weren't aware.
Breacher - thank you for the kind words! I do love the GABA subject. I cant help but wonder if at some point in the future, benzos will be negated by more research into GABA therapy and results.
This is something I can't really address fully. There are a lot of factors here. I will put it this way: I know of not one but 3-4 places from which one can purchase knockoff PEX-2 pill molds.
I've personally had 3 different batches of PEX-2 over the years. The first time I had them, it felt like maybe .75mg of alprazolam. The thing was... I felt warm and calm and just... nice. It was a familiar feeling but I couldn't put my finger on it and honestly, it was strong enough for me to not care too much as long as I wasnt constantly dealing with that floating feeling you get with GAD between attacks, so good enough. That is until about 3 months later when I got a new toy at the place i was employed with at that time. GC-MS (Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry machine), the holy grail of "what the hell is in this pill" investigative tools. It turned out the tablets were something like .87mg/alprazolam, ~50mg tramadol (ultram). Never took those again.
The second time I'm pretty sure they were either total bunk or such low doses per pill that it wasn't worth it. I'm going to guess the latter because that alp taste was there, just very very buried in the taste of fillers and binders. I took 5 over the course of 2 hours before my anxiety decreased to a manageable level. Maybe it was placebo effect, maybe it really just took that much. I'll never know.
The third, they were actually very good. I was surprised as the packaging was different than the other 2 times (the first 2 were in blisters with red print on the foil that read PEX-2 in block lettering with the dose, drug name, etc... third time there was no color and a very stylized PEX-2 printed in an interesting font with the details around the edges). I no longer had personal access to the GC-MS as I had changed jobs but a friend who still worked in the previous place ran them for me and of the 3 tabs tested, the lowest dose was 1.88mg and the highest was 2.07mg.
So the short answer is this.... use your own judgement. Keep in mind, though, the most counterfeited alp tabs are Pfizer's XANAX 2s, GG249s, ONAX 2s and PEX-2s in my experience. Also keep in mind, counterfeited doesn't necessarily equate to "bad," just happens that way most of the time. I know ROA discussion is prohibited but I don't think I'm breaking that rule saying that I NEVER SWALLOW ALP. I let it dissolve. I think anyone taking questionable alp should have a few 100% known to be real tabs on hand to compare with. People like myself actually really like the taste of alp. Most don't. One thing is certain, though. Once you've chewed up a few positively real tabs, that's not a taste you'll ever have a hard time identifying again haha.
I have to say this and I'll try to not be too much of an ass about it. I don't know these people obviously, but some people are full of crap. I've seen people barred out of their minds telling someone else that they took 4+mg and feel nothing. I honestly think it's a... I don't want to risk any crude language.... "whizzing" contest. As in "look how awesome I am, I took this much and I feel nothing" kind of thing. Then again, as I've stated, some people just have different chemistry. As much as some will deny it kicking and screaming, the combo of some people's chemistry mixed with a certain compound CAN AND OFTEN IS affected by the different fillers and binders used by different companies.
Again, this is my actual personal experience. I, for example, have a script for 1mg alp tablets 2-3 times daily. My mother has a script for all 0.5mg 2-3x daily, both prn. Both different manufacturers. If one of us runs out, we can't loan any to each other as 2 of hers barely bring my anxiety to manageable and half of one of mine puts her directly to sleep. So yes, that can also be a factor. As I said, use your judgement. If it works for you and you're not obligated to provide these others with tabs and you're comfortable taking them, who cares if they work for them?
As a final side note, my absolute best experience consistently (aside from the now near-mythical status Gador Alplax [which, by the way, the hype is true regarding... GC-MS routinely put them at 2.35-3+mg] ) has been with Tranax. As always, my opinion/experience/makeup. But they did always work for me and dosages ALWAYS were within a +/- 3% max margin of the stated 1mg. That's better than most US manufactured pills, i'm case you weren't aware.
Breacher - thank you for the kind words! I do love the GABA subject. I cant help but wonder if at some point in the future, benzos will be negated by more research into GABA therapy and results.