[jasonsmith]

Anyone know of an online pharmacy that has the cheapest price for Lotronex?I just found out my insurance does not cover Lotronex. I was looking at getting on it, but I would have to pay 100%.I normally get my medicine from my local Walgreens. But I've just recently got interested in online pharmacies as I think you can get them cheaper that way. Maybe from Canada? I've heard that medication from Canada is super cheap compared to the USA.Also, any idea when a generic will be out? I think medication patents last for 7 years, so that would mean the generic should be out in 2007?Thanks

 

[Kathleen M.]

Lotronex is not approved in Canada if I recall correctly so I'm not sure if you could get it that way (and sometimes it may be confiscated and some places that say they are in Canada are from places where you probably wouldn't buy drugs from if you knew where it was being shiped from).Be very careful. Sometimes really cheap on-line pharmacy means out of date, improperly stored, or counterfit drugs.I'd first call the various pharmacies in your area and do a price compare, sometimes a prescription can be much cheaper at one place than another.I'm not sure how they will count the time on generic for it with the disruption in when it was on the market or not.K.

 

[jasonsmith]

My local Walgreens store quoted me $577 for 60 .5 mg. They also quoted me $577 for 60 1 mg.So, it seems to me that the price is the same for .5 mg and 1 mg. So I say it would be cheaper if someone took two .5 mg a day to just buy 30 1 mg and cut them in half.I don't really think it will do me any good to check around different pharmacies here as I'm only wanting to spend around $50-$100 dollars a month on it. I would barely be able to afford that.

 

[jjohnson]

Jason,Drug patents last 20 years from the filing of the IND and how long a marketed product is protected depends on how fast they can get it to market from the time the clock starts ticking. Lotronex did get an extension (I agree with Kathleen that it is probably because of the time it was off the market), and won't go generic until January 13, 2013. Sorry.I also agree that anything you buy from a foreign pharmacy purporting to be Lotronex is almost guaranteed to be counterfeit. If it is made abroad, it is probably shipped directly from the factory to the US, and for all I know they may make it here.You may want to consider Zofran if you can find a doctor who is receptive to the idea. Some people here have had luck with it. It will go generic on December 24, though for obvious reasons probably won't be available until the start of the new year. On June 24, 2007, Par Pharmaceuticals' 180-day exclusivity on the first generic will expire. Quite a number of companies already have tentative approval for the generic, so the price competition should be pretty intense by next summer. In any case, the generic is already available in Canada. This site has the lowest price I've seen from a pharmacy that looks reputable:http://www.medcentercanada.comGood luck.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by jjohnson:Jason,Drug patents last 20 years from the filing of the IND and how long a marketed product is protected depends on how fast they can get it to market from the time the clock starts ticking. Lotronex did get an extension (I agree with Kathleen that it is probably because of the time it was off the market), and won't go generic until January 13, 2013. Sorry.I also agree that anything you buy from a foreign pharmacy purporting to be Lotronex is almost guaranteed to be counterfeit. If it is made abroad, it is probably shipped directly from the factory to the US, and for all I know they may make it here.You may want to consider Zofran if you can find a doctor who is receptive to the idea. Some people here have had luck with it. It will go generic on December 24, though for obvious reasons probably won't be available until the start of the new year. On June 24, 2007, Par Pharmaceuticals' 180-day exclusivity on the first generic will expire. Quite a number of companies already have tentative approval for the generic, so the price competition should be pretty intense by next summer. In any case, the generic is already available in Canada. This site has the lowest price I've seen from a pharmacy that looks reputable:http://www.medcentercanada.comGood luck.

How many mg's do people usually get on?The deterrent to Lotronex to me was price, but Zofran is expensive like Lotronex. Even the generic is way expensive.Any other 5-HT antagonists?And what do you think about Remeron? That stuff is fairly cheap.Oh, I just found this online. Look at the third one down: http://www.storerxmeds.com/order.php?drugs=OndansetronEMSET (Zofran, Ondansetron) without prescription Manuf by Cipla 4mg tabs 20 for $28.80I'm guessing that's generic? Something doesn't seem right as I was seeing several hundred dollar amounts. Am I missing something?Thanks

 

[14416]

Jason, take into consideration that Zofran MIGHT be covered by your insurance company because it's not only approved for one sex. Also, like he said, a generic will be available soon.I've read through old posts of Zofran where some people benefited from 1mg (cut 4mg in 1/4's), and others that used 4mg twice a day. It seemed to me that most people were taking 2-4mg a day.That's one of the reasons I'm going to try to get Zofran (because it's going to be generic soon and it's on my insurance's formulary list).Take care.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:Jason, take into consideration that Zofran MIGHT be covered by your insurance company because it's not only approved for one sex. Also, like he said, a generic will be available soon.I've read through old posts of Zofran where some people benefited from 1mg (cut 4mg in 1/4's), and others that used 4mg twice a day. It seemed to me that most people were taking 2-4mg a day.That's one of the reasons I'm going to try to get Zofran (because it's going to be generic soon and it's on my insurance's formulary list).Take care.

I'll check to see if it is on my insurance.I found out that Lotronex is not covered under my insurance BC/BS regardless of sex.What is your opinion on Remeron?

 

[14416]

I tried Remeron - I was on 15mg at night, and I think I had a pretty good experience with it. It definitely was one of my favorite anti-depressants (the least amount of side-effects). If there was any 5ht-3 action it was definitely "weak" in regards to IBS. It did help some symptoms though...definitely not urgency for me, but I'd still recommend trying it.I AM calling the Dr. on Monday and going to try to talk to him about Zofran. I need something so I can work

! A job I'm qualified for has an opening ($40,000 yr starting out - not great but definitely acceptable for a soon-to-be college grad), but I'd get fired in two weeks because I'd call in so many days.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:I tried Remeron - I was on 15mg at night, and I think I had a pretty good experience with it. It definitely was one of my favorite anti-depressants (the least amount of side-effects). If there was any 5ht-3 action it was definitely "weak" in regards to IBS. It did help some symptoms though...definitely not urgency for me, but I'd still recommend trying it.I AM calling the Dr. on Monday and going to try to talk to him about Zofran. I need something so I can work

! A job I'm qualified for has an opening ($40,000 yr starting out - not great but definitely acceptable for a soon-to-be college grad), but I'd get fired in two weeks because I'd call in so many days.

Well, that's better than my $17k a year.Do you know how much you will have to pay for Zofran per month?

 

[14416]

Yeah, but I'm making ZERO per year right now! Hell, I'd be satisfied making minimum wage if I wasn't sick ever again. I just mentioned the money because I wanted to vent about how much IBS takes away from a person's life.I would pay a $30 copay..and remember, we both have BC/BS..although different states, they are obviously very similar.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:Yeah, but I'm making ZERO per year right now! Hell, I'd be satisfied making minimum wage if I wasn't sick ever again. I just mentioned the money because I wanted to vent about how much IBS takes away from a person's life.I would pay a $30 copay..and remember, we both have BC/BS..although different states, they are obviously very similar.

That's good. I'll call my insurance monday.

 

[14416]

Remember, a lot is going to depend on the size of the tablet - they come in 4mg, 8mg, and 24mg (I think), so I would find out about each dose...they may have a limit on how many pills you can get per month, but if you get the 8mg tablets and they have a 15 pill limit you can 1/4 those and get 60 days worth if you take 2mg or 30 days worth if you take 4mg. How old are you Jason?

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:Remember, a lot is going to depend on the size of the tablet - they come in 4mg, 8mg, and 24mg (I think), so I would find out about each dose...they may have a limit on how many pills you can get per month, but if you get the 8mg tablets and they have a 15 pill limit you can 1/4 those and get 60 days worth if you take 2mg or 30 days worth if you take 4mg. How old are you Jason?

I'm 24.I went to my local Walgreens the other day and found out that the price is the same for 1 mg or .5 mg of Lotronex.The pharmacist there told me that alot of medication is starting to be the same price regardless of it's strength.When I eat in the morning, it causes me to have a diarreah bowel movement. Usually, I don't have a bowel movement from eating lunch at work because I take Immodium AD and I take 40 mg of Paxil every couple of weeks. I have been taking Paxil for years, but I really only take it every so often to keep from getting withdrawel. Paxil did nothing for my diarreah, but I noticed that it kept me from getting cramping diarreah attacks at work if I took it a couple times a month. So, for the past several years, I hardly had an attack at work. Maybe two or three attacks a year. Keep in mind that I would take two Immodium AD every night, but the Paxil seemed to keep me from having to have a bowel movement when I would eat later on in the day. I noticed the Immodium AD wouldn't stop the attacks at work if I didn't take the Paxil as well.But for the past several months, I've been having frequent attacks at work and general bowel upset everyday. Just like what I noticed years ago when I would quite taking the Paxil. I thought the Paxil wasn't working as it had in the past, but now I'm thinking if maybe its old. As the Paxil I have was filled in January 2005 and expired January 2006.So, I was wondering if maybe the reason I'm having more bowel problems now is because the Paxil is old and not working like it would if it was new? Does medication get old and not work right?Though, if that's the case, instead of getting another prescription for Paxil, I'll probably just get the Remeron to try.A side effect when I take Paxil, for the few days afterwards I will wake up several times early in the morning with it being hard to fall back asleep. And this still happens, so I know it is still doing something.

 

[14416]

I'm young, too (22). I know that with Zofran they all vary in price by mg (the 24mg was insane!).Hmmm...I haven't ever taken Paxil before so I can't really tell you anything about that, but Remeron might be something to look into. Some people here reported great relief from it...I saw some relief, but not enough to continue to take it long term. I am definitely looking to try Zofran/Lotronex - we will see how that goes when I call Monday and make the appointment.I find Imodium works best for me if I take it before an attack happens or thirty minutes before meals. If I know I have somewhere to be the next day I'll take 1-4 tablets the night before spaced out a few hours apart - then in the morning I will take another 1-4 depending upon how the symptoms are. Lomotil might be something you want to ask about, too. It's another anti-diarrheal medicine that has helped a lot of people.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:I'm young, too (22). I know that with Zofran they all vary in price by mg (the 24mg was insane!).Hmmm...I haven't ever taken Paxil before so I can't really tell you anything about that, but Remeron might be something to look into. Some people here reported great relief from it...I saw some relief, but not enough to continue to take it long term. I am definitely looking to try Zofran/Lotronex - we will see how that goes when I call Monday and make the appointment.I find Imodium works best for me if I take it before an attack happens or thirty minutes before meals. If I know I have somewhere to be the next day I'll take 1-4 tablets the night before spaced out a few hours apart - then in the morning I will take another 1-4 depending upon how the symptoms are. Lomotil might be something you want to ask about, too. It's another anti-diarrheal medicine that has helped a lot of people.

I asked my general physician a few weeks ago for Lomotil. He told me that he only prescribes that for two days tops.I have read that Lomotil is for short term use only, but I've also read some people use it long term. So, I'm not sure. I know it has some narcotic properties.

 

[14416]

So does Imodium.I think you need to get into a gastro doctor ASAP. Or at least a doctor that will work with you for your IBS treatment a little bit more.

 

[jasonsmith]

quote:Originally posted by Silent Sufferer Suffering:So does Imodium.I think you need to get into a gastro doctor ASAP. Or at least a doctor that will work with you for your IBS treatment a little bit more.

Yeah, I've been looking for years. I've got an appointment with a GI doc next month. Though, he is 30 minutes away.I did a GI doc a couple of months ago. The appointment was over in 5 minutes and he didn't want to run any tests. I had seen him 3 years prior. I told him nothing I've tried has worked and he prescribed me the same #### he prescribed me 3 year before. That powder stuff for bile acids. Then he left and didn't even set up a follow up appointment.So, I saw a few weeks later a different GI doc in the same group. In five minutes the appointment was over, and she didn't even prescribe me anything. I asked for tests to be done for parasites, etc. and she stated I have IBS because Lotronex had worked for me and that stuff only works for IBS. (Bull****).Oh well. I'm looking at getting a job as a prison guard for the state. All you do is sit in your office allday by yourself. You can go to the bathroom anytime without having to ask anyone. I'm looking at trying to get on 3rd shift as the prisoners will be asleep during that time.

 

[jasonsmith]

Zofran is a no go. It would cost me $774 a month with my insurance. That is more than Lotronex.Besides, I've read that 4mg of Zofran is equal to 1mg of Lotronex. Or something around there. I would probably be better off, and it would be cheaper to just take one .5mg of Lotronex a day.I may try to get on Lomotil. Though, I will have to research long term use.

 

[jasonsmith]

MUAHAHAHAHAAHAHHHAHAH...I guess I called the wrong place at my insurance. I had to call some other place that handles the medication. But anyways, Lotronex is covered under my insurance plan!!! And it does not appear there are any restrictions based on gender.

So, if I got on 1mg twice daily of Lotronex, it would cost me $25 per month. If I go through the 90-day mail order, it would cost me $35 every 3 months.Yes!!! I just found out Dr. Cox in Kentucky has prescribed Lotronex to men. Though, he is located 4 hours away from me. I've got one other guy I'm checking on that is alot closer. If that doesn't workout, then I'll be seeing Dr. Cox!!

 

[14416]

Hooray!I'm happy for you brother!I hope you get it...I haven't scheduled an appointment with my GI yet. I'm going to sometime this week. I hope it works out!You said Lotronex worked for you before? I didn't know you had been on it before. Are you sure Zofran isn't covered? That wouldn't be good for me since our plans are similar, I'm sure. Blue Cross/Blue Shield Choice Plus of Minnesota is what I have.My mail order option is $100 for 3 months...because it's not on the formulary list.I think I'm going to try for Zofran, because I think it is covered for me (well, I know it's on their formulary list).