A miracle drug I can't afford
By dragon54u
@dragon54u (31634)
United States
December 21, 2012 12:10pm CST
This is a sad story that turns out great!
I have arthritis and it's really bad in my left hip. It got so bad that I actually got out my mom's old cane and looked up how to use it. It helped a bit, gave me a couple more minutes of mobility, but then the pain was too much. So I thought the heck with this and went to the doctor.
Like many people, I don't ever see the doc, just the PA (physician's assistant). She prescribed Celebrex and gave me some samples. Well, I took one of those pills when I got home and voila! In about 60 minutes my pain was nearly gone, I could move around easily and that night I slept through the night without being awakened by pain for the first time in about 9 months!
So the pharmacy emails me that my prescription is ready---$375.00 for 60 capsules!! 
That's $6.25 a day and I can't afford it. I was nearly in tears thinking I'd have to go back to constant pain but called the PA and she said there was no generic due to an active patent but prescribed Meloxicam which works the same way--for $23 a month! 
So now I have pain relief at a reasonable price. If nothing else, I would have skipped doses. After all, every other day without pain is better than every day WITH pain!
Now, I know that it takes a LOT of money to develop a new drug but pricing it out of reach of the average sufferer is not going to recover the R&D costs. I'm just very, very grateful that there was a comparable drug that works just as well and is affordable!
Are there any medications that you could take but can't afford? Do you skip doses to save money, as I would have if there was no alternative? Do you have a better plan for funding drug development other than a government subsidy?
That's $6.25 a day and I can't afford it. I was nearly in tears thinking I'd have to go back to constant pain but called the PA and she said there was no generic due to an active patent but prescribed Meloxicam which works the same way--for $23 a month! So now I have pain relief at a reasonable price. If nothing else, I would have skipped doses. After all, every other day without pain is better than every day WITH pain!
Now, I know that it takes a LOT of money to develop a new drug but pricing it out of reach of the average sufferer is not going to recover the R&D costs. I'm just very, very grateful that there was a comparable drug that works just as well and is affordable!
Are there any medications that you could take but can't afford? Do you skip doses to save money, as I would have if there was no alternative? Do you have a better plan for funding drug development other than a government subsidy?4 people like this
7 responses
@lacieice (2060)
• United States
22 Dec 12
I also need celebrex but can't afford it. The doctor gives me samples when I go, but only a few pills. I'm going to ask her about the Meloxicam when I see her again. I did want to tell you, though, that if you have no insurance, you could try contacting the manufacturer...they may give them to you at no cost. If you go to rxassist.org, they will give you the information you need to get in touch with the manufacturer. I've used them before when I had no insurance, and they helped me get over $700 a month in meds for little or no cost.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
22 Dec 12
A couple of other people also mentioned alternatives so you might also want to take those names down.
I don't qualify for any type of help program but I'm glad you mentioned them for the benefit of those who might need them and aren't aware of them. My problem is that I am nearly 60, nearly disabled with my back and this arthritis and nearly broke! I'm desperately trying to put away money for retirement (we could not save anything when I was married) which means I have to save every penny possible unless I want to be a burden on my children. I'm not poor, but I will be at the time I can do the least about it if I don't get things right.
I wish you luck seeing your doctor! Maybe you could call her on Monday and ask if Meloxicam or another of those mentioned here would be right for you then she could call it in. That would certainly save you the cost of a doctor's visit, good luck!
@buenavida (9984)
• Sweden
18 Jan 13
I'm happy you got help with the pain. I have had arthritis too, and it was under my feet, so every step hurt.. no fun..
But then I tested a bottle of Noni juice and the arthritis disappeared but came back when I stopped taking it. So I continued and later went over to gnld.com food supplements and they help me a lot so far. I've taken them for over ten years and have not taken pharmacy medicine for a long time.
I try to eat a lot of fruit and veggies and less meat and avoid all processed fats like the ones in margarine. Real butter and coconut oil are OK.
Gnld.com is a network business, so I can get the food supplements much cheaper when I buy the same month when my network buys. Some have made it to a big income too, as they have kept sharing the opportunity and got a big network...maybe I will have that too one day, but I'm happy to have found a solution to keep a lot healthier than I was.
Good health to you..
Good health to you..1 person likes this
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
21 Dec 12
Fortunately in the UK the medicines are much more affordable, and allowances are made for the elderly in that they get free prescriptions. That was certainly a relief my friend, and in your circumstances I would have done the same, skipped doses. We had an increase this year in prescription prices of 25p and each prescription now costs £7.65 has come into effect. But you can get season tickets where you pay monthly and it works out slightly cheaper, dependent of how many prescriptions you need over the month.
1 person likes this
@Carolyn63 (1403)
• United States
21 Dec 12
Have you tried any natural remedies for relief? It is said that eating pineapple every day will help and after a while even stop the pain. It's the bromelain in it. You can of course buy bromelain in capsule form. It's also great for the digestion. Another thing highly recommended is tumeric. I've just begun the pineapple regimen and it has helped.
Also, I read that Nsaids block the absorption of glucosomine and chondrotin products. I'm trying to prevent further damage.
I could never afford that medication!
I'm on blood pressure medicine and I won't skip it, that's for certain. Fortunately I can get it generic for $4 a bottle.
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
22 Dec 12
Hi Carolyn! Yes, for years I tried natural things. Ginger helped a lot when it wasn't so bad. I did try pineapple a few months ago when I learned about what it could do but it hardly made much difference at all and I gained weight, which I certainly can't afford to do. I've read a lot about NSAIDs and hoped to avoid them but I got to the point where nothing helped. Even with this medicine I'm still uncomfortable many times during the day, although not in the excruciating pain that I was.
I am concerned about the side effects but my life was effectively over--I could not go out for long, driving to see my stepmother was a true ordeal, I could not shop without a cart to support me which means I could not shop at most stores. That's no way to live!
I have not tried Bromelain capsules but I will get some next time I'm out. As I said, my pain is controlled but by no means gone and maybe Bromelain will help. Won't have the delicious pineapple taste but at least no calories!
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
22 Dec 12
i often cut back on my spireva, the copd medication toward the end of the year because its so expensive and thats when im in the what they call donut hole at my insurance. and have to pay the whole price which is 240 bucks usually its 43 bucks
@jenny1015 (13366)
• Philippines
22 Dec 12
There are now generic medicines available that can help a lot of people in terms of saving money. I used to work in a pharmacy myself and I have noticed that people have switched to buying the generic medicines over the branded medicines. And I think it works exactly the same. Even if I can afford the branded ones, I now buy the inexpensive alternative.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
22 Dec 12
This isn't the generic but it works the same way, by blocking a hormone that causes inflammation. I always buy generics when possible but I know a lot of people that won't because they think they are inferior for some reason. Thank God for generics or many of us would not have the medicine we need.
@ddaguno (3107)
• Philippines
21 Dec 12
That really is good news. These days getting sick is like being hit by a hurricane. it leave you penniless.
I also like to look for herbal supplements for whatever kind of symptom I have. It's kind of scary to have synthetic maintenance medication. Makes me worry about what it'll do to my liver.
1 person likes this
