HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

I HATE DRUGS!! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/12/2013 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
For the past couple days, I have been trying to figure out what is the lowest cost of drug to take with this silly disease. I was given samples of Asacol HD. Taking 2 pills 3x a day.

I have insurance BUT it DOES NOT cover prescriptions!!!! And the cost of all of these drugs is through the roof!

Has anyone ever tried balsalazide? I think the name brand is Colazal. But it looks like there may a generic form.

Thanks for you help.

I am allergic to sulfa drugs, so that puts the sulfazine out.

Thought about trying to get my meds from either Mexico or Canada. Not sure. Just can't afford to pay $800 a month for this stuff!!
Posted 6/12/2013 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
Can't recall if you were ever on pred but that is about as cheap as you can get. It can often get you out of a flare but the side effects can be bad and it is not a drug you should be on long term and it is not a cure - it only helps while you take it.
Posted 6/12/2013 5:19 PM (GMT 0)
i have been taking pred but they have been tapering me off it. I am only taking 2 pills a day (10 mg).

Not really passing much blood. But still have trips to the bathroom...about 6-8 a day. It has gotten better. I was doing double that!
Posted 6/12/2013 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
UC and Chrons is a very expensive disease. It's had to image being able to get the meds needed without a prescription plan. Stress from worrying about that would tear my gut up. Hope you
can find something you can afford.. :)
Posted 6/12/2013 5:27 PM (GMT 0)
I take the generic Colazal. It worked really well for me for several years, but recently it doesn't cut it alone. i take 3 pills 3x day. It is a maintenance drug so it probably won't cure any major symptoms on it's own.
i think some of the expensive drugs have have patient assistance programs--try looking at the medication's website to get more info. Lialda comes to mind as one that does.
Posted 6/12/2013 5:41 PM (GMT 0)
I am in the same boat as basil. Colazal generic didn't work for me though, just the name brand.
Posted 6/12/2013 5:48 PM (GMT 0)
I take the generic balsalazide and I'm in a good remission. You should also consider rectal meds, which come in generics too.
Posted 6/12/2013 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
My insurance stopped covering my prescriptions last spring when I hit the coverage cap* at the end of April, and I had to wait till late August to get a better plan. I was taking Asacol HD (which usually costs $860) and using generic mesalamine enemas (which cost about $170).

My doctor switched me to generic Colazal (I think it was 3 pill 3x/day), which cost about $60 per month. He explained that it was similar to Asacol, but it had to be metabolized first, which is why it was cheaper.

Unfortunately for me, I did not react well to it. It actually gave me worse diarrhea than I had when I was on no medication. I continued taking the mesalamine enemas (I had to budget a lot, but I could swing $230 on prescriptions every month if I had to), but they weren't as effective without a whole-colon drug. I had to switch back to Asacol HD and basically bleed my savings out while I waited for the new policy year to start.

I hope that you have a better reaction than I did!!!

* I live in MA, where it is illegal for insurance plans to cap prescription coverage. So I had NO idea what was going to happen that summer. It turns out that STUDENT health plans automatically meet MA minimum insurance coverage standards, just by being student plans. It's absurd.
Posted 6/13/2013 4:19 AM (GMT 0)
I order from Canada and India all the time and I've had good luck. I got 3 months of 1200mg mesalamine for about $200... If I were you, I'd go that route. If you prefer to try colazal, that's also a good option. I personally didn't see any positive benefit from Colazal. The pills are really big and you have to take a lot of them. it's not convenient but worst, in my case, it didn't work as well.
Posted 6/13/2013 10:06 AM (GMT 0)
maybe post where you are geographically , perhaps someone knows of a state/provincial /company financial aid program that would help you cover your costs?
Posted 6/13/2013 11:40 AM (GMT 0)
CoachesWife,

The cheapest and most effective drug which has the least side effects ( actually almost no side effects) is LDN, low dose naltrexone - it put me in remission.

The only caveat is that your doctor probably won't prescribe it.

You could either go to a holistic type doctor or get it other ways.

Posted 6/13/2013 12:38 PM (GMT 0)
I take balsalazide generic and it costs $90/mo with my "I pay everything insurance plan". I don't think Canada is cheaper for this med.

You can get mesalamine enemas cheaper in Canada (20% less than US price) but still not cheap. Enemas are a priority when flaring. Once flare is under control you only need enemas every now and then while keeping up the oral meds.

If you haven't tried diet mod. removing gluten and dairy from your diet helps get your flare under control. There is no cost to do this if you don't buy expensive "replacement" type food.
Just eat meat and low-fiber veggies while getting better then you can add dairy/gluten back in later.
Posted 6/13/2013 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
I am in the same situation :( I am on Apriso and with the savings card it is still $200 a month. I am also on Canasa. I do get this one from Canada. Universaldrugstore.com Here in the US it cost me $550 per month, but I get 3 months for $220. I am hoping that when Obamacare takes effect I will be able to get on a better plan with prescription plan. Another hope is that once a flare is under control I can taper my meds and not need as much. Diet as mentioned is also a great idea to try.
Posted 6/13/2013 2:33 PM (GMT 0)
Just eat meat and low-fiber veggies while getting better then you can add dairy/gluten back in later.

I disagree. If you cannot tolerate gluten or dairy now then there is no reason to believe that you will tolerate it later. 

On the other hand if you can eat food such as gluten now then there is no reason to stop.
Posted 6/13/2013 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
I disagree with your disagreement, at least in some cases. I'm not a doctor but from what I have read and understand, UC damages your colon (which probably doesn't have anything to do with dairy or gluten) but this damage can cause certain UC'rs to be lactose and or gluten intolerant. If you receive successful treatment, your colon can heal and your intolerances can go away and stay away as long as your colon remains healed. I think some will try to argue that dairy and or gluten caused your problems in the first place so therefore if your colon heals and you resume a normal diet the dairy and gluten will cause your problems to return but as far as I know there is no proof that this is actually true accept maybe in a small handful of patients.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply