Grandparents sent me a donation!

[massagedoula]

I just found out from my Mom that my Grandparents sent me a 500 dollar check today to help cover my first 2 months of Elmiron when I start it soon. With my insurance covering half it still will be 250 a month, which really had made me worry about affording it.

I thought that was sweet and wanted to share it with you all.

[ICNDonna]

That's wonderful. You must be one of the folks who will be taking more than the three per day. Be sure to let us know how it works for you.

Donna

[massagedoula]

No, it is just 3 a day. The pharmacy (Walgreens) told me that 60 pills (1 month) will be 500 dollars w/o insurance and 250 since my insurance pays a 50/50 split. I checked it out in other pharmacies and they all say the same thing...It is one of the reasons that I have not tried it yet!

[megancolleen]

How sweet and generous of your grandparents. My dad is paying for my Elmiron...I feel bad but he said he would do anything to help me get better. We're lucky to have such caring families.

I hope you have great success on the Elmiron ASAP. :)

[Betsie]

Hi there!

I have not signed in for such a long time, but do read posts here and there.

I was stunned to see this "cost" for your elmiron and dismayed that you need to prolong starting it.

I am on 600mgs daily, so the price above seemed really off to me. I am enclosing a link to Costco for a frame of reference, I do believe this is pricng prior to any insurance help. I hope this encourages you to look further, and based on the prices @ Costco pharmacy, you would be nicely helped by your grandmother.

Yes, a generous and thoughtful gift indeed. Elmiron was the solution for me, so I hope you too can see if it might help.

http://www.costco.com/Pharmacy/frameset.asp?trg=HCFrame.asp&hcban=Banner.asp&hctar=DrugInfo.asp&log=&rxbox=&fromscript=1&qf=&srch=e&Drug=ELMIRON&Article=ELMIRON

[TabbiH]

I get similar help from my parents. They said they'd pay medical expenses as long as I'm in grad school, which seeems like it's been forever now. I could afford it when I only paid $10 a week for insurance, but now it's $250 a month (my assistantship expired, but I'm eligible for COBRA for 18 months).

[dancemomof2]

Mine is about the cost that Betsie posted with insurance a month. I can't imagine paying twice the amount for it. Glad you got some help to cover it.

[vm]

What a great gift from your grandparents!!!!!!!! :) YOu might also check to see if your insurance company has a mail order option - it is often much cheaper to do it that way.

(Hi, Betsie! :hi: )

[massagedoula]

How strange that it is so much cheaper at Costco! I go to Costco infrequently but never knew that their drugs were cheaper too! I will definetely go and check it out. I am still waiting until Monday (my uro appt) to speak to the uro about the logistics of starting Elmiron, and to ask for a liver function panel to start off with, that way I can know a baseline if Elmiron is hurting my liver in the future. She says that the UW do not check liver function for the patients taking the drug, but I am sure that she will do so if I request it as a prerequisite for starting it. I also want to speak to her about the pros and cons for my Elmiron plan (taking it for 12 months, going off for 3 then getting pregnant). I will let you all know what happens. I also want to get re-tested for a UTI, because my last test came out inconclusive as to if I had a low-grade infection or not, and I decided to put off taking the antibiotics until Monday so I can get a repeat culture. I read that Macrobid has been implicated in damage to the bladder lining so I don't want to needlessly take it if I don't really have an infection.

I'll keep you all posted.

[Janie Miranda]

Oh how sweet of your grandparents! I'm glad they are helping out a bit! I know that is a big weight off your mind.

[vm]

This link lists some much lower prices, also:

http://www.destinationrx.com/prescriptions/refine.asp?BrandName=Elmiron

[KShaff]

I don't know how you guys feel about ordering from Canada but the only reason I can afford to use Elmiron is because I get it in Canada. I can't imagine anybody paying full price for this drug after all these years it's been on the market. Somebody needs to give them some competion!!

Here's where I get it for only $142 with shipping to Colorado for 100 pills, 100mgs.
http://www.medisave.ca//DrugMoreInfo422.aspx

I take 3 a day also. I still can't really afford that either but it's way better than $250 or more. I don't work for them and only get free shipping if you give them my name. That's up to you, if you want to do that, pm me and I'll give it to you.

If there's a reason why you wouldn't order from Canada, please let me know why. I'm suspicious by nature and have heard the stories of people not getting their drugs because of customs but my bank account overtakes my suspicion at least for now. I've ordered once and just reordered and have not had any problems.
Karen

[massagedoula]

I found it for 150 dollars now....it was a problem with my insurance company now it is fixed...

Hey...I had a strange situation today with oxybutin (generic non-long acting ditropan)
I got my scrip filled and the balance was 0.00!

Neither my pharmacist nor I could figure it out why the medication was free.

By the way....I haven't tried it yet! Or the Elmiron...I need to get up the courage....

[KShaff]

GOOOD!!! I thought 'man her insurance sukks!!' lol but glad you got it down to at least a more reasonable cost.

I know what you mean about getting up the courage to take the meds now that you have them. I hated having to purchase a whole month's supply without knowing how I was going to react to it and maybe just throwing the $142 away but have been on it now for a almost 2 weeks and altho I can't take the capsules they come in, I'm doing fine with just emptying the caps onto my tongue and drinking it down with water. I'm not having any problems with losing hair or anything so I think if you have the Elmiron you should at least give it ago and see what happens.
Karen

[mela414]

how sweet of your grandparents! that's what families are for....I'm sure they must love you to pieces and hate knowing that you suffer.
shop around for the best price and let us know how it works for you!
Keeping my fingers crossed!:)

[Libby13]

No, it is just 3 a day. The pharmacy (Walgreens) told me that 60 pills (1 month) will be 500 dollars w/o insurance and 250 since my insurance pays a 50/50 split. I checked it out in other pharmacies and they all say the same thing...It is one of the reasons that I have not tried it yet!
If you haven't checked the Costco pharmacy you might want to. My mom gets her cholesterol & blood pressure meds there @ 1/2 the price of Walgreens & Fry's. It might be worth a try to compare. I haven't yet.

[Libby13]

Hi there!

I have not signed in for such a long time, but do read posts here and there.

I was stunned to see this "cost" for your elmiron and dismayed that you need to prolong starting it.

I am on 600mgs daily, so the price above seemed really off to me. I am enclosing a link to Costco for a frame of reference, I do believe this is pricng prior to any insurance help. I hope this encourages you to look further, and based on the prices @ Costco pharmacy, you would be nicely helped by your grandmother.

Yes, a generous and thoughtful gift indeed. Elmiron was the solution for me, so I hope you too can see if it might help.

http://www.costco.com/Pharmacy/frameset.asp?trg=HCFrame.asp&hcban=Banner.asp&hctar=DrugInfo.asp&log=&rxbox=&fromscript=1&qf=&srch=e&Drug=ELMIRON&Article=ELMIRON

Betsie:
I have no idea how to PM, so forgive the public forum, You are my hero. Thank you so much for that link. You just saved me $200/month!!!! :woohoo: