2 elmiron questions

[peanutgallery]

1- Is it covered by insurance generally?

2- Is it true that you can't take advil/motrin/ibuprofen when on elmiron? What do you take instead when you need it (like for moderate cramps)?

Thanks!

[Goldfinch]

All insurance providers are different, and everyone's policy is different, so it's hard to generalize. It is def an expensive drug--there's a thread somewhere where people have volunteered what they pay/ how much is covered by insurance. Without any insurance it can be prohibitive. Mine is covered, with a pretty low co-pay. I had to get special authorization by my uro because there is no generic yet.

I have never seen anything about a drug interaction between Elmiron and Ibuprofin. I take Advil without a problem. Many with IC are sensitive to Advil, but that's another issue.

[hensleyi]

I agree with Goldfinch on the 1st question. Mine is also covered with a low co-pay but it is different with different plans. On the 2nd question, I can't take Advil anymore because it seems to flare my IC but have never heard that it interacts with the Elmiron. Tylenol is the only pain reliever that seems not to affect IC.

[peanutgallery]

Isn't elmiron a blood thinner? And you are not supposed to take advil with blood thinners, becuase it itself is one.... Like you have to stop taking advil at least 2 weeks before a surgery.

[vm]

I've taken ibuprofen alongside Elmiron for 7 years with no problems. They are both blood thinners, but one of the physicians who did a guest lecture here at the ICN said oral Elmiron has the blood thinning properties of an aspirin - so not too awful.

[Goldfinch]

Elmiron is a pretty weak blood thinner. It may have that as a side-effect for some, but not everyone. If you bleed more than usual or bruise a lot on Elmiron you probably have that side-effect and you should talk to your doc about it. If it worries you I think a simple blood test can determine whether/how much your blood is thinned by Elmiron. Advil or Ibuprofin is not a heavy-duty blood thinner either, but can have that side-effect, so it's cautionary to stop taking it for a few days before surgery or dental work.

I have had no problems taking Ibuprofen along with Elmiron, and for about 10 days recently I had bad muscle pain and took a fair amount of Ibuprofen without noticing any changes or problems. Not all ICers can take Advil or other Nsaid drugs without it bothering their bladders, though.

[peanutgallery]

Thanks for all the replies. I was having cramps and I was hesitant to take advil because I couldn't get in touch with my doctor to ask about the blood thinners, but when it got severe I just took it, and now I'm flaring a little.... I'd rather the mild flare than severe cramps though!

Here's the elmiron question- I did not get the drug facts from the pharmacy- am I supposed to take it on an empty or full stomach? Somehow I remember hearing something about 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after?
My doc told me that I could take 1 in the morning and 2 at night instead of 3 times a day to make it easier, but that I should take the 2 right before I go to sleep so that I won't feel any side effects like dizziness, etc. Won't taking it on an empty stomach increase the chances of having side effects?

Thanks in advance!

[dg2901]

Its supposed to be taken on an empty stomach...1 hr before, or 2 hours after a meal.

:)

[vm]

The reason, we think, that it is suggested to take it on an empty stomach is that so very little of the drug is absorbed that having an empty stomach may aid in getting as much of that Elmiron into our systems as possible.

That said, I haven't taken it on an empty stomach in years - but I sure did the first 2 years! Didn't want to take any chances as it was building up in my system and in effectiveness.

[Goldfinch]

My understanding is that Elmiron coats the bladder. The idea of taking it on an empty stomach is to get as much of it to the bladder as possible. If you take it with food, it may coat the food and then travel along that way without getting so much to the bladder. That may be a completely insane way of interpreting what I was told, but that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it!

Here's what I find easiest. I wake up to pee somewhere between 5 and 6 every morning. I take my first pill of the day then and either go back to sleep or just wait at least an hour before eating breakfast. Then I take the second pill whenever it's most convenient: either late morning at least an hour before lunch, or mid-afternoon, at least 2 hours after lunch. Then I take my third pill before I go to sleep.

Plenty of doctors seem to be okay with taking your 3 doses twice, as yours suggested. I don't suffer nausea or stomach upset from Elmiron, and you very well may not either. Perhaps if taking 2 pills at once makes you feel ill, just figure out a way to take them 3 x day.