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oxycontin is PRICEY

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Posted 8/27/2014 4:54 PM (GMT -5)
my insurance will not cover oxycontin, will not even do a PA, and its going to cost $155 for 60 15mg tabs!!!! and i can't imagine the price if I ever need to go up on the dose!
and I can't look for cheaper pharmacies bc my medicaid puts Pain Mang. patients in a lock-in pharmacy. No excuse, you can't go elsewhere(even if its an antibiotic or they are out of stock)

Before i was on 10mg and it was $80 so I told my Dr i'd just pay for it since it worked well for me. Before going back on this, I tried Morphine(never works for me, even IV) and Opana (made me really sick, withdraw symptoms every 8 hours, and severe constipation(TMI SORRY) and didn't really work well)
I do really well on the Oxycontin.

I just don't know if I can pay that much every month! though it is worth it if I get relief I guess. Being on SSI $155 is a heck of a lot.

She will not prescribe Fentanyl patches, her response being save those for cancer patients or till your really in bad shape. "You don't want to get into that".

I don't know what else to try.

Also, the pharmacy said they just got a letter saying anyone on medicaid cannot use the discount prescription cards(even if its a med not covered) bc of having medicaid. I think that is really unfair. my Dr has discount cards that would help some with the price, but I can't use them!!

Somewhat different topic:
Also, there is a new rule going in effect next month saying you can only take some much that would be equivalent to 'x" amount of morphine. So say I take Oxycotin I cannot take Oxycodone for breakthrough bc since its the same active ingredient it would exceed that rule.

she said, "i wish the government would stay out of healthcare. I have cancer patients that finally found something that works and now I"m going to have to cut their dose basically in half, and thats just not fair to them" I don't understand the rule totally, but I know I can only get 2 BT pills a day, of only 10mg hydro's because I cannot go over the 200ml or micrograms of morphine equivalent. She knows I need something stronger but can't prescribe it.

She said there's no way she can even write higher doses, like the 40's or whatever because the government is all over them now.
Posted 8/27/2014 5:03 PM (GMT -5)
Yes it is pricey, to say the least.  My insurance does not cover prescriptions at all since the economy "downsized".  I have applied for prescription assistance, but was told that our income exceeds the limits.  I simply cannot afford the price I've been quoted for a monthly script of extended release Oxycodone.  I am forced to take the IR 4xday which doesn't keep serum levels steady.

I hope that since your body has already "adjusted" to the ER formulation, that you can find some way to afford to continue=)

Dixie

Posted 8/27/2014 6:31 PM (GMT -5)
Just curious... Have you taken OxyContin since it was reformulated a few years ago to be more abuse resistant?

I ask because most everyone I know on it (including myself) is on an eight hour dosing schedule as the new formulation simply does not last 12 hours. That would mean 90 pills/month rather than 60. Just wanted to mention it.
Posted 8/27/2014 8:32 PM (GMT -5)
It is a very effective medicine.

I'm still on Opana 10 mg every 12 hours and Dilaudid 2 mg every 6 hours for BT pain.

I have Medicare through SSDI and my medication costs next to nothing.

All other meds are $0 copayMy Pain meds are $3.50 for the Opana and even though my plan doesn't cover the Dilaudid,it only cost $1.50.

I get something called "Extra Help" through medicare and I think the most I would ever pay is $6.60.

The combination of these 2 meds are giving me the most pain relief I've ever had.

It took several years to find this Doctor and get in as her patient.

I hope y'all are having low pain evenings,

Rick
Posted 8/27/2014 9:29 PM (GMT -5)
my doctor will only do the OC every 12 hours, I took it before the reformulation(it worked so much better) and after. most meds are 1.50 for me, but it seems something is always keeping my medicaid from paying, so I always end up paying something. But $155 is just too much. We'll see what other options I have. Since the morphine and opana are out, I don't know what else there is to try. she doesn't want to do fentanyl.

My insurance will cover the Opana but I just can't tolerate it.
What I don't understand is why I'm only allowed 2 breakthrough tabs a day. 10mg of hydrocodone thats the hardest part when I have a flare up. I really need to be able to take 3-4 a day if needed if she keeps me at such a low dose of the ER and BT but its okay for now. if I"m short a few days on my BT she has always understood as long as I don't ask for early refill.
Oh well, I will work with them because they are working with me.

wish yall the best, and tidalmouse I'm so glad you've found something that is helping!

have any of you heard of this certain amount equivalent to 200(ml,mg,microgram??) of morphine?
Posted 8/28/2014 2:53 AM (GMT -5)
Just because you have Medicaid does that mean you're obliged to use it?

What if you choose to be a "cash patient" for this med and NOT have it submitted through Medicaid? Then I don't see why you couldn't use your discount card.

It saddens me to see what I knew was coming....w/ or w/o Medicaid, this is the type of system that we're all going to be facing now. There's nothing "affordable" about any of this.

When I didn't have insurance, (this was several years ago), my oxycontin alone cost closer to $500/month, PLUS all the other meds I'm on. My medical care practically bankrupt our family.

More of this is on the way.....

If any of us find any good in this or ways to work with this new supposed system, I hope people post because all I'm aware of is more and more people getting in worse and worse situations with less and less coverage and higher and higher expenses. Unless something changes, we're all going to be in this boat too....in a boat none of us should be forced to be in!

PS: Yes, I'm ticked off.










M.
Posted 8/28/2014 12:43 PM (GMT -5)
Try GoodRx They have great coupons and will save you tans of money. I've used it and so have my Mom and two sisters with impeccable results. Just google that name and follow the instructions and see what happens. You are out no money . . . Q

PS: Our wonderful pharmacist tells us the price with our Medicare and with our GoodRx coupon, we get to pick.
Posted 8/28/2014 11:10 PM (GMT -5)
i was told because I have medicaid I cannot use coupons or a discount card anymore.
Posted 8/28/2014 11:44 PM (GMT -5)
Even when the drug isn't on their formulary? Our CVS will cover it then with a coupon. . . . Q
Posted 8/29/2014 12:21 AM (GMT -5)
I don't understand why, but she just said they jsut got a letter saying i couldn't use a discount card anymore. I will look into the coupons more, thanks.
Posted 8/29/2014 7:28 AM (GMT -5)
It's ironic, isn't it, they roformulate OxyContin and then price it out of the mkt. I thought that they were trying to make it harder to abuse yet thet are making it harder to use. I hate Purdue. .. . q
Posted 8/29/2014 8:06 AM (GMT -5)
I take generic Percocet 10/325 and it's $20 with insurance, then Nucynta 200 ER which is another $20 with insurance.  I've been given Xartemis XR which is a daily preventative Oxycodone 7.5MG / Hydrochloride / Acetametaphin med which is non addictive.  It even has a formula that cannot be snorted, crushed or turned into a liquid.  That was the issue with Oxycontin years ago. 

Xartemis is like a pain pump, it's a 24 hour pill that is in your body but cannot feel.  This med is a fortune and I don't know why.  I guess because it's new.  I got the first one for free with a coupon and next month it may cost $150+.  Getting meds is ridiculous now.  Nobody has them, some pharmacies discriminate by only taking insurance companies that pay quicker.  How can we afford to manage our pain if pharmacies and insurance either won't supply or too expensive to purchase?  This is the reason why I'm considering another fusion neck surgery, I want out of this game.

Posted 8/29/2014 8:12 AM (GMT -5)
I just wanted to mention again that if you have AAA, they also offer discounts on medications.
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