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How much do you spend on medicine/supplements per year?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 10/29/2014 9:14 PM (GMT -5)
Let's do some math :)

Asacol $40/3mo = $160/yr
Inflaguard $52/2mo = $312/yr
Suppositories $30/3mo = $120/yr
LDN $30/mo = $360/yr
VSL#3 $50/2mo = $300/yr
UC Relapse formula $50/2mo = $300/yr
Ferritin Iron supplement $33/mo = $396/yr
Fish Oil $25/2mo = $150/yr
Quercetin $25/2mo =$150/yr
Vitamin D $10/3mo = $40/yr
Multivitamin $30/3mo =$360/yr

$2,648/yr. All of this to sustain my health from a disease i'm still unsure i brought on. =/
Posted 10/29/2014 9:21 PM (GMT -5)
I saw my cost in my prescription plan the other day and it was shocking. I don't really spend on supplements but I've spent tons on meds, most f which end up unused because they didn't work or were unneeded.
Posted 10/29/2014 9:48 PM (GMT -5)
i'm too scared to know but i will attempt to add this crap up.

simponi is $5 per month so $60 total.
imuran is $20 a month $240 total.
nicotine is $20 a month so $240 total.
algeacal plus strontium around $600 for a year's supply.
curcumin approx $30 for 2 months. $180 total.
probiotics about $30 per month so $360 total.
dmso is $18 a jar. get over a month out of a jar. i'll say $180.
whey protein is easily $90 a month. i drink a shake daily. $1180.
fish oil is about $30 a month so $360 total.
zinc/selenium $10 a month so $120.
l-glutamine is $25 for 2 months. $300.
resistant starch products-potato starch, green banana flour, tiger nuts. i rotate between these but it's about $15 a month. $180 a year.
vit C, magnesium, benadryl are about $10 per month. $120 total.

grand total is $4,120

i didn't include my chiropractic treatment but i count that as one of the main reasons for my remission. i used to go weekly at $45 per visit but now it's biweekly. i don't even wanna add that together because i've been going for almost 11 months.
Posted 10/29/2014 11:00 PM (GMT -5)
It bugs me that my curcumin costs me $40 per month while in remission and $75 per month when flaring. That's not reimbursable or tax deductible.

Grape seed extract is about $15/month. Bupropion is $10/month. Potato starch another $8/month. Align and Culturelle about $30/month. Other non-UC prescriptions total $23/month but I won't count those.

With vitamins, UC costs me about $110/month when I'm not flaring. Bummer.
Posted 10/29/2014 11:32 PM (GMT -5)
I have insurance and pay for it so tons plus tons for supplements. The cost of UC RX drugs is totally insane. An oral 5asa costs you and insurance $4000 to 10,000 plus per year. Rectal are $10,000 plus. The only cheap drugs are pred and sulfasalazine. Biologicals? WOW The number of supplements makes supplements costly. I cut many out.
Posted 10/30/2014 6:22 AM (GMT -5)
You may have taken many of those supplements such as the vitamins and fish oil to try to remain in good health whether you had UC or not. Who knows, maybe otherwise you would have been on expensive antidepressants.

And think of all the money saved and the extra weight you avoided gaining by staying away from junk food such as donuts and soda and pigging out on pizza when you weren't really hungry but just wanted to snack on something. UC helps keep me honest about eating healthy most of the time.
Posted 10/30/2014 6:43 AM (GMT -5)
Good thing you didn't ask to total copays for doctors office visits as well... I've been to my gi-specialist numerous times within a given year. Hopefully a lot less now that I am doing way better...
Posted 10/30/2014 6:47 AM (GMT -5)
less than i used to spend on new underwear :-)
Posted 10/30/2014 6:54 AM (GMT -5)
£104 per year for all prescription meds including VSL#3.
£9 a month on coconut oil. (so will eventually be £108 a year)
£60 a year on vitamins.

So £272 a year.
Posted 10/30/2014 10:08 AM (GMT -5)
$40/month for Asacol HD
$5/month for 6MP
$5/month for Rowasa Enemas
$30/month for vitamin
$20/month for Omega 3 Fish Oil
=
$1200 a year
I have a health flex spending account- money is taken out of my check pre-tax and then can be used to reimburse medical expenses (co-pays, etc.). I am reimbursed about $600-$700 a year for colitis related expenses.
Posted 10/30/2014 1:06 PM (GMT -5)
Until this month of this year
~$1500 Rx drugs
~$1500 on Supplements

AND

~$750/month for a craptastic insurance
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