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Financial
Assistance for Plavix and Other Prescription Drugs (2008-earlier)
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Archived Postings on This Page (49): • I have a serious heart condition and had heart
attack. I have stent and my doctor warn me that i am in very bad condition.
I have no money left for medicine. i need very much to save my life PLAVIX.
IF ANY BODY WANT TO GIVE ME plavix please contact me. In return i will
pray for you to God every day. • I need Plavix 75 mg. can't afford. Looking for
samples for a while , until things get better or maybe a generic type comes
along. Have stents total of four.
Meds ness. • My husband had a triple bypass 3 years ago and
is on plavix. we have no insurance and it is expensive. From what I'm
reading most people on plavix have stents. Do you think he is taking plavix
for
a good reason? • Cathy -- We're not familiar with all the ins and
outs of what the VA will or will not cover, but Plavix after stenting
is only
one
use of the drug -- in fact, depending which arm of the FDA you talk to,
Plavix technically is only indicated in patients who are stented
because of
Acute Coronary
Syndrome,
but
that's
another
long story. As for your father, if his cardiologist is prescribing Plavix
for an approved indication, we don't understand why coverage would be
denied. Discuss this with his cardiologist and perhaps a supervisor
at VA. • My father is a Korean War veteran. He has had by-pass and years later
stents put in. His cardiologist wants him on plavix and the Veterans Administration
will not give him plavix because it wasn't prescribed within a year after the
stents were put in. He doesn't have the money for the plavix. This is no way
for Veterans to be treated. What alternatives do we have for him to be able to
continue on Plavix?? • Ok my generic Plavix got here today. At first
I was very suspicious because the look nothing like Plavix, they are
a light green in color and have no printing on them, but I had them tested
and they are very real. This should help someone who can't afford them
locally. They forgot the 4 free Viagra but that might be a good thing
being
a heart patient. LOL allow 30 days to get these because of Customs. Sure
hope this helps someone out. • Update. My Plavix has cleared customs today. Will
update everyone when it arrives as to quality etc. • W. in Ohio -- the Google Ads that appear on these pages are not part of our site. If you click on the link "for more information about these Google Ads" you will see a pop-up window with the following text:
Angioplasty.Org Staff, Angioplasty.Org, December 3, 2008 • I have exact situation only am taking pills,
do you see a danger??? This situation resulted in my purchasing generic
Clopidogrel from discount drugs from Canada online. I received the drugs,
but they arrived wrapped in a brown paper bag with a return address from
a residence in India. This worried more than a little and I have not
taken any of the drugs but have continued taking the brand name plavix.
Today,
I notice your site includes an advertisement for Plavix from discountdrugsfromcanada.com.
The drugs I received are from the manufacturer Cipla as indicated on
the link from your site, come packaged individually in aluminum 5 pill
strips,
and then enclosed in a quality plastic case with two latches. It is very
professional looking and expensive packaging. Are these drugs equivalent
to plavix? I read all I could find about Cipla and they apparently reverse
engineer the drugs they manufacture. Is that standard practice by drug
companies outside
the U.S.? • I was hunting online for alternatives or generics
for Plavix because I have no income and no insurance. I ran across
a site called pills-now.com They sell a generic that is produced in India.
I decided
to try and order and take a gamble. Right now my pills are at US customs
waiting to be released and sent to me. 4 months worth of pills cost
me
less than 1 month here. I think it is because of our US drug patents
that these same pills, in generic form, can not be produced and sold
here. I
guess it's all about the mighty dollar, not weather we live or die.
When I had my 2 stints put in 30 days ago the doctor said he could not
prescribe
me anything else. If I can't buy my pills chances are I will go back
to the emergency room. I pray that a generic comes available to us here
in
the USA real soon. My life depends on it. • Rosanne -- this site is just a Forum. We don't
sell or distribute medications, but if you scroll through here, you
might find some help from other patients
in
your situation. • My husband has been on Plavix about a year and the only way he has been
getting them is through his doctors' office because we can't afford to buy them.
Lately, he hasn't been able to get them because the doctors'office has been out,
therefore, he hasn't been taken his plavix in well over a month. Is there anyway
you can send the sample of plavix right to him? We know that with him not taking
this
medication he is risking his life but we don't know what to do. Thank you. • i had a heart attack back in dec of 07, and had
3 stents put in..and the dr put me on plavix and a aspirin a day along
with a bunch of other meds.. well, now i can't get my meds because i lost
my insurance.. if i stop taking plavix will i have another heart attack?
i can't afford to buy it, it is 140 dollars for 30 pills. and lipitor is
more then that.. what am i suppose to do here? i don't want to have another
heart attack.. and i can't get no help! thanks • Check out www.needymeds.com it
is a FREE site, it lists all the medications by either BRAND or GENERIC,
you can also search your medicines by the disease or the manufacturer if
you know it, this site is simple, just click,click,click,.... :) it explains
all eligibility guidelines and what the process is to get approved for
free or low cost medications!!! so much is available, you just have to
look at the presented information, Needy Meds has it all put together in
one place...try
it out and GOOD LUCK! • Lisa -- stopping Plavix "cold turkey" can
have unwanted negative effects. Call your cardiologist or physician and
see
if you can get a bridge sample and definitely look through this topic for
ways to obtain this important medication, even if you cannot pay for it. • My husband at 47 had a heart attack and had a
stent put in in September 2007. We have depleted our savings, subsidizing
the purchase of medications, tests
and whatever appointments we could pay. Now, living from hand to mouth, the Plavix,
Altace, Crestor, Carvedilol, Niaspan, Furosimide for him and Diovan for the high
blood pressure I've developed are costing us around $400-500
dollars a month. Today, he ran out of the Plavix and we don't have the
money for the
refill until I get paid.. He can die if he does not take them. What can we do? • Anyone know if one would qualify if Social Security
is approximately $1,200.00 a month and some stock worth about $6,000.00.
Anyone been there? Thanks. • If anyone is looking for help finding medications
please visit www.rxassist.org.
This web site will help you to find the pharmaceutical assistance program
that
is right for you. I work in a low income clinic and we use this web site daily
to find programs for our patients. You will need assistance from your doctor
to request the medications, but if you are low income you can almost always get
these prescriptions supplied at no cost. • I have been on Plavix for about 16 months and
was told by my cardiologist I might be on it for a lifetime. I am an African
American 49 year old woman that got a stent in March 2007 due to a blockage.
I no longer have health insurance and applied for assistance through Bristol
Myers and was denied because THEY say I made too much last year. Any suggestions?
My cardiologist has given me
samples
for the past few months. • I had a bare metal stent put in on Nov. 2007,
I was told I would have
to take Plavix & an aspirin, the rest of my life. If I didn't take it, the stent
would clot off and I could have a heart attack and die.....Plavix is verrrry
expensive, can't get the generic, even though it's out there. Clopidogrel works
in other countries,and on people who buy it out of country (Canada, Mexico).
Why not here? Oh!! we don,t want to take millions or billions of dollars out
of the
pharmaceutical companies. Are the doctors getting some kind of kick backs from
the pharma companies? As you can tell I'm very disgruntled, about the medical
and prescription mess in this country. • Hope everyone is here is well. I thought I would take a few minutes and update my medication issues I once had in hopes of helping anyone who may have or had the same issues I did getting the meds they need. Initially it did take me a while to do the research and get the medications I so needed, but it all paid off. I received my medications at no charge with refills for three months. I didn't know how difficult it may be to get another 3 month supply after I had exhausted it. I called both companies and explained what I needed and was mailed the necessary paper work. Again I filled it out, sent it to my Cardiologist to complete his portion and waited for a reply. Yes, I was approved with no hassles at all for another 3 months! I do hope no one ever has to worry or go without their medications as there is help available out there. The paper work was easier the 2nd time around, and both companies have been so helpful in all aspects. I was never treated like any one seeking a freebie, I was treated with the utmost respect at all times! Please, please, anyone of you who may not be able to afford your meds, or know of someone in your family or friends who need assistance in obtaining meds do not sit there and do nothing. There is help out there for you or them! Pass the word for those who may not know. For someone who doesn't have a computer and can find the information online. There are toll free numbers you can call and get the same information and/or medications you/they so need. There is NO reason whatsoever for anyone in the US to go without their meds!! Lets all help out and pass the word around to everyone, you never know who's life you may be saving by spreading the word!! To those of you who were so kind to offer suggestions when I was trying to find a way to obtain the meds I so badly needed, again thank you. To everyone who wrote I hope each of you is doing well and wish each of you would write and update us all on how you're doing. I just recently passed my one year anniversary
of my heart attack and stent placement and I am doing very well. I have
lost a total of 60 pounds, my blood pressure is that of a teenager, and
my cholesterol levels are great!! Both good & bad! :) Life couldn't be
better in that aspect!! I trust each of you is doing as well, or on your
way to it. All I need now is full time employment! ha! Seems no one is
interested in hiring us older people although I don't feel old at all nor
do I act old. (Heck, I don't look my age since my weight loss :) ) Good
Luck
to
all
of you & again
I would love to hear how everyone is doing. Update us all!! • Hello Shelly and all others in need of free plavix,
my boyfriend is 49 and just had two heart attacks within a week of each
other and is on plavix with no income and can't go back to work right now,
in the hospital he was given an application from Bristol-Myers Squibb who
make plavix, we filled it out wrote a short letter of explanation, and
sent it off through the cardiologist, and we just heard back that he was
approved, and that a 90 day supply will be waiting for him at his cardiologist
office this will also cover 3 refills so basically he is covered for a
year and after that he can reapply, all within 3 weeks and his cardiologist
office gave him samples to get him through till this came through, I don't
know what would of happened without their help, obviously it would have
been not too good!!! please check this out, hope this helps someone. This
is called The Bristol-Myers Squibb Patient assistance Foundation, Inc.
P.O.Box 1058 Somerville, NJ 08876 Phone (800) 736-0003 If anyone has any
comments or questions,
you can email
me. • Thanks for all the input everyone has given here. For me using medications from a foreign place is not an option. I feel I would have no clue as to what I was taking which could in turn make my situation worse. I was given samples from my Cardiologist and Primary Care which got me through until Bristol Myers Squibb got me a 3 months supply at no charge. It does require some paper work, copies of tax returns for the previous year. (that may have been for my Vytorin, not sure at this point) I myself would not recommend taking meds from a foreign place. I feel I have enough issues without jeopardizing my heart related issues. If one is up front with their Drs I think it can all be worked out until you are able to get your meds directly from the company who makes them. I found persistence does pay off. I am presently getting 3 of my medications from the manufacturer at no charge. Usually they send a 3 month supply and the paper work for you to apply for the next go round. It is more than worth it if you don't have health insurance. Some time back I was referred through this site to Boston Scientific. They have now up and running and have a web site. They sent me a packet (free) titled "Stent Plus+" It has lots of valuable information, a card holder to keep your stent card in, a CD, and a thing you can write on and post on your fridge or mirror on when to take you meds, how much you take and when to order more. Its good information and I would suggest since its free everyone ask for it to be mailed to them. It also gives information on financial assistance with your medications and an email service reminder. You can check it out at www.stentplus.com. It's all free so I urge everyone who has a stent to log onto their site and poke around and send for the free packet of information. You won't regret your decision. In one of the emails they wrote me they are still working on many things for patients like us with stents so check back from time to time to see what they may have going on for us. I thank the Forum Editor here to referring them to
me and hope they become valuable to all of us. Thanks again everyone. If anyone
has issues about getting Plavix or other heart related meds free of charge
if you qualify let me know. I've become more or less an expert in the area
now..lol
Good Luck to all of you. • Yippee!!! I finally got Plavix at NO charge!!
I find if you continue to apply to the drug company it happens! My Cardiologists
office called today & my 3 month supply of Plavix is in. What a relief.
If anyone is unable to afford the high cost of Plavix call their toll free
number and apply right away. I got my answer from Bristol Myers Squibb
in less than 2 weeks. I'm now waiting to hear on my Vytorin, which hopefully
will be soon. This is a great site with a ton of information and people
helping people!! Thanks again. • Shelly, your situation is understandable. I also
received an DES (Endeavour) in oct 2007. I am also on antiplatelet
therapy. As suggested by Mr. Tarun u can try out meds from indian companies.
if
u still look forward to more info on companies
please write. Best wishes. • For some of people that don't have drug coverage,
you should go to your family DR, and your cardiologist and ask them for
samples the drug reps leave at their offices for people when they start
on plavix. A lot of time they would rather write a scrip than give samples
to people who are not covered by insurance. I have seen out of date samples
trashed when they could have give them to their patients. You just have
to ask and ask again. • Persistence DOES pay!! I've finally made some
headway with getting assistance
with Plavix & Vytorin. I have kept after both companies daily and every week
kept sending in the forms they require. I had hoped they would tire of me and
give in, and they have ;) They finally agreed to give me the meds for 3 months,
after that I have to renew again. I can do that, in fact I'll start my renewal
at the start of my second month to assure I won't miss any meds. So, anyone else
out there having difficulty getting your meds, do NOT give up! Stay after these
people & get your Dr. to be an advocate for you. They will listen and you will
get what you
need. Good Luck everyone!! ~Shelly • This is awesome!! Our own little corner of the
world for those needing and not being able to afford Plavix!! I hope and
pray more & more people come to read this thread. I am quite sure there
are other people in the same situation
as I am; without any health insurance & not being able to afford the high cost
of Plavix! I do have a bit of good news to report. I called my Primary Physician
on Thursday to ask if they had any samples of Plavix.. they did!!! They said
come in and get them; so I immediately packed me in my car & took off.. a 35
mile drive, but more than worth it!! They were able to give me 4 boxes of Plavix.
While there are only 6 tablets in each sample pack, that's a total of 24 pills!
Almost enough to get me through the month!! I was so excited you would have thought
I just won the lottery!!! I am still applying for other assistance, tons of paper
work, but I'm at it! When I do find someone who can assist I will be sure to
post it here so others may take advantage. I am already working on obtaining
next months supply, sad that we as the greatest country on earth have to work
so hard for medicine that is needed!! But, I'm good for 24 days. Who ever else
may be in this situation all I can say is DON'T give up!! There has to be a light
at the end of the tunnel and if we keep sharing information with each other we
will find that pot of Plavix at the end of our rainbow!!! Just a quick 'thank
you' for starting this thread; I am quite sure even those who don't post will
be reading and find some useful resources, or have resources for all of us to
use. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!! • The responses below were originally posted in
our Forum Topic on Plavix,
Aspirin and Stents. One patient's plea for information
on financial assistance with Plavix (clopidogrel) generated a number of
helpful posts from other readers, so we are making this thread a separate
topic,
in hopes
that our readers will continue to share their suggestions
on where to get aid. Compliance with antiplatelet therapy (usually clopidogrel
and aspirin) is critical after stent placement in avoiding blood clots
(a.k.a. stent thrombosis). For drug-eluting stents most cardiologists are
recommending at least one
year of antiplatelet therapy,
yet for those
patients whose
insurance does not cover these drugs, the costs are significant
-- currently about $4/day in the U.S. We welcome posts from patients,
medical professionals
and industry and government
representatives. • Thanks Betty & Pete, I will check out both the
sites you mentioned. I am not giving up! When I find one that works ya'll
will hear from me!! I'll yell it from the rooftops!! lol And, no worries,
my meds will be legal... I have enough problems without adding any new
ones. ;) Thank all of you again, this is a great
bunch of people!! • Shelly, I don't know if this will help or not
but I found this site. It seems to offer some help in finding a program
that can assist you in getting your prescriptions. I have not signed up
but it looked interesting. This is the website: http://www.rxassist.org --
Good luck and let us know if that helped at all and anything else we can
do for you. And hang in there, you'll get this figured out. • Just a note to all -- we welcome opinions and
information from our readers, but any opinion expressed by posters are
their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Angioplasty.Org or its
editors. We also do not endorse obtaining prescription medicines or pharmaceuticals
from any source that may conflict with the laws or regulations of any country. • i keep reading about the cost of drugs like plavix
in US and Europe and difficulty in people not financially sound to continue
on treatment. I am from india where lot of angioplasty procedures are performed
daily and though i do not have data to support but am sure restenosis and
or Late thrombosis rates would be similar to the world. The patients are
given same prescriptions like Clopidogrel, aspirin,statins,ace inhibitors.
These are dirt cheap here and i must add they are generic versions but
i am sure equally effective. let me tell people are taking these even if
they are rich enough to import and afford 200-300 dollars a month but still
doctors (let me again say Indian doctors are as good as anyone in the world
and they know that quite a few of the patients can easily AFFORD imported
medications but they say indian medicines are equally good. Now lot of
indian company medications are marketed in US and EU. So my suggestions
to people who cannot afford drugs in US like plavix etc is to consider
getting it from india just for reference - clopidogrel 75+ aspirin 150
combo tablet for 30 days dose costs only 3(three)dollars in india.please
dont think they are not effective ,they are as good. indian medicine compares
to the best in the world today. even procedures like stenting ,bypass etc
on the same machines. are much cheaper . a angiaoplassty with one cypher
des costs 3000 -3500 dollars at the best hospital which let me say are
comparable to world standards. bypass costs 1ian medicine 10000-12000 usd.
i myself went thru angioplasty im mar 06.so people rather than not taking
plavixe for one year as recommended should explore indian medicine options.
it is false propoganda of big cos that generics is not effective. my emailid
is tarunsud@hotmail.com • Shelly--Have you checked out www.scbn.org?
I'm sure there is paperwork, but it might be worth a shot if you haven't
already tried it. It stands for Select Care Benefits Network, a patient
advocacy organization. Good luck to you. YOU GO GIRL!!!! • I still do not have my Plavix but it is nice to
see the support here. I am not giving up, I feel there has to be a way
for me to get this much needed med I need. It gets very frustrating, but
I am very persistent and I vow to follow every lead I can find. Again,
I urge any of you if you know of other companies, web sites, etc. that
assist people in obtaining Rx medications they need to please post here.
I see I am not the only one in this position, and I am sure there are lots
more that aren't aware of this site. I did get in touch with my Cardiologist
(his nurse) and they do not have any samples of Plavix, but I was told
if they did get any I would be called. I'm keeping my fingers crossed & praying..
it scares me every night I go to sleep... I need a miracle as I'm sure
others do. It's ridiculous knowing drug companies make the huge amounts
of money they do and people as myself and others have to live in fear of
death not being able to afford their meds. The amount of red tape these
companies put you thru only to be turned down is frustrating. I have filled
out no less than 30 pages to qualify for free/reduced meds only to be turned
down since they have a quota they can't go over. Hard to think a quota
has move value than a human life... (sigh) I haven't offered much information
to anyone here, but it helps me to vent. Who knows, maybe someone reading
this will know of another place I can try for assistance. At my local drug
store I checked the price of Plavix today, $136.00 for a 30 day supply.
The U.S. needs better health policies for those like us. I doubt I will
ever see that day in view of my current dilemma, but I can fight for future
generations. I do plan to fight this; it may take a while, but if it means
possibly saving one life it is MORE than worth it! Please, if you have
any information on this subject please take a minute and post it for all
of us out here in this situation. Thank you & God Bless. • Shelly -- you have sure been persistent. We've
found out a bit more about Boston Scientific's program. It's called "StentPLUS" and
the person in charge of it told me the same thing they told you -- they
are looking to launch it right after the first of the year. Even so, it's
not going to give direct financial relief to patients -- only to help them
find ways to lower their costs through various government, etc. programs.
Bristol-Myers and Sanofi-Aventis are the companies that are making Plavix
which IS the largest selling drug in the world ($6 billion worldwide sales
last year) so keep after them. • Well, unfortunately the [Boston Scientific] program
I wrote about in the prior post
(Oct 16) will not go into effect until 2008. In the meantime they referred
me to PPA which I did apply for online. I got my response. Due to the number
of people requiring medications I am presently taking there is no assistance
available at this time. They did tell me to re-apply January 2008. That
means at least 4 months with NO Plavix, Lipitor, or any other expensive
medicine my Dr has Rx for me. I do have a call into my Cardiologist hoping
for some miracle... All I can do at this point in time is pray. If anyone
else has this issue, if you are able to speak with your Dr. prior to surgery
that may require you to take these meds please talk with him/her about
it so you don't end up in the same position I am. Good Luck to everyone.. • I have been on plavix and few more other expensive
medications for more than 4 years. I had 3 stents put in over 4 years ago
and i ended up with an open heart less than 6 months ago (quad). I am not
insured and every thing i get i have to pay for. As i said earlier i am
taking few other expensive medications beside plavix, such as lipitor 80
mg,zetia 10 mg , hi blood pressure medication, nitro glycerin patched .04
mg and because they are so expensive i am afraid that i might not be able
to continue taking them. My question is ,is there any way of getting some
help ? If yes , where and how? By the way i am american citizen. Thank
you. • Shelly, I have a friend who ran out of insurance
and plavix is the one he's having trouble finding an alternative for. There
is no longer a generic. Try needymeds.com and you can get an application
to Bristol-Myers among many other companies for drug assistance. He does
complain of itching, but thought it was from dry skin. I'll share your
story with him. You are not alone. Your local retail/pharmacy, big chain
stores also may offer assistance with their prescription drug plans for
as little as $4 per month if you can get a generic. Good luck! • Steve - thanks for writing in. We do not know
of any studies about Cipla -- and any Google ads on this site are automatically
placed there -- we do not in any way endorse any of them (we're just trying
to raise some funds to help keep the Forum online). Again we would urge
you to discuss this with your physician. But it is interesting that you're
not having reactions to it. We hope it is actually doing what it's supposed
to. • First let me say that I have adequate insurance and can otherwise pay for brand name Plavix as needed. However, I have experienced unpleasant side affects from the brand name drug. For over a year I bought generic plavix from medco, my provider, and had no problems with the generic equivalent. After the Federal judge ruling, medco could no longer manufacture generic plavix and I am back to taking the brand name drug. I am now experiencing the unpleasant side affects, such as sores in mouth and nose, anxiety, muscle spasms, irritability, among others likely precipitated by some of the previous ones. This situation resulted in my purchasing generic Clopidogrel from discount drugs from Canada online. I received the drugs, but they arrived wrapped in a brown paper bag with a return address from a residence in India. This worried more than a little and I have not taken any of the drugs but have continued taking the brand name plavix. Today, I notice your site includes an advertisement for Plavix from discountdrugsfromcanada.com. The drugs I received are from the manufacturer Cipla as indicated on the link from your site, come packaged individually in aluminum 5 pill strips, and then enclosed in a quality plastic case with two latches. It is very professional looking and expensive packaging. Are these drugs equivalent to plavix? I read all I could find about Cipla and they apparently reverse engineer the drugs they manufacture. Is that standard practice by drug companies outside the U.S.? I received the Endeavor stent as part of the Endeavor
IV clinical trial in May 2006 during an MI, and have maintained my dual
anti-platelet regimen since. The brand name Plavix is wearing on me. I
am walking 3 miles in 45 min 5 times a week. I have reduced my cholesterol
to 140, lost 20 lbs and 4 inches in the waist since the heart attack, but
my doc wants me to continue plavix, and continues to try to improve LDL
to <70 and HDL > 50 by upping Vytorin to now 10/40mg. I am otherwise doing
great until I had to go back to the brand name Plavix for the past couple
of months. I'm not sure how much longer I can tolerate Plavix and will
likely take the generic i received from Cipla at some point. I sure would
like to hear that others are taking this drug without adverse effect. Thank
you for all you do • Shelley, can't understand why Plavix is so expensive
in USA. I am in Portugal at the moment and here its list price on the box
is 51euros, you only pay that if you are not in the state health scheme. • Shelly, Sorry to hear about your problem with
Plavix, but I have been through the same situation. I have not worked in
over 2 1/2 years and I am broke. I understand how It feels not to have
Plavix and know you need it. I have recently been in that situation. I
have also already had a stent thrombosis. You cannot afford one. Call you
sponsor, I hope you have one at your Cardiologist office, EVERY DAY. CALL
Bristol-Meyers everyday. Explain your situation and tell them you are out.
Do this often. You will be heard. But most of all, get all the paper work
they request to them immediately. Good Luck. P.S. If you are thinking about
SSD file it now, don't wait. You can't speed up the Government!!! • Last night you posted a
reply regarding Boston Scientific and a program they
recently launched. Today I contacted them via email. They initially
responded to me that the stent I have was made by Johnson & Johnson, not
Taxus and they would not assist me. I copied the article you sent the link
to and emailed them again. I received an immediate reply from them apologizing.
They stated I was the first person to make the type of request I had, and
that they are forwarding my information to the correct department. It makes
me wonder how many may be missing out on this. Even someone at Boston Scientific
isn't fully aware of their program. It shows persistence does pay off and
I hope others will contact them if they have a need. Thank you again for
the information. I will let you know if I am able to get assistance from
them and that too may help others. Kudos to you!! • Thanks again, and I do fully understand that you
can not give medical advice. You can probably see I am grasping at straws
trying to get my Rx for Plavix. I did see my Cardiologist last week right
prior to my insurance running out, and not being able to afford Cobra.
I advised him of my situation, and he said I NEED to take it somehow! I
do understand that. Hard to do when one only has 50.00 to their name. I
will call Bristol Myers Squibb tomorrow and maybe with a bit of luck I
can speed up that process. Hopefully something will break soon. We live
in the great & wonderful USA, and I am sure I am not the only person with
this dilemma. it's truly sad that our health care system fails so many,
not just me. I will update this forum if there are any significant changes.
Thank you again so much for assistance. You do a great service to many! • Shelly -- not to panic you, and we do not and
cannot give "medical advice", but most cardiologists agree that
Plavix should not be stopped, especially in the first 6 months after drug-eluting
stenting. If you have any way of getting some, you should do so ASAP. Call
your cardiologist and explain the situation. • Thank you so much for such a timely response!
You misunderstood one thing; I did have insurance which did cover the Plavix,
but not the Lipitor. My insurance has run out and I am no longer employed.
It may be a while before I am covered by group insurance if I am able to
find employment at age 58 with my medical issues. Not just the heart attack
I had but my back surgery prevents me from doing a lot of things. But,
back to the issue at hand. I am presently out of Plavix. Do you have any
idea how long one may safely go without it? I was wondering if Plavix is
stored in the system for a few days while I try to figure out a way to
get my Rx for it. My mind of course is playing tricks on me right now...
anxiety from not having the drug I am sure. I have contacted Bristol Myers
Squibb some 3 weeks ago when I learned I would no longer be insured and
to date no response. I have also registered with the program Montel Williams
endorses >> Partnership for Prescription Assistance at the same time. (3
weeks ago) and have not heard from them either. I guess all this takes
time. But, I have to wonder how much time I have before my stent may be
affected by not having the Plavix. I did receive a Cordis Cypher Stent..
Sirolimus-eluting if that is of any help. Thanks again in advance for your
thoughts on the subject. I come to this site several times a week and it's
great the support I see for each other. I wish everyone the very best in
their recoveries. • Shelly -- your cardiologist is right -- Plavix
and aspirin are both important drugs to take post-stenting. If you got
a drug-eluting stent, you need to take them for 6 months-1 year at least
(aspirin for life -- but unlike Plavix, aspirin is cheap). This is a big
problem for this field -- in fact a number of cardiologists ask patients
if they'll be able to afford a year or two of Plavix before they put
in a stent. If patients can't afford that much, then they may use
a bare metal stent which only require 6 weeks of Plavix -- however, with
bare metal stents, the blockage does have a higher chance of reclosing.
In your case, which was an emergency, an extensive interview wasn't possible,
so he made the decision based on his experience. Just an aside -- your
story highlights one of the great successes of angioplasty. 20 years ago
you would have gone to the hospital where they would have given you pain
killers while they watched your heart attack play itself out. Assuming
you survived, you would have ended up with a damaged heart muscle and a
significantly lower quality of life and increased risk of death. So that's
something to be thankful for. Now, back to the present.... It is outrageous
that insurance doesn't cover a drug that is needed this critically. Try
to contact Bristol-Myers or Sanofi-Aventis again -- they make Plavix. Also
try the stent manufacturers. We know that Boston Scientific (makers of
the Taxus stent) announced a $40
million program back in March to increase compliance, part of which
was "a patient assistance program designed to facilitate access
to financial support for anti-platelet therapy for patients who qualify".
This is regardless of which brand stent you received. Contact them and
please let the Forum know the outcome. Good luck. • In June while watching a DVD with my daughter
I began to have excruciating pain in the back of my shoulders. 911 was
called & I was told I was mid heart attack. I have never had any heart
related issues. Upon arrival to the hospital, I was prepped and taken immediately
to the Cardiac Cath Lab; a Cypher Stent was inserted thru my groin. Other
than the anxiety from it all, I felt pretty good other than my back. I
had major back surgery a year ago and lying in one position for almost
24 hours was unpleasant to say the least. I was sent home with Rx's for
Plavix, Lipitor, Coreg, Potassium, and aspirin. Since then my insurance
has run out! Plavix where I reside is $145.00 a month! YIKES!! I have signed
up for assistance with drug companies but have yet to hear a thing from
anyone. This month I can not afford the Plavix and I am scared to death
what may happen without it. There must be others out there in similar situations
that can not afford all your medications and I am wondering what people
do in these instances. My Cardiologist did give me all the samples he had
in his office, but I have used all of it now. He states I NEED the Plavix...
what to do.. what to do? Anyone have any ideas? |
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