I heard VSL #3 was really good. I take 2 a day for 225 billion good bacteria.
My insurance company (Wellmark BCBS) says they won't cover it, and in my dinky town I'm willing to bet the pharmacies won't carry it. I guess I could check Wal-Mart, they might. Perhaps it's just easier to order at $50 per bottle.
Anyone able to get it paid by insurance?
Any other ideas on how to cut costs on other good brands of probiotics?
I know you get what you pay for, but bills sure add up quick and I need to budget a little better. Thanks.
AZURE WISH
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 804
posted
there is vsl3 ds (packet) that soime peoples insurance seems to cover (mine doesnt)....maybe you could check to see if your insurance covers it and if it does ask your dr for a script.
posted
I know of another lyme patient who made yogurt using probiotics...I have ordered a yogurt maker and it hasn't arrived yet, but then I thought I would try to mix in the VSL #3 and see if that would work to extend the box a bit. I am not sure how to make yogurt if someone could add that information that would be great. I figure I can google that later...but its worth a try to grow your own that way? Does it get watered down a little? Not sure. Anyone else try this?
canefan17
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 22149
posted
Homemade Kefir. So easy - so cheap (only costs of milk)
If you're lactose intolerant it's ok because the kefir grains EAT the milk sugar and lactose.
Kefir is amazing for the gut. A billion times better than the best probiotic on the market.
Posts: 5394 | From Houston, Tx | Registered: Aug 2009
| IP: Logged |
Rumigirl
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15091
posted
canefan,
Where did you get the starter? And you use grains and milk? I thought some people who are lactose intolerant didn't even use dairy. Am I wrong?
I used to make my own yogurt many moons ago. The kefir sounds good. Are you just using room temperature, or a device, or what? Thank you!
Posts: 3792 | From around | Registered: Mar 2008
| IP: Logged |
ktkdommer
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 29020
posted
Kefir has lots of sugar.
My insurance covers VSL#3 DS at my $30 copay. I am so fortunate! It has saved tons of money on probiotics.
Good luck.
-------------------- Things are never dull. After 3 fighting Lyme, 2 are in remission. Youngest is still sick, age 22. He has new diagnosed Chiari Malformation and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Posts: 1366 | From Perrysburg, Ohio | Registered: Nov 2010
| IP: Logged |
posted
Homemade Yogurt in a 1-gallon jar. EZ-PZ Lemon Squeezy!! A lot cheaper than expesive probiotics. For a family of 3 for a month supply it is less than $20.
Check out the SCD website and get their recipee and reasoning behind the benefits of SCD homemade yougurt.
You need 2 ingredients:
1) 1/2 Gallon Organic Whole Milk 2) 1/4 cup of Organic Plain Yogurt
We make a 1/2 gallon a week. It's very simple. Start with 1/2 gallon organic whole milk. Buy Nancy's Organic Plain Yogurt to use as a starter. You can buy a small tub for less than a dollar. You only need about 1/4 cup per batch.
Set the yugurt on the counter to warm to room temp. Warm your oven to 110 degrees.
Next, warm the milk very slowly to 185 degrees to kill any bacteria. Then let cool to 110 degrees. I use an ice bath in my sink to speed it up and also use a candy thermometer to check the temp.
Once the heated milk cools I stir in the yogurt. I put in a glass jar and cover with damp cheesecloth. Here's the trick. 24 hours in the oven at 110.
According to SCD by letting it 'cook' for 24 hours all of the milk sugar is gone and the culture has made a very high potency yogurt. According to SCD there are more than 900 bil live organisms in a serving. We love it. It is sour so we do add a little Stevia and Vanilla when we get ready to eat it.
Our insurance won't pay for it and my pharmacy wanted to charge me $165 for the same quantity.
So the VSL that I found is not DS? How do you get the DS reasonably? My pharmcy couldn't locate DS, so where can I find the DS?
Posts: 333 | From Lyme Here Too | Registered: Mar 2010
| IP: Logged |
payne
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 26248
posted
per firecrackers findings.. NDC # 45749-0017-82 was given to me by Wal-Mart Pharmacy just this evening. my help your search.
-------------------- TULAREMIA/rabbit fever ? Posts: 1931 | From mid-michigan | Registered: Jun 2010
| IP: Logged |
The Lyme Disease Network is a non-profit organization funded by individual donations. If you would like to support the Network and the LymeNet system of Web services, please send your donations to:
The
Lyme Disease Network of New Jersey 907 Pebble Creek Court,
Pennington,
NJ08534USA http://www.lymenet.org/
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
![[confused]](graemlins/confused.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic