I have Lyme Dr. after many years of being undiagnosed . He prescibed bicillin shots. I got them when I was on Medicaid but now that I work and have health insurance they won't pay for the prescription. Any one have any suggestions how to get the bicillin covered or where to but it at a reduced cost? I can hardly afford the medicine that is covered. Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Welcome mcpny...
I am posting your link in the Medical Section in hopes someone there will share a source for the Bicillin. I know it can be had much cheaper than what you probably have found... so maybe someone will respond soon.
Posted by just don (Member # 1129) on :
Someone just told me they bought biccillin from a pharmacy in Spain and cost was MUCH less than here.
Posted by Pinelady (Member # 18524) on :
Have you checked the ivaluepharmacy.com? They are offering lyme patients special pricing for IV balls so they may have others too.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
the stuff from Spain is the same drug but it's not pre-mixed like bicillin. It's a powdered penicillin and sterile water in separate vials, and you have to mix them. the powder can clog a syringe sometimes. It's SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper- I haven't had any luck pricing it yet but others have said that it's something like $5 a vial and that pharmamondo (farmamondo?) in Switzerland is one of the places to get it. Extencilin is one of the brands. I might be spelling it wrong.
Posted by merrygirl (Member # 12041) on :
extencillin is what I tried, but found it clogged way too much. It was from spain but dont recall the pharmacy..
Posted by Dancer (Member # 11039) on :
My insurance co. rep gave me a tip -- bicillin was not on the list of covered drugs on my pharmacy coverage, but they said that because it was being administered in a Dr's office, it was coverable under medical benefits as opposed to pharmacy benefits. I used to bring my bicillin in to my primary care's office and they did the injections for me, even though it was my LLMD that prescribed it.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Extencillin(e?) is one brand of the 'right' kind of powdered penicillin identical to Bicillin in terms of the active drug but not in the pre-mixed form. Here's a page listing a lot of other manufacturers of it. A lot of overseas pharmacies list it: http://drugs-about.com/ing/benzathine-benzylpenicillin.html Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
quote:Originally posted by merrygirl: extencillin is what I tried, but found it clogged way too much. It was from spain but dont recall the pharmacy..
Also- I think merry and I talked on Chat one night and it sounded like she was using a smaller needle than some of the powdered penicillin users (I might be thinking of a different lymenet/chat person), so there might be better luck with a 19 gauge needle. Am I remembering right, Merrygirl?
Posted by migs (Member # 16496) on :
Mexico. Go to any Mexican border town and they are loaded with farmacias for american drug tourists. I have done this a few times now. You can buy Benzathine Penicillin or "Benzatina Bencilpenicilina" 1.2 MU everywhere. It has many names, generic or brand name. I like the generic brand GI which is only 3ml to shoot instead of 5ml like some generics. It ranges from $1 to 3$ but is usually about $2 US for a shot.
It's cheaper for me to fly from Victoria Canada to San Diego, get a hotel for a night, and bus/walk into Tijuana and buy a (legal) 3 month stock and fly home than it is for me to visit and American LLMD, and then buy my meds in the States.
ordering online is a good way too but I like to get my stuff in hand.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
I know, but there are lots of reputable online pharmacies from Europe (or elsewhere) where you can order something like extencilin without having to go on a trip.
I've seen it on some sites, it just doesn't come up on pharmacychecker.com as one of the drug options, so I haven't personally pursued it fully yet. I know the prices I saw were all really low.
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Does anyone have leftover topical numbing cream they'd be willing to send? I have Extencillin on hand and am supposed to be using it, but I accidentally got injectible lidocaine rather than the topical numbing cream, and can't afford to get the right product right now.
Posted by Maradona (Member # 24552) on :
In some states in Europ 50 vials of Extencilin 1.2 Mil you can get it for 5-7 Euro dont know do they mail them .
Posted by MariaA (Member # 9128) on :
Yes, they don't have to be refrigerated, so they can be mailed. A few different people here have gotten it in the past. One of them sent me some of the vials she ordered, which is why I have it but don't have a pharmacy recommendation.
I did read that several people here got it from this place: http://www.farmamondo.com/e/default.cfm Their website's 'search for drug pricing' function is broken. you may have to call them to find out more informaiton- they're in Switzerland. I emailed them a few weeks ago and didn't hear back.
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