dr wants me on mepron. it looks like my insurance more than likely will not cover it. it is almost 3,000 dollars a month. i can in no way afford that.
now i am very scared, i have lyme + rmsf + myco + babs.
what can i do? any alternatives that i can afford?
thanks john
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
cactus
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 7347
posted
Check out Bridges to Access. Glaxo-Smith Kline is the maker of Mepron and it's their program that provides free Mepron to people who need it.
They also have a program (can't recall the name) that reimburses if your Rx is "under-covered" by insurance.
My copay for Mepron was a couple hundred bucks, and their program would have reimbursed it, if only I'd known!
Do a search here, or google Bridges to Access and you should find some info.
-------------------- �Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?� - A.A. Milne Posts: 1987 | From No. VA | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
My insurance covers it. I take 1 tsp 2xper day. I get it in 3 week allotments and it retails from CVS (not the cheapest pharmacy) for less than $1000. It is still disgustingly expensive, but less than half what you thought????
I have insurance with a fixed copay. Last year I had a 20% copay and I shopped around. I called Wal-Mart, Costco, Walgreens, CVS and Brooks. Brooks was the cheapest. I used Brooks then, but CVS is more convenient so I just go with them now.
I was surprised by the variability of the costs, so be sure to shop around (I phoned them)! I wouldn't trust my analysis, because this was a while ago.
Mepron is a good medicine, I believe.
Best of luck, Allie
Posts: 300 | From Northeast | Registered: Dec 2006
| IP: Logged |
NanaDubo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14794
posted
My insurance covers mine except a small co-pay. At WalMart it's $800.00 if that's any better.
My insurance wouldn't cover bicillin today and my doc is going to try a "letter of medical necessity". He says that usually works.
Would your doc do that for the Mepron?
I loved Mepron, I hope you can get it.
Posts: 1129 | From Maine | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
my doc uses mepron all the time but as you can imagine, insurance companies hate him.
i really hope insurance will cover it but as of now it doesnt look good. and my doc is gone for a few days.
babesia scares teh heck out of me.
what exactly is the mte9? that sounds like a better option anyhow.
thanks john
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
My insurance didn't even require preauthorization for it .... have you tried to get it? Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
djf2005
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11449
posted
try enula as a lest costly option.
also mepron is more like 800 bucks a month, not 3 thousand..
good luck
-------------------- "Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you."
posted
my pharmacy quoted it a like $2,800 something for the high dosage that is prescribed.
and i am literally broke and borrowing money to pay for treatments. so any money is a lot right now.
i'll talk to my doc on monday and see what i can do.
thanks
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
many people that cant afford it or have no ins go with malarone. very similer. Doc
[ 27. June 2008, 05:43 PM: Message edited by: doc ]
Posts: 95 | From nys | Registered: Jan 2008
| IP: Logged |
Hoosiers51
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 15759
posted
Malarone is an alternative, but keep in mind, it's a "cocktail" drug, and I believe it contains only 1/6 the active ingredient in Mepron, but it contains other ingredients as well.
Posts: 4590 | From Midwest | Registered: Jun 2008
| IP: Logged |
sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
John, I pay $25 for my copay for the Mepron. Don't write it off till you check out how much coverage you will have. Your pharmacy can probably tell you .... mine can always tell me.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
| IP: Logged |
posted
You could always try quinine and clindamycin -- much cheaper but many docs won't prescribe it.
Or maybe Alinia -- this is a parasite med that seems to work on Babesia. Not exactly cheap either, but may be less than Mepron. Seems to be working for hubby -- but he had had lots of previous Babs treatment.
Or do something like Flagyl and artemesia/artemesinin to see how bad your Babesia problem is before commiting to one of the long-term pricier options.
Talk to both your pharmacist and LLMD -- there is almost always more than one option.
Hubby was allergic to Mepron. Would not recommend Larium although it was pretty cheap if I remember correctly -- hubby had too much anxiety/depression on that.
Another herb to try is Cryptolepsis. Hubby definitely herxed. Not sure if that alone with get Babs though.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
daise
Unregistered
posted
Hi nyjohn,
I know what it is to be very ill and poor, like you. Never give up. Never!
I started out with nothing. But I managed to get everything in place. It took a long time. Then I began Lyme & company treatment. That takes a long time.
Here's a link for Prescription Hope. They have a lot of Lyme meds! If insurance turns you down, and you qualify financially, you pay $7.00 per month, per med. Here's the link:
posted
I also did that bridges to Access Program...wow got 3 months worth for 10$$
Posts: 23 | From myrtle beach sc | Registered: Feb 2008
| IP: Logged |
groovy2
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6304
posted
thank you, everyone... i do have insurance, but it has taken up all my money and apparently is battling the mepron coverage. bridge to access/gsk turned me on to another reimbursement thing they sponsor if the insurance totally negs it.
-------------------- do your best to educate the rest because 9 out of 10 doctors don't know jack about tick borne illnesses Posts: 437 | From shawangunk mountains, ny | Registered: May 2008
| IP: Logged |
posted
Artemesinin, a natural herb is internationally used to treat Malaria, and has been found to be quite effective at Babesia.
"Artemesinin acts like a bomb. It has two oxygen atoms that break apart in the presence of iron. The malaria parasite inhabits a person's red blood cells, which are rich in iron. When an artemisinin molecule encounters the parasite, it explodes, releasing lethal toxins that destroy the parasite.
Zhang's dosage (**33mg arteannuin** in a 500mg herbal combo 3x 4 months)
Zhang- 500mg, 3xday;
"D. Clinical Applications:
1) Malaria
Clinically, while used for treating malaria, a 100% cure rate was achieved in 485 cases of tertian malaria and 105 cases of subtertian malaria. These two groups were all treated with the tablet made from the dilute alcohol extract of the herb at a total dose of 72 or 86.4 grams of crude herb in divided doses spread over 3 days. In comparison with chloroquine, the herbal preparations and arteannuin had fast-acting antipyretic and anti-plamodial actions. It can also be used for treating systematic lupus erythematosus. [30]
2) Babesiosis,
In my clinical application, usually one treatment course is 40 days. Most patient will see their Babesiosis title turns to negative after one course treatment. Very few people need a second course.
3) SLE and lupus erythematosus discoides
Almost every case experienced remission in different degrees. At beginning of the treatment, the symptoms may worsen temporary.
I have Babesia- did 3 months of Mepron- no miracle cure here... it did help.
Plan on getting a really stong- high quality Artemesinin tincture this week. Have heard positive things from others on this as well.
You can google this for more info, but get the best quality you can-- not from a big chain store.
-------------------- Positive 10 bands WB IGG & IGM + Babesia + Bartonolla and NOW RMSF 3/5/09 all at Quest
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!
![[bonk]](graemlins/bonk.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
I take 2 tsp. twice daily ... so that's $2400.![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic