posted
My LLMD recently added babesia WA-1 to the array of Lyme related viruses and illnesses I have (i.e. Bartonella, Wilson's Syndrome, etc.). I was prescribed 5 ml of Mepron twice a day plus 250 mg Zithromax taken at the same time plus eating something with fat in it such as cream cheese and ham for it to absorb better into my body.
Question: I was shocked at the Mepron price at CVS of $1,150 per month AFTER insurance discount ($1,250 list price). With the Zithromax this will be $7,000 for five months on top of the $4,000 a month I already spend on meds. Does anyone have a source to buy Mepron much cheaper?
Second question: I read different Mepron dosages in the Lymenet archives and searching Google. What is the most common daily dosage and for how many months? It seems like being taken with Zithromax is the only thing the many posts on dosages have in common.
Third question: has anyone had success ridding their body of babesia with Mepron and Zithromax?
Thanks much in advance for help anyone can provide.
All the best, Gary in Kansas
p.s. my LLMD said "they" only recently discovered babesia WA-1 is present in the Midwest and they are discovering infection rates averaging 80% of Lyme patients. He is now testing his several thousand Lyme patients and said 80% is exactly what he is finding. Until early this year it was thought babesia (various strains) was not present in the Midwest. I wonder what else they should be testing for in the Midwest?
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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posted
Sorry -- I hit either delete or post too soon. Thanks for response. Guess I'll just pay the price. Your 21 day price is not that far off from my 30 day price. My insurance doesn't pay much on prescriptions. Just "negotiates" better prices. Gets drops of as much as 90% on a few and nothing at all on others. Mepron was $100.
As an aside I finished 12 weeks of biaxin and B12 shots two weeks ago then had major relapse a week ago. Did a B12 shot myself yesterday and woke up today pain free and feeling great. Coincidence? Hope not. I'm calling my LLMD tomorrow to ask for a higher dosage of B12 and more frewuent.
Had been one ml three times a week. I've read B12 can really help pain. That's the main remaining symptom for me. Night sweats and other problems are all gone. If mainlining B12 will stop the all over extreme body pains and get me off all these pain meds that would be GREAT! Need to spend the day reading about B12 and Lyme pain.
Take care and thanks again, Gary in Kansas
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
Yikes! Even though my insurance isn't paying my LLMD visits,
They are paying for my mepron minus my 40.00 co-pay.
Have you tried another pharmacy to see if you can get a better price?
I am starting my 5th month of mepron.
Standard dose is 750mg x 2 a day. (One teaspoon equals 750mg or 5ml).
My LLMD feels the rate of babesia down South is 90% plus.
Make sure you take it with fat. It absorbs better into your system.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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"Try other pharmacies". This sound crazy but each one told me they could not tell me the insurance price unless I gave them the prescription and they filled it. They (Walgreens and other major pharmacies) all said my insurance company will not provide a price unless the prescription is actually filled. None of the pharmacies were willing to fill the prescription then go to all the trouble of cancelling it out if the price is too high. They each would provide the list price and 30 days was about $1,250 from each of them. That was no help at all. I learned it is much cheaper in Canada but getting mail order drugs from Canada these days is about a 50/50 chance. Too risky.
So it looks like I'm stuck if I want to get over babesia WA-1 (by taking 5 ml of Mepron 2x a day and 250 mg of Zithromax twice a day) for five months. And, yes, I'm very familiar with the fact that it doubles (or so) the amount the body absorbs by eating something with a lot of fat at the same time. I am eating high fat ham and cream cheese. I first ate peanut butter but was quickly warned the fat is good but the high sugar content was not good.
I am on the same dosage you are taking. Sounds like 5 ml 2x a day is the standard dosage.
It would make me feel beter if I read of people saying "I took 5 ml 2x day of Mepron plus 2x250 mg Zithromax for five months and I was cured of babesia!". I have not read that even ONCE! I'd sure like to read some success stories. Even one!
To me it's amazing that babesia has "spread" from a few localized areas of the country to pretty much everywhere in just a year or two. It seems to me perhaps babesia has been wide-spread for a long time but the people, organizations, government departments, etc., who are responsible for periodic testing didn't do their job either accidentally or due to pressure from the various organizations who have fianancial reasons to deny even the existence of Lyme.
Mepron is actually an anti-malaria drug which explains why I have tested positive for various forms of malaria during a ten year period. The doctors had no clue what to do so they typically did nothing saying it must have been a testing mistake. Even when retested and malaria was still there.
Lyme and related illnesses is quickly turning into an epidemic but it won't be accepted as one until the number of infected people and, due to their symptoms, go on disability, retire, etc. that it will finally be admitted and a "crash program" started (15 years later than it should have started) to find a cure.
This year's $100 million bill to research Lyme was just voted down by congress. Same as las year. The reason: "Lyme is very rare and easily cured by 30 days of doxycycline". Guess where they go that! More money is spent studying AIDS in one day than is spent on Lyme in an entire year!
This is so much like the time line of AIDS. It was denied from the 60's until the early 80's when too many illnesses and deaths could no longer be hidden. Whatever is being said as the number of people infected is in the millions. Two of my neighbors were infected this summer (both began doxycycline immediately). One seems to have been cured and the other is already almost an invalid. At least a dozen other people we know have been infected in our city (Kansas City).
We probably hear of infections more often as many people here know of my years of battling Lyme. Some are finding it impossible to find a doctor who will prescribe 30 days of doxycycline without first seeing symptoms (then it's too late!).
When the "tipping point" day arrives I hope those responsible for slowing down and denying the Lyme epidemic pay the price for the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer in silence with most doctors usually calling them hypochondriacs or providing a diagnosis which is ludicrous.
Insect carried viruses are now not even taught in most medical schools! They are only taught if the doctor continues on to become an Infectious Diseases specialisr but what they are taught is that Lyme is vry rare and always cured by 30 days of doxycycline. Taken directly from the CDC! It is criminal so many will have to become infected before this epidemic becomes recognized.
Posts: 133 | From Shawnee, KS | Registered: Sep 2007
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sixgoofykids
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 11141
posted
WOW, that is expensive! I take two tsp. twice daily, which is a large dose. I also take Art, if you're spending that much on Mepron, I'd add Art as it's more effective.
My copay for the three bottles per month I use is only $25! I don't turn in my LLMD bills ..... but getting the Mepron paid for is HUGE.
I hope you have good results from it.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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posted
If you income qualify Bridges To Access may be able to help you. They are saving me a fortune. Their number is 1-866-728-4368. My dr. helped me fill out the paperwork and I was approved. I'm so greatful because it's 900.00. Costco is also cheaper on drugs. Good luck. I've found their are different Co that can help you with different drugs if you income qualify.
Posts: 22 | From California | Registered: Jul 2008
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