cheap Lipitor
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Q: Is there much difference between Vytorin and Lipitor other than price?
My Cholesteral is high and my DR prescribed Vytorin. I have no prescription insurance and was shocked to find the cheapest price on Vytorin was 124.00 per month. Lipitor (which is another choleteral lowering drug) comes in generic and is much cheaper. Before I consult my DR does anyone know if there is a real big difference in Vytorin and Lipitor other than the outstanding cost difference? Thanks.
A: Both Vytorin and Lipitor work well. They are in the same class of drugs.
As for Lipitor being a generic, I think you are mistaken. There are other drugs in that class that ARE generic, will work for MOST people and are MUCH cheaper.
1) Tell your MD that you have no Rx coverage (so he knows that cost is definately a factor) most MD’s don’t have a clue as to what a med costs, all they have time to know is which drug rep bought their lunch this week.
2) Ask him if you can use Simvastatin (brand is Zocor). It is availiable in generic, was one of the first HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (that class of cholesterol drugs) approved and has been widely studied.
3) If he says no, ask him for a specific reason why you need Vytorin (or any other brand name drug). Unless your numbers are extremely high (in which case Simvastatin might not bring them down far enough), he really has no reason to prescribe the brand name drug. Vytorin is a little more potent, but that is really the only different. It works slightly better for people with extremely high numbers. If you can’t afford to take the med, then the best drug on the planet is worhtless to you.
Its like why pay for premium gas at the pump when the regular unleaded will get you where you need to go ?
4) Know that these drugs do carry some risk. You doctor should do a blood test not only to check your cholesterol level, but your liver function before you start on the meds. Then his should check your cholesterol and liver function sometime bewteen 2 and 6 months after being on the meds (usually at month 3 is most common). Be aware that ALL meds in this class carry this risk, not just the simvastatin. If you have any of the side effects listed in the prescription info, stop the med immediately and call your MD (especially muscle cramps).
Best of luck to you. Via meds, exercise, and diet you can greatly effect your cholesterol level. Other than quitting smoking, helping manage your cholesterol and blood pressure are the two most important things you can do to lower your long term risk of having a major cardiovascular event (stroke, heart attack, sudden cardiac arrest, etc…)
Major studies in both the U.S. and Europe have PROVEN that you can extend people’s lives by keeping their cholesterol within acceptable levels. This is one of the few absolutes in medicine.
Do what you have to do to get your numbers down.
I don’t usually put my title on replies, but if you need to add validation to my reply, I have a doctorate of pharmacy and am a practicing clinician.
Q: If I switch cholesterol medicines, should the dosage be the same?
Was on Lipitor and switched to Pravastatin because it was cheaper. For some reason I was on 20mg of Lipitor and now 40mg of Pravastatin. Could that be a mistake by the pharmacy? I take it every other day.
A: First of all, it was your doctor that set the dose.
Second, pravastatin is a weaker drug than Lipitor. So, you need to take more to get the same effect on your cholesterol.
The newer meds such as Crestor, Lipitor, and to some extent, Zocor, are more potent than pravastatin, Mevacor, etc.
Q: what is the cheapest effective statin drug?
lipitor worked well for me but I’m retired & on medicare now and cant afford the $135 a month it costs. I’m sure there are other colesterol drugs that are effective & cheaper.
A: Pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), and lovastatin (Mevacor) are all generically available whereas atorvastatin (Lipitor) is not. Patients tend to have the best results from Lipitor, the others are sorted by frequency of adverse effects with simvastatin probably having few than pravastatin or lovastatin.
Q: Does Lipitor really work?
My dad has had the balloon angioplasty performed on him 4 times due to clogged heart arteries. So ever since his first “heart attack” his doctor prescribed him Plavix, Lipitor, and a blood pressure reducer for him to take the rest of his life. So, the blood pressure reducer he does not take since his blood pressure is actually low, he’s never ever in his life suffered from high blood pressure, and he’s been taking Plavix and Lipitor (which are expensive!!!!). So, I just read that Pfizer got sued because they falsely marketed some of their drugs, among them Lipitor. My question is if my dad should take this medication or should take another cholesterol reducer that is cheaper in price? I feel like a lot of times these doctors get money from these drug companies and that is the reason they prescribe these things, not necessarily because the person needs them.
Okay, so, it has been found that in a study done with women, 10% actually did not benefit and actually had a higher risk of getting a heart attack by taking lipitor? And, does anyone know of any statins to replace lipitor? Thanks
A: Lipitor works. I take it every day. It keeps my bad cholesterol lower than it would be without it, so I can eat properly and raise my good cholesterol.
Your father may have been prescribed medication for high blood pressure simply because of the benefits to his heart that many of these types of drugs have as a side benefit. It may have nothing whatsoever to do with his blood pressure. I would guess that the dosage is low.
Ask your pharmacist if there is a generic form of Lipitor but my guess is that there isn’t because I’m still taking the name brand. A generic can’t be made until the patent expires.
If your dad is paying a lot for medication, have him approach the drug company, get hold of a rep (check their website). Often they have a program for people with difficulty paying for drugs.
Q: How can I access cheaper generic prescription medicines?
This is really annoying me!
I have recently been to pharmacies near my home and have tried to get generic substitutes for Lipitor 20mg and and Somac 20mg.
For my Somac tablets I managed to get a generic version that saved me 50 cents – big deal!
Can someone explain to me why chemists are so reluctant to offer acceptable generic brands and affordable prices.
Is there something I don’t know!
Thanks
Gemhak
A: it is all pretty controlled and if you want lower priced generics you really need to buy from Mexico or Europe. We buy from a overseas site called The-Drug-Store.com and the prices are much more reasonable than the local drug stores.
Q: Is there much difference between Vytorin and Lipitor other than price?
My Cholesteral is high and my DR prescribed Vytorin. I have no prescription insurance and was shocked to find the cheapest price on Vytorin was 124.00 per month. Lipitor (which is another choleteral lowering drug) comes in generic and is much cheaper. Before I consult my DR does anyone know if there is a real big difference in Vytorin and Lipitor other than the outstanding cost difference? Thanks.
A: Vytorin is actually a combination of Zocor and Zetia. Lipitor as far as I know isn’t available as a generic in the United States, but I’m not sure where you are. Vytorin is more effective since it combines those two drugs. Talk to your pharmacist and your doctor if you’re concerned about price, and see what they recommend. If he wants you on vytorin you can try to get generic zocor and brand zetia as there is no generic for zetia. I’m not sure what the cost for zetia is though.
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