Mark-VA

Thumbs up for GoodRX. My wife accidentally threw away her blood pressure meds. (She set it aside to bring it to the doctor's office and oops! it's gone). A 30 day supply was $88. Insurance wouldn't pay because she they already paid for a refill. The pharmacist turned me on to GoodRX and 2 minutes later I was walking out the door after paying $17. No need to create an account with GoodRX. They don't collect any personal information.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

BAD advice! Statins dramatically lower high cholesterol, which is a leading cause of heart disease, which is a major cause of death in the US - I can speak from experience, having had a major heart attack at age 50 due to high cholesterol, which the use of Statins and improved diet cut in half. It is certainly true that various individuals suffer pain from a particular statin (as was the case with myself), but a change in the statin (there are a number of different statins available) eliminates the symptoms while providing the benefits. Also, I know of no well recognized link to the use of statins and diabetes. If you can’t control your cholesterol with diet alone, statins can save your life. Heart disease can and does kill you - statins do not!

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

While there are many well-regarded doctors who express a much stronger negativity toward the use of statin drugs, you certainly should be interested in the findings of these sources of unquestioned reputation.

Mayo Clinic:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/statin-side-effects/art-20046013

“The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning on statin labels regarding blood glucose levels and diabetes.”

WebMD:

https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/news/20150304/statins-linked-to-raised-risk-of-type-2-diabetes#1

“Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may significantly increase a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study from Finland suggests.
Researchers found that statins were associated with an almost 50 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for other factors.”

NIH.gov – National Institutes of Health

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5075367/

“Results suggest that it is essential to monitor patients receiving statins for the risk factors of diabetes. Prolonged durations of use of these drugs increase the requirement of regular monitoring. In-addition, the clinical use of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin should be reconsidered, as these 2 statins showed a strong and clear association with diabetes incidence.”
“The existence of positive association of statin therapy with incidental diabetes across the clinical trials has been confirmed. Comparative evaluation of different types of statins in eliciting new onset diabetes among patients has confirmed the role of atorvastatin and rosuvastatin in inducing incidental diabetes.”

Loren – Baguio City

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

And, in general, they charge MUCH MORE in the US for the exact same Rx's than in other countries. Please explain how / why this happens if they're not GREEDY, eh ?

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Just wondering....what time of day did you take your Atorastatin? When I first went on it I felt achy like I had the flu for two days. I had been taking it in the morning. My doctor suggested that I switch and take it at night, which I did. I haven't had any problems since.

ecblackiii Loc: Maryland

The major thing wrong with drug prices in America is that Americans are being charged extremely high prices in order for drug firms to be able to sell additional quantities at a huge discount to people in other countries where they are unable to pay the prices charged to Americans. In other words, American purchasers are subsidizing health care for the rest of the world. That's why pharmaceuticals are cheaper just across the border, in Mexico and Canada. Don't it make you proud!

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Along with cancer, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and a good percentage of heart disease is due to high LDL cholesterol. All drugs, including Aspirin, have side effects - the key is the trade-off between benefits and risk. If your combined LDL/HDL is 160, then forget the statins, and certainly, diet is important. BUT, if you're in the high 200s (or higher) and your LDL/HDL ratio is much higher that 2:1 (1:1 is ideal), then consult your cardiologist as to the benefits vs risks of statins, because you're likely to meet him again in the ER. Ignore the advice on this thread (and the web), and talk to a professional. There are a variety of statins, along with Zetia (which reduces the absorption of fats/cholesterol in the digestive tract) as well as aspirin that can help you avoid that trip to the ER and minimize side effects (if you're lucky enough to make it).

One Rude Dawg Loc: Athol, ID

The real question is why take that crap anyway. I used to use that %&#* several years ago, never felt worse in my life. I stopped using it and feel one hell of a lot better. One of those the cure is worse than the disease situations. Lots of luck to you if you keep taking it.

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Is GoodRx mainly if you don't have any prescription drug insurance, or just to find the cheapest pharmacy prices in your local area? I get my prescriptions through my Part D insurance, and when I checked GoodRx just to compare prices, all of the local pharmacies were a lot more than my Part D insurance.

I get a 90 day supply of Tamsulosin for $8.00, and checking GoodRx, the local CVS was $38.41, Walgreens was $43.55, and Rite Aid was $66.84.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

to save your life is the answer. I ignored my doctor's advice about my cholesterol and taking a statin, because the first one I tried (Lipitor) gave me muscle pains. Result: major heart attack (widow maker) in my 50s. Lucky to have survived it, but it changed my life, and not for the better. on the night of the attack, my cholesterol was about 300 with an LDL/HDL ratio of about 5:1. Now I take Pravachol plus Zetia - no side effects or pains, and my cholesterol is 160, BUT the damage to my heart was done, and it won't ever regenerate. Smart people monitor their cholesterol, especially as they get older and take the action their Cardiologist advises. Those that don't, often die, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly with congestive heart failure as a result of the damage. Your choice of course, but something that I feel strongly about having made the wrong decision and now paying the price. it's amazing how quickly you wise up when you're laying on the table in the OR or Cath Lab praying for your life.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Do you think the cost of doing business in the US may have something to do with it??

LoisCroft Loc: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Same here, Walgreens wanted $155 for 30 days, got them at a compounding pharmacy for $20 for a 90 day supply. THREE times as much!

LoisCroft Loc: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Same here, Walgreens wanted $155 for 30 days, got them at a compounding pharmacy for $20 for a 90 day supply. THREE times as much!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Sounds like Walgreens is the problem.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Always glad to help. I wonder what the welfare and entitlement cost is for US citizens and non-US citizens?