Re: Can't afford Remicade any longer

[Guest guest]

Dube, I am so sorry! This is a terrible time of year to get such bad

news too! Have you tried for disability? Find a good lawyer in your

area who handles disability claims. Also, if you haven't already done

so, check with your pharmacist...I have heard that some drug companies

will sponsor you and provide your meds for you free. My cousin gets

hers that way...her doctor helped her get set up for it. Ask your

doctor and ask around at different pharmacies to see if you can find

one who will help you. Again, I am so sorry you are going through

this. Thank God the MTX is working for me...it is pretty cheap! I

hope I never have to go to one of the biologics!

Sharon

>

> After being on Remicade infusions (900mg monthly) for the past year

> with great results I can no longer afford it. Jan. 1st 2008 my

Anthem

> BC/BS weekly insurance premiums skyrocketed and will be up to $185.

per

> week. A $6000.00 deductable and a 20% co pay on Remicade ($1400. per

> month). Yes out of pocket, no help. No disability benefits, Money

> coming in is dwindling because of the economy (self employed) and no

> one wants to hire a 50+ year old guy with PA.....I give up! Dr says

we

> will try Humaria. So everyone, count your blessings.

>

[Guest guest]

I hope you good luck in getting Humira at a reasonable cost. These

meds should be free: for those with PA, they are like essential

nutrients. Such a crazy world we have that builders of weapons that

can cause untold pain can make millions - billions even from the

government, yet a kindly citizen with a crippling disease is withheld

treatment.

If it any consolation to you, my insurance would pay for the product,

but I had problems with demyelination and Enbrel. Because of the very

frightening symptoms associated with demyelination, my rhumatologist

and I are leery about my trying another biologic TNF inhibitor. So,

you can be damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Guest guest]

I've applied to all the programs, but no help because we have too

much " stuff " . No SS benefits even though I have been declared disabled

by SS....Why? Because I have been self employed trying to deal with my

limitations. Now if I could sell the " stuff " I have it would be a

better story. It's the economy stupid! Like someone said years ago. You

know I've lived 50+ decent years. What bothers me the most is not that

I can't continue with needed treatments, but what happens to the

younger people in similar predicaments as I have. They have a whole

life ahead of them. How can they be expected to endure this pain,

swelling and all that goes with PA? All while drug companies,

politicians and etc get richer and richer while there is so much

suffering in the USA.

[Guest guest]

Sorry to hear about your losing your Remicade. I get mine thru

Medicare and the state. As long as I qualify for a home care

worker...a min of 10 hrs a month....the state will pay my portion of

the Remicade. I get 700mg every 4 weeks. You might check and see

if you qualify for that. That can be any kind of home help

including housework that is just to taxing for you. Another

suggestion is to contact the manufacturer of Remicade and request a

scholarship. Before Medicare came up with part D for RX I got

uncovered meds thru the Purdue company...Oxycontin...it was

delivered to my door Fed Ex every month. There might be other

benefits thru your state from qualifying for a home care worker as

well. Not that I am proud of it, but without the Remicade I a bed

bound...as the state found out when they thought I no longer

qualified and took me off....no Remicade for 4 months and I was in

pretty bad shape. Still trying to catch up from it. If this info

does not help you...maybe it will someone else..Good luck!

[Guest guest]

The cost of this drug is brutal. I'm so sorry to hear this is happening to you.

Dube <dubedew@...> wrote:

After being on Remicade infusions (900mg monthly) for the past year

with great results I can no longer afford it. Jan. 1st 2008 my Anthem

BC/BS weekly insurance premiums skyrocketed and will be up to $185. per

week. A $6000.00 deductable and a 20% co pay on Remicade ($1400. per

month). Yes out of pocket, no help. No disability benefits, Money

coming in is dwindling because of the economy (self employed) and no

one wants to hire a 50+ year old guy with PA.....I give up! Dr says we

will try Humaria. So everyone, count your blessings.

---------------------------------

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

[Guest guest]

Centacor is the company to contact about Remicade. My daughter was on

Remicade for her Crohns disease and Centacor was very good to her.

[same w/Enbrel, they have a foundation that can provide everything at

no cost]. However, Remicade, as you know, is administered via

infusion, so there are two parts, the drug and equipment required to

infuse the drug (which Centacor supplied everything for my daughter),

and secondly, the hosp or whatever facility you are going to also

bills for the cost of administering the infusion. Will the ins co pay

that portion of the bill? Or, does the hosp have a consumer fund they

can assist on income basis??

[Guest guest]

I am curious about your Remicade dosage. Isn't 500 where they usually

start? I am every 6 weeks, but was told that usually every 8 weeks, so

they are cautious about going higher, but I am still more bed bound

than I would like, although I am improved.

>

> Sorry to hear about your losing your Remicade. I get mine thru

> Medicare and the state.

[Guest guest]

What is " demyelination " ?? How does this relate to all of the

biologics, so far as what you know...

> If it any consolation to you, my insurance would pay for the product,

> but I had problems with demyelination and Enbrel. Because of the very

> frightening symptoms associated with demyelination, my rhumatologist

> and I are leery about my trying another biologic TNF inhibitor. So,

> you can be damned if you do and damned if you don't.

>

[Guest guest]

This may sound kind of odd, but Montel has been doing a great

deal in this area.-- esp working on finding medical asst and Rx for

people who fall through the cracks. Sure sounds like you qualify!!

>

> I've applied to all the programs, but no help because we have too

> much " stuff " . No SS benefits even though I have been declared disabled

> by SS....Why? Because I have been self employed trying to deal with my

> limitations. Now if I could sell the " stuff " I have it would be a

> better story. It's the economy stupid! Like someone said years ago. You

> know I've lived 50+ decent years. What bothers me the most is not that

> I can't continue with needed treatments, but what happens to the

> younger people in similar predicaments as I have. They have a whole

> life ahead of them. How can they be expected to endure this pain,

> swelling and all that goes with PA? All while drug companies,

> politicians and etc get richer and richer while there is so much

> suffering in the USA.

>

[Guest guest]

I looked it up and, from what I can tell, it's the " MS " symptoms that can be

caused in rare cases by the biologics.

Joanna Hoelscher

630-833-7361

[ ] Re: Can't afford Remicade any longer

What is " demyelination " ?? How does this relate to all of the

biologics, so far as what you know...

[Guest guest]

Yes indeed I have applied the Montel band wagon. But

according to those close to the medication suppliers, the program is

little more than a drop in the bucket trying to put a pretty light on

the drug mfg companies. Of course I didn't qualify.

--- In , " cmoralez_ak "

This may sound kind of odd, but Montel has been doing a

great deal in this area.-- esp working on finding medical asst and Rx for people

who fall through the cracks. Sure sounds like you qualify!!

[Guest guest]

Honestly Centacor came forward with open hands...Waiting for me to keep

paying. No help at all.

>

> Centacor is the company to contact about Remicade.

[Guest guest]

My disease is very aggressive. 900mg Remicade infusion every 4 weeks.

25mg MTX injection every 7 days. It has been a year now on Remicade

with this last months results showing much improvement. Just being able

to stand for 10 minute is an improvement in my history.

Anyway, complaining isn't going to help and I know others are worse off

than I. Especially the younger ones

>

> I am curious about your Remicade dosage. Isn't 500 where they usually

> start? I am every 6 weeks, but was told that usually every 8 weeks, so

> they are cautious about going higher, but I am still more bed bound

> than I would like, although I am improved.

[Guest guest]

Hi:

I just joined the group, thank God I have my disability after 2 years. My

husband had neck surgery at that time several small strokes & never recovered

mentally (dementia). Of course, like many still waiting on his disability,

we lost everything we worked for & moved to Texas to live with a cousin (even

lived in a camper for a year). I used to be a respiratory therapist for 15

years in a hospital in Miss. I am wondering how many have used Holistic

meds & what? I had to stop Humira and there was no change in lab work,

same with Mtx. Maybe the monster is just waiting to come back out next visit.

I take a lot of vitamins, I also found some cream at the Health Food Store

called Psoratis (something similar) it takes a little longer than steroid

cream, it works & is $6.00. Also, I take a liquid vitamin only available at

Sam's Club called Miracle Fruits of the world Combo $20.00. My Holistic Dr.

also recommend a Parasite Detox, he has two more pts with this stuff. I

don't see him anymore we had to move to Fort Worth, Texas. I started a free

Adaptive Yoga Class last night they work with disabilities, that helped with my

fibromyalgia. Any ideas or other info. Would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for listening.

[Guest guest]

Welcome, ! The National Psoriasis Foundation has an interesting

article at

http://www.psoriasis.org/publications/advance/200506_herbchart.php

which gives the references for some clinical trials of natural

substances used to treat psoriasis and/or PA. If you look on the

chart, in the column marked " scientific evidence, " the initials " CCT "

indicate a controlled clinical trial was conducted. The footnotes will

give you the names of the researchers and actual journal references.

The substances demonstrating efficacy include aloe, cayenne, dong

quai, fish oil (contradictory results), shark cartilage, and

turmeric. I just ordered all of these and will begin trying them. I

also take Humira injection weekly, Celebrex, and use TAC ointment on

my feet where I have pustular P.

I found this to be a handy summary of what has been studied clinically

by reputable researchers.

regards,

sherry z

>

> years in a hospital in Miss. I am wondering how many have used

Holistic

> meds & what? I had to stop Humira and there was no change in lab