Guest guest Posted May 24, 2005 Report Share Posted May 24, 2005 I'm on Ketek but have not bought it privately. My receipt says the price is $297 for a month's supply. It certainly giving me the worst herx ever;now into my third month. Phil [ ] Ketek..price If anyone has used ketek, and has privately bought it, please let me know how expensive it is and if you have found a reasonably priced place to buy it. It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. I don't have prescription coverage. [ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 1, 2005 Report Share Posted June 1, 2005 Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it didn't help me. Check to see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a while to see if it will help you with out you wasting your money. bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, and has privately bought it, please let me know how expensive it is and if you have found a reasonably priced place to buy it. It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. I don't have prescription coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 Again, Ketek is a dangerous antibiotic (you can read all about it on worstpills.org) and it is not a good choice for lyme because the erythromycins work much better and are less expensive. Ketek is just a new generation of erythromycin that the drug company is trying to profit from by altering the molecule ever so slightly so they can obtain a different patent, while the other erythromycins are available as generics (excluding Zithromax). Erythromycins in general are 4th line choices for lyme in patients who are allergic to penicillins and cephalasporins, and they are not as effective. Ketek is very expensive, is not worth the price, and is not safe to take on a long-term basis. Greg Re: [ ] Ketek..price Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it didn't help me. Check to see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a while to see if it will help you with out you wasting your money. bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, and has privately bought it, please let me know how expensive it is and if you have found a reasonably priced place to buy it. It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. I don't have prescription coverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2005 Report Share Posted June 2, 2005 greg ketek is not the same as the others and it is the only drug in the macrolide class that crosses the bbb. it has worked well for myself and others...it is the same difference between doxy and mino however they are very differant drugs,i dont think you understand that..I am not trying to pick a fight with you but I think that you are confusing the lyme aid group when you say things about an antibiotic, you are confusing people and they may push the drug away when they really need it..ketek has a property that is very usefull and that is why it is used..all antibiotics have side effects...also I believe that the group has to be able to trust there doctor and follow treatment without bieng scared by others views that may not make a difference in the whole thing anyway.. eric --- Greg Guillot <guillot@...> wrote: > Again, Ketek is a dangerous antibiotic (you can read > all about it on > worstpills.org) and it is not a good choice for lyme > because the > erythromycins work much better and are less > expensive. Ketek is just a new > generation of erythromycin that the drug company is > trying to profit from by > altering the molecule ever so slightly so they can > obtain a different > patent, while the other erythromycins are available > as generics (excluding > Zithromax). Erythromycins in general are 4th line > choices for lyme in > patients who are allergic to penicillins and > cephalasporins, and they are > not as effective. Ketek is very expensive, is not > worth the price, and is > not safe to take on a long-term basis. > > > Greg > > Re: [ ] Ketek..price > > Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it > didn't help me. Check to > see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a > while to see if it will > help you with out you wasting your money. > > bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, > and has privately bought > it, please let me know > how expensive it is and if you have found a > reasonably priced place to buy > it. > It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. > I don't have > prescription coverage. > > > > > > __________________________________ Discover Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM and more. Check it out! http://discover./online.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2005 Report Share Posted June 3, 2005 I trust worstpills.org in pharmaceutical matters, as they are a well-respected organization concerning drug efficacy and safety. Minocin and doxycycline are slightly different of course, and this accounts for their different side-effects profile. Doxy has some penetration, but not very much, into the blood brain barrier, and minocin has more. Both drugs are synthetic versions of tetracycline and have many of the same properties. However, Minocin causes lupus and serum sickness and doxy does not. Doxy is older and has a more established safety profile. Here's an article about Ketek, which recommends that it not be taken. Please read this carefully , before you get mad at me, OK? All of the macrolides have been found to cause irregular heartbeats, and to increase the risk of heart attacks several fold. Ketek is worse. There is more -- please read on -- this is accurate scientific information, based on published studies, and the shaky FDA approval process Ketek had to undergo (it was barely approved). It is no more effective than other antibiotics and has already caused at least one verified death. Greg Do Not Use Do Not Use Generic drug name: telithromycin (tel ith roe MYE sin) View the drug label using Adobe Acrobat Reader Brand name(s): KETEK (Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc.) FAMILY: Ketolides Alternative Treatment: [top] See erythromycin, azithromycin, and clarithromycin. These are safer antibiotics approved to treat the same infections as this drug. Facts About This Drug: [top] Telithromycin was approved by the FDA in April 2004 for the treatment of mild to moderate community-acquired pneumonia, acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, and acute bacterial sinusitis. The chemical structure of telithromycin, which is classed as a ketolide, is similar to the macrolide drug family, which includes erythromycin, clarithromycin, and azithromycin. Telithromycin is approved by the FDA for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia due to multidrug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (MDRSP). MDRSP includes penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae and those bacteria that are also resistant to two or more of the following antibiotics: penicillin, second-generation cephalosporins, the macrolides mentioned above, tetracyclines, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, is currently approved for treatment against S. pneumoniae resistant to penicillin; however, at this time there is no agent other than telithromycin approved for treatment against S. pneumoniae resistant to erythromycin or to any other macrolide in the United States. Telithromycin has undergone a long drug approval process with the FDA. The makers of telithromycin, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, submitted the new drug application (NDA) in March of 2000. The drug went through two advisory committee reviews because of efficacy and safety issues before it was approved in April of 2004. Since 2001, telithromycin has been marketed in Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico.1 It is also marketed in Canada and the UK. In the original application, Aventis requested approval to market for four indications: tonsillopharyngitis (tonsillitis), acute worsening of bronchitis, sinusitis, and community-acquired pneumonia. Tonsillopharyngitis was not approved by the FDA based on the agency's guidelines for the efficacy of first-line claims for antibiotics. The clinical success rate must be at least 85%, according to the FDA's guidelines, for a first-line claim. Telithromycin failed to show the 85% success rate for the treatment of tonsillopharyngitis. Interestingly, the rule of thumb did not apply to the other three indications, which were later approved.2 3 The Anti-infective Drug Advisory Committee was unable to make a unanimous decision about the efficacy and safety of telithromycin. Some members believed there was insufficient evidence to prove the efficacy of telithromycin for the treatment of acute worsening of chronic bronchitis, since one of the leading causes of the illness, the bacteria Haemophilus influenzae, was only 60 to 77% eradicated by the drug.4 5 Furthermore, one member even questioned the efficacy of the other drugs compared to telithromycin in clinical studies, which led to her disapproval for all three indications: " The data at hand does not establish the efficacy of the comparators [drug being compared to telithromycin]...without data in front of us establishing the efficacy of the comparators, the data in front of us does not establish efficacy of this drug [telithromycin]. " 6 The committee was also split in its decision about the effectiveness of telithromycin against MDRSP. Telithromcyin cure rates were 90% for erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae, 70% for penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae, and 68.8% for penicillin plus erythromycin-resistant S. pneumoniae.7 The evidence of its efficacy for patients with MDRSP and severe infection was based on a small number of patients and demands further evaluation.7 Drug-resistant S. pneumoniae frequently respond to drugs they are supposedly resistant to, even cases of bacteremic pneumonia. Most of the adverse effects for telithromycin are similar to those for other macrolides, mainly headache, dizziness, nausea, and diarrhea. But telithromycin also has a risk for heart, liver, and eye toxicity. Data from a large U.S. safety study, number 3014, was submitted to the FDA following the first approvable letter. However, the major weakness of the trial was its design, which may have led to an underestimation of reported adverse events and limited the collection and completeness of information about each adverse drug reaction.8 Telithromycin causes QT prolongation, and the prolongation increases with increasing doses of the drug. QT prolongation may develop into a life-threatening heart rhythm disturbance known as torsades de pointes. Two cases of torsades de pointes were reported at the Anti-infective Drug Advisory Committee meeting, and the events were suspected to be drug related.9 10 QT prolongation is also reported with some other macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and cephalosporin antibiotics. Another concern with telithromycin, liver toxicity, is reported with macrolides as well. At the time of the January 8, 2003, advisory committee meeting, the FDA had received 54 reports of liver adverse event reports with telithromycin from countries in which the drug had been marketed, of which 19 were categorized as serious.11 Blurred vision that significantly impaired patients' ability to perform daily activities was reported during clinical trials.12 The visual disturbances mainly occurred in women and the young. Visual side effects occurred 1 to 3 hours after a dose and the effect lasted up to 20 hours.12 From countries in which the drug was first marketed, the FDA has received reports of 167 visual adverse events, of which 42 were categorized as serious. Telithromycin appears to cause more visual disturbances compared to macrolides already on the market. Other concerns with telithromycin include vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) and worsening of myasthenia gravis, which has resulted in one fatality.13 14 Telithromycin has been shown to be no more effective than other antibiotics: amoxicillin, cefuroxime, clarithromycin, or trovafloxacin. Furthermore, the adverse-effect profile is no better than for macrolides already on the market, it is possibly less safe, and there is a higher risk for drug interactions. The only factor that sets telithromycin apart from the rest is the FDA-approved use for treatment against macrolide-resistant S. pneumoniae. The clinical importance of macrolide resistance is up for debate. Although there is an increase in macrolide-resistant pneumococci in the United States, the number of clinical failures has not risen.15 Research has found no difference in deaths for pneumonia patients infected with drug-sensitive or -resistant bacteria after controlling for other risk factors, except patients with resistant bacteria have a more prolonged hospital stay.16 The guidelines established by the Infectious Diseases Society of America states: " A macrolide plus a beta lactam is recommended for initial empiric treatment of outpatients in whom resistance is an issue and for hospitalized patients. " 15 In addition, experts believe the type of macrolide resistance found in the United States may be overcome by increasing the dose of the drug. Some may feel very excited at the development of a " new " antibiotic and a " new " drug class and may argue that there is a need for more drugs. We would argue that we do not need more drugs, we need better drugs, and telithromycin is a drug that should not have been approved by the FDA. We agree with the editors of the highly respected French drug journal Prescrire International who stated that " telithromycin is a needless addition to the other macrolides. " 17 last reviewed December 15, 2004 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2005 Report Share Posted June 3, 2005 Thanks Greg for the Ketek info, I sent the link to my lyme friend who was taking for lyme. She also has MG and she had been getting weaker, breathing more labored, etc. The link you sent mentioned that someone with MG died while taking Ketek, made the MG fatal. Thanks for the info/heads up. Everyone is different, what works for one may not work for others. eric schulman <eric_s11050@...> wrote: greg ketek is not the same as the others and it is the only drug in the macrolide class that crosses the bbb. it has worked well for myself and others...it is the same difference between doxy and mino however they are very differant drugs,i dont think you understand that..I am not trying to pick a fight with you but I think that you are confusing the lyme aid group when you say things about an antibiotic, you are confusing people and they may push the drug away when they really need it..ketek has a property that is very usefull and that is why it is used..all antibiotics have side effects...also I believe that the group has to be able to trust there doctor and follow treatment without bieng scared by others views that may not make a difference in the whole thing anyway.. eric --- Greg Guillot wrote: > Again, Ketek is a dangerous antibiotic (you can read > all about it on > worstpills.org) and it is not a good choice for lyme > because the > erythromycins work much better and are less > expensive. Ketek is just a new > generation of erythromycin that the drug company is > trying to profit from by > altering the molecule ever so slightly so they can > obtain a different > patent, while the other erythromycins are available > as generics (excluding > Zithromax). Erythromycins in general are 4th line > choices for lyme in > patients who are allergic to penicillins and > cephalasporins, and they are > not as effective. Ketek is very expensive, is not > worth the price, and is > not safe to take on a long-term basis. > > > Greg > > Re: [ ] Ketek..price > > Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it > didn't help me. Check to > see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a > while to see if it will > help you with out you wasting your money. > > bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, > and has privately bought > it, please let me know > how expensive it is and if you have found a > reasonably priced place to buy > it. > It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. > I don't have > prescription coverage. > > > > > > __________________________________ Discover Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM and more. Check it out! http://discover./online.html Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at -Owner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Whats MG? --------- Re: [ ] Ketek..price > > > > Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it > > didn't help me. Check to > > see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a > > while to see if it will > > help you with out you wasting your money. > > > > bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, > > and has privately bought > > it, please let me know > > how expensive it is and if you have found a > > reasonably priced place to buy > > it. > > It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. > > I don't have > > prescription coverage. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Discover > Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM and more. Check it out! > http://discover./online.html > > > > > > Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at > -Owner > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 MG is myasthenia gravis. Also, I found another article on Ketek, as well as the black box monogram in the PDR, which indicates it reacts terribly to statin drugs and cannot/should not be taken by people on such cholesterol drugs as lipitor, prevachol, mevacor,etc. Also, early studies indicated that Ketek causes retinal damage and there are reports of blindness. Sorry to be a worry wort, but we have learned here in the era of Vioxx, Baycol, Bextra, etc., that the FDA approval process is largely political, and the dangers of new drugs are seldom fully known until 7 years after they've hit the market. Of course, by then it's too late. See Viagra as well, which has now been implicated in spontaneous blindness that is irreversible. The FDA does not conduct a single study on drugs - all studies are performed and financed by the drug manufacturers, who formulate the studies with a view towards getting FDA approval. After that, the dangers do not become known until the drugs are in the field, and the safety of Ketek has been very " iffy " since it went to market. Greg RE: [ ] Ketek..price Whats MG? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 Here's some info re: MG http://disability.ucdavis.edu/resources/diseases/list/disease.asp?id=22 csalfi@... wrote: Whats MG? --------- Re: [ ] Ketek..price > > > > Hi, My doctor gave me samples for a while but, it > > didn't help me. Check to > > see if your doctor can get you samples to try for a > > while to see if it will > > help you with out you wasting your money. > > > > bailieboy@... wrote:If anyone has used ketek, > > and has privately bought > > it, please let me know > > how expensive it is and if you have found a > > reasonably priced place to buy > > it. > > It is a fairly new antibiotic being used for Lyme. > > I don't have > > prescription coverage. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Discover > Have fun online with music videos, cool games, IM and more. Check it out! > http://discover./online.html > > > > > > Questions and/or comments can be directed to the list owner at > -Owner > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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