For those with LEGITIMATE prescriptions: How much do you pay per month? For what?

It is a common question that comes up in the Opiates Subforum. Our little community has a small, but very present set of good members who legitimately take opioid medications on a regular basis. These reasons include: opioid dependency treatment, back pain, cancer pain, Fibromyalgia, etc.

All of us who take them also know that there is a "Dark Side." By that, I mean the fact that most insurances DON'T cover the medications that often work the BEST for the patient! It is insane IMO.

I make this thread since, today, I had to lay down a pretty penny for my Suboxone prescription, and I have read three posts here, today, about costs of opioids, especially the newer (often more effective/less side-effect) ones, like Opana ER.

My Suboxone doctor told me the sad truth today: He said that people like me (who just take their Suboxone as prescribed and don't sell it- ie: "divert" it) are in the minority, and that he (this doctor is both a Pain Management and Suboxone Detox Physician) is constantly hounded by the DEA with new restrictions because of diverters and abusers fucking it up for the rest of us.

So, in turn, us "good patients" are stuck paying huge bills just to feel the relief we need (be it from opioid addiction or pain relief) in a LEGAL form. Often, it is cheaper to buy off the street!

So, if you are a person legitimately prescribed a maintenance opioid medication be it for opioid dependency or pain management, please share (if you would kindly...) the amount you spend per month for your legitimate medication. Even if you have good insurance, you could still be paying an arm and a leg, so you can poll as well!

And, if you want to share with us a personal story or exact description of what you get and how much, feel free. But, that is not mandatory, by any means!

My Costs: I currently receive 30 x 8mg Suboxone Film strips per month. I do not have insurance, but with the Reckitt discount card, it costs $160.00 per month.

 

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now this was at a time that i did not have insurance, only like 3-4 days long, and i was reimbursed for them, i do pay about 150 a month on my rx's but do see two doctors, heh heh......

 

Thank you for your post, PorkChop!! You are one of those "valuable" members that I eluded to in the original post.

 

thank you sir!!!!! i always enjoy reading your posts as well as our other active members of this section of the forum!!!!


i just picked up today.....30 10mg opana and 60 10 mg oxy no apap was 40 bucks, much cheaper........i have to pay 25percent of the opana due to there not being a generic.....

 

Yeah, I have noticed that the Immediate Release meds are cheaper than the stuff like Opana ER, OxyContin, or whatever that new morphine ER tablet out there is (Kadian?).

 

I retained INS based on the same INS I had when in Military, its designed for veterans which I pay $3 for generic and $9 for name brand Meds.

I receieve monthly as of now...

180 30MG Oxycodone @ $3. At the pharmacy I use, without INS $2.47 per pill.

60 40MG Opana ER @ $9. Upon being scripted Opana ER, my Pain Dr. gave me a discount card whish reduced this cost to $0.00. The card is good for 12 months or 12 persrciptions. Dr informed me that he receieves these periodically and will give me another once this one has run out.

While the quantities of the Meds I receive would have a very large street value, I don't sell my medications for two reasons. 1) It's Illegal and I cannot afford to risk going to jail and starting a criminal record for lots of reasons but most importantly for job reasons and 2) I take all of my medication.

 

^ what he said..

 

I get 120 10/315 Norco's a month - and I get them from Costco (like Sams Club) and I pay $25 for my script - if I went to a regular pharmacy like CVS or Rite Aid, it would be anywhere from $90-$180 - huge difference. I pay cash also.

 

I PAy 800 Dollars A month for 60 40mg Opana!!!!

 

Luckily, I can easily reconcile my ridiculous portion of my budget that goes to opioids. I just make it a point to note how wonderful I feel every time I take my Suboxone. Just a moment of reflection. I ask: "What else would I have spent my money on that would have helped me more than this, or made me happier than this?" It works every time.

 

i dont have it anymore but my suboxone script used to run me just over 300$ for a months supply

 

I had a lapse in my insurance one time and my subutex cost me 220 for 45 pills. but any other time WITH insurance it is only a five dollar co-pay. and that price remains the same if i get 1 pill or 60 its only five dollars. pretty nice.

 

I get 120 roxicodone 30mg a month and since I am disabled I am on medicaid and have a $1.00 copay. Thats 4 a day PRN and I only take 2 so the rest I get rid of for $20.00 apeice, so thats around $1200 extra income. I am not proud of it..but also don't want an addiction by taking 4 a day, so I take breaks off it every week, when my pain isn't unbearable. The $1200 bucks a month gets saved up for my Steeler season tickets. I would actually much rather not be on disability always sick and in pain, but hey, gotta play the cards you are dealt.

 

amen, the only problem i have with that statement is that you are a steelers fan, lol, i am a firm believer that we are all just trying to make it in this thing called life.....and u are absoulutly right about playing the cards your dealt. You gotta do what you gotta do, i just wish the "man" could understand this......until he does, you just gotta roll the dice.....Lets pray for football this season, GO RAVENS!!!!!

 

pay 10.00 a month for 100 vikes. For some strange reason I never build a tolerance. I can't take more than 1 at a time. I've been taking them almost 10 years and never more than 4 a day at the most. Has anyone ever heard of someone who doesn't build tolerance? I take them for pain and yes they still work. No desire to increase dose.

 

All i have to say is that I am both happy for you and jealous of you !

 

I think after this weekend Im going to stop spending the 2dollars. Really all the meds I get from the VA 100% of the oxycottin are just sympathy scripts. I need shit that works and Oxycottin dont work. about the only that they do work on is filling my pockets with extra money.. Its really not worth it anymore of my time. In a way I dont wish to travel to the VA anymore since its very much out of my way the trip cost me least 50 dollars in time alone....

 

^Have you found anything that DOES work? I wouldn't want you to have to suffer unecessarily.

 

I do know that the doctors are sure its Multiple Sclerosis. There really isnt anything you can do for the pain but chill the patient out. Atavan works and surprisingly Neurotin- Soma-Cannabis I seem to be at 98%. my symptoms are much like flu pains, swelling in the neck, my face feels numb like stroke. many the symptoms manifest so fast I just get super angry to make them go away. been taking 1400mg of GABA also with my steroid.. Ive felt good now for 2.5weeks. Which is more than usual.

 

Gaba as in Gabapentin?