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Originally Posted by sakigt
My allergies, I cant exactly wish away...so I just ask my Pharmacist what I could substitute for my Allegra-D. He told me to buy the generic Allegra then take an over the counter Sudafed with it. Same thing... $30 less a month!
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Of course Sudafed is now sold only behind the pharmacy counter due to the methamphetamine issue. You need to show photo ID, sign a log and stay within purchase limits. Quite a pain just because a handful of addicts were buying the stuff to make drugs.
As for controlling allergies, there are some things people can do to limit them. I have lots of allergy patients who continue to smoke, have one or more pets that they are allergic to, love to keep the windows wide open all season, etc. Even simple steps like a pillow cover and mattress cover and more frequent vacuuming can reduce symptoms for many. As I said above, there are so many things people can do to improve their health, or at least lessen the effects of various conditions and reduce costs.
If you do need medication, lots of ways to save. Generics, as mentioned. Shopping around is also very important. Prices can vary drastically between pharmacies. Find out if you med comes in a higher dose that you can split in half to save money. For example, a 50mg pill might be $30/mo. but the 100mg might be the same price or just a little more. Taking half of a 100mg can save you a lot. Also, check internet pharmacies. If you are low income, apply for patient assistance programs from the pharmaceutical companies. Also, ask your doctor for free samples. We get thousands of free pills and I'm more than happy to give them out to patients who need them.