5 ASAs

[wmonique2]

I have been on Lialda (mesalamine) for nearly 3 years. I started out with Entocort and Lialda for like 3 months but was weaned off Entecort and remained on Lialda since.

Lialda stopped the D dead in its tracks originally and I wasn't having any problems until like a year later when I started having nausea due to mast cell issues.

I added Elavil which takes care of the mast cell issues and an anti-histamine.

I haven't had any problems whatsoever with Lialda. I consider it a miracle drug for me. A caveat though (and there is always one with drugs). When I had a recent CBC, my liver enzymes were elevated due to the Lialda. There is a safe zone where docs are not worried. So I think I need to see my gastro guy to see if I am past the safe zone or not.

As for cost, I buy them from Canada where it is really reasonable. I get 100 pills for like $60. The protocol is 2 pills a day (1.2mg each). Pentasa is available at the alldaychemist as well. (Gloria you can get them from Canada cheaper than your copay here).

So, that's my experience with mesalamine. Lialda is slow released. Don't know about Pentasa.

Monique

[Gloria]

Monique,
Yes, I know the drugs are cheaper in Canada. I live in Pharma country: Abbott, Baxter, and their spin offs are a 15 minute drive away. I know many people who work in the industry (son-in-law, too), and they warn that the quality control is not as good as the U.S. Are they right, or are they brainwashed?

Gloria

[wmonique2]

Gloria,

They are brainwashed. The drugs being unsafe is the biggest lie propagated by big pharma in addition to the other scare tactics they use to make us pay for their stratospheric prices. When we talk about reforming the big scam that medicine is in this country, we should start with big pharma who scams this nation with the blessings of our inefficient, mediocre and corrupt Congress whose pockets are lined with the stolen money they fleeced from the american public under various pretenses (one of which is that they need it for research).

Last year when I was in Italy, Lialda was $50 in regular pharmacies. If you get it through their regular healthcare system, it is but a few dollars. In Canada and every other country it is a similar price. Mesalamine is like 600-700 at walmart and budesonide is close to a 1000. At one point I was taking both. Thank God for Canada and their common sense and their conscience. I bought both in Canada but they are made in other countries. The canadian pharmaceutical association which is regulated by the canadian government gives a seal of approval to those pharmacies that sell us their drugs.

If I didn't have this option, I would have taken a vacation to Canada or anywhere in Europe and bought a year's or two's supply instead of giving it to the pharmaceuticals who don't give a hoot about how many people they impoverish every year because of their criminal behavior.

This is my third year with MC and I have never had any issues with the quality or professionalism of Canadian pharmacies.

(See what happens when you get me talking about pharmaceuticals? :-)

Monique

[tex]

Tex

[Gloria]

I do think that the pharmaceutical companies in the USA are the ones coming up with the research and trials for many, if not most of the medications in the world. If it weren't for them, we wouldn't have Entocort and many of the medicines the world enjoys. Yes, they charge high prices and in a sense, we in the USA are subsidizing the low prices other countries charge because they are not paying for the research, extensive testing, and potential lawsuits that the USA companies must pay. We need tort reform in this country. Lawsuits have affected insurance rates across the board, and pharmaceuticals have also been affected.

I remember climbing a high pyramid in Central America several years ago. When I reached the top, there were no fences and many people walking around the top, which was probably 16 x16 feet. I realized that anyone of us could fall and get killed, and most likely, people