I have done this many, many times. In my area, Costco is usually the rock-bottom price. I would call and ask them their price, then show up and ask my local pharmacy to match the Costco price. They did every time. This even worked for pet medication that is dispensed through a non-veterinary pharmacy. At one point my pharmacy quoted me $180 for an antifungal FOR MY CAT that he had to be on for the rest of his life. I was like "nope", and they matched the $25 Costco price after a few minutes of hemming and hawing.
GrumpyCat said:
I don't know how many people know about this, but you can actually negotiate with your pharmacist. I have gone to several different pharmacies did price comparison, and when I find a pharmacy that has a cheaper price I simply asked the pharmacist if they will match the price of the opposing pharmacy.
Yes, I guess it does vary. In the past I have worked with a number of orthopods who rx a topical and a systemic NSAID. I am not too worried. As frequently as my labs are drawn, I feel like we would catch any potential kidney or liver issues pretty quickly. I typically use less of both than are allowed per dosing day too.
TaraLynn said:
I was told by my doctor that I couldn’t use Voltaren while taking Celebrex. I guess it varies from doctor to doctor?
GrumpyCat said:
Stoney, I think that you an still use the Voltaren even with a systemic NSAID, because they are absorbed differently. If you find it helpful for your tender hands it’s worth asking about - the worst they can say is no.
Stoney said:
Yes, I totally forgot about Voltaren. I used that on my hands for a while. I knew that it worked, because I knew when it was time to use it again. I stopped using it because I had to go back to using a systemic NSAID.
Today I had to go on an impromptu roadtrip with my husband for his job. We got halfway to our destination, and my psoriasis began itching so badly I wanted to rip off my skin. So I went into a walgreens pharmacy in some tiny little town, and begged the pharmacist to help me figure out what to use to stop the itch. He recommended an ointment called MG217. He explained that with as bad as my psoriasis is, this over the counter topical med would do nothing to get rid of the thousands of patches I have, but he was pretty sure it would stop me from trying to crawl out of my skin. It worked. For about 4 hours I was itch-free. What is odd is, this ointment is very similar to psoriasin cream, which I have used in the past with zero results. <shrug> The ointment is coal-tar based (I HATE the smell of coal tar), but the smell wasn't too bad. Also, the base color of the cream is a jaundiced yellow, and when I got it on my skin I looked, well, jaundiced. But who cares! It stopped the itching!
I'd love to share, last year I stumbled upon this product called "Doctor's Pain Formula" it is a cream which can come in a roll on which I like. It helps with pain of arthritis, myalgia, sprain and strains. It's is really the best product I've ever used for my PsA, especially for the burning pain. There have been days I wouldn't have made it through without this product. You will find it in the drug store isle near the other rub products. It contains a lot of natural ingredients including willow bark. Also, it only has a very slight odor so it's not at all bothersome.
I recently gave my mother her own bottle to try. She said it helped her right away, she has OA.
I would recommend it, if you didn't get that already lol
Haven't been on here for awhile. I have been so busy with the holidays, etc. At Walgreens I noticed willow balm. It has good reviews. My favorite one in the past was bio freeze. I was wondering if anyone has tried willow balm. I have thought about trying it. Today I had another piriformis injection. A pain relieving cream may help in between injections. Lidocaine patches have helped but they are expensive. My fingers, ankles, and spine ache at times especially when the barometric pressure drops.
I have made a number of rubs with different herbs in an oil or petroleum base. The petroleum tends to work better for me as a medium, I find it hard to keep my oils from separating.
The single best one I have for my skin is very simple, it's made with indigo (the stone) crushed into a fine powder and then boiled in petroleum and allowed to cool. It's an old Chinese recipe called Qing Dai Gao (Qing Dai is the Chinese word for indigo, Gao just means like a cream or a rub). It really helps draw out the redness and the petroleum keeps my skin hydrated. Works great for eczema, too - I have seen it actually clear eczema a number of times, with no remission that I am aware of.
When I run out of Qing Dai or don't feel like making something on my own I use straight Coconut oil 2x/day. It really helps, but more for hydration than drawing out the redness. Also it's kind of time intensive to rub it on twice a day because I have psoriasis on a lot of different body parts. Obviously it's really important to keep hydrated so you don't scratch and make the psoriasis spread, so it's worth the hassle from my point of view, but the home made stuff is definitely more potent so I do it whenever I can.
I have a number of other recipes if anyone is interested, there is a GREAT book on dermatology from a guy named Xu Yihao. He is by far the most prominent Chinese dermatologist to have a book translated into english. At the end of the book he lists like almost 100 recipes for this kind of thing, including ingredients, dosages, and instructions for making them. He also goes in depth into the theory of each skin disease (it's not just for psoriasis) and the treatment rationale, with case studies. Really great book if you are into this kind of thing.
As for pain/joints, I usually use a heating pad rather than a cream. I ingest herbal medicines, I feel that works better than most of the products out there. That said, a company in Colorado named Blue Poppy makes a pretty good line of external pain tinctures that I definitely recommend. There is one called Stop Pain Tincture that is really good - it's made from a formula tha was developed in the hospital system in China and is used in all of the pain clinics there. You rub this stuff on (it's a vinegar base so it smells nasty) and put a heating pad over it for 30 minutes and it really works like a charm. I mostly don't so it because of the smell, and with two little kids I never have 30 minutes to lay there with a heating pad lol.
They also have other tinctures for arthritis specifically, but it depends on what type of arthritis you have. If you have redness and heat and swelling in the joints that's considered a different disease than if you have just pain in the joints or even a feeling of cold in the joints. Anyway, I can ramble on and on about this! Let me know if you want more info.
Thanks for posting this info - I didn't know about the Walmart program.
tmbrwolf329 said:
Just a note: for US members the Walmart $4 prescription program does not include the Voltaren gel, however it does include: (these are the ones I thought most of us have been on or will be on at one point or another)
I also found a local mom and pop pharmacy that is scads cheaper on MTX. Most of the big name places run about 75-120 per month, while the mom and pop place runs 37.00. Just thought I'd throw that out there. I found them by calling every single pharmacy in a 25 mile radius of my house.
For bone ache I make my own from a combination of Cetaphil Cream (not lotion) and Sore-No-More. The ratio can be half-and-half (more or less to preference). I even use it for chest colds and sinus (exterior). If you can't find it in your local store you can order it online. I used to use Myoflex but my mix produces a comforting warmth that penetrates deep into any achy bones. Not too hot, not too cold, just right.
Hi, I use the generic arthritis cream and that seems to take the edge off. I also pour 2 cups of Epsom salts when I take a bath. For me it makes me feel really relaxed and pain free for a certain amount of time. You can buy them at your local general store. The package says 2 cups per gallon of water, I do not suggest that because just 2 cups for my whole bath relaxes me enough where I kind of lose my balance when i get out. So try that I hope it helps
Yes Salon Pas Lidoderm Patches and anything else I can find to experiment with but for my skin rash especially on the bottom of my feet and my hands and elbows and leg and knee I use 100% pure refined shea butter from soapgoods.com . I can get a pound of it for a good price and if you look at thier site there are other options that may work for you. I love the shea butter! This really helps my rash sites.
I also use Voltaren emulgel. I'm in Canada and it's cheapest at Costco, no Rx needed. Sometimes you have to rub it on a spot a few times before it works, but good to have when PsA decides to be pesky and pick on one area. Hope you found something that works for you!
I recently began using Wen Tea Tree Cleansing Conditioner in my hair, and my scalp Psoriasis is almost completely under control. Winced at the price, but I believe it is well worth it. For body wash, I've spent years trying to find just the right solution for my uber sensitive skin/psoriasis. I think I've found the perfect combination! I use (in the approximate ratio of 1:1), Dove sensitive skin body wash and Neosporin Daily Essentials body wash, which is specifically formulated for problem skin. When I get out of the shower I no longer use baby oil (burns, makes Psoriasis patches bright, angry red), and instead I've switched to basic baby lotion. It is gentle and moisturizing without striping essential oils from the skin like so many other lotions do.
Of course, I made this switch just a couple of weeks before I switched to injectable MTX from pills, so whose to say the improvement in my skin isn't more related to that...
I read somewhere that the injectable MTX sometimes doesn't work for topical psoriasis. I was on MTX pills on and off for 2 years then asked for the injectable. After 2 months the psoriasis has come back, and the dose was higher on injection, but I've stopped it now due to many side effects.
Rebel mom, I'm finishing month 2 of the injectable, and my Psoriasis is way way better than it was when I took the pills. I was covered with the stuff. There are pics on here that show my legs and back and arms while I was taking the pill form...and they're pretty ugly. I didn't post ANY pics after I went off MTX for a bit because it got even worse and I spent a while wallowing in self pity :). Now, though, most of the patches are still there, but they are much smaller, much lighter in color, and have much less scaling than they did - all of which makes me much more comfortable going out in public.
Isn't that funny how the injectable works for your psoriasis and worsened mine. I'm glad it's helping you and I hope side effects are manageable; mine were not. I see my rheumy June 2 and may go back on pills. My skin was totally clear on the pills, except for one small scalp area that is bald as I'm a 'picker'. I felt the same way being in public when skin was bad. Glad to hear it's working for you!
