Blue Pill Blues

January 12, 2009 6:09 PM

Does anyone know any inexpensive methods to obtain Viagra (or an equivalent)?

This question sounds like the beginning of a spam email, but I assure you it's not. I was diagnosed with depression in November and prescribed Effexor which has the extremely unfortunate side effect of causing erectile dysfunction. This new year has been great, I've met a girl that I'm really into and I'm feeling much better than I did beforehand. However, the relationship, 3 days in, is moving fast, and last night it got to the point of me fumbling open the condom wrapper only to find myself flaccid as a dead fish in a bucket. I'm not sure if it was entirely the drugs, or partially nerves/anxiety or what have you. I went to the campus clinic today and was prescribed 4 100mg Viagra tablets. They're not covered under my University health insurance program and ended up costing $75! At that rate, I'll be broke by the end of the month. I've researched a bit and found that Cialis might be an alternative, for it can last up to 36 hours (instead of Viagra's 4) and therefore would be more bang for my buck. But it's the same price, and that's still an outrageous price to pay to live a "normal" functioning sex life. It's ironic that these antidepressants I pay an arm and a leg for cause a side effect that I have to go out of my way to pay more for, and since the insurance company considers sex-enhancement drugs to be 'cosmetic', they are not covered.

I'm skeptical of the online spam emails, but if anyone here knows of discount pharmacy's, online or whatever, that are actually reputable (I'm in Canada, btw), then I'd give that a shot. Any other methods other than the drugs would be much appreciated as well, such as dietary suggestions or herbal supplements. Thanks, I appreciate your answers!

posted by anonymous to health & fitness (21 comments total)

I would talk to your doctor. Doctors often know of cheaper alternatives whether it's a cheaper brand, generic, splitting pills, etc that they can prescribe you if they find out cost is a problem. You also might want to talk to your doctor about finding an anti-depressant that doesn't cause these side effects. It may not be possible, but worth at the very least bringing up the possibility and exploring any alternatives.
posted by whoaali at 6:20 PM on January 12

Not sure of any of the details, but I saw Target and Walwart advertising $5 prescription programs for any prescriptions.
posted by KateHasQuestions at 6:24 PM on January 12

FWIW, Lexapro has some of the lowest rates of side effects (esp. sexual) of any of the SSRIs, according to a metastudy I read.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:25 PM on January 12

If you go to a urologist, they will often have plenty of samples of various medications available. They may be willing to give you one if you can convince them that you are not going to keep hitting them up for it over and over. Oh also tell them you're a college student and you have no money etc. This way at least you know that the medication you're getting is definitely the real deal and not some sugar pill concocted in a Columbian basement.
posted by ruwan at 6:25 PM on January 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Not an answer to your specific question, but, as you attempt to solve this, also look into the issue of taking Effexor. In addition to the side effects, there are sometimes serious issues with getting off the drug.

Consider alternatives to the Effexor as well... and the sooner the better.
posted by HuronBob at 6:26 PM on January 12

Another suggestion to look into a different antidepressant -- Lexapro and Wellbutrin are often better choices when sexual side effects are a problem. And yeah, getting OFF Effexor can be difficult, as well. (I'm generally pro-medication for depression when it's called for, but I think Effexor is pretty bad news on a whole variety of fronts.)
posted by scody at 6:31 PM on January 12

Are you sure that Effexor is causing the dysfunction? As in, is it a known side effect? A lot of dysfunction can actually be attributed to you and your mental/emotional state, even if you don't realize it.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 6:33 PM on January 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

4 100mg Viagra tablets. They're not covered under my University health insurance program and ended up costing $75

Wow. drugstore.com will sell you 10 for $133, so that's down from $19 a pop (HEE) to $13. The overseas ones will not run you cheaper than that for real Viagra. You can get "generic" Indian and such for less but who knows what is in that.

I suggest that 10 100mg tablets for $133 is probably as good as your going to get safely and legitimately until Viagra goes generic.

Also, you know you probably don't need 100 mg right? You could cut the pills in half and take 50 mg. If that works fine, cut them in quarters and try 25mg. If THAT works fine, you've now got four times the pills for the same amount. It's not like cancer or AIDS medication where taking less than prescribed is a no no. The worst that will happen is it won't work as well. But if it does, you're golden! And 25mg may well work for you since you don't have a damaged nervous system or something. At 10 100mg tablets for $133, that's 40 doses for $133 or $3 a dose.

If 40 doses won't last you long enough to avoid going broke, you might want to pace yourself a bit before you sprain something.
posted by Justinian at 6:39 PM on January 12 [4 favorites has favorites]

BMPharmacy
posted by yoyo_nyc at 6:44 PM on January 12

BMPharmacy?
posted by yoyo_nyc at 6:45 PM on January 12

Are you sure that Effexor is causing the dysfunction? As in, is it a known side effect?A lot of dysfunction can actually be attributed to you and your mental/emotional state, even if you don't realize it.

Sexual dysfunction is a known side effect of Effexor, although the specific side effect is different than what he's described. You might have a point.
posted by Adam_S at 7:05 PM on January 12

If you need to be on an SNRI rather than an SSRI (ask your doctor what this means), you might want to ask your doctor about Cymbalta. It might, however, not be covered by your university insurance because it's way more expensive than generic Effexor.
posted by thisjax at 7:15 PM on January 12

try Viagra's website they give away free 4 pack samples, I'm sure it's a one time thing but hey you save $75 bucks and have a good weekend, or week.

Free Viagra (not spam)
posted by kanemano at 7:48 PM on January 12

Pfizer Discount Program?
posted by abirae at 7:54 PM on January 12

If you end up shopping online for the Viagra, why not earn $25 participating in a study at Washington University?
posted by abirae at 8:00 PM on January 12

In an earlier post i heard of Freedom Pharmacy--http://freedom-pharmacy.com/
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:21 PM on January 12

Mayo Clinic has a brief review of several herbs and supplements that might be of interest.

Standard disclaimer, of course, is to remind you that you're already on one medication, so before playing with anything, you should do further research, talk to your pharmacist, etc. Many antidepressants can have bad interactions with herbs and supplements, and I'm not in a position to tell you whether any of these would be right for you. I'm also not in Canada, so availability of these may be different for you.

That said, I've taken gingko and zinc for other reasons, and I have no idea why anyone would think of them as a Viagra substitute--feel free to cross those off the list right away.
posted by gimonca at 9:19 PM on January 12

No experience or recommendation, but I just IM'd a buddy of mine who I know does web work for a couple of online (Canadian) pharmacies to ask what Viagra cost, and he said "about four bucks each, less for big orders."

So there seems to be big value in shopping around, anyway.
posted by rokusan at 9:56 PM on January 12

The best price I've found for viagra is at costco...also, 1/2 or even 1/4 of a pill can be completely effective. Now THAT'S more bang for your buck. Also...while Effexor does, indeed, have issues, including taking a lot of time to go off it, it is the only anti-dep that works in some cases, and most ssri's---including Lexapro---frequently have sexual side effects. Welbutrin, while it tends not to have those side effects, may not be effective for persons for whom ssri's are effective...if an ssri-type med (effexor) is working, I'd be loathe to try something completely different. Just my 2 cents. IANAD.
posted by mumstheword at 11:15 PM on January 12

Break the pills in half or even quarters. Only older men need to take the entire pills.
posted by eas98 at 6:57 AM on January 13

Yeah, what they said about chopping the pills in half/quarters, it doesn't make them any less effective.

The other thing is, you might find (as I did) that after four tablets you won't need them any more. If there's a mental block that's preventing you from maintaining your manhood, Viagra can help you overcome it.
posted by hnnrs at 12:01 PM on January 13