Up and at them~!

November 9, 2007 8:25 PM

The cost of Viagra is killing me (over $10 a pill), and my current insurance doesn't cover it. What are some reliable, secure sources that I can use to get it on the cheap? And that doesn't clutter my spam inbox.

if needed, e-mail: viagra222 at yahoo dot com

posted by anonymous to Shopping (10 answers total)

Have you got a Viagra Value Card? IANAD or pharmacist, but so far as Pfizer claims, Viagra remains a patent protected medication through 2011, although many people get acceptable results with a generic substitute, sildenafil citrate. You could ask your prescriber whether this is OK for you, as it may lead you to use of a lower cost form of the generic.
posted by paulsc at 9:31 PM on November 9, 2007

I always though it was spelled \/1@GR4.

In all seriousness, sildenafil citrate is the generic name for Viagra, so if you can find that as a generic for cheaper, as long as that is actually what you are getting, there shouldn't be any difference.

And don't by from spammers, that's worse than feeding trolls.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 10:44 PM on November 9, 2007

They sell on the streets like a lot of other pharms but I believe the going rate at least in Philly is about $25 per pill so that probably won't help.
posted by The Straightener at 6:56 AM on November 10, 2007

Alternatively, go to your doc and ask about how different Viagra is from the other two boner-meds, Cialis and Levitra. Then inquire whether he could send you home with sample packs of all of them so you can compare.

Works with my doc, anyway.
posted by Thorzdad at 9:37 AM on November 10, 2007

I too, am interested in the outcome of this thread. Nearing 60, I'm finding unfettered lovemaking an "iffy" proposition.

As I'm totally in love with my partner, I wish to focus on that, and not that unexplainable response known as an erection. And men know what focusing on that leads to. I once had short term issues in my twenties that were totally head based.

I've never taken Viagra, but have gotten Levitra samples from the doc a couple of times. Mostly, it worked as described. Nice.

Though neither rich nor poor, The thought of being charged $12 or more per erection has prevented me from obtaining a prescription. @$3/pill, I wouldn't balk, but the ridiculous profits of Pharma on these meds piss me off.

Sildenafil Citrate is not rocket science. I doubt it cost years and billions to develop. Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra have produced warehouses of cash that would cause cocaine barons to lose their breath.

I don't mind Big Pharma making money. I can invest and make money, too. But holding men's love lives hostage does bother me. $12/"session" does more than empty the wallet. It cheapens things to some of us. Like paying for sex, something that I have never even considered. Perhaps the only things we really own, our bodies are something to be given freely. If it's not mutual, ugh!

So, I'm quite interested as to whether the generics "work" as well as the brands. I've tried to search for first hand accounts of men taking the generics. Doing so opens the floodgates of Viagra hell. If that doesn't show the need for a reasonably priced pill, I don't know what does.

So, does anyone have success with generics? With any of these meds? The $3/pill variety? Good companies? A reputable discussion group? What's the real story?
posted by private_idaho at 10:42 AM on November 10, 2007

www.freedom-pharmacy.com has worked for us when we've been non-insured and in need of pharmaceuticals (like birth control pills). Their stuff always comes in manufacturer packaging and doesn't take forever to arrive (though you will have to go to the post office to pick it up typically).

They apparently have a generic for about $5/pill here. We haven't specifically used their Viagra, but I can vouch for the pharmacy and the legitimacy of any drugs we've purchased from them so far.
posted by InnocentBystander at 10:55 AM on November 10, 2007

Interesting, there was an article in Wired a while ago about huge Indian drug companies that were making generics of drugs that the US insisted were under protection. Looks like freedom pharmacy is importing these drugs.

This is confusing though. It says generic viagra and cialis. Two different drugs right?
posted by Wood at 12:05 PM on November 10, 2007

drugdelivery.ca. You'll get an Indian generic. It works.
posted by Brian James at 12:21 PM on November 10, 2007

I once tried Cialis for a while and I remember clearly that there were two dosages available. One was twice the dosage per pill as the other. But each had an equivalent cost per pill. I bought a handy little pill splitter (available at any drugstore), bought the higher dosage pills, and used them 1/2 at a time. That right there might double your mileage. You may also like Cialis better than Viagra because it's effective for a longer period - something like 16 hours. It gets you through the date and the next morning too. That might save you a pill or two.

Don't let pill halves sit around, too long, though. The candy coating of the pill protects the active ingredients from oxidation or whatever, which reduces their effectiveness.

Hope this helps. There's a lot that can be done about ED. Consider exercise, no smoking, less drinking, and less stress. In my case the symptoms turned out to be more or less in my head. With the right partner they cleared right up. Best of luck.
posted by scarabic at 8:38 PM on November 14, 2007

Take a vacation to Mexico and pick some up at any street pharmacy down there. My friend just bought 100mg sildenafil citrate for less than $5/pill (I think). Normal people only need 50mg, so you can split them and use them at half the rate.
posted by kookywon at 12:48 PM on November 20, 2007 [1 favorite]