Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with prescription

DIY Glasses

Spurious — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:11:17 -0800

Can Someone Understand My Glasses Prescriptions? I got a prescription for glasses (so I can drive) that reads:

OD -1.75DS
OS -1.50 -1050 x070 (or it could read OS -1.50 -050 x070)

I would like to purchases glasses from a low-cost online site that requires I fill out an online form with the following fields:

od-sph
od-cyl
od-axis
od-add
os-sph
os-cyl
os-axis
os-add
pd

Can someone tell me how, given my prescription, I should fill out the web form?

Thanks!

My EYES! What have you done to me EYES!

orville sash — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:33:57 -0800

I know YANMED (you are not my eye doctor) but why the hell is it harder for me to see after my prescription was updated? I went to the eye doctor about a month ago to get my prescription updated and get new glasses. After about a week and a half, I began to notice that things were actually al ittle blurrier than they had been (it was kind of hard to tell at first, because it's not a stark change, but I ride my bike to and from work, and I found myself feeling like I had a harder time figuring out what was going on when I was riding down busy streets because I couldn't focus as well.)

I made a follow up appointment with my eye doctor and had them recheck my eyes, and they basically came up with the same prescription (the doctor in question said it was a difference of "about a quarter," whatever the hell that means). She then had me put on my new glasses, set the eye chart on the other end of the room, and asked me if I could read it. I could. She told me "If you are able to read that, that's 20/20 vision."

She went on to explain that because I work with computers, it's possible that my eyes are tired from looking at the screen, and I should try resting them every 25 minutes or so. However, I just can't get over the fact that I went and got a new prescription and it is now WORSE than it was previously. I have tried the "resting my eyes" technique she suggested - staring out the window and focusing on the furthest possible thing for about 30 seconds before going back to work - but it hasn't really made a difference.

Can anyone out there explain to me what might have happened in this scenario? More importantly, what should my next step be? I obviously don't want to have diminished eyesight, but I also don't want to have to throw a ton of money at getting my eyes rechecked somewhere else.

Can I take this expired cough syrup? Just for tonight?

tastybrains — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:25:25 -0800

Terrible cough, too late to leave the house in search of remedies -- can I take this expired (expired April 2009) prescription Tussionex cough syrup or is there a better solution in my house? It's after midnight and the shiny new cough I developed today has gone from irritating and annoying (earlier this afternoon) to the kind of hacking cough that hurts my whole body. It's too late to go to the drugstore, and I can't even lay down for 5 minutes comfortably.

I have most of the bottle of Tussionex from when I had a horrible chest cold around my sister's wedding last April ... so it's about 18 months old. Do you think the medication itself is still safe to take?

Other things I have tried so far....

- Hot toddies this afternoon.
- Decaf tea with lemon & honey (and now I'm out of lemon).
- Neti pot (since there is also some sinus crap going on).
- Ran hot water into a plugged sink with a towel over my head and the sink and breathed the steam for 10 minutes.
- Mucinex (guaifenesin).
- Cough drops.
- Willing myself to stop coughing.

Most thing (except the last) have been soothing but I'm still coughing like crazy and can't rest. What to do?

Tomorrow I plan to go to the pharmacy to see if I can get something better, though I think the best I'll do is get some "original" NyQuil so I can be knocked unconscious at night.

How can I get my sister help for her addiction/depression?

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:15:07 -0800

My sister has an alcohol and/or prescription and/or depression problem. What can I do to help her, and in what order? Apologies for the long e-mail, but this is anonymous so I want to get as much of the story here as I can.

My sister was in town this weekend (from 250 miles away), and did some things that really alarmed us. She is a few years older than me, in her mid-30s, married with a boy and a girl who are 6 and 3. I see her a couple of times a year. My two girls are near in age and love to play with their cousins.

This weekend, my sister drank 2 bottles of wine each night by herself while everyone else (her husband, me, and my wife) had either soda pop or one beer each. She would get progressively more angry/aggressive (verbally) as the night went on, but was never in a rage. Just noticeably sharp-tongued and at the same time boasting about herself.

Then overnight last night things got really bad. Apparently, after everyone went to bed she woke up (or never went to sleep) and snuck downstairs. She either drank more (but we couldn't find anything she could have) or popped some pills (again, not sure what they were or could have been). She was up into the night posting incoherently on her blog and on Facebook. Then on her way back to our guestroom she fell on our stairs and bloodied up her face, and fell over into a door (this was at 5:30). When her family left this morning at 8:00, her husband had to literally pick her up off the floor, then support her as she stumbled down the stairs and out the door. He flopped her down into the car and they were gone.

Talking to my parents, this is at least the 3rd time something like this has happened recently. My sister appears to be in complete denial that there is any trouble, and for whatever reason I think her husband is not willing or able to address the issue proactively (or at least not initiate action himself).

My wife and I think she needs help, now. For herself, for her kids, for her husband, and for the rest of our family. Complicating factors are that she has been generally depressed for as long as I can remember, she has MS, and she is without a job (recently) and being chased by creditors (for a long time).

I don't know if we need an intervention or a direct talk with her. I don't know if we should talk to everyone and get them on board behind her back (which could infuriate her and set her off if someone tells her) or address her first (which could set her off into a denial/aggression cycle before all the pieces are in place to convince her to get help). I don't know whether insurance will pay for rehab. I don't know whether I can or should call her own therapist and express my concern/get his advice. I've never done this before but think that my family will look to me for leadership. I am concerned that she could hurt herself; she will surely be defensive/dismissive/angry when confronted. I love my sister and want to help her. She will not be happy that this is happening.

For those who have been through this: how did you do it? In what order? With the addict's knowledge or behind their back?

Thanks for any advice you can give. Throwaway e-mail is helpmehelpmysister@gmail.com

Take Two and Call Your Doctor in the Morning for a Prescription Refill

decathecting — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:41:23 -0800

I am trying to determine the cost of keeping drugs that are available without prescriptions in other countries prescription-only in the US. Please point me towards any studies that have attempted to calculate this or data that might help me calculate it myself. In the US, a large number of drugs require a doctor's prescription. Many of those drugs are available either over-the-counter or behind-the-counter (from a pharmacist) without a prescription in other countries. For example, cough suppressants containing codeine are prescription-only in the US, but behind-the-counter in many European countries.

What I'm looking for are some numbers that would help to quantify the marginal costs of these additional prescription restrictions in the US. The obvious costs would come in the cost of doctor's visits to obtain prescriptions, processing, and monitoring of the prescription system, but there may be other costs I'm not thinking of.

If there's a study that attempts to do this, I haven't been able to find it (perhaps it's buried under all of the Google results for "BUY VIAGRA WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION IN MEXICO!!!"). Any information would be much appreciated.

Generic Drugs When?

misanthropicsarah — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 15:28:28 -0800

When will Effexor XR (extended release) go generic in the US? I've Googled around but have found non-answers and contradicting answers. Is there an official place to go to find out?

As a bonus question, there are other drugs that I'm curious about. Where, in general, can I go to find out about when they will go generic in the US? Or, how long after a drug is released to the market does the patent expire?

Meds from overseas?

jnnla — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:13:35 -0800

Prescription medication from other countries to the US - logistics? I have recently been prescribed Lexapro in combination with a CBT regimen which has been working very well in combating mild depression / anxiety. My insurance company may be reluctant to cover the drug.

This is frustrating in that it seems to be working for me very well, but I can not pay full price for it (over 100 dollars for a one-month supply) and do not want to have to discontinue using it after just starting (about 6 weeks in). As such I am looking for advice on getting it for cheap from other countries (I DO have a prescription for it).

-Is this even possible / Legal? (If not legal, I am still interested in the logistics from an educational standpoint)

-Is "generic" brand lexapro from other countries trustworthy? Is there a way to be sure? (I understand it hasn't been released as a generic in this country - which makes me suspicious of foreign generics)

- Are there reputable foreign companies that provide US customers with prescription medication? Are some more reputable than others?

-Are there people who do purchase prescription medications from other countries regularly, safely and reliably?

-What are the risks involved?

For full disclosure, I am increasingly frustrated with the US healthcare system and in my experience road-blocks are thrown up EVERY STEP of the way by insurance companies. I have never been on any sort of prescription medication before and am extremely healthy, yet I am finding it very difficult to work within the system to get the help that I need (and a treatment that is indeed working thus far). I am ignorant of the other options out there and have heard about people getting meds from overseas....so I'm wondering what the deal is.

Prescription add-ons?

gilsonal — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:55:25 -0800

How do I go about getting extra prescription coverage to go on top of my BCBS plan, to cover me when I hit their payout limit? I'm a 25 year old female with Crohn's Disease and Depression living in Michigan. My monthly medication expenses before insurance are in the range of about a thousand dollars.

I'm about to go to BCBS individual as I'm a grad student and no longer can stay on a parent's plan. However, there is a cap of the amount of money they'll spend on Rx's and depending on how deep the contracted rate is, I could max that out in a few months.

I'd like to get a rider through some company that will allow me to either double up on each month's Rx or pay for the Rx that BCBS won't after the cap. Unfortunately, I take stuff that's usually on Tier 3 of formularies (the specific, non-generic stuff), so bonus for copay plans instead of Rx discount cards.

Has anybody had any experience in this sort of thing? I googled but I'm either using the wrong search terms or there is nothing but confusing ad sites out there. Thanks!

Prescription sunglasses for cycling -- recommendations?

Wild_Eep — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:39:56 -0800

Looking to update this question: For the glasses-wearers out there, who makes good prescription sunglasses geared toward road cycling? In 2005, it appears the big players in prescription sunglasses were Oakley, Rudy Project, and Bollé. Now I see that the bike catalogs have gotten hip to the game and are offering choices too.

What have you tried, and what did you like?

How do I refill my prescriptions while abroad?

c_griffin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:53:26 -0800

What do I do about getting my prescription medications while I'm staying in another country? I'm a student studying abroad in Wellington, New Zealand for a semester. I've had a pretty terrible time getting any sleep since I was about 14, but recently my doctor prescribed Ambien CR to me and it works like a dream (sorry about the cheesy pun).

Without it, I'm basically up until 4-5am. I've never spent this amount of time in a foreign country before, so I've never had to worry about filling prescriptions abroad. What do I do in this situation? Will this even be an issue? Anything is helpful, I'm completely in the dark right now and my doctor didn't seem to have much advice.

Thanks!

Was I prescribed the wrong medicine for a cold?

Anonymous — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:33:46 -0800

Why did this doctor prescribe Penicilin vk 500 for me when the description says it's not for fighting a cold or flu and yet that's CLEARLY what I have? I've been feeling like crap the past three days, since someone passed on his cold to me. I went to the Med Center today and this doctor (he didn't strike me as the brightest) prescribed Penicilin VK 500 for me. He told me (only after I asked him for a diagnosis, go figure) that I had Upper Respiratory Infection bka the common cold. So I'm trying to figure out if this guy prescribed the wrong medicine for me or not. To add to my confusion someone told me that he was prescribed Ampicillin tr which is supposedly specifically used to treat colds. Is this what I should have been prescribed? I ask because I didn't leave the emergency room with a very positive impression of the doc, so I don't put it past him that he could have made a mistake.

Can anyone shed light on this? Thanks

Looking for an online spectacles retailer (UK) that will make lenses to a very strong prescription.

primer_dimer — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:34:28 -0800

Looking for an online spectacles retailer (UK) that will make lenses to a very strong prescription. I'm keen to take advantage of cheaper glasses by buying online (in the UK). All the online shops I've seen have prescription boxes that only go to about -6 Sphere. My prescription is about -10 Sphere in both eyes. Do the online places not cater for such strong prescriptions? They claim to use the same labs as high street opticians - is it worth emailing the sites to ask? I'd love to know of any online glasses shops that would make such strong lenses. Bonus if they offer polarized prescription sunglasses lenses.

What's a good downer?

miles1972 — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 22:03:39 -0800

What's the modern equivalent of Seconal? I need to know for a play I'm working on. One of the characters uses Seconal, recreationally as a downer.

What would he use today?

get me off my prescription meds

crapples — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:49:19 -0800

Has anyone ever exercised and/or dieted their way off of prescription medications that you would otherwise expect to take for the rest of your life? I take two meds for asthma, two more for chronic headaches, and yesterday I was prescribed another one for high cholesterol! I'm in my early 40's and actually relatively healthy, in spite of how it sounds.

I want off some or all of these drugs. Can it be done? Using what resources? With what kinds of success rates? Tell me your story.

PS - I'll be interested in any story about getting off prescription drugs, but bonus awarded for anyone who can address any of the conditions that I'm actually dealing with.

Can an Australian citizen get Effexor XR in the US without selling a kidney?

out of context — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:54:06 -0800

My husband, an Australian citizen, is in the US on a tourist visa. We would like him to stay for 3 more months, but he would need a supply of Effexor XR from a local source. Is there a way to do it on the cheap? I'm uninsured and unemployed. It would be nice to be together while my immigration paperwork to Australia goes through the bureaucratic machine, but we can't really afford to pay $400 per month for his meds here. It would be only slightly less than the cost for him to fly back home and then back here again.

My husband's doctor in Australia can't write another prescription if my husband is not physically present in the doctors office. He is on a fairly epic dosage, and this is why it's so expensive. Oh, and there is no generic version.

Tapering off or discontinuing the drug is not an option. Neither is a liquor store robbery spree; I am far too polite, even when I have a shotgun.

I greatly appreciate any comments and ideas you may have. I see that there have been similar questions asked here about defraying the insane cost of prescription drugs in the US, but his citizenship and this particular drug put a bit of a twist in it.

What should I do with my expired Epi-Pens?

misanthropicsarah — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:36:08 -0800

What should I do with my expired Epi-Pens? None of the pharmacies around me will take them back, nor will my GP. These aren't used, they're just REALLY expired.

I don't want to do a craft project or something for the lulz, I just want to dispose of them--somehow--in a safe manner.

Thoughts?

Drug Disposal

sandraregina — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:46:35 -0800

I know that when medicine expires or is no longer needed, the best way to dispose of it is to take it to a local pharmacy with a disposal program and hand it off to them to take care of it. But that gets me to wondering - then what? How do pharmacies dispose of unwanted or expired medication? I can't see the little pharmacy in the local strip mall having an incinerator, for example (though hey, they might). Does it go to a medical waste disposal company? What about medications that fall on the floor, or get mixed up, or never picked up at the counter? What kind of tracking systems are in place to ensure the pharmacists don't sweep a couple pills under their shirt when counting them and walk out and sell them? Especially if its already been logged as 'disposed of' (or however its tracked)?

This isn't for any particular, pressing need. I'm just curious. Can anyone shed some light on what happens after I take my meds to the pharmacy to be disposed?

Prescription drugs in Singapore

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:31:14 -0800

Traveling to Singapore with lawfully prescribed prescription medication including antidepressant/antianxiety drugs (klonopin, wellbutrin, and paxil.) Is it sufficient to pack these in carry-on luggage in their original bottles? Is a doctor's letter necessary/recommended? (Nothing says overcautious like "mandatory death penalty.") Thanks.

Over or under the counter down under and elsewhere?

RandlePatrickMcMurphy — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:40:34 -0800

Is there a site where you can find out if a particular drug is sold over the counter or only by prescription or not at all in a particular country? I visualize a chart with countries on one axis, names of medications on the other, symbols at the intersections. Or a database where you search by drug and country.

Unfortunately any google search for anything that has to do with prescription drugs is immediately swamped by online pharmacies and the like.

Adderal addict wants to go straight

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:12:46 -0800

How willing would a doctor be to overlooking my illegal use of prescription medication in prescribing it for me? I've been taking study-aid drugs since freshmen year of college. Living in a dorm being surrounded by people prescribed Adderal and Concerta made it hard to resist. At the worst I took it around once a week for about a month. I never got any 'high' from my use.

Now in my Sophomore year, I'd like very much to be properly prescribed for some medicine, as I feel that the extreme procrastination I had experienced for the past many years is an indication of myself having ADD.

I liken my use of Adderal to when I first wore glasses and I felt amazed that 'everyone else saw like this'.

However, I fear of addiction and already feel as though I am building a tolerance, and in more recent usages I noticed an uncomfortable lack of circulation in my extremities, requiring me to shake my fingers, arms, and legs every so often.

InsuranceFilter: What exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category in the eyes of insurance companies?

lrkuperman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:17:38 -0800

InsuranceFilter: What exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category in the eyes of insurance companies? Is it the fact that the doctor writes the prescription and allows for refills? Would getting a new prescription with no refills every month circumvent the whole maintenance medication designation? My husband and I have medical insurance and prescription insurance through his employer. For the past 6 years, the companies have been easy to deal with and we've always had great coverage with lots of options. Just recently (within the past 2 months) the prescription insurance - Express Scripts - struck some kind of deal with my husbands employer and now they are making it mandatory that we use their mail-order pharmacy for any medication that they consider to be routine/maintenance medication. I have no desire to use any mail-order service for my medications and I am resentful of the fact that this is being forced down my throat. I feel that there is something fishy about the fact that they are not even allowing a choice of mail-order pharmacies, but instead are mandating that we use theirs OR pay 100% out of pocket for our medications... Also then we face the possibility that the company will sell detailed claims data on prescribing and dispensing history which drug companies often use to target sales efforts. I don't want someone selling my medical information!!! They infer that fact themselves on their own website:

"Business Associates: We arrange to provide some services through contracts with business associates. On occasion, we may disclose your medical information to business associates acting on our behalf. If any medical information is disclosed, we will protect your information from further use and disclosure using confidentiality agreements."

So I guess my question comes down to this - what exactly makes a medication fall into the maintenance medication category? Is it the fact that the doctor writes the prescription and allows for refills? Would getting a new prescription with no refills every month circumvent the whole maintenance medication designation?

I really want to find a way to beat them at their own rules and would appreciate all insight, suggestions or guidance that any of you may have to offer!

Insurance Cancels Allergy Drug Coverage

morallybass — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 20:42:19 -0800

My insurance company (Blue Cross/Shield MA) is dropping all prescription drug benefits for allergy drugs in favor of over-the-counter medicine like Claritin. I have serious allergies and take Alegra 180. What can I do? My insurance company (Blue Cross/Shield MA) is dropping all prescription drug benefits for allergy drugs in favor of over-the-counter medicine like Claritin. The rationale being that all allergy symptoms can be treated by this class of drug.

I have very serious allergies and take Alegra 180. I've tried Claritin, Zyrtec, and a variety of other drugs and finally settled on the serious prescription allergy drug I have been on for the last 5 years.

What can I do now that my insurance seems to be revoking all coverage?

What is the cheapest approach for an uninsured American to obtain a basic hairloss prescription

Auden — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:56:29 -0800

What is the cheapest approach for an uninsured American to obtain a simple prescription for a hair-loss medication? After several years of ordering the hair-loss preventative drug finasteride (aka propecia or proscar) from overseas, fears of drug counterfeiting are pushing me to obtain a US script and start buying my pills locally. But... I'm uninsured at the moment and without a local doctor. I'd like to avoid making (and paying for) a full dermatology appointment just for this simple (and common) prescription. Are there other, less costly options? (ie, prescribing nurse practitioners, etc)

the cheapest lens replacement online

Juliet Banana — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:22:10 -0800

I have an existing pair of glasses frames I'd like to get fitted with prescription lenses. I've done entirely too much research, and I still have questions! I've read this question, but no one mentions any online retailers who offer lens refitting.

The only online eyeglass retailer I've found who offers lens replacement is 39dollarglasses.com, who charge $39+$5.95 shipping. I'm looking for a better price.

According to Glassy Eyes, Global Eyeglasses refits lenses for $6.99. That sounds perfect; but I can't find any information about it on their horribly designed clunk-tastic website.

Zenni, Goggles4U, and Eye Buy Direct DO NOT offer lens refitting. I can't figure out if Optical4Less
or Specs on the Net do.

I'm pretty sure every brick-and-mortar optometrist will charge more than $44.95. The two I've asked for price quotes gave me bitch glares for not wanting to buy their $300 frames and gave the exact same price of $99.

Random TMI: I know that any vintage/drugstore frames I get fitted with lenses have a good chance of breaking or not lasting as long as the super expensive rip off glasses from the optometrist. I already have a pair of "high quality" frames+glasses from a brick and mortar operation, and I think they're boring. I want candy-colored knockoff Wayfarers, and crazy catseye frames, and I don't care if they break in 6 months.

I also know that it's easy to get frames+lenses super cheap from the aforementioned websites. I already have some. I just find most of their selection boring (what's with all the black, already?). I am only interested in hearing about retailers who will allow me to ship them an exisiting pair of frames I already own.

I already have, and understand how to read, my current prescription.

I'm only interested in the cheapest and thickest plastic single vision lenses. I don't need prisms, or bifocals, or anti-scratch, or high index lenses. My prescription is -4/-4.25 and I've already been warned that these cheap lenses will be hella coke bottle. It doesn't bother me.

Please tell me someone will put prescription lenses into existing frames for less than $44.95! There are so many awesome non-prescription frames in the world, and so few brilliant frames available from optometrists.

Am I entitled to my glasses/contacts prescription in Illinois?

Joleta — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:14:26 -0800

Does Illinois have a law requiring vision professionals (optometrists in particular) to release spectacles (glasses) prescriptions to the patient? Contact lens prescriptions? I've found this and this, but still can't figure out what the rules for Illinois are. We have a new (and typically confusing) vision plan at work, but my current optometrist is not on it. I'm trying to decide if I can see my current optometrist at the going rate for an exam but require her to give me my prescriptions so I can buy my contacts and glasses elsewhere.