I Need Your Help

[Mary P]

When I went to pharm to have my midodrine refilled last month, I was told there was no more. The pharmacist couldn't or wouldn't say why. She did offer to substitute it for amatine and got my GP's approval.

Today I couldn't get either brand or generic today and no more will be available. The pharm has to phone my doc to ask what else she'd recommend. The thing is my doc knows nothing about my condition and has always relied on the N to do everything.

I began to ask the pharm if she thpought this had something to do with the 'war' going on between the Canadian gov't and the pharmacies and generic drug makers over the price of generic drugs, but before I could even finish my question, she said, "Yes, This has been going on for 5 or 6 weeks now".

Is anyone here taking another drug similar to midodrine or amatine? In the meantime I've given the pharm the name of the N so she can contact him.

I'd appreciate any help at all. Thank you for this.

mary p

[Simmy]

I've been taking Midodrine 10mg 3x for a few months now, and as a matter of fact just refilled my Rx of 90 yesterday at CVS with no problems, so I haven't noticed a disruption. I wonder if it's a local delivery problem in your area. The only one of my four meds that is a substitute is Desmopressin for DDAVP, and it seems to work as it should.

I hope you get this resolved quickly, I know what it's like when I miss a dose.

[iheartcats]

I had a new generic on my last refill (haven't use it yet - but I think a few on the board use that generic and it seems to work OK)...they couldn't tell me why. It's just the one the pharmacy could get and it doesn't seem to be a very commonly used medication.

I hope you are able to get some form of the medication soon!

[Mary P]

Thanks for your replies. Simmy, yes the disruption to supplies here in Canada is because of a major dispute betwee our gov't, the drug companies and the pharmacies. So what's happening it seems is that the drug companies aren't sending some drugs to the pharmacies, the pharmacies are stopping deliveries to shut-ins, and cutting back on store hours. The patients are the ones who suffer. The gov't wants the cost of generic drugs. The drug companies and pharmacies will lose a lot of $ this way.

I'd been taking 30 mg/midodrine/daily for 2 1/2 years until last month. At that time I was given amatine. Simmy, you mentioned desmopressiom as a substitute. Cat KLady, you didn't give a name for the substitute you got. Could you take a moment and post this please. I woprry about what will happen to me as time goes on and i have no med whatsoever.

I've been thinking that I may have to take this to a major TV news station.

Mary

[Simmy]

Mary - I didn't know you were in Canada. Now I understand.

The substitute I mentioned, Desmopressin, was to replace DDAVP, not Midodrine. I take Desmopressin to help retain fluid, it's not a vasoconstrictor like Midodrine. I only mentioned it as an example of a generic that works well for me.

Midodrine is the one med that works best for me and I know how important it is, so if you can get the word out via the media, I say go for it.

Maybe you guys can temporarily import drugs from us, instead of us always trying to get them from you. I hope this doesn't affect my CanadaPharmacy Nicorette deliveries.

[Mary P]

Missy,

I'm guessing that you live in the USA. I do know that pharmacies here in Canada are stopping delivery drugs to us, another 'blow' to patients caught up in this battle between the gov't and pharmacies. Hope this doesn't happen to you or anyone else. I'm wondering if I'll have to buy midodrine online. I do know that it is still being manufactured.

Cat Lady,

I meant to say thank you for your response as well. Someone interrupted as I was checking my original post and I forgot. Hoping to hear from you as to the name of your substitute for midodrine. I can't find a substitute online and the pharmacist didn't know. She said, "I'm not a doctor." the pharmacist in the town where I used to live would have done the 'leg work' for me. Perhaps they're targeting the drugs that are not that commonly used. Still, they're so important to those of us who do need them. I was saying to a friend a little while ago, "They wouldn't dare cancel out on an important cancer drug".

Mary