Not the Same

I've been taking Imitrex for the past year and a half for my migraines, among other treatments. Due to some new treatments, I hadn't had to fill my prescriptions since the end of December. This evening on my way to Edmond, I stopped and had my Imitrex tablets refilled and was informed that a generic now is available. Cool, right? Not so much.

Filling my 100 mg Imitrex tablets has cost me $25 a refill, which isn't bad. (I take StateDose injections, too, which are more expensive, but still have their place.) After being reassured that the generic works as well as the name brand, I agreed to let Walgreens dispense the generic script instead of the name brand.

When I returned to the store to pick it up, I was handed a bill of nearly two and a half times what I've previously paid. I questioned it and was told that my insurance returned an even higher co-pay for the name brand. Frustrated, I handed over my debit card because I needed the meds.

On the drive between Yukon and Jason's, I call BCBS and, when I questioned them, I was told the reason for the price was because both medications have been removed from the formulary. Why? They don't know. It's "just because". They did this to me with another script last year about this time. As soon as a generic is available, they jack the prices. Jackasses.

Anyway, the upshot of it all is that I don't mind paying that much for nine little pills, but I discovered that THEY DON'T WORK. At all. I knew I was taking a chance because, sometimes, generics don't work as well as the name brand. This, apparently, is one of those times. So, my word of advice is this: pay the extra five bucks for the name brand. You'll thank me for it later.

In the Beginning...

I've fought chronic daily headaches for the majority of my life. In the past, I'd suffered the rare migraine, too. During the last two years, however, migraines have ruled much of my life. It's more rare that I wake up without a headache than I do with a headache.

The purpose of this blog is not to whine and complain. Believe me, I know there are people out there who suffer way more than me. The purpose, rather, is to share information about the various treatments I've undergone, and more importantly, to increase awareness of migraines and chronic daily headache.

Feel free to chime in with your own thoughts and experiences.