Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.

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Heart, Blood & Circulation
/ Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group

Scared to start Pradaxa

Cuzinvinny
Cuzinvinny
Hi all.....I get some of my meds for free through a catholic charity clinic.
They sent me 3 bottles of (60) 150mg . After reading some reviews on webmd...Im scared to start this drug. Ive only been on warfarin for about a month but at least i know i can continue to get warfarin at a discount price. Most the drug companies only give you a free supply for 6-12 mos.
I have no health insurance and wont be able to afford this drug or even the copay. Im getting very depressed with this whole situation. The warfarin dosage has been all over the place...take one.....two....now wait 2 days.....then take a half.....its crazy....I dont know why ..Im just scared to take this drug....sigh.....Vinny
pacyetep
pacyetep
FYI. Anyone that has Blue Cross Blue Shield or similar plans, it is a $30 co pay. The Pradaxa website has a card that limits it to $30 per month. It doesn't seem fair that if you have a job with a good health plan that they give a different price.
Surfrat
Surfrat
Good stuff in this thread indeed. Before I forget, (FYI) I just remembered why I was told the ER version of Metoprolol was more expensive, was because it was released slower into your bloodstream than regular Metoprolol. Now if this is BS than so be it, I'll have to ask around @ the Pharmacy and with my EP etc. ;-)

$80.00 for a month supply @ Walmart versus $10.00 for a 3-month supply @ Wallgreens - is pretty freakin' sick!!
deleted_user
deleted_user
Thomas,

You are correct that the Metoprolol ER is extended release. You are just paying extra so you only have to take it once a day instead of twice a day. I use to take a generic Metoprolol ER that was only $10 a month, then there were manufacturing issues and you could no longer get generic so I would have had to have gone to the non-generic Toprol ER which would cost me $60 a month or I could go to the regular Metoprolol and take it twice a day and it would cost me nothing. I went with the regular generic and didn't notice any difference in how it worked as long as I remembered to take the second dose on time.
tomorrowsdream
tomorrowsdream
Taking the metoprolol twice a day is every bit as good as taking one EX that costs a fortune. If I didn't know this as a nurse, I wouldn't even have advised anyone to look into this. Metoprolol is on Warlmar's list of $4.00 drugs...it is the generic of Lopressor. Never pay more then you have too. Your Dr. is rich. He isn't going to think twice before giving you an expensive prescription. It's us that have to worry about paying for it. I'm on Lipator, and under a special coupon I get it for a $4.00 co-pay. There is no way I would pay $30.00 a mo. for Pradaxa to be honest, not when I can get Warfarin for a fraction of the cost. If it hasen't been on the market for years, I don't want to take it anyway.