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Reputable online pharmacy UK - Cheap Rifaximin?

justy

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I have been prescribed Rifaximin 550mg 1 x daily for three months. It is hideously expensive for this course in the UK as I will have to buy from my local pharmacy 2 x packs of 56 at a cost of £520 - that about 790 US Dollars. I actually don't have this much money to buy them, plus I am worried I will buy the smallest pack size (56 tablets at a cost of £260) only to find I cant tolerate them. this is not unusual for me and I have a whole cupboard full of drugs I cant take.

Can anyone advise on a REPUTABLE online pharmacy where they might be cheaper and that is legal in the UK - I have a European prescription.

For info - I had a seizure on Saturday that lasted half an hour and happened after taking a new inhaled asthma drug, I have MCAS and we are considering it an allergic reaction, but it has left me more ill than before.
 
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Dr Myhill suggested I tried this 3 years ago. I persuaded my GP to prescribe it for me as there is some research that it may help our condition? It is not on the regular list so he actually researched it himself. The chemist was very reluctant to dispense and he would only prescribe 2 weeks - not the long term that was suggested. I have just checked by old medicine box and I actually have 6 tablets left - but they are 2012 - I didn't get on with it and my symptoms seem similar to yours. If you could go this route it would save you money - I cant really send you 2 years out of date tablets!
I realise this is probably impossible to do however.
 

justy

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Dr Myhill suggested I tried this 3 years ago. I persuaded my GP to prescribe it for me as there is some research that it may help our condition? It is not on the regular list so he actually researched it himself. The chemist was very reluctant to dispense and he would only prescribe 2 weeks - not the long term that was suggested. I have just checked by old medicine box and I actually have 6 tablets left - but they are 2012 - I didn't get on with it and my symptoms seem similar to yours. If you could go this route it would save you money - I cant really send you 2 years out of date tablets!
I realise this is probably impossible to do however.
My GP has flatly refused as it is not listed in the BNF for the purposes it has been prescribed for. Perhaps I could ask Dr Myhill if they have a small amount I could try first - I am a patient of hers also.
 
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they come in blister packs of 6 I think for travellers diarrhea - I think it has a different brand name for British GPs which is why they can't find it in their books
I certainly wouldn't be paying so much for a very strong antibiotic that could make you worse - like it did me - Dr Myhill wanted me to take it for 2 months if I recall correctly - at the time I think she still wasn't free to prescribe again so might be worth contacting them
 

justy

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they come in blister packs of 6 I think for travellers diarrhea - I think it has a different brand name for British GPs which is why they can't find it in their books
I certainly wouldn't be paying so much for a very strong antibiotic that could make you worse - like it did me - Dr Myhill wanted me to take it for 2 months if I recall correctly - at the time I think she still wasn't free to prescribe again so might be worth contacting them
The pharmacist explained that they come in small packs because if you get it on the NHS the pharmacy orders the minimum size (in this case 56) then splits the pack and the NHS pays the rest of the cost of the unneeded tablets. As I have a private prescription, which he is happy to fill, I can only order the minimum amount and must pay for that amount, even if I don't need them all - which I do because I actually need two packs. I have e mailed Dr M to see if she can help in any way...
 

justy

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digital dog

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Just,
Just double check that it is not one of those antibiotics associated with akathisia. I know that a few of them are.
x
 

Sushi

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@justy When I was prescribed it my doctor faxed the prescription to a Canadian pharmacy. It comes in 200 mg tablets and though I was prescribed 550 mg per day, my doc was fine if I took 3 of the 200 mg tabs = 600 mgs. It came in a box of 100 tablets and cost $136. The brand was Endeavour, a division of Lupin--an Indian Pharm company. I can vouch for this brand. It helped me a great deal.
 

Gingergrrl

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For info - I had a seizure on Saturday that lasted half an hour and happened after taking a new inhaled asthma drug, I have MCAS and we are considering it an allergic reaction, but it has left me more ill than before.

@justy, I am of no help re: this med but am so sorry to hear that you had a seizure on Sat that lasted half an hour. What did you do to stop it?!!

Am curious which asthma drug if you are comfortable sharing? I have several things prescribed to me for emergency meds for MCAS that are asthma meds even though I do not have asthma. They are mostly for nebulization (and one inhaler) but so far I have not had to take them and have Benadryl or Atarax as emergency meds in pill form. The Atarax actually works great for me and I only take it as needed. I also have an EpiPen prescribed to me but would only use if on the verge of death b/c I already have tachycardia.

I had not heard of allergic reactions/MCAS causing seizures! That is very scary and am so glad that you are okay. I hope you find the med that you need and can tolerate it well. When you try a new med or food, do you only do it if someone is home with you? I no longer eat anything or try a new med/supplement unless someone else is home but hoping this will some day change.
 

justy

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@justy, I am of no help re: this med but am so sorry to hear that you had a seizure on Sat that lasted half an hour. What did you do to stop it?!!

Am curious which asthma drug if you are comfortable sharing? I have several things prescribed to me for emergency meds for MCAS that are asthma meds even though I do not have asthma. They are mostly for nebulization (and one inhaler) but so far I have not had to take them and have Benadryl or Atarax as emergency meds in pill form. The Atarax actually works great for me and I only take it as needed. I also have an EpiPen prescribed to me but would only use if on the verge of death b/c I already have tachycardia.

I had not heard of allergic reactions/MCAS causing seizures! That is very scary and am so glad that you are okay. I hope you find the med that you need and can tolerate it well. When you try a new med or food, do you only do it if someone is home with you? I no longer eat anything or try a new med/supplement unless someone else is home but hoping this will some day change.

The drug was inhaled Ciclesonide - it is 'only' a steroid inhaler so shouldn't have caused this reaction. But it could have been the propellant used, additives, or even the brand new areochamber device I was given to use it with (I did wash it first as instructed). I often get myoclonic type jerks as part of my reactions. This seizure was continuous large arm and leg jerks for half an hour with one side of my mouth being pulled tight down by a strong muscle contraction/spasm in my face. I was conscious but felt very strange - actually very very calm. I tried to speak but couldn't because my mouth was so distorted. After half an hour it stopped. then I felt confused and vague. the next two days the confusion and vagueness continued and I crashed badly and spent Saturday to Thursday in bed.

Im doing ok with food now - not having any throat tightening no matter what I eat and my diet is no longer very restricted (but im not back on the chocolate and tomatoes and very tiny amounts of cheese occasionally). I now no longer every try a new med or supplement unless someone is home - but this is causing a nightmare as I only have one day a week when my husband is home now and dont want to use the children for experimenting with drugs. Then I don't want to try lots of things in one go! have a list as long as my arm from my Dr that I need to start but it is taking forever! - I COULD TRY THINGS IN THE EVENING, BUT AS WE LIVE IN A REMOTE RURAL AREA I DONT FANCY MY CHANCES WITH (OOps sorry not shouting) getting to hospital in the cold, dark, icy weather.

I have an Epipen but really wouldn't use it unless I was not able to breathe.

Have you seen the blog 'collagen behaving badly'? the woman has MCAS, EDS and M.E (like me) and she talks about seizure like reactions to drugs - she says it could be an H3 reaction - central nervous system - and their are no drugs to control it. I have a tooth filling booked in for two weeks time and two invasive tests in the hospital over the next month or so and now really more worried about it - if I start having a seizure with loads of stuff in my mouth that cant be removed quickly and easily or start seizing and jerking with a camera up my butt it will not be good!
 

CantThink

Senior Member
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800
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England, UK
@justy When I was prescribed it my doctor faxed the prescription to a Canadian pharmacy. It comes in 200 mg tablets and though I was prescribed 550 mg per day, my doc was fine if I took 3 of the 200 mg tabs = 600 mgs. It came in a box of 100 tablets and cost $136. The brand was Endeavour, a division of Lupin--an Indian Pharm company. I can vouch for this brand. It helped me a great deal.

@justy

I noticed it is a lot cheaper in Canada. Legally I think we can import up to 3 months worth of most drugs for personal use, and I know quite a few people get their Naltrexone to make LDN with from Canada... Perhaps this might be a good option for you, especially if you are unsure if you will tolerate the dug.
 

Hip

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justy

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Thanks for all the suggestions. In house pahramcy say you need to send them your prescription - its ok as I do have one, but it could take a while to reach Vanuatu!

Think I will use them as have had lots of positive feedback about them and the manufacturers of the drug, an Indian company, seem legit. Some UK customers have complained of things being held up at customs, but I will try. Just waiting to hear abck from my Dr now as they don't sell 550mg tabs - perhaps I can take 400 or 600 daily instead...