How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

[AthenasMom]

Hi.  I just found this group while browsing for low copper foods.  My not quite two year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH last summer.  She has just completed 6 months of penicillamine and is also on SAM-e and ursodiol.  She returns to the vet this week for updated blood work to see if her liver levels have improved,  We were able to confirm that she had the disease after getting a liver biopsy done during her spay surgery.  Her copper levels were over 3,000 which is beyond toxic.  In addition to these meds, she is on Hills L/D food as well as Honest Kitchen.  This combination seems to work well and honest kitchen was the only nonprescription food I could find with comparable copper content versus Hills L/D.

I wanted to post our story as I think it may be of benefit to those of you facing the high cost of penicillamine and other necessary meds.  The penicillamine was approximately $450 per month (250mg per day) and that was the cheapest the vet and I were able to find it.  I called every pharmacy possible.  I also considered buying it from Canada.  Then I read about a pharmacy in NY that compounds meds for the zoo and was able to compound the penicillamine for a dog with CAH.  I contacted a local compounding pharmacy and was able to get the penicillamine specially compounded, even increased the dose to 300mg per day, at a cost of around $65 per month.  I was shocked and relieved that we would be able to afford the meds after all.  It seems like this isn't widely known and was just something I was lucky enough to stumble upon.  I am hoping this information may help others find a more affordable route to getting the penicillamine since it is so costly.  The key is that pharmacies can't compound a prescription that is already commercially available.  This means you will need to order a dose that is slightly more or less than the standard dose of 250mg.  Your vet should be able to work with you on this and contact the pharmacy to order the prescription, confirm the correct dosage based on weight etc.  We also bought the ursodiol for the same pharmacy and purchased SAM-e from Costco.  This has saved us as well.

I apologize for any typos, grammar errors etc.  I had a short amount of time to write this and quite a bit to say:)  This disease was very unexpected considering our pup wasn't even a year old and we did our research to be sure we avoided a lot of the known medical issues.  It was pretty devastating to find out but I'm hoping the penicillamine has flushed out the excess copper so that we can just focus on keeping her liver healthy and minimizing copper intake.  Finding a way to obtain the penicillamine for $65 instead of $450 per month made the situation at least seem manageable financially.  I hope this helps others struggling with this disease too!!

 

[lindajo...@yahoo.com]

Thank you so much for posting this.  Our 4 year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH recently.  We have done the liver biopsy and also found she has high copper levels.  We were given a quote from Walgreens pharmacy for $2000 for one month of  penicillamine!  Needless to say, we are pretty devastated!  We only have two compounding pharmacies here and I am very interested in contacting the one that you used to make this medicine.  I appreciate your help!

[Linda Maine]

Diamondbackdrugs.com  They ship all over the world.  Please contact them.  They are a lifesaver for many animals.
 
-Linda

 

---

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 09:08:21 -0700
From: lindajo...@yahoo.com
To: chronic-active-h...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [CAH-In-Dogs] Re: How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

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[Linda crozier]

Thanks do much!

Sent from my iPhone

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[omm...@aol.com]

Hi AthenasMom.

Hope this message finds you and your doberman well.  How is she doing?

Today after months and 3 different vets my border terrier Leo was diagnosed with copper storage disease.  Which sounds like the same as CAH.  Leo too was prescribe penincillamine.   I apologize if I missed it but what was the name of the "group" you found that sold you the penincillamine?

I also would have a had time affording a $450 month bill.

Thanks

[snicke...@gmail.com]

I have used Diamondback Drugs. They are based in AZ where I used to live. There is also another veterinary compounding pharmacy called RoadRunner that is in Arizona and they offer the same services. Just an FYI in case you want to get a price quote and see who is cheaper. I use RoadRunner for my dog's Ursodiol, and it is about the same price as Diamondback, but with free shipping. 

On Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:27:39 AM UTC-7, Settermom wrote:

Diamondbackdrugs.com  They ship all over the world.  Please contact them.  They are a lifesaver for many animals.
 
-Linda

 

---

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 09:08:21 -0700
From: lindajo...@yahoo.com

To: chronic-active-hepatitis-in-do...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [CAH-In-Dogs] Re: How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

Thank you so much for posting this.  Our 4 year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH recently.  We have done the liver biopsy and also found she has high copper levels.  We were given a quote from Walgreens pharmacy for $2000 for one month of  penicillamine!  Needless to say, we are pretty devastated!  We only have two compounding pharmacies here and I am very interested in contacting the one that you used to make this medicine.  I appreciate your help!


On Monday, February 3, 2014 6:53:51 PM UTC-7, AthenasMom wrote:

Hi.  I just found this group while browsing for low copper foods.  My not quite two year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH last summer.  She has just completed 6 months of penicillamine and is also on SAM-e and ursodiol.  She returns to the vet this week for updated blood work to see if her liver levels have improved,  We were able to confirm that she had the disease after getting a liver biopsy done during her spay surgery.  Her copper levels were over 3,000 which is beyond toxic.  In addition to these meds, she is on Hills L/D food as well as Honest Kitchen.  This combination seems to work well and honest kitchen was the only nonprescription food I could find with comparable copper content versus Hills L/D.

I wanted to post our story as I think it may be of benefit to those of you facing the high cost of penicillamine and other necessary meds.  The penicillamine was approximately $450 per month (250mg per day) and that was the cheapest the vet and I were able to find it.  I called every pharmacy possible.  I also considered buying it from Canada.  Then I read about a pharmacy in NY that compounds meds for the zoo and was able to compound the penicillamine for a dog with CAH.  I contacted a local compounding pharmacy and was able to get the penicillamine specially compounded, even increased the dose to 300mg per day, at a cost of around $65 per month.  I was shocked and relieved that we would be able to afford the meds after all.  It seems like this isn't widely known and was just something I was lucky enough to stumble upon.  I am hoping this information may help others find a more affordable route to getting the penicillamine since it is so costly.  The key is that pharmacies can't compound a prescription that is already commercially available.  This means you will need to order a dose that is slightly more or less than the standard dose of 250mg.  Your vet should be able to work with you on this and contact the pharmacy to order the prescription, confirm the correct dosage based on weight etc.  We also bought the ursodiol for the same pharmacy and purchased SAM-e from Costco.  This has saved us as well.

I apologize for any typos, grammar errors etc.  I had a short amount of time to write this and quite a bit to say:)  This disease was very unexpected considering our pup wasn't even a year old and we did our research to be sure we avoided a lot of the known medical issues.  It was pretty devastating to find out but I'm hoping the penicillamine has flushed out the excess copper so that we can just focus on keeping her liver healthy and minimizing copper intake.  Finding a way to obtain the penicillamine for $65 instead of $450 per month made the situation at least seem manageable financially.  I hope this helps others struggling with this disease too!!

 

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[Lisa]

Diamondbacks drugs rocks!

Sent from my iPhone

On Jun 28, 2014, at 11:13 AM, snicke...@gmail.com wrote:

I have used Diamondback Drugs. They are based in AZ where I used to live. There is also another veterinary compounding pharmacy called RoadRunner that is in Arizona and they offer the same services. Just an FYI in case you want to get a price quote and see who is cheaper. I use RoadRunner for my dog's Ursodiol, and it is about the same price as Diamondback, but with free shipping. 

On Thursday, April 3, 2014 10:27:39 AM UTC-7, Settermom wrote:

Diamondbackdrugs.com  They ship all over the world.  Please contact them.  They are a lifesaver for many animals.
 
-Linda

 

---

Date: Thu, 3 Apr 2014 09:08:21 -0700
From: lindajo...@yahoo.com

To: chronic-active-hepatitis-in-do...@googlegroups.com

Subject: [CAH-In-Dogs] Re: How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

Thank you so much for posting this.  Our 4 year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH recently.  We have done the liver biopsy and also found she has high copper levels.  We were given a quote from Walgreens pharmacy for $2000 for one month of  penicillamine!  Needless to say, we are pretty devastated!  We only have two compounding pharmacies here and I am very interested in contacting the one that you used to make this medicine.  I appreciate your help!


On Monday, February 3, 2014 6:53:51 PM UTC-7, AthenasMom wrote:

Hi.  I just found this group while browsing for low copper foods.  My not quite two year old doberman was diagnosed with CAH last summer.  She has just completed 6 months of penicillamine and is also on SAM-e and ursodiol.  She returns to the vet this week for updated blood work to see if her liver levels have improved,  We were able to confirm that she had the disease after getting a liver biopsy done during her spay surgery.  Her copper levels were over 3,000 which is beyond toxic.  In addition to these meds, she is on Hills L/D food as well as Honest Kitchen.  This combination seems to work well and honest kitchen was the only nonprescription food I could find with comparable copper content versus Hills L/D.

I wanted to post our story as I think it may be of benefit to those of you facing the high cost of penicillamine and other necessary meds.  The penicillamine was approximately $450 per month (250mg per day) and that was the cheapest the vet and I were able to find it.  I called every pharmacy possible.  I also considered buying it from Canada.  Then I read about a pharmacy in NY that compounds meds for the zoo and was able to compound the penicillamine for a dog with CAH.  I contacted a local compounding pharmacy and was able to get the penicillamine specially compounded, even increased the dose to 300mg per day, at a cost of around $65 per month.  I was shocked and relieved that we would be able to afford the meds after all.  It seems like this isn't widely known and was just something I was lucky enough to stumble upon.  I am hoping this information may help others find a more affordable route to getting the penicillamine since it is so costly.  The key is that pharmacies can't compound a prescription that is already commercially available.  This means you will need to order a dose that is slightly more or less than the standard dose of 250mg.  Your vet should be able to work with you on this and contact the pharmacy to order the prescription, confirm the correct dosage based on weight etc.  We also bought the ursodiol for the same pharmacy and purchased SAM-e from Costco.  This has saved us as well.

I apologize for any typos, grammar errors etc.  I had a short amount of time to write this and quite a bit to say:)  This disease was very unexpected considering our pup wasn't even a year old and we did our research to be sure we avoided a lot of the known medical issues.  It was pretty devastating to find out but I'm hoping the penicillamine has flushed out the excess copper so that we can just focus on keeping her liver healthy and minimizing copper intake.  Finding a way to obtain the penicillamine for $65 instead of $450 per month made the situation at least seem manageable financially.  I hope this helps others struggling with this disease too!!

 

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[stuffforsa...@gmail.com]

Hi, I have a friend who has a Doberman that is taking Penicillamine 1000mg a day! He asked me to share where he got this med quite reasonably. It is a compounding pharmacy in NJ. He is paying $100.00 a month for (60) 500mg tabs!!!! The phone # is 1-800-331-8272. Give them a call or your vet that is :)

[brmount...@gmail.com]

AthenasMom, please give me the name or phone of the pharmacy in NY where you got the penicillamine. I don't see it anywhere and know a few that could benefit from this. Thanks!

On Monday, February 3, 2014 at 8:53:51 PM UTC-5, AthenasMom wrote:

[isen...@gmail.com]

Sorry I just saw all these posts and never received notifications!  Our pup is doing ok.  Her levels have stayed stable but haven't improved much.  I think that might be the best we can hope for with this condition.  The pharmacy we use is a local pharmacy in our area, Indianapolis, that is able to compound meds.  The name is Meridian North Pharmacy.  I actually just contacted them today about a refill.  The current cost is $120 for 83 capsules or $368 for 330 capsules.  The lower cost vendor they were using no longer sells this, so the price has gone up but it's still significantly less than the alternative.  I think any compounding pharmacy in your area should be able to make this.  You may need to call around and check to find the best price.  Hopefully this helps.  

[isen...@gmail.com]

Just to clarify, this cost is for 300MG capsules.  Athena takes two capsules per day, so 600mg total.  The monthly cost is $66-86 depending on which quantity we fill since there is a price break for the 330 capsules versus 86.  We don't buy these in 60 or 120 capsules like you normally would since the pharmacy orders the bottle of meds specifically for us and they make as many capsules as they can.  This was we get the best price!!

[email...@mchsi.com]

I just wanted to comment on the dog food I found that has no copper "TIMBERWOLF" Herbal Carnivore Specific Pet Foods "Wild & Natural Platinum Formula "
My Dobie loves it! Also Wellness Grain Free ninety-five percent Beef.
I'm just learning about his sickness the Dr.s are trying to determine exactly what his problem is. At least I have control of the Copper. Trying to find the Pencillamie I can afford.

[Susan Schmitz]

This is great information. Thank you very much!

[aqua...@gmail.com]

Hello AthenasMom,
My name is Jeff. My dog Byron was just diagnosed with CAH. Canada drugs does not carry d-penicillamine to the surprise of my vet. Can you please send me the name or phone # of the componding pharmacy in NY. Your help is greatly appreciated and thank you for posting this article.
Jeff
aqua...@gmail.com

[isen...@gmail.com]

We tried to order a refill at the end of 2015. Apparently, the two companies who produced the penicillamine have discontinued it and are no longer making the drug. The only option right now is buying the brand name medicine which is extremely expensive. I'm hoping this changes and we can once again have the penicillamine compounded but I'm not sure if it's going to happen. It's unfortunate news for anyone who needs this for CAH/copper storage disease:(

[Susan Schmitz - A Dog's Life Photo]

Hi Jeff, 

Sorry to hear about Byron. I am not familiar with the pharmacy in NY but there is a great one in Arizona called Diamondback Drugs. Here is their website - http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/. Best wishes. 

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Susan Schmitz Owner/Photographer, A Dog's Life Photography 602-535-2444 | 602-386-9997 | su...@adogslifephoto.com | www.adogslifephoto.com | 2441 E. Indian School Rd. Ste. 103, Phoenix, AZ 85016

[frois...@gmail.com]

I just called Diamond Back Drugs and they gave me a price of 60 500MG tablets for $80.22 :) Much better than the walgreens quote of $37k lol! My Bloodhound just survived bloat and they took a liver biopsy which came up with the copper poisoning. Good luck to you all ! Thank you so much for the help! It's a wallet saver! 

On Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 8:04:45 PM UTC-5, Susan - A Dogs Life Photo wrote:

Hi Jeff, 

Sorry to hear about Byron. I am not familiar with the pharmacy in NY but there is a great one in Arizona called Diamondback Drugs. Here is their website - http://www.diamondbackdrugs.com/. Best wishes. 

On Wed, Feb 3, 2016 at 8:40 PM, <aqua...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello AthenasMom,
My name is Jeff. My dog Byron was just diagnosed with CAH. Canada drugs does not carry d-penicillamine to the surprise of my vet. Can you please send me the name or phone # of the componding pharmacy in NY. Your help is greatly appreciated and thank you for posting this article.
Jeff
aqua...@gmail.com

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[vaish...@gmail.com]

Dear All

If any body needs Penicillamine capsules/tablets contact me in mark...@rrlifesciences.com and call in +918939684006


Thanks

G.Rengarajan

[dogla...@gmail.com]

Purchased Penicillamine (C) 150mg thru Diamondback Drugs in AZ--my vet found them as they are a compounding pharmacy for pets. 180 capsules for $199

[gentr...@xplornet.com]

Hi - I am new to this group and have been searching for years to find a financially feasible place to buy penicillamine for Dobermans suffering from Copper Storage disease.   So thankful to find this group and hoping to explore this compounding option.  I am in Canada, so am exploring to see if we have these compounding pharmacies here in Canada - otherwise will try the US..

[dmci...@gmail.com]

Thanks for finding this group Deb!!

[attyc...@gmail.com]

please advise where you had penacillamine compounding done. thank you.

On Monday, February 3, 2014 at 8:53:51 PM UTC-5, AthenasMom wrote:

[Linda Maine]

It's been a few years so I don't remember the cost anymore but it was Diamondback Pharmacy in Scottsdale. They shipped everywhere.

-------- Original message --------

From: attyc...@gmail.com

Date: 2/28/17 3:43 PM (GMT-07:00)

To: Chronic Active Hepatitis in Dogs <chronic-active-h...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: [CAH-In-Dogs] Re: How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

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[Linda Maine]

don't forget, it's also very important to make sure that it's really a diet that is easy on the liver. That's why we don't give them brown rice period it's harder on the liver than white rice period but not only do you want to reduce the intake of more copper, but you also want to make it very easy on the liver

-------- Original message --------

From: attyc...@gmail.com

Date: 2/28/17 3:43 PM (GMT-07:00)

To: Chronic Active Hepatitis in Dogs <chronic-active-h...@googlegroups.com>

Subject: [CAH-In-Dogs] Re: How we saved almost $400 per month for our penicillamine prescription

[elfa...@gmail.com]

I checked the analysis for referenced food and saw that copper content is crazy night 32mg/kg..
the one I use is called GO! By Petcurean (Canadian). Sensitivity & Shine 9mg/kg

[bilf...@gmail.com]

Does anyone's dog have a nausea, vomiting problem after giving penicillamine?  If so, how do

 you combat the problem?

Thanks.

Bill Fridrych

[aki...@comcast.net]

Our Akita also has a copper storage problem.  It was discovered when they did bloodwork when he bloated.  They did a biopsy of his liver during the surgical procedure.  Using Wedgewood Pharmacy to order 435 mg capsules, amount ordered 100 is 170.00 including shipping and taxes.