My wife has recently begun to experience
pre-menopausal mood swings, and her
physician has her on Lexapro, 10 mg, in
order to control them. I can attest that
she's her pleasant self again since she
started, unlike the person I didn't
recognize when her body was changing and
snapping at the littlest thing.
Well, that was fine and good as long as we
had a medical plan that capped our
out-of-pocket cost of this drug to $25 per
month. Next year, most of us will be
moved into a high-deductible HSA where the
full cost of the drug is out of pocket
until the deductible is met. As a result,
until the deductible is paid we would face
the entire cost of the medication, which
appears to be over $80 per month (30
tablets, 10 mg).
As I did more research, it really looks
like Lexapro isn't much different than its
older cousin, Celexa. Some in the medical
field have cynically remarked that Lexapro
was a slight reformulation to Celexa just
to keep the patent and the gravy train
going.
Celexa has a generic equivalent now which
is about $10 for a 30-day supply.
We're not looking for advice apart from
what her doctor recommends, but we'd like
for her to go in there well-informed and
with as much information as possible. So
with that disclaimer out of the way...
Is there really much of a difference in
terms of efficacy with these two
medications? What I think I might like is
to have her use the generic Celexa
equivalent for a few days to see if it's
equally effective and causes no side
effects. If there were a problem, we'd go
back to Lexapro, but from everything I've
seen they look almost identical.
So I think this is something I'll want her
to ask her doctor before we have to buy a
refill in January. But in the meantime,
other opinions -- particularly from
medical professionals and those who have
taken both -- would be greatly
appreciated.
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Georgia59
Moderator
Joined: 11 Apr 2007 Posts: 5323 Location: Along the Mississippi, USA
Thanks: 64
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Posted: 10-22-07 09:19am
Well I don't have any specific advice, but
in the past I've explained my
insurance/financial situation to docs and
they have changed prescriptions to similar
but less costly drugs. The doc should be
able to tell you how similar it is.
It can't hurt to try.
|
CarolDiane
Moderator
Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Posts: 2225 Location: Finally a picture to a name,
Thanks: 87
Thanked:126
My Research Posted: 10-22-07 09:24am
Hi ziggy29,
In my reseach on Celexa, it is one of the
seratonin reuptake inhibitors that are
supposed to work very well for PMS and
Post Pardum patients. The studies came out
pretty good a a fairly good amonut of the
% in the study did well. And as far as
Lexepro goes, I just went off of Xanax
after 4 years and stared on Lexepro and I
am on half the dose and doing very well.
Most of these seratonin anti-depressents
have about the same componients in them
with maybe perhaps just one minor
difference in some. But, most of them fall
into the same cateogory. I think you would
fair well with either. Talk to you doctor
( you best source ) and see what he/she
feels is best for you. Personally, I
really am doing well on the Lexepro.
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