Senior interested in online Canadian drugstores
Q. I am about to fall into the Medicare Part D “doughnut hole” and would like to buy my drugs from Canada to save money for the remainder of this year. How do I know which online pharmacy to select?
A. Many senior citizens who signed up for the prescription-drug benefit from Medicare are shocked when they hit the so-called doughnut hole. When drug expenses come to a total of $2,400, patients must pay 100 percent of their medication bill. If drug expenses eventually exceed $5,451, Part D kicks in again with catastrophic coverage until the end of the year.
If you don’t think your drug expenses will get that high, you might want to consider purchasing your medicines from Canada. Be sure that you are shopping from a legitimate Canadian online pharmacy, however. Fraudulent pharmacies may be doing business from other countries without the quality control we expect from Canada.
To help you evaluate your options, we are sending you our Guide to Saving Money on Medicine with guidelines for buying medicines from Canada and pros and cons of generic drugs. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (No. 10), stamped (58 cents), self-addressed envelope to: Graedons’ People’s Pharmacy, No. CA-99, P.O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It also can be downloaded for $2 from our Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q. My 86-year-old father was taking Avandia for diabetes. When concerns began to appear in the news, I did my own research and asked his doctor to take him off the drug because of fluid retention.
The difference is amazing. While he was on Avandia, he had 2 liters of fluid removed from around his lungs twice. His pants waist size had increased several times during that time. All of the fluid is gone now that he has been off Avandia for a while.
The doctors could not determine what had caused the fluid buildup, but I was relieved that I figured it out. Avandia should be reconsidered as a treatment for diabetes.
A. The maker of Avandia warns that this drug can cause fluid retention and congestive heart failure. Patients are cautioned that swelling, rapid weight gain, breathing problems or unusual tiredness may be serious and deserve immediate medical attention. It’s a shame your father’s physicians did not identify Avandia earlier as the cause of his fluid retention.
Q. I am a 58-year-old woman, and I suffered from severe vaginal dryness after menopause. I have found great relief from Estring. It has stopped the everyday irritation I was experiencing.
My libido is still a problem, but I find that once foreplay is under way, I am able to enjoy sex. I feel the ring has played an important part in this. Perhaps my experience will help others.
A. Estrogen has long been used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as vaginal dryness. Concerns about side effects such as blood clots or an increased risk of cancer have left many women in a quandary.
Estring is a vaginal estrogen delivery system that releases 2 mg of estradiol gradually over three months. It has been available in this country since 1996. Women whose main menopausal symptom is vaginal dryness often find Estring helpful.
Although the amount of hormone in this vaginal ring is small, it is not appropriate for women with estrogen-sensitive cancers or for those who may be pregnant.