Drug costs (Dipyridamole)

[WideBody]

Well the Dipyridamole is still working and I am sleeping better than ever. It looks like I will be taking this drug for awhile. One of my issues was cost. It is about $90 per month (cash). Someone on this site gave me a discount pharmacy, like GoodRX. I thought I saved the post and now I can't find it. Does anyone know how to get Dipyridamole that is less expensive? For the record I take 4 * 75mg (300mg) a night.

[Amrob]

You can always have my unused supply WideBody!Joking aside, the (Australian) pharmacy where i had mine compounded ordered the raw ingredient from their supplier who in turn imports it from the US. I was told that if i was going to be using it on an ongoing basis, the pharmacy could order a large batch (of the rawe ingredient) and it would become cheaper.

Persantin (the ready-made dipyridamole drug) was renowned for its cost effectiveness. But i'm told that it's no longer being manufactured.

I'm not sure if any of that helps much...

[SueJohnson]

Check out Goodrx goodrx.com/dipyridamole They give great discounts. For example they show $92.09 at Safeway for 75 mg.

[coldfeet7]

I read about dipyridamole, but heard headache is a common side-effect, especially for migraine sufferers (like me). Did you notice this side-effect?

I don't understand the benefit of drugs like gabapentin or pregabalin if it stops PLMs but leaves you groggy all day. That is what happens when I have the PLMs. Now, if it relieves RLS that happens day and night, well that is much more troubling than twitching PLMs. I get that trade off. My RLS is mild (in my ankles and right calf in the evenings if I eat too late, especially if sweet). But my PLMs are pretty regular in batches in the night (PSG showed 20-80 an hour).

[Amrob in reply to coldfeet7]

PLMs are only a problem if they interfere with sleep. Some people can have lots of PLMs and still sleep fine. Other people, like myself, have lots of PLMs and it affects their sleep to to such an extent that they cannot function the next day. This is where medication comes in.It really boils down to a simple cost - benefit analysis.

For many of us, there's a point at which medication is no longer really a choice, it's a necessity....

I tried dipyridamole and it gave me a constant headache even at a low dose. (I posted on this a few weeks ago if you'd like to read more)

[coldfeet7 in reply to Amrob]

Right.

My 83 per hour led to 22 arousals per hour. It was awful back then. I got off coffee (so, so sad.... caff and decaf) and that has helped a somewhat. My second PSG showed 15 an hour (but when you only sleep 3-4 hours of that whole night that doesn't mean much).

I REALLY want a reasonably priced way to record my PLMs in the night, along with arousals, so I can import them into OSCAR. Only then can I have data to confirm what works and what doesn't. It needs to be easily used at home night after night while looking for a solution. I'd pay $500+ for such a setup. That is how much my health is worth it. Of course the tricky part is interpreting an arousal when trained sleep technicians can't always agree on how to score them.

I'd love to be part of some study on this...