Topamax and Imitrex Generic Migraine Drugs Save Money

A migraine is a chronic condition of terrible headache attacks, sometimes interrupting the sufferer's life days at a time. The World Health Organization says about 10 percent of men and 20 percent of women miss work or leisure activities because of migraines each year in North America, and similarly in Central America, South America, Europe, India and Turkey.

Expensive name-brand drugs have been the leaders in the migraine battle for years. Migraine pain triptan prescriptions, like Imitrex, work to quickly stop the intense pain. Topamax works to reduce the number of migraine attacks that occur.

Yesterday: Migraine Pain vs. Wallet Pain

Until the early months of 2009, migraine patients suffered another kind of pain with name brand drugs. While getting rid of the horrid pain in the head, they got a big pain in the wallet. Generic triptan pain drugs, like for Imitrex, weren't available to offer a competitive edge in price relief.

The enormous cost of prescription migraine medications often prevented patients from buying the pain relief they needed. Brand name triptan migraine pain drugs like Axert, Imitrex, Maxalt, Relpax, and Zomig, packaged in sets of 6 to 9 tablets, were not unusual for patients without insurance to pay more than $30 per pill. The migraine prevention drug, Topamax, sold in a 60 tablet bottle, left uninsured patients spending about $3 to $8 per tablet without insurance.

Today: Generic Migraine Drugs Equals Money Saved

In January 2009, the exclusive Imitrex brand expired, so generic drug manufacturers stepped into the migraine drug market with the generic Imitrex formula, sumatriptan succinate. Patients' wallets opened a little easier, with the lower cost savings of about 20% per 9 tablet package, according to drugstore.com.

A better price break came to Topamax patients in April 2009, when the generic formula, topiramate, hit the retail pharmacy shelves. According to Drugstore.com, topiramate is offered for about 87% less than the Topamax brand price.

Migraine Patients: Self-Advocate in Health Care

Patients can take simple action to save money on their migraine prescriptions:

Ask the pharmacist: "Does my refillable triptan or Topamax prescription on file show that my doctor indicated generic substitution allowed?"

If the answer is "Yes," ask the pharmacist if he/she might consider filling your prescription with generic, now that it is available.

If the answer is "No," talk with the prescribing doctor about the possibility of changing from brand to generic.

Regardless of the pharmacist's answer, patients need to discuss any possible medication change with their prescribing doctors.Pain in the wallet isn't so bad now that generic formula Imitrex and Topamax are on the market. Migraine patients are free to live with less worry about the cost of the next migraine prescription.

This article is intended for information purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Seek health care counsel from certified and licensed health practitioners.

Resources:

General migraine terminology: www.epocrates.com
Personal migraine medical journey: Author, Lynn Pritchett (Herstory)