Category Archives: Medications

Save money on diabetes at Giant Eagle

Image via Wikipedia   Great news for diabetics living near a Giant Eagle store:  starting July 29th, 2010, five oral medications for diabetes are free!   The five drugs are chlorpropamide, glimepiride, glipizide, glyburide, and metformin.  These are all generics, meds that normally … Continue reading

Posted in $4 list, Diabetes, Diabetic meds, chlorpropamide, glimepiride, glyburide, metformin - Glucophage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save ways to save money on sinusitis

  Sinusitis is highly overrated. Picture this scenario. You’re the doctor. Your patient has waited an hour to see you. He complains of congestion, headache, sinus pressure, and post-nasal drainage. Yes, the drainage is yellow. No, he hasn’t missed work. … Continue reading

Posted in $4 list, Antibiotics, Antihistamine, Benadryl, Claritin, Congestion - chest, Congestion - head, Decongestants, Expectorants, Headache, Mucinex, Phenylephrine, Pseudoephedrine, Runny nose, Sinus infection, Sinus infection (sinusitis), Sinus pressure, Sinusitis, Sudafed - pseudoephedrine, Symptoms, Zyrtec, guaifenesin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eight ways to save money on asthma

Image via Wikipedia   Get rid of the guinea pig. My sister, an asthma sufferer, once got a guinea pig for her son. Loving mother that she is, she didn’t complain when, days later, she found she couldn’t breathe. Nor … Continue reading

Posted in $4 list, Advair, Patient assistance programs, Proventil HFA, Pulmicort, Serevent, Together Rx Access, Uncategorized, Ventolin HFA, Ventolin ReliOn, albuterol HFA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money by avoiding the PPIs (proton pump inhibitors)

Image by BlueSe7en via Flickr If you looked at this picture, what would you say? Probably, oh, that must be the ‘purple pill.’   Although this isn’t the ‘purple pill’ we’ve all seen on commercials, it does look similar to … Continue reading

Posted in Acid reflux disease, Acid-lowering drugs, Aciphex - rabeprazole, Duodenal ulcers, GERD, GERD, GERD meds, H2-blockers, New generics, Nexium - esomeprazole, PPIs, Prevacid - lansoprazole, Prilosec - omeprazole, Protonix - pantoprazole, Purple pill, Stomach problems, Stomach ulcers, Ulcer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on generic Effexor (venlafaxine)

Paying for medication can be depressing, especially payng for brand-name antidepressants. But those of you waiting for generic Effexor XR are in luck – finally!  Recently the product has become available in generic form.  (The immediate-release venlafaxine has been available in generic for some time … Continue reading

Posted in Antidepressants, Depression, Mental Health, New generics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on repeat ankle sprains

A large number of patients with ankle sprains are repeat customers.    Usually these injuries occur on the outer aspect of the ankle as the foot rolls inward.  Although this sometimes occurs just walking, more commonly it happens during more … Continue reading

Posted in Ankle sprain, Injuries, NSAIDs, Pain relievers, Sprained ankle, Sprains | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on (presumed) spider bites

Image via Wikipedia  If you think you’ve been bitten by a spider, but didn’t see the spider bite you, the bug-bite lesion you’ve attributed to a spider is more likely a MRSA infection. MRSA is methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, a germ that … Continue reading

Posted in Antibiotics, Penicillin, amoxicillin, cephalexin, ciprofloxacin, doxycyline, trimethoprim-sulfa | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on back pain – Part II

Image via Wikipedia    Say you have a bad back. Yesterday I gave you $4,000. Enjoy!      Today I’ll focus on saving money on medications that are used for back pain. There are other modalities which we’ll discuss another time … Continue reading

Posted in Acid-lowering drugs, Advil - see ibuprofen, Also see NSAIDs, Also see muscle relaxers, Arthritis, Aspirin, Back pain, Celecoxib - Celebrex, Dexamethasone, Diclofenac, Flector patch, Ibuprofen, Indomethacin - Indocin, Kenalog, Medrol dose pak, Meloxicam, Methylprednisolone, Motrin - see ibuprofen, Muscle relaxers, NSAIDs, Pain relievers, Patient assistance programs, Piroxicam, Prednisone, Steroids - corticosteroids, Together Rx Access, Voltaren gel, acetaminophen, tramadol | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on heartburn treatment

Image via Wikipedia     Heartburn. Also known as acid reflux, GERD, acid indigestion.  By now all the talk of healthcare reform has probably given you a case of it. Are you one of the estimated 10% of Americans who suffer … Continue reading

Posted in Acid reflux disease, Acid-lowering drugs, Aciphex - rabeprazole, Axid, Duodenal ulcers, GERD, GERD, GERD meds, H2-blockers, Heartburn (GERD), Nexium - esomeprazole, PPIs, Pepcid, Prevacid - lansoprazole, Prilosec - omeprazole, Protonix - pantoprazole, Purple pill, See acid-lowering meds, Stomach problems, Stomach ulcers, Tagamet - cimetidine, Zantac | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nine Ways to Save Money on Newborns

Suppose it’s child #1, the most perfect baby in the world. Of course you buy the very best for your newborn – brand name diapers, scientifically designed baby bottles, professionally done pictures. Of course you take your precious bundle of … Continue reading

Posted in $4 list, Acne, Anti-fungal/yeast, Common cold, Rash, Skin infection, Vaccines | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money on potassium disorders

Too much or too little?  Either way it can be dangerous, even fatal.  Most of my patients who have an abnormal serum potassium level in their blood are unaware of the fact.  Typically, they are taking diuretics (water pills) which deplete … Continue reading

Posted in High potassium, Low potassium, Potassium chloride, Potassium disorders | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Save money by recognizing poison ivy

Dr. Koelker explaiins how to recognize poison ivy, the plants and the rash. Continue reading

Posted in Antihistamine, Itchy rash, Poison ivy - rhus dermatitis, Poison ivy rash, Rash, Skin diseases | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment