Re: Question re: BPH & various drugs

[Guest guest]

Yes, talking to him is a good idea.

The question to ask is:

" Are the advantages of the newer drug, _to me_, worth its extra cost

_to me_ ? "

I've found that doctors often ignore " drug price " when they prescribe.

>

> I was diagnosed with Prostate canacer last year and am emplying

" Watchful Waiting " .

>

> About 6 years ago my Internist put me on an Alpha1 blocker called

" terazosin " in generic

> form for " Hytrin " because I had the symptoms of BPH.

>

> I took it for a while but stopped because the symptoms weren't that

bad. I still have a

> bunch of the 6+ year old capsules in my medicine chest.

>

> Anyway, I saw my Urologist-Oncologist last week and I have

" moderate " BPH (as confirmed

> by a " Urine Volume Test " ) or somesuch. He gave me an Rx for the very

popular " Flomax "

> (tamsulosin) which is quite expensive.

>

> After reading about these drugs I see that they are both Alpha1

blockers and appear to

> have virtually the same indications , contraindications and side

effects.

>

> I know that the Pharma companies are geniuses at making some

chemical alteration to a

> substance (many times with no meaningful changes), branding it and

then selling the

> product at enormous cost because the generic version would not be

available for several

> years.

>

> I suspect that this is the case with the generic Hytrin vs. Flomax.

I would take the Hytrin

> tabs but they are too old and now I have a 3 month supply of Flomax

anyway but would

> like to speak to my Urologist about this when I see him in a few months.

>

> Any thoughts?

>

> Thanks,

>

> Sy

>