Marinol or Cesamet RX question for relief of chemo

[elf]

My brother has Pancreatic cancer and his insurance was switched in the middle of his treatment. He's on Medicaid/care, his insurance co. will not pay for Marinol or Cesamet (THC) anymore which he said really helped alot, taking him out of doom and gloom and helped alot with nausa.

They also refuse the type of chemo he's been given , but I'm hoping the doctor will be able to change that.

The drug is $2000 a month here in US. I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative. I tried looking at a couple of Canadian pharm's but it's not listed anywhere. Anyone have any knowledge of where to get it.
He can't smoke it it hurts his lungs really bad. His doctor will and has given prescription just looking for a cheaper alternative.
Thank you for any information.

 

[C.Ann]

My brother has Pancreatic cancer and his insurance was switched in the middle of his treatment. He's on Medicaid/care, his insurance co. will not pay for Marinol or Cesamet (THC) anymore which he said really helped alot, taking him out of doom and gloom and helped alot with nausa.

They also refuse the type of chemo he's been given , but I'm hoping the doctor will be able to change that.

The drug is $2000 a month here in US. I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative. I tried looking at a couple of Canadian pharm's but it's not listed anywhere. Anyone have any knowledge of where to get it.
He can't smoke it it hurts his lungs really bad. His doctor will and has given prescription just looking for a cheaper alternative.
Thank you for any information.

Have you tried contacting the drug maker directly - or checked with the pharmacy partners online that will often provide medication free if it's not covered?

I know it won't help with the chemo, but at least he would get some relief from the nausea and depression..

So sorry to hear that your brother is going through this..

 

[lastminutemom]

My father had pancreatic cancer. It is a truly horrible disease.

Acupuncture offered tremendous relief to my father for the nausea and I really think it help his psyche as well. It is sometimes covered by insurance. Multiple studies have shown that acupuncture is effective in curbing the nausea caused by chemo.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

My DS took Zofran for his nausea. He still didn't have much appetite, but his stomach wasn't upset anymore.

 

[cats mom]

I really doubt that marinol or cesamet will be included in any free or reduced price pharmacy program. Cannabinoid-related compounds face a host of additional restrictions and prejudices that most medications don't.

Was zofran not effective for your brother at all? My DD didn't think it was as fabulous as the Drs said it would be, but maybe it could at least help a bit while you continue to research options.

I thought I read that generic versions of marinol were in the works. I don't know if any are available yet, but that might be worth looking in to. Or how about sativex? I don't know if the ins. company would look on it any more favorably or if it would be any less expensive, but again, might be worth a look.

Good luck and hugs to you and your family.

 

[Diabolicdesire]

He can't smoke it it hurts his lungs really bad. His doctor will and has given prescription just looking for a cheaper alternative.
Thank you for any information.

Could he maybe try a vaporizer?

 

[elf]

Thank you all for advice and good wishes. We are all pretty devastated. I'll look into to advice given.

I heard pharm. are cheaper if ordered through Canada but I can't find anyone that sells it. Any one know?

We are all new to this so learning all we can

 

[LovableGluttons]

Have you tried hospice? Not all are run the same way. If the goal of your brother's chemo is palliative, he may be a candidate for hospice. If he is, then all his meds may be covered by hospice.

Maybe call a hospice close to where he lives and ask? Anyone can make a referral, the hospice staff calls the patient's physician for the order to assess the patient.

 

[tiggrsbride]

I am so sorry that you are going through this!

I tried Reglan, Zofran, and Emend (supposedly the heavy duty stuff given during the wicked chemo) at the same time and I was sick and nauseated all of the time. Honestly, what helped was Ativan. It made me relax and not stress about how miserable I felt. I never tried the two medications that you refer to, but I have heard that patients have gotten improvement from the Marinol.

Is there a patient advocate at the hospital that provides treatment? Perhaps he or she could help you navigate this path.

 

[sameyeyam]

I went thru chemo about 3 years ago for breast cancer and had horrible nausea. However, I can assure you that the oncologists in the US have some wonderful anti-nausea drugs that they can prescribe...of course the trick is finding the right one.

One of the things that my oncologist suggested, that worked great for me (besides the medications they were prescribing...mainly Emend and Compazine) was believe it or not, Ginger Root Capsule. I was able to find them in my local health food store and they were awesome. Although the prescription meds worked to some degree, the ginger root capsules worked awesome! It was about $10 for a bottle. As the previous poster also said, Ativan helps. It is an anti-anxiety drug, but it does seem to relax a person and help get thru the nausea. One pill would put me to sleep, so my onc. suggested a pill cutter and to only take half an Ativan. It did help.

If nausea is a huge problem and nothing seems to be working, please have him talk to his doctors and see if they can lower his dosage. I was having problems with mouth sores and my onc. lowered my dosage by 10-15%. It made a HUGE difference. Chemo doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. They estimate the dosage needed based on body weight and a 10-20% reduction won't make a big difference in the effectiveness, but it can make a HUGE difference in side effects and quality of life.

As far as the doom & gloom or depression, have him ask for anti-depressants. There are a large number of anti-depressants that are very compatible with chemo. While they may have to try a few to find the best one for him, it is definitely something that they can do.

Since I was having chemo in Oregon (where medical marijuana is legal), I did inquire about those type of products for my nausea. My oncologist said that he could prescribe it for me, and had in the past for some patients. But he said he thought there were many other drugs available that tended to work better in most patients for nausea.

Lastly, I would like to add that if his oncologist is not able to get him other medications that work and if he's not happy with him/her. Then it might be a good idea to find a new oncologist. Finding a doctor that understands your needs can make a huge difference in how you feel throughout treatment.

Best wishes to him & I hope he can find comfort soon. Chemo is a tough road and not only physically difficult, but an emotional rollercoaster also.

 

[elf]

He likes the oconologist, she is at Columbia and our family has faith in her. It's more the insurance is giving him problems. She will definately give him something else they just have to find something the insurance pays for.

At this point it is not operable but there is hope that if it shrinks they could operate. The last two months we thought it was wrapped into the celiac artery but we found out that it is against it. So we are hopeful that it will shrink although the first round didn't shrink it enough. So he's not ready for hospice.
Thank you everyone.