In my young single days there were among my circle of friends a group who spoke sdrawkcab. It seemed cute at the time and for a little while I tried to keep up, but it was just too much trouble.
And now the world is moving in that direction. Evidence??
For most of my life I have endured severe leg and foot cramps. In my sdrawkcab days I thought it was due to wearing high heels all day, every day. But somewhere in my late 30s high heels disappeared and cramps continued. The remedies were as many and varried as those for hiccups. They included, putting weight on it, walking around, jumping up and down, rolling like a log...All while trying to relax the offending muscle.
It wasn't until Papa died and we were going through his house and I came across some pills called Legatrin and I took them home and tried them. And, oh my God, they worked like a charm. The active ingredient was Quinine. Within a few months the product "Legatrin" became "New and Improved". Its new active ingredients were Acetaminophen and Diphenhydramine (Tylenol and Sleeping Pills). And no, it did not work.
I asked the pharmacist and he told me that Quinine had become a controlled substance and could only be obtained by prescription. No problem. My doctor wrote me a prescription and I was back in cramp free land. Somewhere in the middle 90s the FDA took it off the market completely (for my protection) and I was back to walking the streets at night. (My house was too small to walk very far very effectively) In 1997 the FDA had backed down and quinine was available again and I don't go anywhere without it.
Since my prescription is for enough pills for me to take one every night and I only take them when I actually get a cramp or feel one coming on, I have a backlog. I have recommended it to all my friends and have even given some away.
Now, comes a letter from my new prescription provider saying that the FDA has taken Quinine Sulfate off the market again and they will soon discontinue distribution of same. I didn't know how soon "soon" was so I quickly tried to refill my prescription. But, alas, too late. "Soon" had come. I called a couple of pharmacies and they are all out also. Believe me, I am hoarding my backlog.
Yesterday I got a letter from my old prescription provider with a little more information. It seems the FDA has recently approved a new manufacturer for quinine sulfate. They are the only approved manufacturer and have given it the brand name Qualaquin. There is no longer any generic quinine sulfate available on the market. A Brand name co-payment may be charged for all Qualaquin prescriptions. Qualaquin may, or may not be a covered drug on my pharmacy benefit plan.
Isn't that a little backwards?
13 comments:
Since I typed this post, I have checked the website of Medco, my new prescription provider. They do cover Qualaquin (yeaa) but the brand name co-pay is 44.95 whereas the generic co-pay I paid last time is 2.84.
Wow. What a difference in price. I think that you will hear from Marcel on this subject, but I will tell you what he told me regarding the easing of repetitive leg and foot cramps: 'Drink Gatorade when you feel it coming on.' I bought some Gatorade a couple of months ago, and it seemed to work, in fact so well that I still have 3/4 of that big bottle in my fridge. I do try to eat a banana every day or two, and I think that it helped me also. My night cramps just seem to have mostly melted away, without using any remedies. I wish I knew why, in case they come back I could be in control.
'Anonymous' is me, Monica. I checked 'Google/Blogger' below, and it didn't like that..I have not converted to the Gooble version, maybe that's why. So I checked 'Other', and it picked up my comment as 'anonymous'. So I'll just have to go under that name. (Probably one of many, if any others have my same problem.)
I have tried bananas and (in younger days) doctor prescribed potassium in pill form and in effervescent (like alka seltzer) drink form. None of that worked. I never heard of the Gatoraid remedy tho.
Talking sdrawkcab is fun, as I can recall from my younger days. I can still read backwards fairly easily, although it kind of hurts my brain afterwards...
It is an outrage for the FDA to be so arbitrarily authoritarian on something so important to some people. Where and how did we give them the wherewithall to do this to us. Again, big government steps in for "our own good". Have you tried Canada for this medicine?
How did I show up as anonymous? I did want my name to show correctly so I chose "Other". Marcel
Marcel, I tried Canada the first time they took it off the market. Other than the black market or some questionable internet sources, you need a prescription from a doctor in Canada to get prescription medication in Canada.
When my supply runs out, I think it will be easier and probably cheaper to pay the Brand Name price than to make an appointment go to and pay for a doctor's visit in Canada.
Ok, so here is my info on the subject. Check the bottle water section of your grocery store. There is bottled water with the Quinine in it. For that same reasor, leg cramps. A friend of mine told me about this.
reason.
Have you ever tasted quinine water? Major yuck. Jeannette's doctor wouldn't prescribe the pills and told her to drink the quinine water. It is also available as a mixer in the soft drink department. I haven't checked but I don't immagine the quinine dosage per bottle would equal the 650 mgs that I take.
Before they made the pills in capsule form it was one of those "try not to touch your lips or your tongue as you wash them down your throat" they tasted so nasty.
If the quinine water were the only quinine available I would have to make some hard choices.
I just checked the label on a bottle of Schweppes Tonic Water and it contains quinine. Duane told me about it after a passenger of his requested it for hand cramps.
Though it is rather odd tasting by itself, it is something I got used to and it didn't need to be swallowed all at once. Anyway, it is cheap and readily available.
If you were to go that route, you could add a mixer like Coke, Vernors, Gin, or Slivowicz. :-) Heck, those last two might even help with sleep, given the right amount of milligrams.
I vote for the Slivowicz for sleeping. It might not improve the taste, it has a flavor all it's own. "Paint remover"
If you added Rum or Whisky that might be good for both ailments also.
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