# Adding Medications to Your Preps



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I am curious how those on medications add extra to their preps. 

Background: I currently take 175 mcg of Synthroid daily. If I miss a dose/day I can not double up to make up the missed dose like with other medications. I found that when I miss a dose if I put it aside in a separate bottle I can add that to my preps. But this is slow at best. I have been on my current dose for about a year and have only saved 15 pills.

I can not ask the doctor for an extra month of pills for the simple fact my dosage can change at anytime. I have to get blood tests done every three months to check if I am on the correct dose.

I have 60 or so pills of this dose but the generic brand of my medication. A few months back I showed signs of allergic reaction to this brand so I was told to stop taking it. I was thinking of rotating in one of these pills a week in place of the correct brand. The point being to add the replaced pills to my stores.

I have seen website that sell my medication without prescription but they don't offer verified/secure checkout so I am reluctant to try them.

I also wanted opinions on vacuum sealing medications in bags for storage- weather in the freezer or my BOB.

Any thoughts?


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

I myself am not on any medications, so this may not be useful to you. I just want to throw it out there.. So, Im very worried about developing diabetes. My dad is diabetic. Ive thought about it a lot, and heres what Ive come up with...

First, explore any and all diet and exercise changes that might help. I already do this to a certain extent, I very rarely eat processed sugar, I dont put it in my coffee, and I resist those sweet tooth cravings as much as i can. When I do eat sweets, I really try and limit it. Ok, so having said all that, if I were to become insulin dependant (which applies to any drug one might be medically dependant on for survival), I would make a trip to mexico and stock up ASAP. Most meds like this are very difficult to get extras of. Experimenting with dosage and putting away some pills has its risks, as does heading south of the border for a drug run. I would also try to find someone in another country that would be willing to ship to a US address. Thats a loose outline of what i would do... your mileage may vary...


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Good point FatTire. If your doctor will write the prescription Canada has good prices on meds. My folks save four thousand a year by using a Canadian pharmacy. Some States have laws forbidding this.

My insurance will refill my prescription before the last is used. By ordering on the first available day I have acquired a years worth of most of my prescriptions. If my dosage is changed I adapt accordingly. Pill splitters are inexpensive and most pills can be halved or even quartered. Often they will keep the same pill and increase or decrease the number. If they double the dosage I take two of the old prescription. 

Anything that is taken off my plan is set aside incase it is ever put back on my plan or saved for someone else. I have also been given drugs that were no longer on someones plan but were on mine. The military did some testing shortly after expiration dates were instituted and found that most were still good more than a decade after their expiration dates. As with most things I use first in first out.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I've had issues in the past and had many prescriptions for pain pills. I did not use them all at the time. Next bout they would prescribe me another batch (year or two later). Saved some of them, rinse and repeat. I vacuum sealed them in small bags, cut the bags to size and seal individually in 24 hour doses. Back into the ORIGINAL prescription bottle and into the freezer. IMPORTANT POINT! If you have prescription pills without them being in a bottle with your name on them, they are illegal drugs!!!

I had bouts of gout years ago and have a good supply of those pills packaged the same way, only in 7 day doses. I know this has been said many times here before but diet will take care of a huge amount of medical issues. BUT! Just in case I do have a supply available. Also look into medicinal herbs for your issues. They will not take the place of, or be as strong as prescription but are an alternative. I use skullcap and valerian for pain issues. If I have an acute attack of gout they will NOT make the pain go away like opioids but make it bearable enough so I do not want to grab an axe and chop the toe off.

As for prescription drugs for other issues, talk to your doctor. If you are regularly taking drugs for specific issues I bet he would prescribe a month or two ahead for you to have on hand. If your dose changes regularly pick an average dose and stock up on them, they will be better than nothing. If your doctor will not prescribe extras for you to have in case of an emergency, I would be shopping for another more caring doctor!!


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

Diet is not going to "fix" a thyroid that is not working. period.

Now, what I do is one week before I need a refill ( 7 days worth of pills) I take the script in and get it refilled. The I store the extra pills ( and rotate them thru my pills). I've been doing this for years and have a good stash of them so far. Missing one thyroid pill won't hurt ya and I've made peace with the fact that I can and will go 4 days before taking one (IF I HAVE TO).
Now some have talked about dessicated pig thyroid, but you have to experiment with the dosage to where it's what you need.
I imagine you can buy some on the net at online pharmacies without a script for the doctor's. I haven't gone that route yet.

Again I don't know where people find these doctors that just write scripts for the asking and what ever little whim comes across their desk. I can never find them.

Good Luck


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I am not on any prescriptions but I have loved ones that are, including Synthroid. One very useful thing imo is a gram scale, along with the pill splitter mentioned already. With pills that are divisible (synthroid and many/most others) any required dose can be made from another. With problems like thyroid and diabetes or even blood thinners where the dosages are variable there is a lot that can be done. Chart your dosage over time, understand the progression of your problem and how it may change, make an effort to identify and quantify your symptoms and understand how that effects your dosage. Some people with diabetes for instance become incredibly accurate at judging their levels, using a test only to verify. Their family can also learn to help gauge their levels, some are quite adept.

These issues are quite a concern for me , despite the fact I don't use any myself.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Diet and exercise cannot fix all things. Sorry if i came across as saying that, was not my intent. Cancer wont be cured eating carrots and running ten miles, thyroids wont be replaced by push ups and beet juice. 

On the other hand, legal and illegal aint the same as right and wrong, and a great deal of needless suffering is endured by good people following the law too closely.. IMHO of course...


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Genevieve said:


> Diet is not going to "fix" a thyroid that is not working. period.
> 
> Now, what I do is one week before I need a refill ( 7 days worth of pills) I take the script in and get it refilled. The I store the extra pills ( and rotate them thru my pills). I've been doing this for years and have a good stash of them so far. Missing one thyroid pill won't hurt ya and I've made peace with the fact that I can and will go 4 days before taking one (IF I HAVE TO).
> Now some have talked about dessicated pig thyroid, but you have to experiment with the dosage to where it's what you need.
> ...


What dose do you take?

I also refill before I "need" to and separate my pills into 4 bottles for the month. Each bottle has 7 pills- a weeks worth. The 2 extra in the refill are added to my stash.

I have a few pills left over from other dosages but they are Levothyroxine and the pills are near impossible to split. Though having a pill splitter would be a good idea.

My doctor told me that taking ketone tests can help measure T3 levels if a baseline is established. I know the test strips are cheap online but I wan tto build up a stash of pills before trying the tests. There are also saliva tests that can be done at home for T3 levels but I haven't found those yet.


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## FatTire (Mar 20, 2012)

Just to clarify on pill splitting, if the pill has a line downd the middle, it can be safely cut in half, if it has a cross it can be safely quartered., if it doesnt have those, you are taking a risk. Halve a pill with no line, and one half could be a full dose, the other couls be nothing. Not saying dont do it, just be aware of the risks.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

FatTire said:


> Just to clarify on pill splitting, if the pill has a line downd the middle, it can be safely cut in half, if it has a cross it can be safely quartered., if it doesnt have those, you are taking a risk. Halve a pill with no line, and one half could be a full dose, the other couls be nothing. Not saying dont do it, just be aware of the risks.


That's why I said the Levo are impossible to split.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Always be aware of the risks with something like this.

The gram scale will help determine if they are split evenly, but can also be used for more creative dosages. Some pills that are too hard to split can be crushed, this is done at times now, mainly for people with extreme difficulty swallowing, you can buy pill "crushers". One possible route is to then have some empty capsules that you can fill with the appropriate dosage. These can be bought by the thousand for a few dollars and there are inexpensive tools to help with filling as well, again dosages can be verified with a scale.

Pills that have coatings or another means of extended release can behave differently, so don't just take somebodies word for it, do the research and find what you are comfortable with. Either way having the tools around for an emergency probably wouldn't hurt.


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

Your endocrinologist is shooting at a moving target if they prescribe dosages and the you choose when to take it or you are purposefully lowering your dose. I would rather you be honest with me and I would write you a backup script of your current dose. You are going to have years of thyroid tests that don't correlate to dosages in your records. Its a good thing if your aware of what really going on because your doctor likely has thoughts in their head about your treatment that differs and they are basing unsaid decisions off of this variance of what they prescribe and how your body responds. 

Have your tried having just a plain chit chat. Legally it's not an issue as long as you aren't trying to get insurance to cover it twice. With that being said, it is a legal issue with controlled substances such as pain medication.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

drfacefixer said:


> Your endocrinologist is shooting at a moving target if they prescribe dosages and the you choose when to take it or you are purposefully lowering your dose. I would rather you be honest with me and I would write you a backup script of your current dose. You are going to have years of thyroid tests that don't correlate to dosages in your records. Its a good thing if your aware of what really going on because your doctor likely has thoughts in their head about your treatment that differs and they are basing unsaid decisions off of this variance of what they prescribe and how your body responds.
> 
> Have your tried having just a plain chit chat. Legally it's not an issue as long as you aren't trying to get insurance to cover it twice. With that being said, it is a legal issue with controlled substances such as pain medication.


I do not lower my dose or purposefully miss doses. I have missed a few over the years but never with the intent to hoard my pills. When I had my blood test that lead to the current dose of 175mcg my doctor asked me point blank if I had missed any pills around the time of the test. I was honest and told her no. The reason she was concerned was I had been on 150mcg before, during and a year after I was pregnant.

Now if I miss 2+ doses I do call her office. They will push back my blood test a month and give me one more refill. I haven't missed 2 in a row since I gave birth to Roo 2 years ago.

This is the main reason I separate my pills into 4- 7 day dosage bottles. I don't want to miss my meds. Also why I am asking how others add meds to their preps.

But thank you for your concern.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Just to be clear, I wasn't recommending splitting or crushing in order to save doses, though I understand that this is done. There are legitimate reasons for pill splitting today as well, but I was referring more specifically to using up doses that don't match your current one (in an emergency).

I also think that any good doctor should be willing to help you have a "reasonable" amount on hand and that has been the experience of those I know who have asked, for the most part. I have driven in a blizzard to get pills for a senior who literally would run out the same time they got their new ones


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

Grimm said:


> I do not lower my dose or purposefully miss doses. I have missed a few over the years but never with the intent to hoard my pills. When I had my blood test that lead to the current dose of 175mcg my doctor asked me point blank if I had missed any pills around the time of the test. I was honest and told her no. The reason she was concerned was I had been on 150mcg before, during and a year after I was pregnant. Now if I miss 2+ doses I do call her office. They will push back my blood test a month and give me one more refill. I haven't missed 2 in a row since I gave birth to Roo 2 years ago. This is the main reason I separate my pills into 4- 7 day dosage bottles. I don't want to miss my meds. Also why I am asking how others add meds to their preps. But thank you for your concern.


 I using your example and generalizing with all the talk of pill splicing and whatnot. From a providers point of view, I either have a patient that is compliant and trusting with care or one that is off saying one thing and doing another. (Not you) I would rather save you and I both the head ache and give you the ability to put away an extra 60 or 90 day supply of a chronic med in case of an emergency. It might be a lot to ask for more than a three month supply and explain you think society is ending. But if your medication is a slep med you can easily ask for the 3 month supply per year citing that the med is expired one year from dispense date( although it is likely good for much longer) That's a lot easier to get 90 in a year plus your 15.

I gotcha Cowboy. I didn't think you were passing any ill advice. You are pretty level headed, reasonable and well thought out.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

cowboyhermit said:


> Just to be clear, I wasn't recommending splitting or crushing in order to save doses, though I understand that this is done. There are legitimate reasons for pill splitting today as well, but I was referring more specifically to using up doses that don't match your current one (in an emergency).
> 
> I also think that any good doctor should be willing to help you have a "reasonable" amount on hand and that has been the experience of those I know who have asked, for the most part. I have driven in a blizzard to get pills for a senior who literally would run out the same time they got their new ones


My neighbor is also on Synthroid and splits her pills from old dosages to fill her current need.


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## hitman3872 (Oct 21, 2013)

Grimm 

I am a diabetic and also on levothyroxin the generic version of Synthroid. What I did was told my doctor the truth and that I wanted a 90 script for a bug out plan in case of emergencies. I did this right after Joplin got hit with an Ef-5 tornado and they are about an hour from where I live. I told the doctor that I was scared of something like that happening and I wanted a safe supply in case and he gladly obliged. Just tell the truth.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

hitman3872 said:


> Grimm
> 
> I am a diabetic and also on levothyroxin the generic version of Synthroid. What I did was told my doctor the truth and that I wanted a 90 script for a bug out plan in case of emergencies. I did this right after Joplin got hit with an Ef-5 tornado and they are about an hour from where I live. I told the doctor that I was scared of something like that happening and I wanted a safe supply in case and he gladly obliged. Just tell the truth.


Thanks. Now if only we had tornadoes in California...


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

Grimm said:


> Thanks. Now if only we had tornadoes in California...


You've got trailer courts so you must have tornadoes.

As I recall you live in the mountains so forest fires might be a better excuse for you. There are certainly enough wild fires in CA. You might claim you are prepping against a yeti attack.:dunno:


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## hitman3872 (Oct 21, 2013)

It doesn't matter what your fear is for your prep if it is real to you they should give you the script but like my doctor told me I had to go to another pharmacy to get it filled.


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

hitman3872 said:


> It doesn't matter what your fear is for your prep if it is real to you they should give you the script but like my doctor told me I had to go to another pharmacy to get it filled.


That's only true to a reasonable extent. Providers are held liable for what you do with that medication. If I gave you a year supply and you purchased it as an out of pocket cost only to have a reaction to it a month later or find it wasn't the best medication for you, It would be easy for you to find a lawyer to take suit against me. That lawyer would not have a hard time showing that my dispensing was grossly out of the norm and that I was not looking out for your best interest. Plenty of other doctors would say have multiple reasons why they would have considered it bad judgement.Wether it ever went to court or not, the legal intervening would flag risk for malpractice and I would have to answer to insurance for justification. That comes up every time you apply for a license and every time you credential for privileges. There is a set norm and going beyond that is possible but the doctor has more at risk that the patient. You can try to tell your doctor what to do just as much as you want to tell your account what to put on your tax returns. If you stay within the norms it protects you and them. A 3 month supply is about the maximum supply insurance will do on an established medication. Most hospital and pharmacies have similar policies for legal protection as well. More can be legally done, it's just not the norm under a doctor patient relationship.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

drfacefixer said:


> That's only true to a reasonable extent. Providers are held liable for what you do with that medication. If I gave you a year supply and you purchased it as an out of pocket cost only to have a reaction to it a month later or find it wasn't the best medication for you, It would be easy for you to find a lawyer to take suit against me. That lawyer would not have a hard time showing that my dispensing was grossly out of the norm and that I was not looking out for your best interest. Plenty of other doctors would say have multiple reasons why they would have considered it bad judgement.Wether it ever went to court or not, the legal intervening would flag risk for malpractice and I would have to answer to insurance for justification. That comes up every time you apply for a license and every time you credential for privileges. There is a set norm and going beyond that is possible but the doctor has more at risk that the patient. You can try to tell your doctor what to do just as much as you want to tell your account what to put on your tax returns. If you stay within the norms it protects you and them. A 3 month supply is about the maximum supply insurance will do on an established medication. Most hospital and pharmacies have similar policies for legal protection as well. More can be legally done, it's just not the norm under a doctor patient relationship.


So, how would you advise the subject be broached with a doctor based on the dose and medication?


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## hauntedcuriosities (Dec 3, 2013)

You can get antibiotics and maybe insulin at Cal-vet. They are a vet supply company in California. I have bought and taken Amoxcillian and Cipro from them. The drugs they sell come from the same manufacture you get from the pharmacy. The only difference is that it will have a fish on the bottle. I have saved myself hundreds of dollars this way. It also makes me mad that these same drug companies sell out of the country for far less then we are charged in the states. In Mexico Cipro might cost 5.00 in the states we would pay 200.00, just an example. Cal-vet has great experation dates and ships super fast. Sorry for any spelling errors but on my phone and have tennis elbow right now.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Grimm, have you read Stop The Madness? (http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/) Just a thought, not saying it's got info that you don't already know, but they talk a lot about other products that have helped a LOT of people with their Thyroid issues. One is Naturethyroid which can be purchased on Amazon for $28. Maybe it would be worth it to at least have it on the shelf for after TSHTF.
The only reason I mention it is because I believe that we ALL will have to get used to some big changes in what meds we take, how much we can get, and how much they're going to cost us, if for no other reason than Obamacare. Even those with private insurance may see more difficulty because their doctors are going to be faced with more red tape and hoops to jump through for not only treatment but medication. I guess my opinion is that it'd be better to have SOMETHING on hand as opposed to nothing at all.


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## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

Grimm said:


> So, how would you advise the subject be broached with a doctor based on the dose and medication?


How often do you see your doctor? Sounds like you see him or her pretty often because of the condition and the need to be followed and adjusted based on labs and your self evaluation of any developing fatigue and other symptoms. You see your doctor much more than most. To you it may not seem like you know your doctor extremely well, but as a repeat patient with a life long issue I'm sure your doctor feels they understand you much more than any of their once a in a great while patients. If you have open honest communication, I would just plainly say that with everything going the way it is in the world, It would alleviate a great deal of daily stress to know that I wasn't living month to month with my medications. Put it in terms of you wouldn't like living that way with money, I don't feel extremely comfortable not having a backup on these same meds I've been on x amount of years. If your dose has been pretty stable and you don't have a history of "losing prescriptions" or taking prescription different that prescribed, There really is little risk in your doctor helping you out with an extra 3 months right now. Especially since this medication runs $30 to $100 for 100 tabs. It's low risk for self medicating. It has no abuse potential and honestly insurance probably don't even track it because of its low cost. If it's your one major health issue, i would figure most doctors would do it.

It's harder to play the game with diabetes especially if the patient is poorly controlled. That means they don't have a handle on their health and giving them stockpiles only lengthens the leash instead of reals them in. Same with psych meds. It could be seen as a liability for being lax on routine follow ups and proper longer term treatment planning.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

We were honest with E's doc regarding his blood pressure med (only script he has). We flat out told her that with the way the country is, we wanted to make sure he had enough meds to do him shld something happen and her office was closed for an extended period of time.


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## HarleyRider (Mar 1, 2010)

A major problem that I have is that I have to take 3 Prograf pills every 12 hours to prevent rejection of my transplanted liver. This is a medicine that can't be stockpiled, since I receive exactly 30 days worth every 30 days via dated prescription. If the supply of this medication should become unavailable to me, I will probably die due to organ rejection. I have to take these pills every day for the rest of my (hopefully long) life. So far, I have found no conceivable way to stockpile this drug. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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