Prednisone Shortage?

[indigovalley]

I take hydroxychloroquine and prednisone for Lupus and today when I went to get my prednisone refilled at Walgreens they could only give me 5 days worth. They are trying to order more but I was told its possible their supplier won't have any. What the heck?

I was told they are using it for COVID treatment and its in demand. I take the 1 mg tablets (4 daily) so you'd think those wouldn't be affected due to being a smaller dose. This is medicine I really need to control my Lupus--it was bad enough when there were shortages of hydroxychloroquine.

So another example of the unmasked and unvaccinated with COVID affecting the health of others?

[NewDayOranges]

1. What state are you in?

[indigovalley]

13. I am in Minnesota

[Sgent]

2. Try another drugstore

Walgreens won't go outside its normal suppliers when it faces shortages. Earlier in the year they were out of atenolol randomly for 6 months.

Prednisone isn't on any recommended list for Covid treatment (unlike HCQ in the beginning).

[Lemon Lyman]

12. Damn

They were out of Atenolol this year too?? They were out of it for 6 months or so (started in the summer), maybe 3 years ago. They temporarily switched me to Metropolol. I'd taken that when I first started taking bb's years ago, and I hated it. Thankfully I'd somehow built a cache of Atenolol which lasted me right up until they started having it available again.

[indigovalley]

18. I take Atenolol also--geez, I'm going to have to switch pharmacies

[Slammer]

24. pharmacy chain specific shortage

Yeah, that sounds like a pharmacy chain specific shortage. I used to face those all the time with CVS and ended up switching to Wal-Mart so I wouldn't have repeated headaches.

Chains only order from certain manufacturers. And if those manufacturers have to shut down for any reason or switch from making one thing to making another thing (to earn them more money) for some number of months, it'll cause random shortages.

Cheap generics like prednisone are particularly vulnerable to being bumped.

There's also widespread supply chain issues of getting the basic chemicals needed to manufacture some medicines just as there are supply chain issues for almost everything else as the economy is getting restarted.

[pnwmom]

28. Covid can cause a serious type of inflammation, so are you sure it isn't used for Covid treatment?nt

[CincyDem]

3. Probably the raw material for the tables being in demand...the concentrated steroid.

you happen to get it in tables with 1mg of prednisone in the formula. someone else gets it with 5mgs. someone else (the covid guy) gets it suspended in a liquid that can be misted into his/her lungs.

Same prednisone.

There's your shortage.

[wnylib]

20. Is Prednisone used for covid

treatments? I know it's an anti-inflammatory drug, but it also interferes with immune system function, so wouldn't that be harmful to covid patients?

[CincyDem]

23. I don't know but steroids in general are probably part of the care.

Prednisone is entry level so I would expect it to be in the early rounds.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. They use it for exacerbations

for COPD and often use methylprednisolone IVs for similar when in the hospital and/or for pneumonia treatments.

[wnylib]

33. Yes, Prednisone has many uses.

I was on a low dose for two years for polymyalgia rheumatica - inflamed muscles as an aftermath of viral bronchitis (sort of a "long haul" bronchitis). As a side benefit, my allergies and asthma went away during that time, too.

But a side effect of steroids, including Prednisone, is lowered immune response (which is why my allergies and asthma cleared up while I was on it). So it seems like it would be counter productive as a covid med.

[BumRushDaShow]

36. I was in the hospital for pneumonia

right around the end of the swine flu epidemic and was on it (IV and then oral for 7 days when released) and my PMO gave me a script for it (5 day course, non-tapered) in case I got any later exacerbations. Also had bronchial asthma as a kid (mostly when I got a cold), so any respiratory illness had a tendency to go right there.

My sister has been on it for over 20 years for her RA. She has had numerous infusions of various drugs over the years in addition to the prednisone and opiates.

The stuff really is a miracle drug for aches and pains too but it is devastating for long term use due to how it can impact mood and other physiological stuff that it can do to the body.

I don't think they would be using it as a therapeutic for long-term COVID treatment in the hospital but maybe for those with moderate symptoms who went to the ER and were released to let the virus run its course at home with just a one or two week treatment to keep the inflammation down in the lungs (and they may have gotten scripts for stuff like albuterol, too etc). I expect there are probably many many times more of those types of patients than the ones who end up in the hospital on vents.

[wnylib]

37. Yup. Long term effects not good.

I started on 10mg daily. The instant relief was like a miracle because my disorder was crippling and I had lost a lot of range of motion in my arms. Within hours of the first pill, I could walk easily, move my arms. I also was slightly "high" from it.

Gradually I tapered down to 7.5 mg, then 5, and finally 2.5 for several months.

I gained weight with it, but not like a weight gain from food. I got broader all over - shoulders, mid section, etc. Looked like a small tank (5 feet tall). Got irrritable and short-fused.

It's five years since I stopped taking it. Took several months, up to a year, before my body size normalized. Then I needed to tone up some muscle flabbiness.

It worked well to put my condition in remission, but I would not want to take it again.

[Horse with no Name]

40. They've been using dexamethasone

And not prednisone but who really knows anymore with all the quack treatments

[roamer65]

4. All thanks to willfully unvaccinated covidiots.

Fuck all of them.

[Vinca]

5. Try buying it from Canada if you don't get anywhere with local pharmacies.

[zuul]

6. How does one go about filling a prescription in Canada?

How do you find one that isn’t scammy? One of my medications has been unavailable in the US for over a year and I would be interested in a Canadian pharmacy.

My doctor rarely gives me a written prescription. She sends them directly to the pharmacy. Do you have to have a written Rx to use a Canadian pharmacy?

Last question: I assume it’s legal to buy Canadian medication?

[PatSeg]

8. Yes, it is legal to buy medicine from Canada

with a valid prescription. I have used two companies in the past. The one was much better than the other, but they all take several weeks to deliver the medication. They were very good for most over priced drugs, but not so much for the cheaper ones. The whole process was more complicated that filling a prescription through your pharmacy in the U.S., but in many cases the cost savings made it worth it.

The one I ended up using was Canadapharmacy.com. The company is located in Canada, but the prescriptions come from all over the world. I've gotten some from Britain and Germany.

The first one I used, Global Pharmacy Plus was cheaper, but the whole process was much more complicated and very frustrating.

[zuul]

11. Thanks for the info.

[PatSeg]

31. You are very welcome

The Canada Pharmacy people were very friendly and helpful. If it wasn't for Canadian drug outlets, there were medications I would have gone without. The U.S. prices were insane. I haven't used them in about a year as I don't have any open prescriptions, but I assume they are pretty much the same.

[indigovalley]

14. I plan to try CVS

CVS pharmacy at Target if Walgreens can't get it.

[PatSeg]

7. That is awful

Prednisone is one of the cheapest and most basic medications we have. I would have never imagined it being in short supply. It is a crucial medication for so many illnesses. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

[indigovalley]

15. It was bad enough with the Hydroxychloroquine

But we had a great local pharmacy (100 years old--went out of business during COVID) that kept all us Lupus patients stocked up. I really miss that place.

[PatSeg]

32. These are truly crazy times

I don't have Lupus, but Prednisone has saved my life several times.

[applegrove]

9. Vibes to you.

[JohnSJ]

10. Check CVS or another pharmacy. Walgreens in general has been having issues since their financial

problems

[indigovalley]

16. CVS at Target is my first choice if I can't get it from Walgreens

[JohnSJ]

19. Hoping things go smoothly for you

[wnylib]

22. I've had good experienes with CVS finding

alternative sources when one of my meds (Losartan) was not available from the usual source.

[JohnSJ]

38. Wow, losartan should also be readily available

[wnylib]

39. It is readily available now. But a few

years ago there was a shortage from their usual source and in the usual form that I take it (combined with hydrochlorothrorazide). The problem was with the manufacturer. Several dozen batches had to be recalled over a period of several months due to a carcinogenic contaminant. They had to halt production, find the source, and produce test batches for further examination and testing.

CVS sent me a letter listing ALL the recalled batches and explaining how to find the batch number on my bottle to check it. When I was in the store, the pharmacist explained to me what was going on. It affected pharmacies across country.

They found an alternate source but it did not come in the combined form that I take, so they got hydrochlorothorazide pills in the right dose for me to take with the Losartan. That went on for about a year.

Now I'm back to the regular combo pills, but from a different source apparently because the pills and bottles look different.

[ProfessorGAC]

34. Hopefully, That's Over

Last 2 quarters, their earnings exceeded expectations, and profitability was pretty good.
Q2 & Q3 2020, they did post losses though.
Closing a couple hundred stores might have stabilized things.
We shall see.

[FrankTC]

21. So That Explains It

I tried to fill a prescription for prednisone about three weeks ago and the pharmacy only had enough to give me 12 tablets, less than half. Consternation -- why would a pharmacy be low on prednisone? It didn't occur to me that Delta's arrival in northern Michigan had increased demand. Apparently doctors are prescribing it, though I haven't read anything about its efficacy. Personally, I'm hoping for molnupiravir to become available, maybe this fall. Works demonstrably well in ferrets, so probably life saving for Republicans, who are a related species (weasels). Hopefully it'll help primates too. Early trials are very promising.

[IronLionZion]

25. There are no healthcare shortages in America

Just higher and higher prices depending on how badly you need it

[multigraincracker]

26. I like a small independent druggist near me.

I use injectable Benadryl for hives when I get an allergic reaction. Has kept me out of the hospital for 10 years now. Use to be able to get it from all of the regular druggist, but they say they can't get it anymore. I asked the independent one about it and said the profit is so small the chain stores won't bother with it. I tipped him $20 and told him to buy everyone a coffee.

Good luck.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. I have COPD and I have a rescue pack of Predisone that I can use in emergencies

[Sympthsical]

30. Just asked my partner

Regional pharmacy manager. He hasn't heard anything about a prednisone shortage here (in California). But he said he could see it happening if there's an unexpected caseload and anti-inflammatories are needed. He said that'd mostly be for out-patient treatments, i.e. difficulty breathing, but not bad enough to require hospitalization.

The only shortage in CA, at least, is Chantix of all things. Pfizer had to do a recall of a bunch of the stuff. They currently have to import it from Canada.

Funny story about prednisone. I had a real bad allergic reaction to something back in February. No idea what, as I don't have known allergies. The hospital gave me a bunch of shots, then prednisone for home. I asked the mister how to take it, as I got back from the ER late in the evening. He was a little distracted and like, "Just do the day."

Well, the day was like six or seven pills. Oh yeah, heavy sleep paralysis, vivid hallucinations/sleep lucidity. Pretty much thought I was dying for 12 hours, but couldn't call out for help from sleep. When I finally emerged from that hell, I asked him what happened in a panic. His response, "You took the whole day's worth?!" I was like, "I asked you!"

This is a man with a pharmacy doctorate.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. Ooops!

In the early onset days of MS, I was put on Solumedrol infusion, which is like prednisone at 1 megaton.
After 4 days of that, I went on a weening regime.
6 pills for 4 days, then 5, then 4 and so on. Takes over 3 weeks to ween.
For about 5 weeks, I swear I could feel my hair growing!
My sleep thing was the opposite though. I was sleeping 90-150 minutes a night for a month, and didn't feel worn out.
So, I can identify with your experience!