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Prescription drug prices have gone through the roof.
A month’s supply of Lipitor: $160
A month’s supply of Nexium: $196
A month’s supply of Plavix: almost $200
A month’s supply of Singulair: $170
A month’s supply of Lexapro: $120
A month’s supply of Crestor: $156
One inhaler of Advair: $235
A month’s supply of Cymbalta: $170

With prices like those, it is hardly any wonder that insurance companies are doing everything in their power to switch you to a low-cost generic.
A month’s supply of the sleeping pill Ambien could cost $220 or more, depending on where you buy it. The generic zolpidem is less than $20.
What’s the catch? Many visitors to our website have complained about problems with certain generic versions of zolpidem. Here is just one:
“The XXX generic brand of Ambien does not work at all. It has given me hives and also, I have taken 20mg and it is 1 am and I am writing this during a terrible bout of insomnia. The real Ambien puts me to sleep within 20 minutes or less. I wish there was somewhere I could send these pills off to be analyzed. Something is wrong with this picture.”
The trouble is that many, if not most, of the generics that go for $5 or less come from countries like China or India where the FDA cannot do much inspecting. The result is that you are on your own when it comes to battling insurance companies about low-cost generic drugs that don’t do the job.
Then there are the side effects that you may have to contend with whether it’s a generic or a brand-name prescription.
One of the most popular drugs in the pharmacy is lisinopril for high blood pressure. We have heard from so many readers who were not warned of a very unpleasant side effect:

“Started taking lisinopril 2 weeks ago, which is about the time my cough started. This cough is unreal! I have only slept about an average of three hours nightly since.
“I have had coughing spells like this in the past, like a post nasal drip from allergies. At first I just thought that’s all it was. However, it never lasts this long or is this unrelenting. It is a gagging, tickle in your throat type of cough.
“I have finished a whole bottle of Mucinex cough, a whole bag of cough drops, lots of Advil for the body aches and headache from coughing, prescription type Zyrtec daily, several nebulizer treatments, nose sprays, and I have to carry a bottle of water with me everywhere I go. After a couple nights of coughing so hard, I woke up with diminishing vision in my R eye and had to go to the ER that day. Also went to two eye doctors since. None of them can figure out what happened to my eye. I think it had something to do with coughing so much! Going for MRI today. Luckily I asked for the upright kind because every time my head hits the pillow another coughing spell starts.
“Called the doc right before getting on this web site to ask for a different high blood pressure med. Hope it doesn’t take a long time to get out of my system like some people are reporting. Good luck to all!”

So…here’s the bottom line. Even the most widely used prescription medications can have unpleasant side effects. Brand-name drugs can cost an arm and a leg and the generics are not always trustworthy. What’s a person to do?
One possibility is to try an alternative approach. We are offering our new book from National Geographic called The People’s Pharmacy Quick and Handy Home Remedies. It is filled with practical affordable advice for dozens of common ailments. Here is a link to find out more about that book. As an added incentive we are offering for the holidays a companion volume, Recipes and Remedies From The People’s Pharmacy at 50% off the cover price of $14.95. When you put in the CODE: RR50 you will get Recipes and Remedies for $7.48. It would make a fabulous gift for someone this holiday.
To take advantage of this special offer you will need to put both books into your shopping cart. That is, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Hand Home Remedies AND Recipes & Remedies. Once they are in, make sure you put in the special code RR50 to get your 50% discount on Recipes & Remedies. The cost of the book will go from $14.95 (cover price) to $7.48.
Should you decide to purchase Top Screwups Doctors Make & How to Avoid Them, we are extending our offer of a FREE copy of Favorite Foods From The People’s Pharmacy through the end of November. It will be sent automatically with EVERY copy of Top Screwups that is ordered!
Questions: please call 800-732-2334

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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