Enbrel in Mexico??/No health insurance... | Arthritis Information

 

Hi,
Brand new to this forum, first post.  I am recently divorced, starting a new life, moving to Baja Mexico soon (just came back from a 3 week vaca. there) and will spend winters there and summers in Colorado.  My employment will be varied to say the least.  As far as I know I will not have health insurance.  Looking for information on how to continue using/obtaining Enbrel under these circumstances.  I will go and call the 800 numbers for Enbrel and Amgen, but it being New Year's Day I doubt if I will get a human response. 

I had to go off Enbrel (I had been on since 2005- never missed a dose) for hernia surgery, went off Nov. 16th.  Went to Baja 1 week after sugery, flew out of N.H. Dec. 11th.  Did not take Enbrel with me since I was still off due to surgery.  I was fine until about the 22nd when the pain started coming back.  I have been in severe pain ever since.  Finally got back "home" on the 29th and took the shot.  Pain seems to have eased some, but I know it will take time for the full effect.

Any help or info about obtaining Enbrel without health insurance and possibly in Mexico would be greatly appreciated.  I leave my computer for a short bit now to make those phone calls but I will check back in about 10-15 minutes. 

Thank you for listening and for any help you can give me.

-paladin
paladin2009-01-01 07:26:07Sorry to hear that coming off the Enbrel has had such a poweful effect for you.  I agree that Amgen is probably not reachable today but they do have Web sites that you could contact them through so that they have your message first thing Friday. Google Enbrel.

I live in Mexico for 6- 10 months of the year but on the mainland, not Baja.  You can obtain Enbrel in Mexico but it's quite expensive, not much difference in price between U.S. charges.  I had Remicade infusions when in Mexico and charge for med was about the same.  I'm not sure about obtaining Enbrel in Baja.  I'm close to Guadalajara, Tepic, and Puerta Vallerta so what I can get at the pharmacy and what you can obtain in Baja may be different.  Good luck and I hope you love living here as much as I do.  LindyThanks for your reply.  Yes, that's how I found the 800 numbers, googled Enbrel, found the site, etc.  I called and left messages on both, hopefully they will get back to me tomorrow. 
My new life includes my new wife, she is the one who lives in Baja and invited me down to meet her.  Hopefully we can work out the Enbrel thing and "live happily ever after..."
Lindy,

Thank you for responding.  Yes, my new wife is still in Baja, I have asked her to check the pharmacy to see if Enbrel is available.  If it is, then I will work on figuring out how to pay for it.  If not, then I will have to obtain it in the U.S. and bring it down with me somehow.  I tried doing without it.  Figured that I had to come off it for the surgery anyway, so it was a good time to see if I could live without it.  I did fine for about 4 weeks and then the pain came back, almost as bad as it was before I started on Enbrel 3 years ago.  Now that I know that I can't live without it I will work on finding ways to obtain it.  Part of my search turned up links (no longer functioning) that alluded to Enbrel pills.  Is there such a thing as Enbrel pills?  If there is, I wonder if they are more/less effective than the injections and/or more/less expensive?

I think I am going to love living in Baja, it really does seem to be my kind of place.  One of the most beautiful places in the world I think, and warm!!  I am in New England right now wrapping up my life here, meeting my new wife in Colorado 1st week in Feb. and we are driving back down the Baja from there.

-paladin
wow, paladin. Hi Paladin, I've never heard or seen Enbrel pills referenced.  Doesn't mean that they're not out there somewhere.  People from around the world are on the forum and the Enbrel users all use injections.  GOOD LUCK with your new life and wife in Mexico!! I have heard of some new treatments out there for various diseases---so who knows, huh? You might find something even better. My moms friend goes there for some weird peroxide-like injections for her asthma---sounds weird I know, but she claims she is "cured" now and doesn't need any of her old asthma meds. (shes had asthma for over 20 years)So Lindy,
How do you manage to pay for the Humira while living in Mexico?  Do you have health insurance that pays for it, and if so, how do you keep it?  These are the exact things I need to work out if I am going to be able to live pain free in the Baja...  Thank you so much for your time and help. 

paladin
wysone,
Yes, there is a link on the main RA page of this forum for a guy who claims to have the cure for RA--  some sort of mineral treatment that extracts the virus from the cells that it is embedded in and allows the immune system to do its job on the virus instead of attacking the cells that the virus is supposedly embedded in.  I will check this out further.  It would be worth the 0 if it works.  Thanks for your reply...

paladin
Hi, My insurance pays for Humira, except for my .00 copay.  I keep it refrigerated.  My insurance offers a once a year vacation override and since we leave the country for 6-10 months I get enough Humira to last until we get back to the U.S.  Two years ago we decided to stay a couple of months longer than we planned and we drove to Nogales (U.S.) and I picked up an RX to cover those 2 months.   It was a long 2 day trip to the border but we were ready for a break and made it a little holiday  I'm very thankful for our insurance.  Lindy
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