Can't afford Gastroguard..... What about this?

[BeachRiding]

The medicine my horse is on for ulcers seems to help, but does not appear to be working %100.... It's herbal.... So, I talked with my vet about gastroguard(omeprazole) again and ultimately decided there is no way in hell my family can afford it, as it would be roughly $1200 for a 28 day supply...which is about the same price we bought PB for!:eek: So I have been down and out about it for awhile until someone brought this to my attention: I own a prescription for omeprazole!:rolleyes:

It's prescribed for well, heartburn... I don't use it though, and it costs me $5 for a 60 day supply.... I have been researching it and it seems like alot of people are doing this already. Getting themselves a prescription for their horses! Now is this the same thing.... will it work? I know gastroguard is a paste, and my stuff is capsules...

So? thoughts? Don't want to be shot down in flames...

[Wally]

Friend gave hers slippery elm, boiled linseed and chamomile tea.

Got it all mail order at good rates.

[BeachRiding]

PB is pretty much on all of that. He is on the maximum dose of Gastrix which is:

Ingredients:

Aloe Vera Concentrate
Apple Cider Vinegar
apple pectin
absorbic acid
brewers yeast
cabbage powder
carrot powder
chamomile
chlorophllin
cinnamon powder
dong quai root powder
red ginseng
grapeseed extract
guar gum
gum arabic
honey
licorice root powder
lemon juice
methylsulfonlmethane
papay leaf
slippery elm
ect.

Plus I buy aloe vera seperate and give him a cup of that a day.

He is much improved.... but I feel maybe I need to add the omeprazole to the mix as after a month plus on this I would think he would at least start picking up weight. He is still very uncomfortable around his girth area.

ETA- just realized how much easier it would have been to just take a picture of the bottle than writing that all out...! :rolleyes:

[BeachRiding]

BUMP :p

[gypsygold]

Surely you would need loads of it though? I heard of people feeding rennies (over the counter stuff) and giving a whole packet or two in place of 1 or 2 tablets a person would take.

[KateWooten]

When you give the horse Gastroguard, what dosage of omeprazole would that be WL ? (in mg each day).

Now how much omeprazole is there in your prescription ?

With those figures we can work out whether it's going to be feasible for you to get a horse dose from your human prescription.

Sometimes it does work - for example, the joint supplement I take and Summer also takes - my human dose is actually HIGHER than her horse dose - and the human form actually works out about the same. Usually though, you'll find that the human dose works out a lot more expensive.

Anyway - dig out the dosages and we can have a think about it.

[Portia]

Have a look at these websites:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/21602.htm gives an over-view
http://vein.library.usyd.edu.au/links/Essays/2003/kushnir.html
gives more specific dose levels BUT compares suspension and paste - NOT the tablet form you would be prescribed in human medication. Moreover I believe omeprazole tablets (human med) is enteric coated, would the equine gut allow absorption.

[BeachRiding]

Katewooten-

Tad confused about doseage. Maybe you could make sense of this? my brain is fried. :P Go down to technical specs
http://www.allivet.com/GastroGard-Rx-p/10042.htm

and this:
http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2005.226.1681

My pills are 20mg each, and I get 60 of them a month.

[BeachRiding]

Have a look at these websites:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/21602.htm gives an over-view
http://vein.library.usyd.edu.au/links/Essays/2003/kushnir.html
gives more specific dose levels BUT compares suspension and paste - NOT the tablet form you would be prescribed in human medication. Moreover I believe omeprazole tablets (human med) is enteric coated, would the equine gut allow absorption.
My pills are in capsules that open up and the medication is little dots...

[Pink's lady]

There seems to be some debate as to the effectiveness of other generic ompramazol meds.

Gastrogard info here (http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Merial_Animal_Health_Ltd/documents/S3817.html)

Ompramazole dosage is 4mg/kg for 28days. I'd guess PB's weight as about 600kg, so he'll need 2400mg (2.4g) per day.

So with your 20mg tablets he'd need over a hundred per day:eek: Not feasible:(

Have a look for other ompramazol alternatives:this (http://americasequinewarehouse.com/cgi-bin/hwc/rtl/phd.cgi?Autoincrement=000219&tag_rf=)is exactly the same but much cheaper. Or you cna buy equine ompramazol like this (http://equine.omeprazoledirect.com/index.php?p=buy) (worked out using Gastrogard dosages you'd need to give 4 tablets a day so a months supply would cost $139)

Also ask your vety about ranitidine (Zantac), which is a similar drug MUCH cheaper (though not as effective)

[BeachRiding]

Ooh, boy....100 tablets a day! Err....no. :(

Ulcerguard is not a go either, my dad says heck no.... :( Like the equine ompramazol tabs, that's much more feasible! Does it work though? Do I need a prescription?

[Pink's lady]

I don't know if it works. You need to ask your vet. He will be able to tell you what he thinks of it, give you an accurate dosage and write you a prescription if needs be. Or possibly order it in for you at a simialr price. It would definintly be worth trying!

[Mareish]

Won't your insurance cover the cost of the gastroguard ?

[BeachRiding]

Won't your insurance cover the cost of the gastroguard ?
Insurance? Don't have any, not a very big thing over here where I am.

[Wally]

Oh and Aloe juice!

[mothra]

I did the best I could for my boy on a budget - maintenance dose (1/4 tube) Ulcergard and the rest of the doesage generic. He seems to have responded, within a few days was feeling much better, but has not been scoped before/after. Don't know if he was really getting a full, effective dose but stuck with it for 30 days and weaning him off very slowly before moving him on to some natural stuff.

Other people have had success with generic ranitidine (Zantac) at the weight adjusted dose which can be bought over the counter in the U.S. and ground up.

Am I allowed to post the link to where I bought generic Omeprazole? They make large pills for horses. I was kind of nervous about it, but it was the best option for us. :eek:

In the US Costco has a generic, house brand ranitidine over the counter that some people have used for horses.