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Avatar universal

Substitute for Nevanac

I am in the middle of having cataract surgery (one eye is done and the other will be done tomorrow).  The doctor gave me small samples of Nevanac & Vigamox to use before and after the surgeries.  He also gave me a prescription for both.  In checking with my health insurance plan, I see that each prescription will cost me $75 to fill.  I saw in a previous question that Tobramycin might be substituted for Vigamox (which is MUCH cheaper).  Can you suggest a cheaper substitute for Nevanac?  I had asked the nurse for more samples, but she refused saying they wouldn't have enough for the other patients.  Thanks!
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1083894 tn?1256324624
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Acular would be cheaper than Nevanac and is the same class of medication.  Nevanac is being used as an anti-inflammatory.  A different, very cheap medication that would do the job is prednisolone acetate 1% which comes as a generic.  Tobramycin is not a truly equal substitution for Vigamox.  However you should not need to use it for days and days. At our center we pre-treat for 1 day and then treat afterwards for 3 - 4 days, basically however long the bottle lasts. Certainly you are within your rights to request another sample bottle of Vigamox since you are having both eyes done.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
At my pre-op appointment, I got 2 half-filled tiny bottles of Vigamox; 2 tiny half-filled bottles of Nevanac and 2 full bottles of Omnipred.  I had to pre-treat with the first 2 for 3 days before surgery.  After surgery, 1 week of Vigamox; 1 month of Nevanac and 1 month of Omnipred (tapering off each week).  When I went back for my post-op appointment and talked to the doctor about the cost, he gave me 2 more half-filled tiny bottles of Nevanac, but said I really needed to fill the Vigamox and said there wasn't a good substitute and he could not give me any more.  I filled the Vigamox since I needed about 15 more drops to get me to the end of the regiment.  Good luck; it's a breeze!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
They gave you those meds for FREE? I had to PAY at the doctors office for teeny tiny bottles of each of those two, plus a teeny bottle of a 3rd eyedrop (don't have it handy, it's an antibiotic, I think). $60 for the set of 3. Also was told to pre-treat with the first two for 3 full days.
Helpful - 0

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