Emend pulled from shelf in Canada?

steph_kirby

Hi everyone. My mom is on her third A/C treatment and is having a terrible time with nausea. Lots of users of this site rave about the drug Emend. When we asked the oncologist about it, she said Emend has been pulled from the shelves in Canada. Does anyone know why? Are there any Canadians who have gotten a prescription for Emend? Is it as great as people say? Any good alternatives you have tried?
Thanks so much.
Stephanie

cp418

Maybe try contacting a representative from Merck pharmaceutical company (go to their website)? Merck certainly has company sites in Canada and does manufacturing and sales there. I will see if I can find out anything from my BIL who works for Merck in NJ. I don't know what area of Merck he works in but I'll give it a try. Joann

steph_kirby

Thanks, Joann. We are really desperate. She has tried everything and is in pretty bad shape.
Stephanie

cp418

HI Stephanie

I went to the Merck Canada website and you are right - - I didn't see Emend in their product list. Try contacting them directly. My BIL didn't know and would have to inquire the same as a patient through customer support. Go to the company support on this site for Canada. Good Luck - Joann

http://www.merckfrosst.ca/mfcl/en/corporate/products/index.html

http://www.merckfrosst.ca/mfcl/en/global/contact.html

jonimb

An alternative I have used, is a combination of Stemetil, maxerane and gravol that you can get in suppository format.

It stops the nausea and vomiting within 20 minutes, and also helps you to get a good nites sleep.

In Calgary the only place you can get it with a prescription is KenRon Drugs, so you should get your onco to prescribe it, and then talk to the people at Ken Ron how they make it up.

Good Luck to you.

Joni

DragonladyTina

What about Kytril? or Zofran? Those drugs worked wonders for me. Before chemo I used dexamethasone for 2 days before and 2 days after chemo.

Tina

Pauline3837

I used Stemetil and Zofrax (ondonsitron) - The combination worked for me.

princesskari

Emend was my "miracle pill" but it was soooo expensive! My insurance didn't cover it so it was $600 every time I needed it, and that was 4 times. Thankfully my dr had samples. I couldn't have afforded it otherwise. I hadn't heard they'd pulled it. I wonder why? But I'm in USA

steph_kirby

Hi everyone. GOOD NEWS!!! We got Emend from the US and it worked! My mom tried all the drugs that everyone listed above, and none of them helped her at all. I called a number of pharmacies in Buffalo (the nearest US city), and they said that a Canadian doctor can call in a prescription in a US city close to the border. It was expensive, but worth it. Some pharmacies you might want to try: CVS, Rite Aid or Target. I called Merck Frost and they said that the application for Emend is being processed by Health Canada (it was not "pulled from the shelf" as I thought earlier). It sounds like it is tied up in government bureaucracy.