Blister Pill Packs (and Imodium)

cmb
cmb Member Posts: 1,001 Member
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

I'm starting this topic after reading a comment on another post. As I've mentioned in other posts, I've been plagued with diarrhea ever since I started taking Metformin for my Type 2 diabetes back in 2014. The diarrhea was far worse after my surgery and chemo treatments. And I continue to have problems today.

Loperamide (Imodium) does work for me but I was very disappointed when the FDA implemented package size limitations and I could no longer buy the bottles of 100 tablets. The blister packs of 24 tablets are annoying to deal with.

I've used scissors, craft cutting tools and other devices to open the blister packs but it's still an irritating process. A few months ago I decided to buy a blister pack "pen," opener, even though I felt it was somewhat overpriced for such a product. I will say, however, that it does work more easily for me than my other methods. There are other blister pill pack cutting devices out there, but I liked the pen design. Now I usually open the entire box of 24 at one time.

If anyone has found another method of opening the pill blister packs to be more efficient, please share. Everyone I know hates dealing with these.

Side notes on Loperamide pricing: If you've bought generic Loperamide in the past year or so you may have noticed that the price has really increased once the new packing limitations took effect. I used to be able to buy a bottle of 100 generic tablets for the same price I now would pay for a 24 pack.

I have found that Costco has the best price for generic Loperamide tablets at $0.81 per box of 24. But they only allow you to buy one box per trip. Next best price I've found is at Target, which does allow you buy multiple boxes at one time. I've considered, but haven't pursued, having my doctor write me a prescription for Loperamide which may be cheaper. But since I'm not taking the quantities that I did during treatment, I've stuck with the retail boxes.

 

Comments

  • EZLiving66
    EZLiving66 Member Posts: 1,483 Member
    #2
    I know exactly what you're

    I know exactly what you're talking about. I've taken small scissors and cut around each pill so I can put them in a bottle and the pill holder I keep in my purse. As a fellow survivor with chronic diarrhea problems, it is quite annoying that we can no longer buy the pills lose in bottles. I get my pills from Humana through my over-the-counter allowance so there is no cost to me.

    I'm going to look for that pen that opens the blister pack.

    Love,

    Eldri

  • els19
    els19 Member Posts: 106 Member
    #3
    Thanks

    Thanks, the blister pen is a great idea. I used scissors and cut out all the capsules from the blister pack and put them in a pill bottle. I read that they made the change in packaging because of the opioid crisis but it's so annoying for those of us who need the product for medical reasons. 

  • Lyn70
    Lyn70 Member Posts: 214 Member
    edited July 2021 #4
    Anti-diarrhea found at Dollar Tree

    I am preparing for radiation and I bought Loperamide at Dollar Tree marked Anti-diarrhea containing 12 tablets. I bought 5 boxes at a time.

  • woodstock99
    woodstock99 Member Posts: 206 Member
    edited July 2021 #5
    Thanks for the heads up.  I

    Thanks for the heads up.  I had ordered 2-24 pack boxes on Amazn in preparation for radiation starting in a couple of weeks but didn't realize they were in those annoying packages.  I just spent the past hour cutting out 24 pills and put them in an empty pill bottle and will do the other 24 ove rthe new few days.  About how many might I need for 25 treatements or is everyone different? I guess I could end up with being constipated as well.  Sigh.  

  • RainbowRita
    RainbowRita Member Posts: 72 Member
    #6
    thanks for the helpful info

    I had thought they used to sell the generic version of Imodium in bottles years ago, but it had been quite awhile since I had bought any, so thought maybe I was mistaken about that. I thought the blister packs were because they pills would degrade if exposed to more air, (not because of the opioid epidemic) so I wasn't getting out the pills until I needed them and then it was often "too late" to stand around trying to cut out those darn pills quickly. Wish I had known I would have been OK to cut them out ahead of time and store them in an empty pill bottle. The things I've learned on here. :-) Thanks cmb.

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