Anyone Know Where To Buy Cyclosporine (atipica) In Bangkok?

[karenmw460]

I'm trying to buy some cyclosporine (brand name for animal treatment "Atopica" or for humans "Sandimmune, Neoral or Gengraf).

My vet has recommended it for my dog as a last resort. She has suffured from allergies and skin problems for a year or so now. Have sorted ot the food allergies by feeding her Hills Z/d but she still suffers from atopy from unknown sources. Apparently this drug is veyr succesful and safer than using prednisolone.

However it is very expensive and my vet recommended I try to source it myself as the pet hospital I use charges 300 baht per tablet!!! I'm told I should be able to buy it for about 800 baht for 20 tablets.

I've tried various drugstores but none seem to stock it.

Anyone know where I can buy it?

Thanks!

Karen

[mangotogo]

Hi Karen, I am a small animal veterinarian. I will return to Australia next week. I can check on the price and availability of cyclosporine over there. I remember having one of my clients with a large dog on cyclosporin. Was extremely expensive. The problem with cyclosporin also is that if you stop then it probably won't work if you restart it. It is quite price prohibitive with dogs over 10 kg.

Cyclosporin is also a drug used in kidney transplant people. You may find someone that has an usued stock pile?

Hospital pharmacies should have Sandimmune.

Atopica was supposed to be a great adjunct to the veterinary pharmacy when released but the price made it out of reach for most pet owners.

Itchy dogs can be a nightmare to control! Good luck

[karenmw460]

Hi

Thank you very much, that would be a great help if you could check in Australia for me. Luckily this dog is only 12 kilos, so whilst it will still be a very expensive treatment, it is at least not totally phohibitive. Still, I really need to find the cheapest source possible as, as you say, she will be on it for the rest of her life. My vet says he has had great success with it, so I am hoping for that result with my dog.

I thought of hospital pharmacies, but I am not sure how I would go about buying from them or whether they would actually sell it to me.

As a matter of interest, do you know why it is so expensive?

Hi Karen, I am a small animal veterinarian. I will return to Australia next week. I can check on the price and availability of cyclosporine over there. I remember having one of my clients with a large dog on cyclosporin. Was extremely expensive. The problem with cyclosporin also is that if you stop then it probably won't work if you restart it. It is quite price prohibitive with dogs over 10 kg.

Cyclosporin is also a drug used in kidney transplant people. You may find someone that has an usued stock pile?

Hospital pharmacies should have Sandimmune.

Atopica was supposed to be a great adjunct to the veterinary pharmacy when released but the price made it out of reach for most pet owners.

Itchy dogs can be a nightmare to control! Good luck

[bina]

i'll check our clinic tomorrow (dont think i can buy and mail from israel, just curious if we use it and how much it costs)... i remember seeing it i think on the price list i typed...

if u've changed foods, maybe u should find out what other things she's allergic too? like fleas? pollen? scabies?

hormonal?

hi mangotogo, nice to see an other vet (bambina is one); i am ex large animal farmer (goats/donkeys etc), now vet tech for pets only...

bina

israel

[karenmw460]

Hi bina

Did you manage to check the price at your clinic?

Thanks

Karen

i'll check our clinic tomorrow (dont think i can buy and mail from israel, just curious if we use it and how much it costs)... i remember seeing it i think on the price list i typed...

if u've changed foods, maybe u should find out what other things she's allergic too? like fleas? pollen? scabies?

hormonal?

hi mangotogo, nice to see an other vet (bambina is one); i am ex large animal farmer (goats/donkeys etc), now vet tech for pets only...

bina

israel

[bina]

forgot price but asked about restarting with it once u stopped; the vet said that as far as he knows, that is not the case... but i dont think he uses it too much either; i think dogs get pred. shots or pred. pills, will ask today (hope i remember)...he automatically said scabies or food when i mentioned allergies...

the pred being cheaper as far as i can see; and really u keep on maintainence levels.

what breed of dog? and why just this year did she start? have u changed housing, a/c, heating, indoor/outdoor? and have u checked for hormonal stuff (thyroid for instance)..??

bina

[karenmw460]

Hi Bina

She's a soi dog who I found in the road about 8 years ago. She had been hit by a car.

When I found her she had very little hair and has since always had very dry, coarse hiar, and suffered from hair loss, but never skin problems. We, (my vet and I) don't know why these skin problems just appeared about a year ago, but apparently allergies can occur at any age. She started having the problems in my previous house and we moved to a new house last November, and she still has exactly the same problesm. She had some food allergies which I have sorted out be feeding her z/d. She now doesn't have the skin problems all the time like before, but on and off.

My vet has treated her with antibiiotics, antihistamines and prednisolone, but the problem persists. the problem now is cuased by environmental factore which are very difficult to determine and even if I knew what they were may well be impossible to keep her away from. It's not scabies or fleas and she has been tested for any other problems. My vet has had a lot of success with cyclosporine with other dogs and apparently there is a very good chance that her skin problems will disappear whilst she is on this drug, and it has much less side effects than prednisolone.

So, I want to try it, but since it is so expensive I am looking the cheapest way possible of buying it.

Thanks for your help and advice - much appreciated.

forgot price but asked about restarting with it once u stopped; the vet said that as far as he knows, that is not the case... but i dont think he uses it too much either; i think dogs get pred. shots or pred. pills, will ask today (hope i remember)...he automatically said scabies or food when i mentioned allergies...

the pred being cheaper as far as i can see; and really u keep on maintainence levels.

what breed of dog? and why just this year did she start? have u changed housing, a/c, heating, indoor/outdoor? and have u checked for hormonal stuff (thyroid for instance)..??

bina

[karenmw460]

I ordered some yesterday from a drugstore at 56 baht per 25 mg tablet. My dog needs 50mg per day, so still pretty expensive, although much cheaper than my vet. Still need to find a cheaper option if possible though!

[mangotogo]

I ordered some yesterday from a drugstore at 56 baht per 25 mg tablet. My dog needs 50mg per day, so still pretty expensive, although much cheaper than my vet. Still need to find a cheaper option if possible though!

Hi Karen,

I checked the price of Atopica in Australia: way too expensive: almost 200baht for a 25mg capsule. Hope it controls your dog's skin condition.

Now looking into the importation of a whippet to Bangkok...found some nice puppies but i need to wat a couple of months before one can be shipped out.

[karenmw460]

Thanks for checking and good luck with your puppy.

I ordered some yesterday from a drugstore at 56 baht per 25 mg tablet. My dog needs 50mg per day, so still pretty expensive, although much cheaper than my vet. Still need to find a cheaper option if possible though!

Hi Karen,

I checked the price of Atopica in Australia: way too expensive: almost 200baht for a 25mg capsule. Hope it controls your dog's skin condition.

Now looking into the importation of a whippet to Bangkok...found some nice puppies but i need to wat a couple of months before one can be shipped out.

[ayushinx]

Hello there. may i know where did u purchase ur atopica in bkk? i am travelling to bangkok and i wish to buy drugs like atopica and some others. please let me know.

[Ground Engineer]

Please read up on the side effects of Cyclosporin if you are thinking of giving it to your dog long term. Not from the manufacturers but from forums. It can give kidney failure, hair loss and nerve damage if taken long term.

[karenmw460]

yes, have done that already and discussed in detail with my vet. I still think that all things considered she is better off on cyclosporine than a life of misery, discomfort and constant itching. I have another dog with only mild allergic reactions and would not give it to her,but in a serious case I think the benefits outweight the risks.

[ayushinx]

hey karenmw460: may i ask where did u get them? im coming to bkk for a period of time and i wish to purchase some.