Cialis Purchase

[Canuck50]

I take Cialis 5 mg daily for BPH, as prescribed by my Canadian doctor. I have stayed longer this time than I had planned and am close to running out. A few questions:

1. Is the 5 mg available in Thailand and does it also require a prescription the same as the 20 mg version?

2. Will pharmacies generally accept my current package with prescription label affixed (from Canada) in lieu of going to the expense and trouble to get a local doc to write a script? Are some more lenient than others in this regard? To be clear, I am NOT suggesting anything illegal here, just want to know the rules and save cost/hassle of going to a doc if my existing labels/receipts will suffice.

3. I haven't tried this yet but does anyone know the cost difference between the 5 mg and 20 mg pills? The thought is to buy 20 mg and cut it in 4 if there is a substantial savings.

4. Any recommendation of pharmacies known to carry this product in BKK at a good price? I live in North West BKK and I have tried many pharmacies here and none carry it.

[manfredtillmann]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

[Oxx]

Yes, 5 mg is available in Thailand.

A prescription is required. Your current packaging is worthless in this respect.

No generic version available here, so you'll be paying through the nose.

The local distributor is DKSH, so I'd suggest you contact them to find out who stocks it in your area.

[Canuck50]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

[Canuck50]

Yes, 5 mg is available in Thailand.

A prescription is required. Your current packaging is worthless in this respect.

No generic version available here, so you'll be paying through the nose.

The local distributor is DKSH, so I'd suggest you contact them to find out who stocks it in your area.

Thanks, I will check them out. I know, it is expensive in Canada also because to my knowledge, there is no generic available yet.

[manfredtillmann]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

no, i don't, other than my own personal experience. i always had a 115 / 85 bp but after starting on cialis 5 mg / daily for about 90 days i got tested after a head injury at work. 165 / 95 (in itself a strange value).

a pharmacist i know claims it is a good sign my heart is strong but...

i don't take the stuff no more, other than before long distance flights so i don't piss my pants while i'm sleeping.

[Canuck50]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

no, i don't, other than my own personal experience. i always had a 115 / 85 bp but after starting on cialis 5 mg / daily for about 90 days i got tested after a head injury at work. 165 / 95 (in itself a strange value).

a pharmacist i know claims it is a good sign my heart is strong but...

i don't take the stuff no more, other than before long distance flights so i don't piss my pants while i'm sleeping.

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

[manfredtillmann]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

no, i don't, other than my own personal experience. i always had a 115 / 85 bp but after starting on cialis 5 mg / daily for about 90 days i got tested after a head injury at work. 165 / 95 (in itself a strange value).

a pharmacist i know claims it is a good sign my heart is strong but...

i don't take the stuff no more, other than before long distance flights so i don't piss my pants while i'm sleeping.

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

[Oxx]

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

I trust you understand that your anecdotal experience is absolutely worthless in a medical, scientific or, indeed, any other context.

I once took an aspirin, and a few minutes later stubbed my toe. That doesn't prove that aspirin causes toe pain. And I certainly wouldn't caution people against taking aspirin for fear of toe injuries.

[manfredtillmann]

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

I trust you understand that your anecdotal experience is absolutely worthless in a medical, scientific or, indeed, any other context.

I once took an aspirin, and a few minutes later stubbed my toe. That doesn't prove that aspirin causes toe pain. And I certainly wouldn't caution people against taking aspirin for fear of toe injuries.

as i wrote before: i really do not care, i am just relating my own story.

[Canuck50]

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

I think if you read my post again you will see I was not attacking you. I was simply giving my opinion on the affects of Cialis on blood pressure and a statement by a pharmacist that a BP of 165/95 indicates a "strong heat" rather than hypertension. No offense meant from my side and thanks for sharing your opinions. Have a great evening!

[manfredtillmann]

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

I think if you read my post again you will see I was not attacking you. I was simply giving my opinion on the affects of Cialis on blood pressure and a statement by a pharmacist that a BP of 165/95 indicates a "strong heat" rather than hypertension. No offense meant from my side and thanks for sharing your opinions. Have a great evening!

i was not replying to you. as i said, i really, honestly do not care.

i initially replied to your post with a first hand experience. what happened after?

i do not give a rodents rectum what you or some other limp dicks do with that info.

last input.

[Canuck50]

Yes, 5 mg is available in Thailand.

A prescription is required. Your current packaging is worthless in this respect.

No generic version available here, so you'll be paying through the nose.

The local distributor is DKSH, so I'd suggest you contact them to find out who stocks it in your area.

OK, so given that it is mandatory to get a prescription from a Thai MD and they will not accept my Canadian proof of prescription, can you advise on the easiest/cheapest way to do this? Must the doctor be in the same proximity to the pharmacy or anywhere in BKK? Would it suffice to just wander into one of these small storefront clinics and obtain one for a small fee? What would a reasonable fee be for that service? I certainly would not want to have to go to a hospital setting and get a complete workup and new BPH diagnosis and relevant testing!

[Canuck50]

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

I think if you read my post again you will see I was not attacking you. I was simply giving my opinion on the affects of Cialis on blood pressure and a statement by a pharmacist that a BP of 165/95 indicates a "strong heat" rather than hypertension. No offense meant from my side and thanks for sharing your opinions. Have a great evening!

i was not replying to you. as i said, i really, honestly do not care.

i initially replied to your post with a first hand experience. what happened after?

i do not give a rodents rectum what you or some other limp dicks do with that info.

last input.

I see. Maybe time to step away from the computer then and go have another drink!

[dddave]

Genuine Cialis is sold at most Boots pharmacys,,20mg tabs, very expensive,,,B2000++/4 tablets.

You will see "Ciallis" being sold on the street and at some pharmacy's around Bangkok and Pattaya but 99.9% of that is not genuine Tadalafil, most is actually Sildenafil formed into tablets resembling Cialis

[Canuck50]

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

I trust you understand that your anecdotal experience is absolutely worthless in a medical, scientific or, indeed, any other context.

I once took an aspirin, and a few minutes later stubbed my toe. That doesn't prove that aspirin causes toe pain. And I certainly wouldn't caution people against taking aspirin for fear of toe injuries.

My thoughts exactly!!!

[Sheryl]

OK, so given that it is mandatory to get a prescription from a Thai MD and they will not accept my Canadian proof of prescription, can you advise on the easiest/cheapest way to do this? Must the doctor be in the same proximity to the pharmacy or anywhere in BKK? Would it suffice to just wander into one of these small storefront clinics and obtain one for a small fee? What would a reasonable fee be for that service? I certainly would not want to have to go to a hospital setting and get a complete workup and new BPH diagnosis and relevant testing!

Any (Thai) doctor, anywhere. Storefront clinic is fine and I doubt would cost more than 100-200 baht max.

[Canuck50]

OK, so given that it is mandatory to get a prescription from a Thai MD and they will not accept my Canadian proof of prescription, can you advise on the easiest/cheapest way to do this? Must the doctor be in the same proximity to the pharmacy or anywhere in BKK? Would it suffice to just wander into one of these small storefront clinics and obtain one for a small fee? What would a reasonable fee be for that service? I certainly would not want to have to go to a hospital setting and get a complete workup and new BPH diagnosis and relevant testing!

Any (Thai) doctor, anywhere. Storefront clinic is fine and I doubt would cost more than 100-200 baht max.

OK, thanks Sheryl!

[The manic]

Go to the hospital - see areal doctor and get what you need - then consider a pharmacy - re blood pressure - if cialis is like viagara is is beneficial for Blood Pressure - the original purpose of the drug. Go to a good doctor and get real advice.

[Canuck50]

Go to the hospital - see areal doctor and get what you need - then consider a pharmacy - re blood pressure - if cialis is like viagara is is beneficial for Blood Pressure - the original purpose of the drug. Go to a good doctor and get real advice.

Thanks for your advice but I think you are mixing up my original post and questions with the rant of another poster trying to give me advice. I have been diagnosed by a real doctor in Canada (a Urologist) with BPH (enlarged prostate, not hypertension), and already prescribed Cialis which I have been taking for about 1 year, but I am running low due to a longer stay in Thailand than originally planned. So I already have my answers regarding purchase and prescription requirements in BKK. I am aware of the modest reduction in BP caused by Cialis (and Viagra). Thanks again for the reply!

[Issangeorge]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

no, i don't, other than my own personal experience. i always had a 115 / 85 bp but after starting on cialis 5 mg / daily for about 90 days i got tested after a head injury at work. 165 / 95 (in itself a strange value).

a pharmacist i know claims it is a good sign my heart is strong but...

i don't take the stuff no more, other than before long distance flights so i don't piss my pants while i'm sleeping.

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

I did not see any attack, just questioning you. You made a pretty strong statement and based on no evidence other than your own experience and suggesting his doctor was prescribing him the wrong medicine, I can understand why he was questioning you.

[manfredtillmann]

be careful taking that stuff long term. have you monitored your blood pressure lately? as good as it helps with bph - and some nice side effects - it plays havoc with your heart as it enlarges all your blood vessels. not just THOSE!

my doc was completely oblivious to this and kept happily prescribing.

That is an interesting comment. Do you have any links to medical papers/studies to back that up? If so, please post them as I would like to investigate. I have done a fair amount of research online and have not come across anything to suggest that!

And yes, I do monitor my blood pressure and am quite active with long distance running.

no, i don't, other than my own personal experience. i always had a 115 / 85 bp but after starting on cialis 5 mg / daily for about 90 days i got tested after a head injury at work. 165 / 95 (in itself a strange value).

a pharmacist i know claims it is a good sign my heart is strong but...

i don't take the stuff no more, other than before long distance flights so i don't piss my pants while i'm sleeping.

I see. Well maybe your increase in BP is unrelated to the use of Cialis. As you said, it dilates your blood vessels which would cause your BP to be reduced, would it not? In fact they warn about taking Cialis (and Viagra) at the same time as BP meds because the combination can reduce BP enough to cause dizziness and be dangerous during certain activities, so they recommend taking them at different times of the day to mitigate this. As far as your pharmacist friend telling you a BP of 165/ 95 is the sign of a strong heart, I think I would see a doctor about that because that statement doesn't seem right to me.

no hard feelings, just relating my own experience.

we are all entitled to... what ever.

an increase of upper systolic pressure indicates your metabolism and your heart reacting to a weakness in your body. in this case a weakness created by your medication.

i don't know you and i don't care how you die, i can't even comprehend why you would ever attack me over my post.

live - and die - your own life, pal.

I did not see any attack, just questioning you. You made a pretty strong statement and based on no evidence other than your own experience and suggesting his doctor was prescribing him the wrong medicine, I can understand why he was questioning you.

it's late and as the op rightfully pointed out, a good time to have a drink, again, rather than argue.

i am no scientist, no, i don't have any 'evidence' - who on this forum does ?

we are people talking to people. need a professional opinion, see you doc. and trust him, if you dare.

back to my pathetic opinion: a dilation of blood vessels should lead to a lowering of blood pressure. if, as a result of a medication initiated dilation of your blood vessels, your blood pressure rises than that indicates that your body's defence mechanisms work well and that you heart is in a position to make these defenses work.

i think this post was about where you can get the stuff and i am very sorry i can not contribute one bit to help you, mate.

[cocteau2x]

Yes, 5 mg is available in Thailand.

A prescription is required. Your current packaging is worthless in this respect.

No generic version available here, so you'll be paying through the nose.

The local distributor is DKSH, so I'd suggest you contact them to find out who stocks it in your area.

Thanks, I will check them out. I know, it is expensive in Canada also because to my knowledge, there is no generic available yet.

Apcalis .. is the "generic" .. made in India .. readily available at select pharmacies in Pattaya

[bubba]

If you are going to be here a while and would like to follow up with your BPH, maybe you should just go ahead and have a checkup with a reputable urologist. I could recommend Dr. Viroj at Bumrungrad and you will probably hear the same recommendation from other people here.

Just checked and a box of 5 mg Cialis (28 tablets) is expensive at Bumrungrad - about 6000 baht.

[Canuck50]

If you are going to be here a while and would like to follow up with your BPH, maybe you should just go ahead and have a checkup with a reputable urologist. I could recommend Dr. Viroj at Bumrungrad and you will probably hear the same recommendation from other people here.

Just checked and a box of 5 mg Cialis (28 tablets) is expensive at Bumrungrad - about 6000 baht.

Thanks for the recommendations. I already have his name on my contact list (from other recommendations) in case I ever have the need to see him when I am here, but I normally live in Canada about 5 months of the year. I have already been evaluated by a reputable urologist in Canada which included regular DREs, ongoing monitoring of PSA, ultrasound/bladder retention test, cystoscopy. He said I am a good candidate for PVP (green laser) surgery, but I consider that a last resort because of the probable permanent retrograde ejaculation complication, so am doing the drug route for now as long as it is effective and side effects tolerable. I don't see anything more Dr. Viroj could offer at this point for the costs.

Regarding the price of Cialis 5mg, I found Charoen Pharmacy on Suk sell it for 4200 baht and South East in same area quoted me 5,000 on phone but said if I come in he could do better. I really don't understand how these hospital pharmacies get off charging so much, in many cases double or more the cost of other reputable ones. The few times I have been prescribed meds by a doctor at Bumrungrad, I declined to have it filled there and go to another pharmacy to get it. I believe it would make more business sense if they lowered their prices to become more competitive to capture this lost business as I am sure I am not the only one who does this. But they are the experts

[bubba]

I think hospital pharmacies charge more partially because they have more overhead than a small shop along the road, but obviously they also make more profit. I would guess the reason for this is (1) due to convenience and the patient is there, they can and (2) insurance. In my case, my insurance is direct bill, so I just get all any prescriptions filled at Bumrungrad.

Just curious, how do you find the prices here compared to Canada?

[Canuck50]

I think hospital pharmacies charge more partially because they have more overhead than a small shop along the road, but obviously they also make more profit. I would guess the reason for this is (1) due to convenience and the patient is there, they can and (2) insurance. In my case, my insurance is direct bill, so I just get all any prescriptions filled at Bumrungrad.

Just curious, how do you find the prices here compared to Canada?

I can understand the insurance argument...a cash cow. But for the overhead, They take up very little floor space in a huge hospital that is already there. As far as staffing, they can adjust that based on the volume, the same as a store front pharma would do.

Two examples of drug prices - In Canada:

Cialis 5mg x 30 = $159 x 26.9 = 4277 baht (here, Charoen= 4200 baht, Bumrungrad 6000 baht).

Alfuzosin 10mg x 30 = $28.56 x 26.9 = 768 baht (here, Charoen 1,000 baht, Bumrungrad 2100 baht.

Keep in mind the Canadian prices above are for only 30 and have the pharmacy dispensing fee (fixed price) included. This is a good chunk of the price for a lower cost drug so if you buy larger quantities, since the pharmacy fee stays the same, the cost per pill goes down. But with more expensive drugs like Cialis, buying in quantity does not reduce the cost much.

[Sheryl]

The mark up in Thai private hospitals for pharmaceuticals runs as high as 300 - 500% which obviously far exceeds both overhead and a reasonable profit. Government has been talking about regulating this but has yet to do so. (in the case of Cialis and other imported meds, since they are already quite expensive the mark up may be smaller e.g. 100-200% -- but still considerable)