Has anyone switched from Lupron to Orgovyx? Glad you did?

@stephenz
Can you please describe your diet in more detail ? It is sometimes confusing what people consider low crab - for some it means no refined sugars and flour, while some exclude fruits too and some even cut on veggies.
Thanks so much in advance 🌺

@surftohealth88
I try to eliminate all processed carbs to keep daily intake under 50 g close to 20 if possible. I eat all non-starch veggies and berries - no other fruit. Proteins and salads with healthy fats - no seed oils - some dairy in my protein drink and yoghurt. No cal counting. No grains. Pretty easy and works for me plus exercise.

The punchline (??) is that here in Canada, Orgovyx is priced *exactly* the same as Firmagon (about US $215/month retail), so there's no excuse for governments or private insurers to push back against prescribing it, like they sometimes do in the U.S.

However, patients are still often getting prescribed Lupron or Firmagon first. That makes sense for a patient with dementia, who might not remember to take a daily pill, but otherwise a small pill is *always* preferable to big needle stuck into your abdomen. 😕

I suspect Orgovyx is just not on many Canadian oncologists' radar yet (it didn't become widely available here until 2024, and provinces and private insurers didn't start covering it until 2025).

@northoftheborder Apparently it can be purchased through Canadian mail order Pharmacies from the US for $400 USD. It seems they purchased it overseas. I just wasn't comfortable doing that and at the time there was a potential mail strike in the works in Canada. Any idea if that is legit up there? I had one month left when my wife retired and switched to Medicare. I got a one time free prescription through some pharma plan at my Doc's office.

@northoftheborder Apparently it can be purchased through Canadian mail order Pharmacies from the US for $400 USD. It seems they purchased it overseas. I just wasn't comfortable doing that and at the time there was a potential mail strike in the works in Canada. Any idea if that is legit up there? I had one month left when my wife retired and switched to Medicare. I got a one time free prescription through some pharma plan at my Doc's office.

Oh they are legit !
I usually check any prescriptions for the "origin" (just for the fun of it since I know that USA pharmacies just blatantly steal money from patients and insurance) - they are almost never "made in USA" and mostly imported from Canada, India and so forth.
Luckily now USA patients can order meds from Canada but they need doctor's prescription and there is some online forms to fill and once a "customer profile" is established shipping is automatic.
I know because I wanted to try new statin (that is here about 1.500 a month), the only one that does not cross the brain barrier, and it came very fast. It was very affordable, I forgot the amount , like $50 or something like that. But, I changed my mind, I decided not to use statins since as a 62 year old female, with no other cardio risks, there is really no evidence that statin can do anything special in preventing the first cardo event, but that is another story.

@chippydoo Yes, they are legit. in Canada. That is why they do not sell or ship within Canada. Most source & ship from Maurtius, UK, NZ, Australia as well as Canada. All ship Orgovyx from Canada. Low prices are $310+ tariffs/ship/etc. or $460 all in at a different site for 30 days. What is not legal is importation of any drugs into the US. US Customs usually does not stop packages provided that drugs are for personal use, FDA approved, not scheduled (narcotic, etc.), with supply at or under 90 days. Need to provide a valid prescription from the country being shipped to.

@jim18 Thanks Jim. Are you in the US or Canada?