Mirataz/Mirtazapine

[henrythe8thiam]

Hi,
About two months ago I took my mothers cat to the vet for a chronic vomiting problem and loss of appetite. The vet was not able to determine the problem because of high costs involved (my mother is a low income disabled senior, and they wanted $5000 to admit the cat). They did prescribe Mirataz transdermal ointment which almost immediately increased his appetite and eliminated the vomiting and his weight increased rapidly. Unfortunately the tiny tube has run out and the vomiting and appetite loss returned almost immediately after the treatment was stopped. I contacted the pharmacy and they denied the prescription refill saying I should schedule another vet visit (The last visit costed $500). Is there another way to get this ointment.
As a side note, my mother was prescribed mirtazapine 30mg pills by her PCP for a health condition. Is this the same drug that is for cats or is the cat version different? If so, can it be made into a transdermal ointment?
H.

 

[DeesCats]

Welcome to TCS H henrythe8thiam .

You should be able to contact the vet that treated the cat 2 months ago and ask for a written prescription for the Mirataz since it was so recent. If you are in the U.S. you can use Chewy.com to get the medication, usually cheaper, than what the vet charges but will need to send that prescription to them. You can check their website for a phone number and they are pretty great about responding.

I can't comment on the mirtazapine pills your Mother has either in regard to the dosage or if it can be made into a transdermal ointment.

 

[silent meowlook]

Unfortunately it is not possible to dose down the human medication for cats. Cats take a much smaller mg than people. You wouldn’t be able to accurately dose and an overdose is life threatening.
Call the vet and get the cat in but explain to the vet directly that there is limited funds. An office call should not cost that much.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I contacted the pharmacy and they denied the prescription refill saying I should schedule another vet visit (The last visit costed $500).

Hi and welcome to TCS. The pharmacy's words should not be the final say on whether or not you can get another prescription without yet another vet visit.

While the vet may not have written for additional refills, that doesn't mean that they won't authorize another prescription if you call them and ask for more. I got many refills of Mirataz for my cat without having to take her into the vet every time.

I think if you call the vet directly, you will get what you need. Let us know, please!!

 

[henrythe8thiam]

Thanks ,
I called up the vet (it's actually an animal hospital) and we made an appointment for Jan 16th to see the same doctor from last time. The appointment is $110. I also told the receptionist to leave a note to the doctor requesting this mirataz prescription be refilled. Hopefully the doctor will see no reason for the cat to unnecessarily suffer for the next five days.
At least this time there is a lot more information for the dr to work with. I'm suspecting that he's got something like IBD.

 

[fionasmom]

I have a cat who is in the midst of a diagnosis of IBD/SCL and the vet gave me a prescription for Mirataz with 3 refills approved outright. Make it clear that you are not able to advance with the $5000 diagnosis and need whatever will help the cat as best you can.

My cat has insurance, but we have already paid $2500 for a "nothing significant" diagnosis and have an estimate for $4000 for "we might figure it out this time but don't count on it." Paying thousands may not be the solution. If your mom's cat has IBD, ask what else can be done without all the procedures.

IBDKitties – Helping Save Lives…One Paw at a Time
Read the Medications section specifically.

 

[henrythe8thiam]

Thanks I'll check out that site.
The reason I suspect something like IBD because I had it a long time ago. It's under control now but I have to watch what I eat.
Back then they gave me Prednisone which worked great but has side effects.( I see there is a cat version of this drug). Perhaps they can give him something to help with that (hopefully with little in the way of side effects) and see how he responds, assuming that the vet has the same suspicion.

 

[stephanietx]

Ask the vet to check for pancreatitis. If you suspect IBD, then the kitty will need an anti-inflammatory (steroid) and something to help with nausea (Zofran). Check med prices with your local pharmacy and Chewy.