# TO ALL THOSE WHO NEED ZELNORM, PLEASE READ THIS POST



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

I have just learned about the FDA asking Novartis to discontinue marketing Zelnorm, and have read how desperate some of you sound by no long being able to get the drug. To the best of my knowledge, it has only been pulled in the US and Canada. I know of a reliable site where you can still order it. The company is in Switzerland and Zelnorm is marketed under the old name of Zelmac, but it is the same drug. The site is :www.farmamondo.com. I just went onto the site to be sure they have it and they do. You can get 100 pills for about $114.00 and 30 pills for about $47.00 I have dealt with them many times, because they are the only company who can get a certain drug that my brother in law needs for a medical condition he has. His doctor is at Mass General Hospital and he writes the prescription for him and is well aware he gets the drug from Switzerland, because it is not available to him in the US. They are very easy to deal with and most of their customer service people speak English. All you need to do is fax over your prescription, along with your credit card information and they will mail it out to you. When ordering for my brother in law, I usually call first and tell them I am faxing the prescription and find out how much it will be. You can also e-mail them with the information and they are very good at getting back to you.The main thing is, I can vouch for this company, so Good Luck and let me know how you do. P.S. I use Zelnorm myself, but not everyday. I only use it once or twice a week and luckily I just got a 3 month supply before the drug was pulled, but if the time comes and I need more, I would definitely order from Farmamondo.com. I know I haven't been on this site much,but a lot you probably still remember me..people like Gailsusan and Tiss, so you know I wouldn't steer you wrong.RoseJust wanted to add that Novartis is a Swiss Company, so you know you will get the real thing.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh bless you Rose--thank you *so* much!!! oh yes, I remember you from before on the boards and i have complete faith in your words. fortunately i have enough zelnorm to keep me going a while longer but when i run out, if they don't have a program together so those of us who need it can get it, i for sure will get some from this company. thanks so much for posting this info! I remembered from way back before zelnorm was approved by the fda that people were getting it online from a swiss pharmacy but i couldn't remember what pharmacy. you're a lifesaver!


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Hi Rose, I didn't know it was taken off the market in Canada. There is a generic equivalent in Canada for tegaserod that is less expensive. Perhaps that will still be available. I was not informed yesterday, when I ordered my Zelnorm from a online Canadian pharmacy that it was not available and I did NOT order the generic version. Thanks for the valuable information.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

Hi GailSusan and Annie,Gail, Actually Jeff just posted yesterday that Novartis has pulled the drug in Canada at the request of Health Canada. He said you can no longer order the drug from Canadian suppliers.It is posted on the IBS topic.Rose


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## Tiss (Aug 22, 2000)

Rose, Thank you!!! I sent you a PM. Heck, ordering from the Swiss company would be almost 1/2 what I pay here. I sure hope they don't pull it in Switzerland. So good to hear from you!You have eased many souls here today. Tiss


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Rose, I just found Jeff's post. I can't believe it. The pharmacy in Canada wasn't aware, but I'm sure they will be aware before my prescription can get shipped. If anyone needs the drug get your doctor to give you a prescription and then try small independent pharmacies that may not know about the recall yet. (I managed to get my prescription filled at CVS after the ban -- hard to believe -- but my prescription slipped through). If that doesn't work, then the Switzerland site that Rose recommended sounds like the best choice.


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## mem3452 (Apr 2, 2007)

Rose,I just wanted to thank you personally for this information. You don't know me, but I feel like I know you. I used to visit this site years ago when my symptoms were really raging. Then Zelnorm solved most of my problems, so I did not visit that often. I hope you read this message. Thank you.


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## 23713 (Apr 5, 2007)

Rose,Thank you so much for your post. I have been really down about the prospect of being without Zelnorm. I have about 30 pills left and have cut back to once daily to make it last,but have been feeling so terrible.....nice to have a little hope!


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## fizzixgal (Apr 6, 2007)

Rose, I just wanted to add my thanks to the chorus... I did look at their site and was very impressed. Thanks to three attacks of stomach flu this winter, I still have 45 Zelnorm tabs left even though I missed getting my last refill... but that is only three weeks worth, or six if I go to once daily. I just hope US authorities don't crack down to keep Zelmac out of the US the way they are doing with domperidone.


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## Novella (Apr 7, 2007)

Rose...I just wanted to thank you so much for the information about how to get Zelmac...I am suffering so much since not have Zelnorm...My doctor put me on Amitiza & I have had terrible side effects...Blisters in mouth, bloating in stomach(worst then ususal IBS symptom & a rash on my body..I have stopped it & didn't know where to turn..I see my doctor on monday & hope to get a prescription..I am all out of Zelnorm...But you are so helpful & thank god I found your site....Carol


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## Nomie (Mar 22, 2000)

Thanks for letting them know Rose. I forgot all about that site.


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

You are all welcome. I'm glad I was able to help. It seems like the worst problem you might have is finding a doctor willing to prescribe the medication, now that is has been taken off the market per order of the FDA. It seems as though, if you are willing to have an EKG, and sign a waiver stating you are aware the drug is no longer available is the USA and Canada and are willing to take the responsibility for using the drug with no backlash to the doctor, they should be willing to write the prescriptions. I suppose it depends on the doctor. I, myself, think this whole thing is a bunch of bunk. After all, only something like 11 out 12,000 people had a cardiac episode and they all had pre-existing cardiac problems. I see some drug advertised on TV (I forget the name of it at the moment), but one of the side effects is the possibility of lymphoma, which is a deadly cancer, and that drug is still on the market....go figure.


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## Novella (Apr 7, 2007)

I just wanted to let you know that I had a prescription from my doctor for Zelnorm & put my order in with www.farmamondo.com..They market this under the old name of Zelmac in Switzerland...Rose...on the IBS help board told us about it..So they told me that my order would be coming to me in 7-10 days which was great since I am in misery from not having Zelnorm...Then the next day they called me & told me that they no longer could fill prescriptions of Zelmac...I thought you may want to know the latest on this company in Switzerland..It was going to be my life saver since I can't take Amitza...Does anyone know if you can get Zelnorm in Mexico??? I would appreciate so much if anyone had any other information of where you can order it?? I guestthe FDA has pretty much gotton to all countries now....Thank you....Carol


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## 16430 (Oct 30, 2006)

So is there any chance of getting zelnorm/zelmac from anywhere. My GI doc (very reputed in motility issues) confirmed that while in the general population the chance of heart attack is 0.1% and in zelnorm 0.11% (a ten fold increase), the fact remains that the absolute risk of 0.11% is still low. He said that FDA did it to avoid lawsuits that were present in case of Vioxx. He encouraged me to find its availability elsewhere. Novartis claims that it is available in 45 countries. However, there is no complete list. I know it is banned in canada / singapore / australia. No idea of any other country


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

oh dear. thanks for posting the info on the swiss pharmacy, Novella. how depressing. I don't have any current info on mexican pharmacies but i remember back before zelnorm was fda approved some people on the board were getting it from mexican pharmacies--either walking over the border to them if they lived close to mexico or getting it from online mexican pharmacies. i did a search on the board for zelnorm mexican pharmacy and came up with this one site but it's old info from 2002 and when i clicked on it, nothing came up. maybe it's my computer--i only have dial up--can't get high speed internet out here. for what it's worth, here's the link. i guess we'll have to try google for more current info. and yes i know mexican pharmacies have a rep for being unreliable but one poster from one of the links in my search did seem to have good results from the zelnorm he got from pharmaparadise.but maybe they're not still around. http://www.pharmaparadise.com.


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

Farmamondo just e-mailed me and said they


> quote: Dear Gail, I'm sorry to inform you that we are not allowed to sell Zelmac anymore. I will throw away the information you sent us! Thank you very much for your attention and understanding. Kind regards,Cristina


Does anyone know if it is still being sold in Mexico. At this point I am desperate enough to get on a plane. I can't function without Zelnorm. How can Novartis leave us in such a mess? There is no substitute for Zelnorm.


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## fizzixgal (Apr 6, 2007)

This is what I was afraid would happen. I tried desperately to get hold of my GI doc last week to get a script to send to Farmamondo but he was on vacation. The soonest he could see me is Friday, and I have an appointment... but now it is too late.Was anyone told why they can not sell it? Is it the Swiss government concerned about relations with the U.S. or has Novartis pulled it from the world market?


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## SophieUK (Dec 18, 2000)

I had an email a couple of days ago from a guy who had found Zelnorm in Mexico, and he said the pharmacy staff didn't know anything about a recall, which sounds right as at the moment I think it hasn't been recalled in Mexico. I did think it was still available in Switzerland though, or perhaps they just can't sell to countries where it is discontinued?I would definitely call a Mexican pharmacy to check beforehand though, things seem to be moving quite quickly and it would be terrible to get on a plane and then be disappointed.


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## 13918 (Apr 16, 2007)

Instead of all of us looking for Zelnorm around the world...is there not any one who has found anything remotely comparable to it? I find it hard to believe that so many of us are suffering and that this is the only miracle drug around. I'm trying a naturopath next...has anyone gone that route?


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## mem3452 (Apr 2, 2007)

That is the crux of this whole issue. Nothing works like Zelnorm. Zelnorm works on the Seratonin receptors in the colon which promotes the natural function of the colon. Other treatments for constipation draw water into the colon (Like Milk of Magnesia) or are stimulant laxatives which when used long term can permantly impair the function of the colon. Zelnorm was the medicine that allowed the most normal function and relieved much of the discomfort.


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## annie7 (Aug 16, 2002)

no i have not found anything remotely comparable to zelnorm, even though zelnorm only works for me if I take it intermittantly. but my zelnorm days are the best ever. i've had ibs-c for over 35 yrs and have tried everything during that time--including two naturopaths (good luck to you with that-- it's worth a try --everyone's different) and nothing has worked for me as well as zelnorm does. plus zelnorm was (until now) considered safe to take by the drs. most drs warn against taking too many laxatives, enemas, suppositories etc etc depending on the dr of course and how up-to-date he is on his info and his attitude toward ibs-c and how aggressively he decides to pursue your treatment. i take zelnorm three days a week and on my non-zelnorm days i basically just take or do whatever i feel i need to do to feel better. and i'm going to try to find a doc who'll let me try colchicine and erythromycin for when my zelnorm stash runs out.


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## GailSusan (Dec 23, 2000)

I've been to two top notch naturopaths, but they weren't able to do anything for me. I've also seen all the top GI docs from NY Presbyterian to Yale New Haven University. My big issue is the lack of coordinated peristalsis. Milk of Magnesia, Miralax, Glycolax, Erythromycin, Senakot, and so on does nothing for me except make me feel more bloated and uncomfortable. I remember the first clinical trial I was in for Zelnorm. I took a dose and then 30 minutes later I went into the rest room and didn't come out for three hours. I hadn't had a real bowel movement in almost a month and I couldn't believe it. The nurse said, "Well, I guess you didn't get the placebo!" It is a miracle drug and it changed my life. I can't imagine life without it. In fact, I wouldn't have a life without it. I couldn't earn a living, socialize, or enjoy anything in life. I wish there was something on the horizon. Isn't there any drug trial on anything close to what Zelnorm does? I need to have a ray of hope to cling to right now. I go into bouts of panic as I think about what my life will be like without Zelnorm. This all seems like a bad dream that I will wake up from, but then I realize it's not a dream. This really did happen. Right now my life feels a bit surreal. It's hard to believe this is really happening.


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

See http://ibsgroup.org/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f...261/m/220108403 for a list of the available alternatives.


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## lorilou (May 9, 2003)

flux,i tried colchicine- taken 3 times a day gave me mega stomache pain- may try agian with just 2 pills a day--- it makes you poop but also had the "still feell need to go " feeling... also worried about the side effect of interering with the peeing which it can do. also will need to be monitored with blood test for varuious issues from long term- but I repeat- It makes me poop BETTER than the Z. It gets the job done quicker and I actulally go more. it has potential.....cheap too.the otehr drug, that begins with an "m"... misoprostol, is basically teh "abortion" drug- women who may plan on becomong pregant should not even touch it ot handle it... not a good alternative for women of chilbearing age.there was anotehr renzapride- its still being studied- not out yetthe neurotrophin is not out yet either...


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## elianette (Jun 26, 2002)

Hello... I just went to Nicaragua a couple of weeks ago and asked in one of the pharmacies ovethere for Zelnor or Zelmac ( the mexican name) they still sell it ovethere but they also sell a cheaper alternative MOVILIB is kind of the generic drug but it is the same thing tegaserod 6mg. This is made by global farma and the pharmacist there told me they also sell it in Mexico.. so.. I have been researching on the internet and could not find any place where I can order the drug on line . Since I live in Texas I am planning a trip t the border in the summer to see if I can buy some more medication. I will keep you all posted... Elianette


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## 22302 (Apr 29, 2007)

After going to 3 naturopaths, accupuncture doctors, a herbalist and two homeopaths still, Zelnorm was the only thing that worked for me. I spent thousands. They all told me that they knew they could make a difference but nothing did...only Zelnorm. I am willing to travel anywhere to get it. What is your exact diagnosis? I hope you have better luck than I do. Watch out for overconfident people. A lot of it is based on theory.


bloated sufferer said:


> Instead of all of us looking for Zelnorm around the world...is there not any one who has found anything remotely comparable to it? I find it hard to believe that so many of us are suffering and that this is the only miracle drug around. I'm trying a naturopath next...has anyone gone that route?


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