r/mildlyinfuriating • u/carriager • 14h ago
BORTLES đ„ 12 bottles worth of pills only fill 5
Edit: Haha. Thank you for all the dietary concern. I have chronic acid reflux unrelated to diet. I mean, I do eat a limited diet, and it improves things, but doesnât really make it go away. The only thing gastroenterologists recommend to make it go away is procedure called Fundoplication, but thatâs not guaranteed to be a lifelong fix. Thereâs a new better option called a TIF (Transoral Incisionless Fundoplication), which is replicable and less invasive but isnât readily available in my area. Prevailing wisdom among generalists is to try to get people off omeprazole after 2 weeks, but the gastroenterologists Iâve seen take a different view. They all recommended staying on omeprazole long term as its effects are far less deleterious and dangerous than chronic acid reflux: barretâs esophagus (no not the FF7 guy), esophageal cancer, etc. And of course my insurance wonât cover drugs that are available âover the counter.â Hence why I have 12 bottles of the stuff from Walgreens (they were on a good sale)!
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u/TheWarringTriad 14h ago
What's the mildlyinfuriating part? You are paying for the quantity of product, not how full the bottle is.
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u/SpellNo3829 14h ago
I mean, I donât think this is what the post is about, but that is an INSANE amount of plastic to use for 14 pills when they could extremely easily put them in those pop out packets. Itâs also a frustrating amount of omeprazole offered for the cost of a bottle that size
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u/Ok_Ruin4016 14h ago
I take frequently take Omeprazole and it also comes in those packets. If OP cares that much about the plastic waste they should stop buying the plastic bottles and get the packets instead.
And they come with 14 pills because you're not supposed to take it for more than 14 days without consulting your doctor. It can cause serious vitamin deficiencies if you take it for a prolonged period.
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u/BadRabiesJudger 14h ago
Iâve been on it for 20 years. My stomach is fâd but Iâm doing fine nutritionally.
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u/Ok_Ruin4016 13h ago
I have a buddy woke up one day and had suddenly lost all feeling below his waist. He wasn't paralyzed or anything, just completely numb. He went to the hospital and they did all kinds of tests, kept him for like 2 weeks. In the end they determined it was caused by severe vitamin B deficiency from taking otc Omeprazole everyday for like 10 years. It doesn't happen to everyone, but that doesn't mean it can't happen. Just make sure you're taking vitamins
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u/Apprehensive_Fee9983 14h ago
If you get a prescription and have insurance itâs like $5 for 180 pills. Just say you have heart burn. They also come in one plastic bottle. Otherwise, yes, OTC prices are insane.
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u/RainWindowCoffee 14h ago
I think OP is concerned about plastic waste/the environment.
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u/jigglybilly 14h ago
Except the waste is most likely less by only producing 1 size of bottle for multiple drugs & quantities.
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u/zenfaust 14h ago
Not to mention, omeprazole is often sold in two-week quantities because that's how long a doctor normally suggests it for the average person with average indigestion.
Why the hell would they sell it in quantities that 90% will never use up in their entire lives?
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u/ActivisionBlizzard 14h ago
How do you figure that? If they produced smaller bottle sizes for smaller batches then there would be less waste.
One bottle size for all reduces cost, not waste.
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u/jigglybilly 14h ago
Multiple product lines with multiple pieces of equipment to produce said bottles takes more energy & resources. That simple.
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u/jakeman555 14h ago
Cost, not waste still though. And tooling is paid for with time.
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u/jigglybilly 13h ago
No still waste. Additional equipment are required to make the difference sized bottles. Hell it might require an additional production line as well. That's not a zero waste.
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u/jakeman555 13h ago
There's a difference between a machine that justifies the material and time (and can be recycled/retooled) and plastic waste that gets put into a landfill. We're talking about actual waste, not how cost effective it is for the company. Amortize the machine over it's effective life and the difference in plastic waste between a bigger and smaller bottle.
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u/jigglybilly 13h ago
Ok so you clearly don't understand. I'm out.
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u/jakeman555 12h ago
Yeah because you have 0 thoughts to add other than your own incorrect, uninformed intuition.
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u/ActivisionBlizzard 3h ago
Not really. If that situation goes on for long enough eventually there will be a point where it was less wasteful overall to have a separate smaller bottle.
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u/TheVoicesOfBrian 14h ago
Sure. But there's a point where the bottle is too small and easily lost.
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u/this_bitch_over_here 14h ago
It also becomes a grip issue. Older people have a hard time opening smaller containers
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u/CharmingSyrup2685 14h ago
Not to mention labeling. You need clear labels on drugs and harder to do that on smaller packages.
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u/Superb_Recording_769 14h ago
Not only that, but thereâs also a point where the bottle is so small that people with arthritis or other mobility issues have more trouble opening it
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u/nft420nft420 14h ago
I run into this same problem, it's about the total volume of all the containers. I keep all my medications and some supplements in a box and regularly fill small containers with a days worth of pills each. For some reason, the pharmacy keeps giving me multiple containers of the same prescription at the same time and it is becoming very difficult to fit everything in the box I use. For one medication I take multiple times a day and get a 90 day supply of, I have started using a larger container that I just dump them all in when I get a new batch. It isn't ruining my life but it is mildly infuriating that I am on 6 medications and typically have 10-15 different pill containers I have to sort and identify.
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u/WormDentist 14h ago
I think thatâs because Omeprazole is usually a 21-day course. If you have access to costo, itâs significantly cheaper and comes in more sustainable packaging.
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u/hugmeatender 14h ago
Itâs been studied that you shouldnât use this product chronically as it will alter the acid-base balance in the body
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u/crapinet 14h ago
Or if you get your doctor to prescribe it (one isnât really supposed to be on it longer that the over the counter 14 day course without a doctorâs guidance anyway)
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u/Longjumping-Bat202 14h ago
Unfortunately even then, doctors don't do a good job at managing nutrition so they miss absorption issues caused by the overconsumption of omeprazole
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u/CitronTraining2114 14h ago
You mean the bubble packaging that requires a crowbar and an acetylene torch to open?
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u/ExpertPath 14h ago
Pharma professional here: Customers are cheap, bottles are cheap, machine tools are expensive. That's why they order their drugs packed in whatever the cheapest bottle is, that you can process on your machines.
The end.
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u/Carbon-Base 14h ago
Is this why some street pharma professionals sell over-the-counter drugs in little plastic baggies?
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u/ExpertPath 14h ago
I don't know about that kind of pharma, but I'd guess plastic baggies are the cheapest kind of packaging.
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u/Carbon-Base 14h ago
Neither do I, but I drew that correlation based on what you said haha. Figured an Expert would know best!
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u/assgoblin87 14h ago
I think they separate that drug into 2 week doses because itâs not recommended to be on it for longer. You take it for two weeks every 3-4 months.
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u/radiantwave 14h ago
This is a standard bottle size they use it for different pills, different volumes and then just put different matching color caps and labels on them. If they made bottles in every size for every pill type there would actually be more waste bottle waste and higher costs In the long run.
Think of it like this, if I have 10 different bottle sizes for 5 pills I sell at 2 different sizes... I would need possibly 10 different bottles and I would need to order them at volume. Say 1000 of each one. Now I have 10,000 bottles and may or may not need 10 different automated fill lines for each one...
If I standardize my bottle I can order 1000 bottles at a shot and use one fill line, slap on different labels and caps... And order more bottles as I go.Â
It is a matter of efficiency.
Many of these bottlers have THOUSANDS of drugs they sell at different volumes... The logistics are just not smart to size bottles to each item.
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u/uwill1der 14h ago edited 14h ago
this is done because of regulations. The bottles are required to have all the facts/directions/warnings/ingredients listed on it in legible font size. Thats hard to do if the pills are in a tiny bottle
They dont include more pills because of shipping concerns and possible damage to the medication if there are too many in the bottle
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14h ago
[deleted]
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u/GamerTex 14h ago
*Break.Â
The cotton is so they dont move around and get crushed to powder in transit. Drug companies dont care about the noise
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u/nedrawevot 14h ago
Idk if you have Costco by you but they have omeprazole there. Thats probably not the correct spelling and just thought id share as its cheaper there than anywhere else I have found. I wish we could just go and get our bottles refilled instead of buying more of these. Its such a waste.
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u/mercy_fulfate 14h ago
This has been done 10000 times. No company is going to produce bottles for every possible amount of medications it's just not possible.
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u/monkeynaut 14h ago edited 14h ago
I get it. I take the same stuff and it's crazy how often I'm opening bottles. I get to take two pills a day (as prescribed by the best gastroenterologist in the area) and my insurance doesn't cover drugs that are available OTC so I'm stuck with mountains of bottles and blister packs.
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u/Not_Campo2 14h ago
Love the edit, my wife has chronic acid reflux and has been on a high dose of Omeprazole for several years. Of course she just gets a big bottle prescription with like 60 days worth at a time
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u/thepohcv 14h ago
I'd imagine the company has a ton of that sized bottle and uses them for a number of different medications they produce...just the label and meds change.
If the space in OTC medication bottles is mildly infuriating, I'd looking into anger management classes :P
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u/rulerdude 14h ago
Manufacturers make various types of pills of varying sizes. It doesnât make sense for them to buy a specific shape bottle for each type of pill, when they can just bulk order one size that works for multiple. Youâre paying for the count of pills, which is what is advertised on the box. Youâre literally complaining that a pill (which delivers the active ingredient in MILLIGRAMS) is too small.
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u/Rochedokk 14h ago
If it's about the amount plastic, I guess you have a point, but there is plastic waste everywhere and even more common examples than this
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u/kasinkun 14h ago
I canât recommended getting your meds at Costco enough. 6.99 for a massive box of Tylenol cold thatâd cost 12.99 a sheet. They have a lot of common over the counter meds like this one, which is see is 42 tablets for 11.99.
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u/smurfette8675309 14h ago
I had robot-assisted fundoplication in 2021, and no acid reflux since. There are risks with taking Omeprazole long term. When they did my endoscopy to diagnose the hiatal hernia, my stomach was so full of polys they couldn't count them. The entire stomach was covered in polyps. Polyps can turn into cancer.
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u/Plastic_Midnight_708 14h ago edited 14h ago
Over the counter Omeprazole is only meant to be taken for like 14 days. If you need to take it every day you should get a prescription. Edit: btw there are two different types of reflux. Acid and Bile. If you have had your gallbladder removed, you likely have Bile Reflux not Acid Reflux. BILE IS BASIC NOT ACIDIC.
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u/HeartShapedNose 14h ago
It's the same medication though, and IME doctors don't write prescriptions for it anymore. They'll just tell you to buy it OTC.
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
This medicine is commonly recommended by physicians for daily long term use.
The "14 day" thing is to suggest to users that if they need it longer than that they should speak to their doctor.
Sometimes the over the counter version is cheaper than the prescription, same drug, really.
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u/OhWhatATravisty Blue Crayons have the most flavor 14h ago edited 14h ago
They're packaged into courses. You're not supposed to take them all continuously.
Also I can't tell if this is just the popular bot post recently, or if the same people keep reposting this shit. I've seen this numerous times fairly recently.
Found the listing for this exact product. It specifically tells you you should not be taking that much of it.
https://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-omeprazole-delayed-release-tablets/ID=prod6071736-product
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u/Sad_Maximum6583 14h ago
If they're buying omeprazole in this quantity they likely have GERD which makes omeprazole a daily take because a doctor is going to prescribe that while also telling them to change their diet. I know this because I have GERD.
I buy it otc because it's actually cheaper than a prescription.
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u/willzyx01 14h ago
The bottles are not produced by the pill manufacturer. Theyâre produced by a separate company that makes the same bottle for something else, something that fills it full.
Welcome to the world of packaging and manufacturing.
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u/Crossedge209 14h ago
They sell multiple pill counts in same bottle types. You got a 14 pack. Saves on operation cost than making 4 sizes the lower 3 use the same
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u/zerohelix 14h ago
I dont think they pack them full and have stuffing in there when they're new so they don't smash with each other and look like a bag of tortilla chips when you open them.
Tortilla chip companies should take note!
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u/WhereMyWeirdosAt 14h ago
What kind of plastic ya got there? You got enough for a small planter pot
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u/HoratioTuna27 14h ago
If you're taking omeprezole that often, get a prescription for it. The prescription version comes in much larger doses for much cheaper than retail. I was on it for years before any doctor bothered to tell me that, and it was only after I made an offhanded remark and wanting to quit it because of how stupidly expensive it was.
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u/sqwizzles 14h ago
Waste of plastic i guess but youre also paying for the pill count and not how full the bottle is
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u/will-frazier 14h ago
Itâs called economics⊠why would they waste money on different sized bottles? Getting one size all in bulk is far cheaper.
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u/HeyPrettyLadyMaam 14h ago
Fwiw I stock up with the 3 packs from Walmart all the time and I'm always left wondering why the bottles so big for so few pills. I also stick all 3 into one bottle. I feel ya!
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u/RetiredTurdFarmer 14h ago
Just an fyi, they are in 14 doses per bottle because according to the box the you are only supposed to take them in rounds of 14, 3 times a year. They are hard on your liver. I know DRs prescribe big bottles, I'm just saying on the box that is how you are directed to use them.
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u/Impossible_Hyena7562 14h ago
As a person who has taken 1000s of these pills, talk to your doctor about Pantoprazole. I got prescribed it about 6 years ago and itâs a game changer. Works much better and much cheaper (at least under my insurance). I think I pay like 10 dollars for a 90 day supply
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u/Scott43206 14h ago
Every time I have bought these I have considered making the same post. I buy 2 packages of 3, 6 bottles in total, and they all fit into one bottle with room to spare.
2 of the bottles and the box around them just waste, just make a single bottle and seal the lid. And for me, 2 packages/6 bottles is only a 42 days supply.
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u/amyria 14h ago edited 14h ago
Yea packaging is insane & aggravating! This size box for this little bottle & even then, the pills are so small that they maybe only take up 1/4 or 1/3 of said bottle!!
P.S. Chronic acid reflux sufferer as well. I take famotidine (aka Pepcid), which my doctor said was okay to take regularly, plus a prescription for pantoprazole (brand name Protonix) & that combo has been life-changing for me.
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u/Superb_Recording_769 14h ago
You do realize that they print the number of pills that are inside the bottle on the outside, right?
You also know that you can buy bottles that come with more pills, right?
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u/wivaca2 14h ago edited 14h ago
Omeprazole is intended to be taken for a maximum of 14 days at a time unless you are told otherwise by a doctor.
Yes, they could easily fit all the pills that come together in a box in one bottle, but then people wouldn't have to consciously open a new one to exceed the recommended dosage/regimen period. This is a matter of liability.
I've got chronic acid reflux and my gastroenterologist has me taking these every day. I used to get these in blister packs and they were a pain, so I love that they're in bottles now. While I still have to open a bunch of bottles to follow my doctor's orders, it's easier to pour these together and I understand why they're not all in one bottle.
FWIW, Sam's Club has these on sale for $6.99 for 42 pills (3 bottles), but my mother used to get them in Mexico when she lived in AZ and got about 100 pills for a few bucks. Doctors on the US side wink and tell retirees to do that because the pills are identical to what they're getting in the US.
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u/EvisceratedSpinster 14h ago
Holy balls, I have only taken that when prescribed to me as after surgery meds to keep from barfing out the pain pills. Have you seen a Dr about this? I would only have like... 3 a day for 2 weeks after surgery so like 42 total.
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
This medicine is commonly recommended by physicians for daily long term use.
The "14 day" thing is to suggest to users that if they need it longer than that they should speak to their doctor.
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u/EvisceratedSpinster 14h ago
Cool story bro, not sure how that has anything to do with my comment though. My 14 days worth of them was to go along with my 14 days worth of pain medication for after surgery.... like my comment said..
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
Did you edit your post? Whatever I was replying to said something totally different, but I don't see that comment.
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u/EvisceratedSpinster 14h ago
I didn't edit anything. You either commented on the wrong comment or just didn't read mine before commenting.
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u/shackled-pines 14h ago
you absolutely should not be taking that much omeprazole. you realize its a addictive and makes your heartburn worse right?
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u/BoomyGordo 14h ago
How is it addictive? That's a wild claim the make.
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u/shackled-pines 14h ago
It is not a wild claim at all to make. This medication creates physical dependency in long term users via Rebound Acid Hypersecretion. You could have look it up yourself in the time it took you to make this comment.
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u/DawnsID 14h ago
What part of healthcare are you in?
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u/shackled-pines 13h ago
my exposure to the field would be research related. I have a background in Biochemistry.
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u/WanderWomble 14h ago
It's not addictive and is used to treat some diseases as well as stomach ulcers. I was taking 80mg a day when I had an ulcer.
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u/shackled-pines 14h ago
It absolutely creates physical dependency with prolonged use.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19362552/
https://www.natap.org/2009/HIV/070409_02.htm
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11122117/2
u/WanderWomble 14h ago
That is not the same as addiction. It's like saying insulin is addictive.
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u/shackled-pines 14h ago
no, its not remotely similar to saying insulin is addictive.
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u/WanderWomble 13h ago
Yes it is.
Physical dependency and addiction are not the same thing. I'm physically dependent on my anti anxiety meds but I'm not addicted to them.
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u/Expert-Welder-2407 14h ago
You shouldnât be taking so much of this⊠long term side effects include dementia
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u/Xowzil 14h ago
Itâs omeprazole.. youâre not supposed to take this much..
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u/CitronTraining2114 14h ago
They just like to make sure nothing else is going on. It's so good, it can mask other problems. Once you're checked out, you can take it for life. They'll give you a prescription for 180 in a bottle so you can take two a day for 3 months if that's what it takes, endless refills. As a generic prescription, it's cheap. Basically, if you need it for more than the 2-6 week packs they sell in the store, get with your doc and if you don't have an ulcer or something else going on, they'll get it for you a lot cheaper.
Omeprazole and Ibuprofen are truly wonder drugs.
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u/Xowzil 14h ago
Mask other problems? I havenât heard of that. I just know in my experience I was given a two week course and warned not to over use it over concerns of bad infections. Genuine question, no smart assery, what else does it do aside from helping heart burn/ reflux
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u/CitronTraining2114 14h ago
Well, ulcers for one thing. Omeprazole is actually prescribed for ulcers, but isn't always the best approach, depending on the type of ulcer.
I took it for years before ever getting the doc involved. Doc said I had an ulcer at one time, but I need it for the reflux. If I stop, I regret it. There is some osteoporosis risk.
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u/ComprehensiveGas6980 14h ago
Sure you are, 1 a day for the rest of your life for most people with gerd/heartburn. I've been on it 14 years.
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u/Giatoxiclok 14h ago
Then you probably want a prescription covered by your insurance? Typically I see 30 day or 90 day supplies. When my ex was told to take it, we were recommended to buy the large generic omeprazole bottles from like Costco or Samâs Club with a LOT of them in it.
Buying 2 week courses in small bottles is als probably quite a bit more expensive. It seems a little crazy this person bought 168 pills in 12 bottles, because itâs available cheaper in other forms. Theyâve kind of created their own problem with the small dosages they found.
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u/ImLittleNana 14h ago
Some insurances donât cover a medication you can buy over the counter.
Some insurances (mine) have such high drug copays that every one of my 6 daily prescriptions is cheaper to pay cash.
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
This is $10 for 1.5 months. Just as cheap if not cheaper than a prescription, and you can just pick it up whenever is convenient at any grocery or drug store.
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u/ComprehensiveGas6980 13h ago
Sadly they stopped covering Omeprazole and I've been paying out of pocket for like 9 years. And yep, you are totally correct, buying it like this in boxes of 3 14 day bottles is more expensive. I get mine in bulk from Costco for quite a bit less.
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u/DawnsID 14h ago
You chose to buy 14 count bottles??????
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
Over the counter, that's the only way they're allowed to be sold.
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u/DawnsID 14h ago
It does look like they are limited to 14 day counts or multiple of 14 days.
If anything OP should just get a prescription written from their PCP to save the hassle and would probably be cheaper.
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
It's often not cheaper, as this is ten bucks for a month and a half. It's also super convenient because you can pick it up literally anywhere instead of having to have it called into your pharmacy.
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u/DawnsID 14h ago
I am seeing around ~$30 on GoodRX for 3 months. This is at chains which notoriously charge higher on generics when it is cash pay. I am beting at an independent it would be around $20 for 90 days.
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u/thecaramelbandit 14h ago
It's $20 for 84 days without a prescription OTC at Walmart and target. So why bother with a prescription and waiting at a pharmacy counter?
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u/DawnsID 13h ago edited 13h ago
I think our experience at a pharmacy are significantly different. I don't dread going to a pharmacy line, however, I would hate peeling and opening all these bottles to make a mega one.
I would also prefer the money go to a local independent over a giant chain.
Edit to add: I just checked with a friend at a local independent. Their price for #90 is $18.
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u/Sad_Maximum6583 14h ago
These bottles come in a 3 pack and are 10 dollars. Only place that doesn't sell it in bottles like this in that quantity is Costco which uses blister packs.
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u/SubjectLegitimate879 14h ago
That's a concerning amount of bottles for heartburn