Similac Alimentum question

hopeful34

My dr has advised me to switch to this formula as my little girl is colicky. She is very fussy after eating. I was using Similac sensitive then switched to enfamil gentlease but she doesn't seem to do well on either one. I am using the similac alimentum and it seems to be a bit better. My dr wrote me a script for it but i am being told that my ins co may not cover it due to not being tested for allergy to cows milk protein. This wasn't the reason for switching to it.

Question is, is there a generic brand that is comparable does anyone know? I can't afford to pay $25 per small can as i go through them in a few days.

Thanks!

ewiley28

My older son had a protein intolerance and when at 4 months I was eating sweet potatoes, lentils, brown rice and water and he was still having problems and we were both gradually starving, we abruptly stopped breastfeeding and he started on Alimentum (though I think we did an actual prescription formula for a few weeks first if I remember right).  Never tried to do the insurance route, but I bought the stuff on ebay.  It turns out WIC or similar programs will often cover the cost of the expensive formula without any medical qualifications.  Then they sell it on ebay and buy basic formula and turn a profit.  I had some issues with encouraging this, but I figured it is happening, might as well buy it.

 

I actually had a whole spreadsheet that detailed how much I was willing to pay up to per ounce of liquid and powder and worked in shipping and hte like.  We saved over a thousand dollars doing this.

Good luck!

danolitafawn

My children are on alimentum due to breastmilk/milk protein/soy allergies.. It gets more expensive as they eat more and our insurance doesn't cover it either..We couldn't afford it for both children either..We made too much for WIC, but since he was a army vet they have helped us with 13 liquid bottles a month..I go threw 1.5 bottles of it a day so it gets crazy expensive..I would check with your local WIC program..Several of them have discounted  programs like the one we are on..We get the $9.00 bottles for around $6 which does help. If not ask over Pedi to test so your insurance may decide to cover it.

AlishaMay

Alimentum is a hypoallergenic formula, so it's likely that your pedi does think that your LO has an allergy or protein intolerance.  Many pedis and GI's will try putting a LO on a hypoallergenic formula to see if it works because it's less invasive than allergy testing. 

We luckily qualified for WIC, and I didn't think that we would, so it could be work checking out.  We were on Alimentum for just short of 2 months when she started reacting to even that.  We've since moved to Neocate (a medical formula) and after just a couple of bottles she was a whole new baby!

I've found this site to be especially helpful with reflux/protein intolerance/allergy issues.

twobytwo2010

We were on Alimentum and would buy it off of amazon it seemed to be the cheapest and the shipping was free. If the alimentum doesn't seem to be working then the next step is Elecare or Neocate which are the same just different companies and they are mail order only ins co won't cover them most of the time. You could try WIC but they weren't much help since we didn't qualify. One of my girls was on Elecare for a couple of months and since gotten better.

SMILEYD

My boys are on Alimentum and I tried to get insurance to cover it, DENIED.

I dont think I would be approved for WIC, make too much.

What I do now is buy it at Buy buy baby since Similac is offering 30% off the ready to feed bottles, and then use checks and coupons (on their site).

I stock up and they allow 10 cases at one purchase since its twins.

Normally its 6 per person.

Im going back tonite.

DEP

WHy dont' you just get her tested?  If she is allergic, the the insurance will pay.  If not, then maybe it's just reflux and you can switch back to a formula, maybe with rice cereal (Enfamil AR, Similac c Sensitive AR, or just add rice cereal to regular formula)  That's what I did!

*MHugs

We are just finally switching over to whole milk and thank goodness.  The Alimentum is way expensive.  A couple of things we did to get by.  Our pedi always gave us samples plus $5 off coupons.  Sometimes I would just call them and ask if they had any I could pick up. If I were buying it,  I would wait until they went on sale at Target (22 or 23 dollars) then I would use the coupon plus those $5 dollar vouchers (Girls I worked with would give me their vouchers)   so I was able to get this formula for the price of their normal stuff.  You can use both a voucher and a coupon at the same time. 

FYI:  For my daughter we went through 4 or 5  other formulas before we settled on the SOY.  The pedi didn't even give us this one to try but I happened to have a sample at the house and she took it.  I don't know if I would call it colicky but she was very fussy all of the time after eating, constantly spitting up everything.  She took Zantac for 6 or 7 months and along with the isomil soy she did great!

 If you haven't already ask your pedi about the multiples program through Similac.  Abbott sent us two full cases of ready to feed formula, one for each kid.  If I was smart, I would have said that both of my kids were on the Alimentum so I would get two cases of that.  Similac is also doing some kind of rewards program.  (since I just switched my kiddos to milk I am not sure of the details but I do know the first coupon they sent was a good on like 10 or 15 off. 

Hope this helps!