(412) 586-4678

Compounded Medication Testimonials*


Testimony from a Veteran

Good morning!

I have been a long-time patron of Murray Avenue Apothecary and LabNaturals and am very pleased with the results.

I had trouble sleeping due to anxiety so I was advised by Susan Merenstein, the owner to try CBD.

I am now using the LabNaturals CBD Broad Spectrum Hemp Oil, 5 to 10 drops before retiring for the evening and have been pleased by the results.

I no longer toss and turn and my anxiety level has been reduced significantly,

I wake up rested and in a better frame of mind.

I suggest Murray Avenue Apothecary (www.MAApgh.com) and LabNaturals (www.LabNaturalsCBD.com) for anyone thinking about using natural formulas created by a local professional who uses quality ingredients.

Additionally the customer service is excellent. It is easy to order from the website or by simply calling into the store on Murray Ave. They even have a designated parking spot to make picking up product very easy.

I will continue my patronage and encourage anyone to consider this locally owned and operated resource.

- D. N.


Hydroquinone

“This is absolutely the best [Rx compound] product I’ve ever used to fade away spots on my face and I absolutely love it. I cannot be without it actually.”

— S.B.


Healing Rub with Zinc and Aloe

"I got a nasty case of poison ivy and after trying to treat it with at-home remedies (oatmeal, tea, etc.), I decided to give Susan a call. She set me up with some oral and topical treatments that worked wonders for the itchiness and inflammation. From now on, Murray Avenue Apothecary will be my FIRST stop for poison ivy prevention and treatment. Thank you, Susan!”

— C.W.


Gabapentin

"I use this 2x/day rub a small amount on the area where I have nerve pain (meralgia paresthetica). It really helps. It works better than the gabapentin pills which make me sleepy. I recommend using the gabapentin cream – it really helps."

— M.P.


Testosterone

"Medication returned my libido, body, and emotions to my life, my work, my mind. Murray Avenue Apothecary Pharmacist and staff listened and worked with me to solve my issues."

— M. M.


General

"Your compounded prescriptions are top notch!"

— D.C.


General

"I have 2 cases in my life where compounding has helped me when Western medicine could not:

My husband had Parkinson's Disease and couldn't swallow due to the rigidity of his swallowing muscles. He had a feeding tube in his stomach. Most of his medications could be crushed and dissolved and put down the tube. The Saw Palmetto which he took for enlarged prostate (which kept the prostate small enough in size for us to enjoy intimacy) could not be crushed, melted, or dissolved. Susan M. was able to compound the Saw Palmetto into a liquid to be put down his tube. It was the only way!.

When I was having hot flashes due to menopause I didn't want to take estrogen. I tried different over the counter progesterone creams. Some gave body odor; some were extremely expensive and difficult to obtain. Most worked only minimally. Since I have been using the progesterone cream that Susan M. compounds for me individually each month, my hot flashes have been totally under control and I have no side effects or worries about using synthetic estrogen."

— S.B.


General

"I am writing in support of compounded medicine. I have been greatly relieved by the pregnenolone cream that you have compounded for me. It has relieved many of the post-menopausal symptoms that have been bothering for the last several years, and does not upset my stomach, as did the previous oral meds. This makes it much easier to get through my job and domestic responsibilities. I don't know what I would do if I did not have access to the compounded cream; it took me a long time to find this solution, and I do not relish going through another round of trial and error to find something else.

Thank you for your work in both compounding the medicines, and conveying news their importance to our lawmakers."

— B.K.


General

"Customized medications relieve my pain and make it much more bearable. I would not be able to lead a normal life if it weren't for the fabulous practitioners in Western Pennsylvania, including my Compounding Pharmacist, Susan Merenstein."

— S.H.


General

"My health/digestive problems began around age 18. I transitioned from being a happy, healthy teenager to a teenager who was constantly sick every time she ate. As a result, I spent several years going to numerous GI specialists. After several long years, I was diagnosed with IBS. I initially was prescribed some IBS medicines, but these medicines were still not very effective. I was sick and weak every day. I had no quality of life & was losing weight rapidly. Finally, my doctor realized I had an enzyme deficiency in addition to the IBS. I was immediately prescribed Donnazyme which turned out to be a "miracle cure" for me. For the 1st time in many years, I was able to digest a variety of foods without being sick. I was relieved, had a much better quality of life, & was able to maintain a normal, healthy weight. Around the year 2000, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my monthly prescription of Donnazyme, when I was informed that the manufacturer was no longer making the medicine. I immediately made an appointment to see my doctor who prescribed me all of the remaining existing pancreatic enzymes on the market such as: Creon, Viokase, Kuzyme, Kutrase, etc. None of these medicines were effective. I became sick again, & was in a very bad health situation. I went to other GI specialists to get 2nd, 3rd, & even 4th opinions. However, there was nothing that could be done for me because the medicine that I needed was no longer being made. I tried many over the counter pancreatin products at health stores & over the Internet, but again, nothing was effective. I spoke to several pharmacists, but they couldn't help me either. The pharmacists would tell me to consult with my doctor, but my doctor had already prescribed me every equivalent medicine that was available on the market. Then I started doing my own research over the Internet. This is how I learned that medicines that are no longer being manufactured can be made by a compounding pharmaceutical. I found your pharmacy over the Internet, & was relieved to find out that your pharmacy could compound my medicine. I have been using your compounded medicine since then, & I can honestly say that this compounded medicine has saved my life. I would not be able to keep food in my stomach without it. Therefore, I strongly feel that the FDA should not restrict a physician's ability to prescribe compounded medication. Doing so could result in the loss of many lives."

— C.A.


"We landed early on a beautiful gulf coast morning. Had a great breakfast at a local restaurant. Checked into a beautiful waterfront hotel, and took a terrific walk along the water. Had a light lunch,was feeling like " a million bucks"and if out of nowhere my enemy showed up...Crohn's, with a vengeance. This particular attack left out no symptom and each of them were 9's on a pain scale of one to ten. Almost every severe Crohn's attack that I ever experienced ran the gamut on pain as a result of inflammation. Start with severe headache. Migraine like symptoms where I needed to keep a towel over my eyes so as not to expose my brain to the pain of light. The headache always leads to nausea severe gut pains and a painful vibration running through my arms and legs as the painful symptoms make their way through my body over and over again. Last attack was very similar. I called my doctor, and was hospitalized, given mega dose of steroids IV, and kept in the hospital for extended days, liquid diet etc. I was discharged from the hospital on 60 mg prednisone. Took nearly a year to feel like myself again from the steroids! Steroid psychosis leads to mild mannered happy go lucky guy, family man, partner, lover, to steroid rage embarrassing behavior. During my last hospital stay, I got an added whammy ( a hospital induced staff infection on my face and dangerously close to my ear and brain ). Anyway, back to my recent flare up...I am not sure if it's because I'm 56 and I didn't feel like I was strong enough to fight this one off, but I was lying there, thinking I could die here on a hotel bathroom floor and the pain was so bad I honestly felt that might be my best option. My wife called Dr. Morton who suggested we call an ambulance to the hotel and go to Sarasota memorial hospital. Keeping in mind my last hospital stay led to a staph infection, I refused to go to the hospital. I told her prednisone usually works, and even though I knew I was about to face a six months recovery from steroid side effects, I didn't have much choice. My wife and pharmacist talked the doctor to allowing me to try just 10 mg of prednisone as opposed to the usual dangerous 60mg. She reasoned that my recent blood work was excellent, I was eating a healthy diet, and took a steady dose of supplements, and used topical testosterone daily. Testosterone fights inflammation! After one dose of 10 mg prednisone I was able to fall asleep. I woke up the next morning with amazing energy. It was if one of the most severe flares never happened . Oh but it did. The previous day...I spent about five hours on the bathroom floor, vomiting and small amounts of blood in stool. Just the night before I was grabbing at my arms and legs praying for the pain to stop. This morning was 100 degrees the opposite. I had an appetite, we took a very long walk on beach, had a couples spa massage, sex drive, pain free...unbelievable! Did not get admitted to the hospital. Given low dose steroids as opposed to mega dose and mega side effects. Switching to a safer compounded steroid hydrocortisone as a preventive low dose safe for long term. My wife said this will help prevent my adrenal glands from nearly shutting down as they did just last week."

— B.M.


"I am writing to let you know how much I appreciate the compounding of medications that you do for me. The work that you do allows me to live a full life, safely thanks to your efforts. You are professional and efficient in preparing my medications and sending them to me in a timely manner. I hope that Murray Avenue Apothecary will be serving its clients for a very long time!"

— P.T.


"Because of the compounding medicines Pharmacist, Susan Merenstein provided for me, I was able to reduce the steroid medication taken for Crohn's Disease."

— G.H.


"I feel much better thanks to Susan's compounded treatment."

— L.W.


"LDN has helped me significantly. My pain levels are reduced to nearly nothing. The headaches, which were daily and excruciating, are all gone. Continual nausea is now gone! My energy levels are restored to near normal. My family and friends are excited; my daughters say they have their mom back. My husband is thrilled! All of this after 2 months; however my response to LDN was immediate! LDN helped me to get off Lyrica with no withdrawal symptoms. We are so grateful for a compounding pharmacy in our area with caring staff to prepare this badly needed and effective compounded medication."

— M.W.


Pain - Menstrual Cramps

“For menstrual cramps, Susan gave me the topical ibuprofen to apply on my stomach and back. My cramps were gone within the hour and I was pain free. Such a relief to apply this lotion instead of taking an oral pain relief. Thank you Susan and the staff at MAA! THANK YOU!!!!!

— H.G.


*In accordance with the FTC guidelines concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, please be aware of the following:

Testimonials appearing on this website are received in various forms via a variety of submission methods. The testimonials reflect the real life experiences of individuals who used our products and/or services. However, individual results may vary. We do not claim, nor should the reader assume, that any individual experience recounted is typical or representative of what any other consumer might experience. The results may vary. Testimonials are not necessarily representative of what anyone else using our products and/or services may experience. The testimonials displayed are given verbatim except for grammatical or typing error corrections. Some testimonials may have been edited for clarity, or shortened in cases where the original testimonial included extraneous information of no relevance to the general public. Murray Avenue Apothecary is not responsible for the opinions or comments posted on this website, and does not necessarily share the opinions, views or commentary of postings on this website. All opinions expressed are strictly the views of the poster or reviewer. All testimonials are reviewed for authenticity before they are posted for public viewing. Testimonials on this website are not intended, nor should they be construed, as claims that the products or services mentioned can be used to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate or prevent any disease. To the contrary, our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. No testimonial has been clinically proven or evaluated, and no medical claims whatsoever were made and no statements on this website have been evaluated by the FDA.