medication

[texasgirl150]

hi there~ i have not posted here in a while-hope you are doing well. i was diagnosed at the beginning of the year with fibromyalgia. dr. gave me lyrica samples and it was like a wonder drug. the pain was minimal and my afternoon exhaustion was gone. i went to fill the prescription and the insurance denied coverage and said it was "experimental". now, my dr. was not 100% certain that it was fibro. he said that i had a lot of sensory issues that made him under sure. i think that is why the insurance denied coverage. soooo, he tried me on gapapinten.  i have been taking it for 5 weeks now and i think it is worthless.  i am crippled with pain. i HAVE to work. i cannot stay home when i am hurting. my irritability is off the charts. soo tired in the afternoon!

any suggestions??

[dustybrown]

Yeah, you should be on at least 600mg of Gabapentin to be equivalent to the 100mg of Lyrica (approximately). Lyrica made me gain weight too. Have you tried Topamax? That one makes you lose weight. It's an anti-seizure med too. Just a thought.  

[texasgirl150]

i have call into the dr.  dusty: i'm taking 300 milligrams of the gabapetin and was previously taking 100 milligrams of the lyrica.  so sorry about your loss!! ((hugs!!)) further i think te gabapentin is causing me to gain weight :( which i do not need, as i am already overweight. just very stressed out right now~

[trublukrav]

If Lyrica worked for you, then start the fight with the insurance company. Either find a doctor that will write you the letter for it, or talk with your doctor about the fact that it worked, and you need his help for recommendation. Insurance companies suck for this, but I have fought with mine countless times for medication, and they usually give in. Dont give up! I would ask your doctor why he wouldn't recommend the medication if it was working? Who cares what it is, if you're not in pain, and the medication is not dangerous, I dont see the problem. Lyrica didn't work for me... And i dont really think Gabapentin is either. Lyrica only works in like 50% of the patients, so I am happy you found something that works!! Fight for what is good for you, no one is going to be a better advocate than yourself.
Good luck!

[dustybrown]

I am sooo sorry hun for not getting back to you sooner. I have just been going through trials and tribulations. I had a death in the family on Sunday. I do apologize. What milligram of the Gabapentin does your doctor have you on? Gabapentin is a little weaker than Lyrica, but is very similar. Let me know and maybe give you some ideas on what to discuss with your doctor during your next appointment. Thanks and again I am sorry about the delay.
-Dusty

[luvsbooks]

Hey there I'm new to this site, but I've had fibromyalgia for about 5-6 yrs. It took my Dr about three mnths to get a diagnosis. Since there is no diagnostic test for it. Its a process of elimination. I know your frustration. Your insurance sounds whacked! Please tell its not an HMO ?! Lyrica is not an experimantal drug for this treatment the FDA approved it for the treatment of fibromyalgia. I took it for a few yrs. I gained a bunch of weight & still took ibuprofen by the handfuls for the pain. Ask your Dr about Savella. My dr switched me to this about 3 mnths ago & its amazing. I'm very happy with it. Good Luck

[texasgirl150]

Am I posting I the wrong area??