Lyrica on PBS?

[Mr. Squiggle!]

Nah dude. It's only available to war veterans who suffer from neuropathic pain.

As with all drugs that affect your GABA neurochemistry in your brain, be careful with long-term usage of this shit bro.

Another alternative is to get gabapentin 100 mg...

 

[wazza]

^^electric shock! Electrocuted = death. But none the less you have endured some serious shit dude! Also anyone got any more info on it being used for epilepsy? As in types of epilepsy and frequency of use. Cheers

Just saw this, sorry for a semi delayed reply but here goes anyway..

Back in the day (Umm, I was prolly 20-22 era so early to mid 90s), I had a guitar amp that had the on/off switch that was broken so I used to leave the amp on it's back facing up. I'd have some metal connecting the 'on' the amp and use the power cord plugged in or out to actually turn it on or off. One day, had some mates around I knew/jammed with etc (band was undinism geelong grind band), they took off so I went to jam a bit by myself, I thought the amp was unplugged and noticed the metal was 'off'' so I put the metal back to 'on'. A big oops, the amp was still plugged in, KABOOM, I felt my hand 'explode'.

I'd touched the metal contact in the amp whilst plugged in, was not fun (at that time). As said, felt my hand 'explode' and after a tiny bit of time, I had an immense rush come on to me, I just kept thinking 'WOW!!!??!?! I just got electrocuted and not dead..." Heart was beating hardcore etc. I ran to my aforementioned mates house literally around the corner and yelled to them "GUYS!!!! I just got electrocuted!!!! I'm not dead!!! And I'm rushing hardcore now!!!!" I was able to laugh kinda about it then as I was still alive. My finger felt like it was burning and about a metre long (only way I can explain it, it felt 'extended').

Damn crazy time, and so was the time post injury in 06, nerve damage, arm was 'dead' (not able to move it), I kind of liken the 'electrocution' to the nerve damage at times as mentioned, don't know how many volts went through me (but yeah, I know it's amps that kill, the nutsell formula I still remember from year 11 physics, ohms law, v = i/ r blah blah) but well, it felt "intense", and I've felt a few intense moments in my 38 years of lifetime

 

[wazza]

I was prescribed lyrica through a Neurologist at a Public Hospital - 300mg a day, a 1 month supply cost about 25 bucks. Dispensed through the hospitals outpatient pharmacy. I guess that was covered under PBS?
Be careful though, coming off Lyrica is nasssssty! (but being on it is great!)

I wonder how I will go, so far I've been on daily use of lyrica for my neuropathic pain, I take anywhere from 150mg to 450mg at night for maintenance since march 06 as I REAAALLY am not wanting the neuropathic pain feelings to kick back in to me, my arm/shoulder (well officially, brachial plexus injury, google if you care) still isn't fully right, I've got probably 50% of movement in my arm back, bicep is still pretty much non existent and naturally can't use my arm in ways that needs the bicep to be used but I'm a lot better than I was when I had zero movement in my arm/shoulder, crap days back then.

I've never really given much though to WDs of lyrica simply because it was(is) needed for me, I guess I"ll do some googling over the weekend in spare time to see how people NEEDING lyrica coming off it fare. As I have feelings/opinion that people on whatever drugs (be it lyrica, oxycontin, whatever) usually have a LOT better ways of coming off using a drug if they aren't used for 'recreational value' versus a need for quality of life. On a brachial plexus injury forum I read/post on, several people on long term oxycontin use, say 400mg+ daily use who have recovered from their injury(s), went off them with either zero or littel WDs. Having people use oxycontin for it's recreational value has the WDs happen when people go off them due to the dependency thing happening from a recreational use.

I'd write more but I can tell my pain is starting to creep back in and mind is starting to scatter, so I'm going to have to end my post but as comprehension/expression with pain for me means I go BLAH.. So, recreational use of drug(s) bring on (lot?) more WD feelings versus people using (same) drugs for a 'proper' NEED. Hopefully I've expressed myself, pain sucks.....

 

[Mr Blonde]

Squiggle is right it seems, Lyrica is only a Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme item.

 

[misk]

wtf is repatriation?

 

[Mr Blonde]

^ For veterans. They get either a Blue or Gold card. Blue means you get concession prices on PBS medicine if it's related to injuries experienced during service, whilst a Gold card means concession prices for all PBS meds, regardless if it's for a service related injury or not.

 

[Oxycondone]

^ um blue card? Never heard of that one. Mine is white but thanks for the tip I might just be able to get my lyrica on PBS

 

[Mr Blonde]

^ Whoops I got white and blue mixed up... the blue was random it just came from one of those paper healthcare concession cards people can get from Centerlink, sometimes they have the repatriation number on that.

With the white card, if the Lyrica is needed to treat one of the specified conditions listed under that benefit, then you will be set and hopefully get your cheap Lyrica.

 

[phase_dancer]

I was going to post this in Mr Squiggle's thread but it was closed.

It's a bit early to say for sure, but if BNC210 makes if through stage III clinical trials, it (or a similar compound) may very well end up making most other anxiolytics redundant for the treatment of anxiety and related ailments. If anyone can find a patent on this compound or identify it's chemical structure, let me know.


Bionomics - an Australian company

BNC210 Data Presented at Leading European Forum, 30 August 2010 Adelaide

Check out the stage 1 clinical trials results

BNC210: A Novel Compound with Potent Anxiolytic Activity Introduction

 

[belarki]

^ thanks p_d! I was meaning to ask you the exact name of that compound

 

[malmac]

It's an authority script, and is only covered for 'refractory neuropathic pain not controlled by other drugs'.

So unless you suffer from neuropathic pain not responding to other treatments, you will have to pay the full price for it. The patent on it will expire sometime between 2 to 7 years from now.

You could ask for a script for gabapentin instead; it has generics.

I have just been put on lyrica having been on gabapentin for over ten years for neuropathic pain but cannot get it on pbs unless a veteran..can you explain how to get it for my condition

 

[Oxycondone]

^ I'm lucky enough to get it as a vet but before finding out I could go through that channel I did hear something about being able to get lyrica cheaper if you pick it up from a hospital under their outpatient system or something. Someone who knows more about hospital outpatient systems may want to expand on this.

If not ask a pharmacist, they are super helpful people when it come to stuff like that. In my experience doctors don't know anything about the pricing and availability of drugs, they just write them up.

 

[Tripman]

^ Whoops I got white and blue mixed up... the blue was random it just came from one of those paper healthcare concession cards people can get from Centerlink, sometimes they have the repatriation number on that.

With the white card, if the Lyrica is needed to treat one of the specified conditions listed under that benefit, then you will be set and hopefully get your cheap Lyrica.

I have a blue Centrelink card? It says pensioner concession on the back. However it is made from paper so perhaps that is the one you are talking about.

 

[Mr Blonde]

Oxycondone: It's only listing on the PBS is under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits listing, so unless you are a veteran you won't be getting it at a cheaper price.

I see that gabapentin is only listed on the General Schedule PBS as an anti-epileptic; for pain it is listed under the Repat listing but it's not that expensive anyway.

Why did you switch from gabapentin to pregabalin? Do you find that the new drug is working better then the gabapentin did?

Tripman: Perhaps that is why I was confused... I could have sworn there was a blue Repat card but perhaps I was thinking of the reciprocal health care card, of which I have seen a blue variety.

 

[Tripman]

^^ Yeah it's the one for people with the disability pension or the youth disability supplement etc. And it's more like a real card than the Healthcare card thats really papery and shit. It's more of a cardboard like material.

 

[HEYgang!]

Lyrica is fucking expensive!44//151
Only available r04r tje ['dold ww2 vets and shir wirh severe neuriowthic osin bro....adon5j4

 

[Oxycondone]

Oxycondone: It's only listing on the PBS is under the Repatriation Pharmaceutical Benefits listing, so unless you are a veteran you won't be getting it at a cheaper price.

I may be wrong but I have it under pretty good authority that I may be right (pharmacist that works in a hospital). When I was in hospital I was discharged with free medicines and I think they have outpatient programs which you can return to the outpatient pharmacy and pick up your repeats for $26 ish from memory (sorry if I'm not allowed to post prices).

I highly recommend double checking this before ruling it out. I would almost wager all my opiate stash (which is substantial) on the fact that this outpatient hospital system exists.

 

[Mr Blonde]

^ That I wouldn't know about, but it sure sounds interesting. It could possibly be a state run program... which state do you live in? Any other information you can provide so I can do some research?

^^ Yeah it's the one for people with the disability pension or the youth disability supplement etc. And it's more like a real card than the Healthcare card thats really papery and shit. It's more of a cardboard like material.

Mmm I haven't seen that card before. Sounds good though, the Centerlink cards are shoddy as all hell.

 

[Tripman]

^^ Front is all blue And has your State, Name, address, CRN, Card start date and expiry. Then you flip it over and the back is one third purple which says aus government, centrelink, pensioner concession card. The the other two thirds are blue with a white section for your signature.

I've got it because they put me on stream 4 with a job capacity assessment and now I'm getting one with CRS 6 months or so later. They haven't given me the full disability pension though, just a disability supplement. Pretty neat little card though, so much less shoddy than the regular cards.