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Nick

GP Changes prescription unexpectedly.

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Nick

Hello all you knowledgeable people out there.

 

I'm a bit put out, I don't usually have much to do with my GP but depend largely on a very capable MS Nurse and the (normal for me) 6 monthly visits to my Neurologist. So today I go along to the GP,as I have increased my Pregabilin due to increasing pain levels (Something my Neurologist told me I should do if required) I therefore simply needed a new prescription, or so I thought. Anyway the GP has decided I should come off the pregabilin and start a different drug. He wants me to go onto Duloxtine starting at a 30mg dose.

 

The simple question I ask is has anyone any experience of this drug?

 

I have seen the following report http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2013/11/clinic-speak-trial-of-duloxetine-for.html

 

Best from

 

Nick


Just another Warrior...........

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Stressed
Eastendgirl

Hi

Haven’t tried Pregabalin, but have been on Duloxetine and personally wouldn't touch it again with a barge-pole... But that's only my personal experience and others may find it helpful.

 

A cynical person might say the unexplained change of meds was more to do with cost than efficacy... Pregabalin being the more expensive of the two.

 

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Procrastinating
Stumbler

Nick, what does you MS Nurse feel about this change? They should be in the loop too.

 

:moonieman:


John aka Stumbler (as I do fall over!)

Illegitimi non carborundum

 

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming... "Wow! What a ride!"

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Nick

Thanks John,

 

Indeed I am just in the process of getting hold of her. Will keep you all posted. We have a new system here, where the NHS involved in neurological services has been taken over by one of these 'not for profit' community companies. Where as I use to be able to ring in directly to my MS Nurse (Who I know very well) I now have to go through an additional level of bureaucracy and first talk to somebody who has not a clue, who then makes me a telephone appointment, after loads of questions! ..........getting through to the person I wish to refer to look like it will take a couple of days. .....Oh the joys of modern life!


Just another Warrior...........

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Nick

Thanks eastendgirl,

 

I suspect you are so right.

 

Its a mad bad world. An update (just to show those unfamiliar with the wonderful world of frustration) So I ring my MS Nurse, she's on holiday but the receptionist assures me she will put me through to 'another neurologist'............. There are no neurologists at the location where my MS Nurse works! (I've been going there for 10 years) I have to wait for the call back. Turns out the person answering is a new assistant to my own MS Nurse and has a) never heard of 'Pregabilin' let alone Duloxetine, and b) seems unable to do anything much at all. All they can do is ring my own doctor back. Own doctor busy so another GP responds and tells me that I could get some bad side effects with Pregabilin! I've been on it for ten years and my (real) Neurologist, a learned and much respected gentelman, recommended recently that I simply increase the dose!!

 

All this of course (as you can already see) is having a negative effect on stress levels, consequently it is very probable that in turn this will have a negative effect on my MS.

 

 

Those of you new to the MS world may not fully understand but getting over these 'minor irritations' , doing battle, if you like, comes with the job.

 

Nick

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Just another Warrior...........

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Nick

Oh boy what a week!!

 

It seems like having a sudden change in Meds is BAD news. Anyway I am now back on the Pregabilin and off the Duloxitine. One scary thing about MS is how easy it is to misunderstand yourself as to which medication is effective and just what it does and how it works.

I've always talked (metaphorically) about balance, hence my logo thingy of a 'banksy' girl on a tight rope. However I feel today like I am recovering from a road crash and have lost all this type of 'balance'

When you fall of a high wire, you have to get back on.

Having been advised to try Duloxitine I was quite prepared to have a go, if you don't try, you don't know. I did get advice from an assistant to my MS nurse, who is on holiday. I also took advice from a different GP about coming off the pregabilin slowly, which I did.

 

In a word, it simply didn't work!

 

One thing that my be of more interest to others is the difficulty of getting across your problem to an overworked hard pressed GP. Now I have a lot of respect for Doctors and am not somebody who goes very often to see my ordinary GP. I rely mainly on my neurologist and MS Nurse. However what happened last week shows just how difficult it is to get good advice.

You do have to push hard to get anywhere. This is made more difficult when you are severely hampered by MS symptoms. But do try!

 

Nick

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Just another Warrior...........

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Sleepy
Scully

Hello Nick.

 

Coming off the pregabalin that was working well, even slowly can have awful side effects. Then, if the Duloitine wasn't working, you've effectively been 'off meds' for a few weeks!...not great.

 

I suspect it may take a few more weeks for the pregabalin to get into your system in the at the correct dose, so I'm not surprised you feel awful and wiped out.

 

When I first started Pregabalin, even at the lower dose and then build it up, which they advise you to do. I had the ' woozy, blurred vision and drunk feeling' that goes with the start of this med. it lasted about 10 days, then the side effects vanished and the blessed pain relief kicked in.

 

Sorry to hear you've gone through this, all for the sake of switching you to a cheaper med!

Scully

x


They are not brain lesions..........they are just bright ideas

 

"The truth is out there"

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Nick

Thanks Lori,

 

I think you are correct. However I am aware that the drug Duloxitine has been successfully used in MS see here: http://multiple-sclerosis-research.blogspot.com/2013/11/clinic-speak-trial-of-duloxetine-for.html

I don't like the idea that just because it didn't suit me, it may put off other people when they are advised to take it.

I would agree that perhaps I should have known that (possibly) I know more about my own MS than a GP that I see very infrequently, a person who perhaps is trying to balance patient care with the impossible task of 'balancing the books' a thing that really no practitioner should be involved in.

I know full well it is going to take a couple of weeks to balance myself again.

It's not the end of the saga. I will be talking to my MS Nurse next week to put her in the picture and I also get an appointment to see my, very learned Neurologist, a forthright man with a life times experience soon, so will ask his opinion.

One question will be, Is pregabilin itself addictive?

 

Anyway I will keep you all posted

 

Nick

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Just another Warrior...........

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