SORRY AMIGO, THAT NOT ON THE PHARMALARY LIST

[Tbird]

here's a link to the VA formulary http://www.pbm.va.gov/nationalformulary.asp

Also here is a comparison http://www.newhealthguide.org/Lyrica-vs-Gabapentin.html

 

[Buck52]

  TALON II FE

What is not true in my post above?

if you have  side effects taking Gabapentin or it don't seem to help  Dr will adjust the dosage ,or prescribe some thing close to it or even the more expensive Lyrica because its a stronger med and works faster in the blood stream.vs Gabapentin takes longer to work in the blood stream (so to speak)

The VA Doc's usually start off with a med that  supposable works in the same way as other costly Meds such as Lyrica, with you if you took Gabapentin and it did not work as well for you....see my point?

everyone is different and our body's tolerate medicines differently   The VA Dr's use gabapentin as  cost effective opposed to Lyrica  in my opinion.....>.see Ms T post. (Lyrica vs Gabapentin)

I am by all means no Dr and I know I could be wrong, just stating a fact.

 

.............Buck

[TALON II FE]

Buck, what I was trying to point out is that they give out Gabapentin mostly for pain by the VA and Military docs and yet, it is shown to help with that for less than 10% of patients when used for pain and has harsh cumulative side effects.  I would say that it helps 10% of patients and is prescribed for 90% of patients or even higher.  I would pose that most would be better off being prescribed sugar pills; no side effects and you get the same psychological placebo effect.  Pfizer is dirty and corrupt...look at the BILLIONS they have paid out for their marketing practices with these meds over the last decade.  Your post gave the impression that they were basically the same and Lyrica had stronger side effects, but I disagree with that assertion.  

[TALON II FE]

I would also point out that, while they were fined over 2 billion for this practice, the year they were fined they turned over 3 billion in profit off of that dishonest practice of pushing it as an off-label, putting them up 1 billion dollars THAT YEAR ALONE!  So, they take the hit, and keep doing what they were doing, give the FDA their cut of the profits and keep the profits rolling in.  Lyrica has been released as a generic in Russia since 2011, Canada since 2013, and yet the FDA just extended their right to overcharge until at least 2018 here in the US and 2016 in the EU.  I believe, this is a clear indicator of the corruption inherent in the Lobbying System and a healthcare system that has the cart leading the horse.  What medications are prescribed should be solely the realm of the physician, not dictated by the HMOs and Insurance Companies based off of cost instead of the likelihood of success or what is best for the individual patient..

[Buck52]

TALON II FE

I understand what you mean here.  I agree.

 

..........Buck

[TALON II FE]

I can get like dog worrying a bone sometimes! I come across harsh sometimes, hard to offset that thru a keyboard, I didn't mean it as anything against you, I just wanted to clarify or expand on the subject you brought up because I thought it was important and I have spent a lot of time researching medications for myself, thought it was a way to share some info and maybe learn some more myself.