Lortab Rx

[Hydro-Joe]

Today I had my first doctors appointment for the new year. I was prescribed 120-10/500mg Lortabs with 5 refills (600 Lortabs for the future).

My insurance only pays for a 21 day supply. The pharmacy filled the 1st prescription for 84 Lortabs (original script = 120 minus 84 [which was filled] = 36 pills remaining on first prescription).

I have five refills remaining, which will be filled (I presume) at a quantity of 84 (which leaves 36 tablets each month x 5 months = 180).

I currently take 1-10mg Lortab, 4 times a day (4/day x 21 days=84). Yeah...right.

Will I be able to request a refill on the 22nd of each month or will I have to wait until the 1st of the month? What will happen to the 36 tablets each month that I don't receive, which will be 180 total? Will I essentially have another 120 tablet refill (6th refill) + a 60 tablet refill (7th refill)?

Lortab math at it's best. I don't pay this much attention to counting money! I didn't even include the 240-50mg Tramadols + 5 refills, and the 240-12.5mg Ambien CR's! That figuring is for another day!

Hydro-Joe

[JoyDivision]

Can't you get better insurance? :-).

No offense. But your insurance system really sucks. Sure we don't have hydro. But over here. Pain docs aren't that expensive and if your pain complaint is legit and you can back up your claims with x-rays, ct-scans, etc. Then you can get schedule 8 meds which include: 30mg pure Codeine, Endone (5mg OxyIR), Oxycontin (10,20,40,80), MS Contin up to 100mg I think, Methadone, Pethidine, etc.

Otherwise you can get an authority script for 100 (plus 2 or more repeats) Panadeine forte which is 30mg Codeine + 500mg ace/para. Or you can get a private script of 100 (plus 2 or more repeats) for Capadex, Paradex or digesic which is 32.5mg Dextropropoxyphene HCl (same as propoxyphene) + 325mg ace/para. Or you can get 100 (plus 2 or more repeats) 100mg Dextropropoxyphene Napsylate (kind of like Darvon-N). You can get 20 (plus 2 or more repeats) of 50mg Tramadol HCl capsules. Or oral drops of 100mg per 1ml in 10ml bottles with 2 or more repeats. Or you can get authority scripts of 40 Slow Release Tramadol HCl up to 200mg per SR tab. I've been on the 150mg and 200mg ones before. So if you have a cool doc like mine he could give you 40 Tramadol 200mg SR's and 20 50mg Tramadol HCl IR's with 2 repeats on both for breakthrough pain. Or you could get the oral drops.

Codeine / Tramadol / Dextropropoxyphene is schedule 4 here which means that any Doctor can prescribe these meds without the need for a pain Doctor. And most of these (except dextropropoxyphene) are on the PBS which means you can get them cheap as the drugs are subsidised by the Government. And because Dextropropoxyphene is a private script (which costs a bit more) most Doctors will prescribe it without a 2nd thought as they aren't as liable for it. Also they are pretty likely to give out Tramadol too because they see it has a lower abuse kind of drug.

Also if you have a good doctor he will prescribe valium if your pain is muscular.

It seems in the US. That if you don't have good insurance and you have chronic pain. Then you are screwed. Because if you aren't well off financially. Then your pain doesn't matter. And you'd be better off getting illegal drugs or legal drugs on the black market. Or just topping yourself. Where in Australia. Even if you are poor. Not only can you get cheaper drugs than rich people. But if your pain is really severe you can get schedule 8 drugs after seeing a pain doctor or after being prescribed a schedule 8 drug in a hospital setting.