Are you on Pregabalin or Gabapentin and in the UK?

[oldtimer]

From April 1st pregabalin and gabapentin will be reclassified as ‘class C substances’ in the UK. You won’t be able to get these drugs on a repeat prescription. The drugs are used in Rheumatoid Disease mainly for neuropathic pain. The changes have been brought in because of illegal use, addiction problems and medical misuse.

You should have been contacted by your doctor about how to get these drugs in the future. If you haven’t been contacted, then you should contact them!

I posted this because I couldn't see any discussion on here about this.

[PFKAAde]

Been rescheduled but still available on repeat.

They are now class c, whereas opiates such as codeine are class b (and still available on repeat).

Think it limits the quantity they can give you (?), not sure what other differences it makes.

🙏🏻

[sylvi]

I am on both of them so it will be fun when we come to renew drugs.xxx

[weathervane]

I use lyrica and live in the north of Ireland, i see my rheumy in a couple of weeks I will ask about this . I have heard nothing about this problem from my gp or pharmacist, thank you for pointing it out .

[Gigi71]

I have mentioned it in replies to posts in the last month or so. My sister picked up a leaflet at our surgery and knowing I am on Gabapentin phoned me to tell me. I asked my pharmacist when I next went in to collect a repeat prescription. They weren't aware of this change effective from the 1st April. They did however tell me not to worry as class C drugs have to be paper prescriptions signed by the doctor and they have a collection service they will pick up and dispense. These have to be issued every 28 days and if anyone needs to collect for you, they have to have identification. I received a letter yesterday from my GP telling me the same. All my other meds are electronically sent through. X

[Jacey15]

I'm on pregabalin for neuropathic pain but I've not heard anything from my surgery or pharmacy. Sounds like it's going to be a pain to get hold of them.

[Christophene47]

Hi Oldtimer,

I am in the US and Gabapentin has helped my nerve pain in my spine dramatically. I only just asked my doctor about it 2 months ago, and after reviewing my scans of my back, said he was glad to prescribe 300mg permitting me 3/ day. He rolled his eyes about the talk of controlling it in the US. He is very against the government's intrusion in the Dr.-Pt. relationship. And I think if more doctors would stand together to fight against government intrusion in our lives, and the doctor's judgment who knows the patient, we would have a happier society. In the US, there is talk about controlling it, but it has happened yet.

I know with some controlled drugs, doctors here will give 3 successive prescriptions and the doctor will mark the date, on which you can renew Prescription #2 and #3 which gives one about a 90 day supply. And then you can go back in 90 days and get another 90 day supply.

A lot more goes on that is not transparent in the drug controlling agencies. Some deaths caused by street heroin, laced with Fentanyl, have been found on autopsy to contain gabapentin in toxicology screens. Therefore, the conclusion is that gabapentin is a dangerous drug. Taking almost any drug can be dangerous, or harmful depending on proper use and an individual's response.

Our FDA is so misguided and stupid if I may say so. I was caught in the opiate fiasco; I was prescribed tramadol in 1998., after it was discovered that I had a serious allergy to Naproxyn that was blistering my skin, but had worked to control my pain.. I took the Tramadol as prescribed from 1998 until 2014 when it " suddenly and sneakily" it became controlled. I was mostly pain free, worked, traveled, felt well, and suddenly doctors were terrified to write a prescription for it and it is the mildest opiate available.. I refuse to go to a pain management. practice, tethered to the doctor every 30 days and go through urine drug screening,, results fequently wrong and be treated like a criminal because I have provable pain condition.

In Portugal, they have no restrictions on any prescriptions, and their drug abuse has plummeted. People are at least entitled to be comfortable if not completely pain free.

I can't say how you will be able to get Gabapentin(as I am the US), but now that it's too late, you might find you can get it with 3 progressive prescriptions, one month at a time, or make that suggestion to your Dr.and see what happens. I haven't heard of people getting high from Gapapentin ; it's about time attention be paid to the alcohol industry which kills many more people than Gabapentin.

There is a lot of political shenanigans that go on behind the scenes that involve money that result in these Ill fated decisions.

[Hidden]

Hi, this a a copy from my GPs newsletter I received about these drugs.

Important Drug Safety Information

From 1st April 2019, Pregabalin and Gabapentin will be classified as Schedule 3 Controlled Drugs (CDs).

Please be aware of the following restrictions when requesting these medications:

 Doctors will now need to physically sign prescriptions; pharmacists will not accept electronic copies

 Prescriptions will be limited to a maximum 28 days’ supply

 Pharmacists must dispense the drugs within 28 days of the prescription being written

 Please allow 2 working days for prescription requests or even better request a week before. 🤗x

[Hezekiah]

Excuse me if I'm being ignorant Oldtimer, but I thought Tramadol was a fairly potent drug, and also that people were not supposed to use it longterm?

[oldtimer]

The recent changes only apply to pregabalin and gabapentin.

Tramadol became a scheduled drug in, I think, 2014.

It can only be prescribed with a doctor's signature, not an electronic one.

Tramadol is a synthetic analogue of the phenanthrene alkaloid codeine and is an analgesic of significant medical use for treating moderate to severe pain. Tramadol has wide ranging applications, including the treatment of fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain), cancer pain and moderate to severe musculoskeletal pain. In a similar way to other psychoactive agents of the opioid class, it can be liable to misuse.