[Christina]

Re: Lyrica and gabapentin for peripheral neuropathy

by Christina on Wed Jan 21, 2015 7:54 pm

I haven't started the Velcade yet, so I have no idea of whether I'll get neuropathy. But I'm curious, is the Lyrica terribly expensive?

[mikeb]

Re: Lyrica and gabapentin for peripheral neuropathy

by mikeb on Wed Jan 21, 2015 10:31 pm

Hi Castaway,

I have been taking Lyrica since May 2013 and had exactly the same thing happen with my drug insurance company (Express Scripts) in August 2014. I called my medical team in a mild panic about it. They immediately agreed that it would not make sense for me to try gabapentin. After some back and forth with people at Express Scripts, my doctor was able to request "prior authorization" from Express Scripts, which they approved. So I continued to take Lyrica, and Express Scripts continued to pay for it (though I have a $40 copay per month, which adds up over the course of a year).

Recently when my pharmacist tried to fill a Lyrica prescription, he was told by Express Scripts that they would not pay anymore. No warning letter this time. But, again, my medical team was able to request prior authorization, and in this case in some expedited mode, and it was approved.

So you might check with your medical team about requesting "prior authorization" with your insurance company.

Good luck!
Mike

[Castaway]

Re: Lyrica and gabapentin for peripheral neuropathy

by Castaway on Thu Jan 22, 2015 7:47 am

Good Morning All,

Christina,

I searched Google for Lyrica costs and there are several sites that give prices. The one that I found shows prices for my local pharmacy and everything from Walmart, CVS, Costco and more. They all are about the same for prices. The average price for 30 tabs (75 mg) is $150. In my case, I would have to double that because I would take Lyrica twice per day, i.e. $300 for a one-month prescription.

I did find that, by clicking on my pharmacy that was listed, they show a Lyrica website where you can apply for an annual discount card from Lyrica. It seems to be a $75 discount every time you get a prescription.

Mike,

Thanks for sharing your personal experience with Lyrica and Express Scripts. My doctor has sent in a second request with updated information about my experience with the gabapentin. Dr. Kaufman mentioned a higher dosage and maybe that's why my response to gabapentin has not been favorable. He also said to give it some time to work.

Thank you, Castaway