Methadone on backorder for nearly a month!

[Polar Bear]

Result.
What a helpful pharmacist.

[Rustsmith]

In my case, I was in for a bit of a surprise when I went to pick up my methadone yesterday. Although they had it in stock, they made a policy decision that limits minimum time to dispense Sch 2 meds to 29 days even though the DEA allows every 28. I was one day early, so I had to go back again today which was a pain because of road construction that requires driving behind the stores to get into and out of their parking lot.

In the long run, this could create a problem because it reduces the extra days that a prescription can be picked up when refills come due over holiday weekends. It also reduces by one, the number of "extra" pills each month I can use to build up a safety supply. I am going to have to be that much more careful about not dropping one of those tiny little pills and will also have to watch when I schedule my travel away from home so that it doesn't coincide with a refill day.

[Had_it_50+years]

I told my new pharmacy that, as a courtesy, Rite Aid always filled my methadone after 28 days which allowed me to have spare pills for the times their methadone order takes more time than usual to arrive, which happened a lot. Told them I never take more than my prescribed dosage because I'd have no reason to because it's the perfect dosage for me and always works as expected. Told them I save them only for emergencies. Said my doctor knows everyone does that and he's all good with it. Told her when RLS patients run out of pills we get very little sleep. I then asked, "Do you also fill early?" and the response was: "Our policy is to fill after 29 days" to which I responded "Well okay if that's your policy, then that's your policy. I appreciate any early fill. One day sooner is better than none" and left it at that. I didn't want to press the issue and ask for an exception and risk ticking them off by mentioning that the law says you can... etc, especially since they were so nice. If I build a good rapport with them, maybe they'll soften up a bit at some point and fill me after 28, as it's an independent pharmacy, and they can do whatever they want. I had a big stash before my emergency. Will have to start out from scratch again.

[ViewsAskew]

I am so happy for you. I am not there, yet, hoping that I have the same good fortune that you did.

I've cut my methadone dose from 20 mg to 7.5 mg over about 8-10 days and upped my pramipexole from .125 to .25. I will run out of both in a couple weeks, though. I started to have some minor withdrawal symptoms 2 days ago - some stomach upset and the restless symptoms went into my arms first, then full body. I'll stick to 7.5 mg for a week and then see if I can go to 5 mg or even 2.5. I won't up the pramipexole, though. I am currently getting sleep in 15-60 minute stretches, then up for at least 30 minutes to an hour. I may see if I can find some kratom - last time I went through a self-imposed reduction, that seemed to help the additional arm/body symptoms.

I had stopped calling pharmacies as it was so depressing, but I need to start doing it again. I thought of seeing if my old pharmacy would fill it and mailing my ID to a friend in So Ca for them to pick it up, then mail it to me, but I am not sure they will fill it now that my address is changed. Ah, the joys of this "minor" disease. (Lots of swear words come to mind...)

[Polar Bear]

This is so awful that meds are unavailable to this extent..
That you spend hours on the phone getting nowhere.... the frustration is soul destroying, while also trying to cope with uncontrolled symptoms.
I feel so much for all of you.

[ViewsAskew]

This is so awful that meds are unavailable to this extent..
That you spend hours on the phone getting nowhere.... the frustration is soul destroying, while also trying to cope with uncontrolled symptoms.
I feel so much for all of you.

It truly is soul destroying, Betty. I just couldn't do it again after I spend three days in a row, calling one after another.

BUT! Success! I had my scripts filled at an urban Walgreens in October when I spend a month here house-hunting. They didn't have the methadone then, so I mailed my DL to my husband to fill it. I was home a week later, so just paid back my stash (spent many years creating). I called that Walgreens and said I wanted to transfer all my scripts and started with the others - pramipexole for example. When I got to the methadone, she just entered it as if it were normal and said they would order it immediately. So, I was hopeful it would eventually get here. This afternoon I saw the script go from backordered to waiting for insurance approval.

I called immediately and she said we needed a prior authorization - I told her not to bother as I'd pay cash. She said she would see if they had it. I waited two hours for it to turn to available for pickup. Until I had it in my hand, I was still a bit worried, but I got there and it was handed over immediately. What relief!

Now, as with Had_it_50+years, now I have to build up that stash again - I went through a lot. I have to be vigilant to get it one day early as often as possible.

[Polar Bear]

Views, I am so happy for you. It must have been such a nervous time waiting until it was in your hands.
As you say, now to work n your stash. I am fortunate. I use less (cocodamol) than prescribed and my stash steadily increases.

[ViewsAskew]

Views, I am so happy for you. It must have been such a nervous time waiting until it was in your hands.
As you say, now to work n your stash. I am fortunate. I use less (cocodamol) than prescribed and my stash steadily increases.

I was indeed very nervous!

[Had_it_50+years]

That's great news you got your fill, ViewsAskew! A crazy thing happened to me. When I started back on methadone, the first two nights I got to sleep at a reasonable hour and slept great all night but had to wake to an alarm set for 8 hours sleep both days because I had things to do early. But on the third night I didn't set an alarm and slept for around 16 hours straight!! I remember waking briefly at some point and opening my eyes for about a second, realized it was daytime, was too tired to even think about getting up, and went right back to sleep. The marathon sleep session must have been the result of weeks of cumulative sleep deprivation. It threw my circadian rhythm off though. Still working on correcting that. But it sure is great to have my proper RLS med again.

[Polar Bear]

Sounds blissful sleep.

[ViewsAskew]

That's great news you got your fill, ViewsAskew! A crazy thing happened to me. When I started back on methadone, the first two nights I got to sleep at a reasonable hour and slept great all night but had to wake to an alarm set for 8 hours sleep both days because I had things to do early. But on the third night I didn't set an alarm and slept for around 16 hours straight!! I remember waking briefly at some point and opening my eyes for about a second, realized it was daytime, was too tired to even think about getting up, and went right back to sleep. The marathon sleep session must have been the result of weeks of cumulative sleep deprivation. It threw my circadian rhythm off though. Still working on correcting that. But it sure is great to have my proper RLS med again.

How great to get that sleep!

[Lissa496]

To all when there is a shortage you can look to this website: https://www.ashp.org/drug-shortages/cur ... tShortages