How does community feel about Horizant?

[meyer]

I have taken Horizant for a few months now with only fair results. I posted elsewhere (I think) about a resource for Horizant that is much cheaper...Truax Patient Services in Minnesota.
What I learned in taking Horizant from my own research on Google Scholar is that Horizant must be taken with a fatty meal and absorption goes up as the fat amount increases!. It has made a difference for me from totally noneffective to some effect. (Additionally, if you are taking magnesium you must wait 4 hours from the Horizant.)
I had a consult with Dr. Aggarwal in Pittsburgh and she recommends I go on methadone but I have not been able to find a doctor to prescribe. Any help with that would be appreciated.

[Rustsmith]

I had a consult with Dr. Aggarwal in Pi ... preciated.

Finding a doctor that is willing to prescribe opioids for chronic non-pain conditions is difficult. It will require lots of phone calls to just about every doctor in your area that accepts your insurance. I had a GP that was writing my methadone prescriptions retire on me and it took me one year to find another GP who was willing to accept me and write my scripts. While I was searching, I ws fortunate to find a PA who had worked in drug rehab and understood that my situation was different. I would have stayed with him, but he was outside of the information system that all the rest of my doctors were on.

When I finally did find a doctor that was in the system, it was because I had started emphasizing the fact that I take methadone for a neurological condition and NOT a pain condition. The staff at most doctors offices were not even willing to take the time to find out that there is a difference. But diligence and need on my part finally prevailed. When I finally got to see my new GP, she kept asking me questions to verify that this was for a non-pain condition even through she had taken the time to read my file before allowing me to make an appointment.

If your doctor is part of a clinic system, ask to speak with their patient advocate or representative. Those individuals often can go through the back office rather than having to try to fight you way past the receptionist gatekeepers.

When you start looking, try neurologist offices first before trying GPs. And if there is a medical school nearby, try their neurology department. Doctors that practice at medical schools are given a bit more legal leeway when it comes to opioids because they tend to see the more serious patients and because they generally have more expertise.

Good Luck. Keep at it and don't give up.