I have an appointment Fri w/my Pain Doc who is pressing me to use Prialt instead of morphine in my pump. I have only heard nightmare stories about this drug and am really getting the full court press from my doc to use it. (I think it's more about the $). Any info, good or bad about this med would be a tremendous help to me. I'm new here, so I'm sorry if I've messed up. Thanks, I'm truly AFRAID!

It is hard to evaluate this potential for you. People vary so much.

But in the 10+ years I've been on 2 health boards, and never have seen anyone with a glowing positive response to this drug.
I have, however, read posts describing psychotic episodes that
some people have had.

Here is a website that has FDA MedWatch reports:
http://patientsville.com/medication/...de_effects.htm

This site is very good and better than most on the internet IMO.
Notice that 94% reported severe side effects.
Scroll down and read some of the reports. Keep in mind many people are on multiple drugs and that will complicate your ability to discriminate the Prialt contribution.

When a drug like this (another example is Byetta) comes on the market and bombs out because patients react to it, and sales plummet...the drug company who makes it tries to use salespeople to encourage more use. So your suspicions may be accurate.

No one can force you to use a drug...you have a legal right to refuse your doctor.

Take care.

mrsD-
Thank you so very much for your reply and for your website referral. I have decided that with all of the bad reviews of this med I have found and failure to find any good ones, I am going to insist on keeping my current treatment (Fentanyl Patches & Morphine in my pump.) About the $ aspect, the pharmacy charged my Dr $50 for my pump morphine, and the Dr charged Medicare $1957.45 for it, and that did not include the separate charges for filling and reprogramming the pump. They were reimbursed $1167.42 for the morphine they paid $50 for, and my co-pays kept going up. It was funny that as soon as I pointed this fact out to their billing department, I have yet to be charged another co-pay. I guess this whole push may be over the money. And they wonder what is wrong w/our health care system. Again, your input has made a huge difference on a very difficult choice I am forced to make. Thank you so much!

Is it worth the cost for that sight? Just wondering..

ouch

I am sorry...I don't quite understand your question.

The link I gave is free.
Are you asking if the drug is worth the cost of it? I can't say.
But I can guess it is very expensive.
The side effect of psychosis is serious, because if you live alone and have no one to help you, you may not realize you
are in trouble. You may not even realize what is happening to you, etc.

Sorry,
When I went to the site, it asked for money, so I thought you had to pay. Sorry my confussion.........i am not the best at the computer, so sorry for confusion. It had nothing to do with the med.
Thanks for your time and sorry about confussion.

Still learning here

ouch

That's okay... sometimes when I come on in the early morning hours, I am a bit off kilter too!

I have been known to make terrible grammar and spelling errors. I also have flubbed up links...so someday you will see one of those doozies!

Hey Ouch!

Pro Patient here. If you are wanting to try Prialt, which is around $4000.00 per pump dose, and can't afford it, ELAN, the drug company that makes it, has a financial assistance program for those whose financial circumstances meet their requirements. You can call (866) 774-2584 and speak to a rep about it. However, your doctor has to initiate the process by faxing ELAN some sort of information b/f you can begin anything yourself. Now, listen to the advice *edit* as to the high rate of negative reactions this med has caused people b/f you consider Prialt as an alternative to your current treatment. I have decided the risks are just not worth it, since I have yet to find anywhere a positive comment about this med as an effective pain reliever. That is not to say there aren't any, and I am certainly in no position to advise you either way. Throughout my many years of chronic pain, I have concluded that I will always be in pain, and my best bet is if I am going to make a change in my medications, they will be ones that have been proven to work and my goal must be more relief, not a "miracle cure" that promises big things but ends up causing more problems w/o helping my pain. Those are ONLY MY PARAMETERS, and I would not even attempt to advise someone else on how to manage their pain situation. I can only relate my experiences. Again, this is for you and your doctor *edit* to discuss and come to an informed decision. My last piece of advice is this...ALWAYS GET A SECOND OPINION ON ANY MAJOR MEDICAL DECISION YOU ARE CONSIDERING! I hope this made some sense and if not, my sincere apologies. And remember, when it comes to your health, there is no such thing as a "stupid question". Good Luck and I wish you well.


P.P.