Norco Shortage In So Calif

This sounds like a bunch of phooy to me. I have had pain management for several years now and this is the first time that I have Ever had any trouble getting my generic Norco 10/325s, or any other type of hydrocodone medication. It seems as though that from the moment that the DEA put their noses into pain management medications everything has been turned upside down.
Now the paper pushers that made all these choices for those of us with chronic pain are not the ones that will have to suffer from any number of things from unnecessary increased pain to the added pain and suffering of withdrawal for those that are long term pain medication users.
I am sure that I speak for many out there when I say that IF I could come out on the other side of the painful withdrawal symptoms as a pain free and whole person I would gladly do that. Most that are long term pain medication users have no other choice but to take these medications that only curb the pain enough to act humane in front of others and not be crying out or in tears all the time because of the pain.
No more "oil" shortage stories please. Fairy tales are for children. I want to be able to turn in my Rx and get my medication without all the "Red Tape". I take my medication the way I am suppose to and nothing more. I have never had to get "extra" Rx because of lost meds or having run out.

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Hello, Kita! How are you? I'm sorry that you're in pain and having trouble getting your prescription filled.

The current shortage is actually due to mandatory manufacturing limits. Once a company hits their limit, as set by the DEA, they cannot manufacture any new product, until after the new year. Inevitable, demand exceeds supply and shortages occur during the last few months of the year.

The best suggestion I can make is to ask your pharmacist what they do have in stock and then speak to your doctor to see if they will prescribe it for you, in the meantime.

The FDA lists this medication as being a narcotic analgesic, so it has the potential to be habit forming and may cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, dry mouth and constipation.

Does anyone else have any suggestions or ideas?

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My Dr says nothing about shortages and the new year. I'm not sure how to go about finding out what pharmaceutical companies are still in business. He told me Watson is no longer. Have heard of Actavis & Mallinkrodt. Mallinkrodt's M367's are like taking a placebo. Who knows what garbage they're selling to us.

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I pretty much agree with everything Kita said. I've had trouble filling all of my meds since the DEA had hydrocodone rescheduled. And I keep getting different answers from the pharmacy I've been going to for many years, so I don't know what the truth is. One of their pharmacists - probably the straightest-shooting one - even told me that CVS will no longer fill combinations of hydrocodone and Soma because, she said, "that combination seems to cause a great deal of drowsiness." Tongue in cheek, I told her that I must have been risking my life for 15 years!! And I'm not making any definitive statement here, but I get up extremely early for work, and I have never been as drowsy as I have been lately, since NOT taking hydrocodone.

I agree there's a problem with diversion, but the answer isn't just to turn down the faucett. That leaves a lot of us somewhat disabled. I have weened myself off all meds a couple times just to separate pain from tolerance, and both times I do rather well... until I move. I relayed that to the doctor and he said, "Yep. That's very common for chronic pain patients." I hate to have to depend on chemicals, but the choice seems to be that, or being a vegetable.

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Kita couldn't have said it any better. Especially the part of dealing with chronic pain, crying and not being able to get through the day without some relief. I would give anything to be how I used to be. I barely ever took an aspirin much less an opiate. Does the DEA think we like this roller-coaster of a life.
I go to the Dr tomorrow and will need to fill two prescriptions. Same ones at the same pharmacy for 8yrs. Last month I barely got the Norco filled, they said I got the last they had. Just called them and it's the same damn thing. They have them now but can't promise anything tomorrow. This whole debacle is just plain old BS
What would one of those paper pushers do at the DEA if this affects one of their loved ones. A person with severe chronic pain should be able to take their legitimate prescriptions to any pharmacy and get the medication filled. Period!!

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Re: Siglam (# 4)

It’s funny that a friend of mine that takes the same strength and amount as I do had no problem filling hers in Wyoming. She couldn’t get it here in California she went without for a week here. She went to visit family in Wyoming and the pharmacy said they had it. She called her Dr and had a virtual visit and he was willing to call it in there for her but wasn’t sure if it would go through. It did. She comes back next week and is telling me to have him call it in there. But I should get mine today.

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