Gralise

[LilStep]

Anybody ever tried this med. I was prescribed Lyrica, which my insurance does not cover; so my neuro gave me Gralise instead.

I would like to know if anyone who is taking this has had positive results from it or negative ones.

thanks.

[Redwings]

When you said your doctor "gave" you Gralise, does that mean your doc handed you samples, or did he prescribe it and your insurance authorized it and you had the prescription filled?

The active ingredient in Gralise is gabapentin, which is the same active ingredient in Neurontin. The difference is that one dose of Gralise is effective for 24 hours. It isn't interchangeable with "regular" gabepentin, and that difference is what allows it to be a different, brand-name drug.

Hence, my opening question. If your insurance won't cover Lyrica for you, it's possible that they might not cover Gralise, either. That might because it's a brand-name drug that isn't FDA approved for MS neuropathy (which is why some insurance companies won't cover Lyrica for MS), but also might because the same active ingredient is available as a cheaper generic version.

Did your doctor put you on the recommended titration schedule?

[LilStep]

Redwings, sorry for not being clear in my post. Yes, my neuro gave me a sample titration pack.

My insurance company said that they would cover gabapentin, since it was the generic form of lyrica. Does this make sense? Are they correct? Should I go with gabapentin or just continue with Gralise?

Thank you for your reply.

[Redwings]

Hi LilStep:
Gabapentin is NOT the generic form of Lyrica (they're similar, but not the same). Gabapentin is the generic form of Gralise (minus the "time-release" feature). If your insurance company offered you gabapentin as a generic, it makes my suspicion even stronger that they won't pay for brand-name Gralise.

Which med you should be on is something you'll have to discuss with your neuro. Aside from the medical aspects, the question is whether your neuro can continue to supply you with samples of Gralise indefinitely. If not, the two of you will have to come up with another plan. Perhaps the easiest option is to switch to gabapentin when you're finished with your Gralise titration pack, since you know your insurance will cover it.