A weird thing happened to me recently. I was unable to refill my prescription for Surmontil. I have been taking this medication on and off for about eighteen years. It was first prescribed to me for sleep problems associated with depression and until a week and a half ago I took it for sleep problems asscociated with fibromyalgia. Sometimes I would get it as Surmontil and sometimes as the cheaper generic version Trimipramine (the same thing) but I have never had trouble refilling it before. Occasionally the pharmacy could only give me a limited number and would have to order the rest for me to pick up a few days later but that is the only difficulty I ever had obtaining it. It seems like the perfect drug for me because it definitely helps me sleep well but is free of side effects and does not produce an artificial feeling of sleepiness. Anyway, when I recently tried to buy a refill at my Walmart Pharmacy, they repeatedly told me over the period of a week that it was on order. At the end of the week, they told me that it was simply unavailable. I was stunned. Maybe I am naive but I didn't think we ran out of medicines in the United States. One of the people working in the pharmacy called about ten pharmacies in the area to see if they had it but no one did.
Actually, before this happened I had decided to wean myself from Surmontil. I don't have depression anymore and I'm learning how to cope with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. I have taken this medication for many years and I think it would be better for my long term health if I discontinued it. But I would like to do so gradually. Abrupt cessation of the drug can cause headaches, nausea and malaise. I omitted one dose per week in September, planned to omit two doses per week in October and so on until I was off of it.
If I had been aware of this shortage, I would have started the weaning process earlier. But with this recent development, I was forced to stop abruptly. I have gone through the headaches, nausea and malaise--it only lasted about five days so it wasn't too bad. I am feeling pretty good now and I have been sleeping fairly well too.
Yet I am curious what happened. Why would such a helpful drug go off the market? Is the reason too much competition from Prozac and other such meds? Is the pharmaceutical company creating the shortage artificially so they can raise the price? Is there something wrong with it so that doctors no longer are prescribing it? Does anybody out there know?
One friend suggested that there may be a connection between my long term use of Surmontil and my fibromyalgia symptoms. Could that be? It would be interesting if my fibromyalgia symptoms gradually disappear. If so, I could end up feeling grateful for the Surmontil shortage.
5 comments:
how is it going without surmontil?
maybe moving to maine would be an adequate placebo?
We are struggling with the same issue. We can't find surmontil anywhere and my husband needs it!
Does anyone have knowledge of why the medication is sooooo hard together? Or where you can get it!!!
Hi Jaqueline, its been a long time since you posted your query but hopefully you check back from time to time. I too have been on surmontil since 2000 following an accident I caused from insomnia after seeing my doctor for 2 years with the problem. At the time I was a train driver in Adelaide in South Australia and I 'greyed' out whilst driving one morning through lack of sleep. My doctor and I were at a loss as to what to do about my condition having tried many different drugs of which none helped. After my accident, which fortunately was just a slow end collision hitting a train in front of me at no more than 5 kmh. Anyway my company sent me to a neurologist who put me on surmontil and from that night onwards I was sleeping as well as I ever had until about 12 months ago when the same thing happened in Australia and I went to get my prescription filled and it was no longer available with no prior warning and unfortunately for me Im now back at square one with my sleeping problem and my doctor and I are still trying to find a solution I have just recently rang the Australian supplier and they have said that it is due to a supply shortage of a particular ingredient used in the production of surmontil and they advised me that they have no intention of reproducing the product.If you have found a suitable replacement I would appreciate it if you could let me know. Thanks Steve Knight
Hi Jacqueline. I like you have been taking surmontil for years for occasional sleep problems and anxiety associated with it. I was very alar med a couple of years ago to find I could no longer get it in Australia. I managed to track down an online pharmacy in Canada which would accept au prescriptions, but now alas the USA have clamped down on this and they no longer ship to au. Have you found anywhereto get hold of surmontil, or have you found an alternative?. I am loath to try something else, as I was so happy with surmontil. Apparently it is available in others countries, so I don’t understand why we can’t get it here. Would appreciate any insight.
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