Aussie Question

[polecat]

Hiya,

A question for some of the Aussies in here.:new:

I'm interested in seeing a doctor for a prescription, though I don't really want to have on my medical records that I'm having drinking issues and want to stop. This can affect applying or changing personal or life insurance because you have to specify if you've ever been treated for alcohol related problems and they can pull your records if you ever claim on it.

Has anyone gone through this process? Any way to avoid having this documented? Am I stressing over nothing?

Thank you
Polecat

[tiptronic_ct]

Aussie Question

Hiya Polecat and :welcome:

Send a private message to a MWO member by the name of Reggie. He'll be able to give you some pointers, although I think he self-prescribes. If I'm not mistaken, he orders from Goldpharma. Inhouse Pharmacy's deliveries to Oz are also a good option - they are based in Vanuatu, which is close to you.

I am not aware of doctors in Oz who prescribe baclofen (let alone at doses over 60mg a day), so you might want to consider the self-medication route. There is plenty of information on MWO to get you started.

[polecat]

Aussie Question

thanks I do appreciate your help. I will try and dig around to find any sticky threads on medication etcetra

[Greg]

Aussie Question

I have indeed found it difficult to get a baclofen prescription from general practicioners here in Australia, with the usual reasons given being that it isn't approved for alcohol dependence treatment, and that there is little reliable evidence that it works for this illness. This was BEFORE mentioning anything about hoping to exceed the maximum daily dose of 80-100 mg by possibly going up into the 200+ range!

I did find an addiction specialist in Sydney who has been willing to go up to 75 mg, but I cannot give his name or contact details on a public forum. PM me if you would like me to ask him whether he will consider baclofen for a new patient; he mostly specialises in opiate addictions but has knowledge of alcohol and benzo addiction. He was only willing to try baclofen with me after I had seen him for a while, not on my first visit.

Regarding naltrexone, it is prescribed for treatment of alcohol dependence in Australia, and has been for quite a few years. It is not prescribed as part of "The Sinclair Method" however, since that is not a recognised treatment of alcohol dependence (I think that's where the confusion exists regarding what the drug is approved for). Simply tell a doctor you want to take naltrexone to help you stay abstinent, which is the officially approved use. The only hurdle could be an expectation that you detox using Valium for 5 days or so prior to taking the drug, but this can often be done as an outpatient if you can nominate a home carer (a family member for example). I have been able to get a prescription for naltrexone from a GP in the past without any trouble. My reason for not using it is simply that it didn't suit me very well, and also I had become too ill from 20+ standard drinks every night to be able to keep on drinking for further months to enable the Sinclair Method to work. I chose a different method of quitting, but had I still wanted to take naltrexone, I would have been able to get it easily. The only restriction is that doctors are supposed to ensure that it will be used "within a comprehensive treatment plan" or similar wording, meaning the patient is expected to also undergo counselling, AA attendance, or even just a return to the doctor's office to discuss progress.

Sorry but I don't have much knowledge of insurance matters, so cannot comment on that aspect except to say that if you saw a second doctor who is not linked in any way to your normal doctor's practice, an insurer may not (or may!) be able to know about it.