And while we're passing things on...

[sabotabby]

This is really important.

From Patrick's post:

Cylert (generic name “pemoline”) has been the most effective treatment for Teresa’s narcolepsy in 24 years since she was first diagnosed. She’s been taking it for most of that time. Now it’s gone.

We discovered this when we tried to refill her standard prescription, just before Christmas, and the pharmacy didn’t have any—and, after some confusion, reported back that the wholesaler didn’t have any either, because (surprise!) it’s no longer being made.

Cylert has been implicated in some people’s liver problems. Teresa is regularly tested and her liver is fine. Evidently Abbott, makers of brand-name Cylert, discontinued it in March—but Sandoz intended to keep making the generic version, until the FDA, pressured by Nader’s group, weighed in to discontinue it entirely—despite a last-minute appeal from the Narcolepsy Network. Thank you, Public Citizen, for completely shafting my wife.

"Xopher and I and god knows how many other people with narcolepsy, ADHD, and other tricksy neurochemical impairments are looking at THE END OF OUR FUNCTIONAL WORKING LIVES." -- Teresa Nielsen Hayden

If you're in the US, call your congressperson, call the FDA, and make a big deal about this. If you're in a country where it's not banned, get in touch with Teresa and Patrick via a comment on their blog. If you've got any other suggestions, pass them along. The world cannot afford to be deprived of Teresa's wit and wisdom.

Gee, as if we needed another reason to hate Nader.

Comments

[jhfurnish.livejournal.com]

It seems to me he has some of that same megalomaniacal, psuedo-messianic glint in his eye that Kevorkian had near the end. That's a scary thing.

[sabotabby]

I thought Kevorkian was still alive...

[jhfurnish.livejournal.com]

He is. However he's in prison now, isn't he? Or have they let him out? I'm certain he's old enough that he'll probably die in there, plus he might've done some damage to himself with that hunger strike he tried to pull when he first went inside.

[sabotabby]

Yep, Wikipedia says he's still in jail.