Which leads to a question: Why on earth does every NP or doc I see at the doc-in-a-box not want to prescribe Tessalon Perles for my cough? They are firmly against Tessalon and intead write scrips for Tussionex.
Now, I know Tessalon is dangerous if you chew the little capsules, and I know that it "only" lasts something like three hours in the average person. I know that Tussionex (by contrast) has the added benefit of having an antihistamine in it, and that hydrocodone works beautifully as a cough suppressant. However, I hate, hate, hate anything with hydrocodone in it.
It makes me stupid. It makes me constipated. When I do finally wake up after taking a half-dose of the stuff, I'm shaky and nauseated. It kills the cough, yes, but the side effects are horrendous. Right now I'm willing to put up with the side effects, but I'll probably dump the three-quarters full bottle of Tussionex down the drain in three days, when I've reached my limit.
Tessalon is nice. I take it, I don't cough all night, I wake up un-stoned and happy and well-rested in the morning, without all the crappy side effects of the narcotic stuff.
Even after 'splaining this to the NP last night, even after pleading for something non-narcotic, I walked out with a scrip for...Tussionex. The NP told me firmly that she refuses refills for that particular drug, so don't even ask. And I wondered, again, why anybody would prescribe something potentially abuse-able with a wide range of fun side effects rather than prescribing something *else*, without the abuse potential and the side effects, even when asked.
I figure there's some huge, good reason for that. What is it, you guys?
