RE: experiment - didn't take my cymbalta today Not a good idea!

[Guest guest]

Hey- You know I asked my pharmacist, after reading a bunch of posts not

long ago that insurance Co were no longer covering these anti-depressent drugs

unless under mental health care, some had said they were dropped no warning. He

told me he had not heard of it happening, but here in Maine there is talk about

Maine Care which is state funded going to no longer cover alot of meds due to

funding. He also informed me that an insurance Co can not drop you of a med

without warning, and to take it up with them, or higher up. When I mentioned

Cymbalta dropped, talk, he said now there you would run into trouble!, NO ONE

should stop this drug cold turkey if been on a time to be in the system, as this

was one of the meds I was tried on, but right away got side effects so able to

stop and did without telling Dr. He also said this is a very expensive med,and

anyone on it and in fear of being dropped because of cost to insurance Co. needs

to be prepared and ought ask to be

weaned of and onto something in place, as I new it can cause some bad

withdrawels, and each one of us are more sensitive then others so can really

cause a hard time. I don't think not taking the anti-depressent of any kind for

one day would be noticed anyway, as it has built up in your system and there is

enough in there to probably not provide you any answer for your experiment.

Sorry. I do want to warn you though I would discuss this with Doc if you do

want to come off and see what happens, but be prepared if it has made a

difference and you do go off, it will take that much longer to get back in your

body to make you feel better. Hope this helps with your experiment thought,

and just be carefull, and may want to check if your insurances do have this on

the list of cut off's because I don't think anyone can afford out of pocket.

Take Care and Hope you lighter days Sharon

Teri Wallner wrote: I'm so sorry you're going

through this and I totally understand - I'm going

through a similar experience - lots of posts about it a few weeks ago. And

it's very, very frustrating.

My individual insurance policy cancelled me due to all the conditions I have

- you would have thought they would have never accepted me in the first

place but they did and now it seems they've changed their mind. Long story

short - I also am on numerous meds that I cannot afford to pay for on a

monthly basis but are necessary. Samples from the clinic only go so far. I

did apply to some other insurance companies only to be denied.

What state do you live in? Here in Wisconsin there is state run insurance

- not Medicaid or Medicare. It's called HIRSP - Health Insurance Risk

Sharing Plan. It's for people who are the " in-between " - can't afford or

qualify for super high premiums or make too much money (huh? - where is

that money?) to qualify for any type of low income assistance. I actually

qualify for HIRSP even though I have a zillion conditions and have to take

numerous medications. The premium varies depending on what deductible you

choose, what area you live in and your age. It also can be based solely on

having a medical condition or being denied by insurance companies or losing

employer coverage.

But it covers pretty much everything. There is a website that lets you

determine if you're eligible or not. Sometimes you can be eligible by losing

coverage through an employer or being denied by other insurance companies.

From what I understand a lot of states have similar insurance plans. My

premium runs me about $256 per month - but that is a lot cheaper than even

ONE of the many meds I have to pay for out of pocket without insurance.

Having been offered COBRA years ago, the 256 is a lot cheaper than the COBRA

premium. You should do a search and see if you have something similar in

your state.

Good luck - I know how stressful it is just to make sure you have even the

basic of insurance coverage - let me tell you - I was pulling my hair out

and crying like mad trying to figure out what to do. You'll find an answer

- just keep looking and asking.

I also know what you mean about medical bills - we took out a loan last year

to pay off a slew of medical bills because some providers will only accept

payments for a few months and then expect you to pay in full - kind of hard

to do when it's in the thousands of dollars. If you don't comply they send

you to collection. Now we're in the same boat again because of the

cancellation of my policy and new bills that need to be paid. It's a never

ending vicious cycle. The state of health care in this country is

deplorable. You would think for such a highly developed country we would

have better health care coverage than we do. It's we who suffer in more ways

than one.

Actually someone very wise on this list sent a post with very good

information and links when it comes to this very subject - I know I saved it

so I'll look for it and send it to you.

Teri (central Wisconsin)

jeribelle2000 <girlsaylor (AT) hotmail (DOT) <mailto:girlsaylor%40hotmail.com> com>

wrote:

Due to DH's job change, and the cost of the Cobra insurance til we go

on his new insurance, I'm going to run out of all of my meds (about a

dozen!) before then. I just cannot pay 3 month's Cobra plus copays. I

have a bit of Fluoxetine left from before my PCP changed me to

Cymbalta, so I'm going to take a Fluoxetine one day a week or so to

try and stretch my Cymbalta. Well, today I took the Fluoxetine, as

well as the Ultram ER, and let me tell you, what a difference. Hubby

noticed I was hobbling and in terrible pain. He just doesn't get it,

how sick I am. My feet are killing me today. Anyhow, I will run out

of the Ultram ER also, before the insurance starts. I could go back

on my generic tramadol, which doesn't provide near the pain relief,

but that's the way of the working class, isn't it.

Many of the other meds I can get at Kmart for $5 a month, so that's

no biggie. But when I last discussed statins with my PCP, she

insisted I take either Lipitor or Lovastatin. Well, Lipitor is out of

the question price-wise. And the Lovastatin isn't much less. I

frankly don't know what I'm going to do. I expect I may be able to

get a little bit of Cymbalta samples from my PCP, but I don't think

she gets the statin samples. As far as the Tramadol, I'll just have

to go with the generic, though it doesn't work very well, as compared

with the extended release Ultram. Oh well, guess I should just go

hide when I run out of meds, lest I risk running off my DH and

friends. Argh.

So, anyhow, now I know how much relief I get from the Cymbalta. Shame

we have to pay so much for drugs in the US.

And yesterday I got the bill for my DH's heart work-up a year ago. I

owe $2005! OMG, how am I going to keep us afloat?! (I haven't even

gotten the bill yet on my Cardiac Cath from this month).

girlsaylor

[Guest guest]

Hey- You know I asked my pharmacist, after reading a bunch of posts not

long ago that insurance Co were no longer covering these anti-depressent drugs

unless under mental health care, some had said they were dropped no warning. He

told me he had not heard of it happening, but here in Maine there is talk about

Maine Care which is state funded going to no longer cover alot of meds due to

funding. He also informed me that an insurance Co can not drop you of a med

without warning, and to take it up with them, or higher up. When I mentioned

Cymbalta dropped, talk, he said now there you would run into trouble!, NO ONE

should stop this drug cold turkey if been on a time to be in the system, as this

was one of the meds I was tried on, but right away got side effects so able to

stop and did without telling Dr. He also said this is a very expensive med,and

anyone on it and in fear of being dropped because of cost to insurance Co. needs

to be prepared and ought ask to be

weaned of and onto something in place, as I new it can cause some bad

withdrawels, and each one of us are more sensitive then others so can really

cause a hard time. I don't think not taking the anti-depressent of any kind for

one day would be noticed anyway, as it has built up in your system and there is

enough in there to probably not provide you any answer for your experiment.

Sorry. I do want to warn you though I would discuss this with Doc if you do

want to come off and see what happens, but be prepared if it has made a

difference and you do go off, it will take that much longer to get back in your

body to make you feel better. Hope this helps with your experiment thought,

and just be carefull, and may want to check if your insurances do have this on

the list of cut off's because I don't think anyone can afford out of pocket.

Take Care and Hope you lighter days Sharon

Teri Wallner wrote: I'm so sorry you're going

through this and I totally understand - I'm going

through a similar experience - lots of posts about it a few weeks ago. And

it's very, very frustrating.

My individual insurance policy cancelled me due to all the conditions I have

- you would have thought they would have never accepted me in the first

place but they did and now it seems they've changed their mind. Long story

short - I also am on numerous meds that I cannot afford to pay for on a

monthly basis but are necessary. Samples from the clinic only go so far. I

did apply to some other insurance companies only to be denied.

What state do you live in? Here in Wisconsin there is state run insurance

- not Medicaid or Medicare. It's called HIRSP - Health Insurance Risk

Sharing Plan. It's for people who are the " in-between " - can't afford or

qualify for super high premiums or make too much money (huh? - where is

that money?) to qualify for any type of low income assistance. I actually

qualify for HIRSP even though I have a zillion conditions and have to take

numerous medications. The premium varies depending on what deductible you

choose, what area you live in and your age. It also can be based solely on

having a medical condition or being denied by insurance companies or losing

employer coverage.

But it covers pretty much everything. There is a website that lets you

determine if you're eligible or not. Sometimes you can be eligible by losing

coverage through an employer or being denied by other insurance companies.

From what I understand a lot of states have similar insurance plans. My

premium runs me about $256 per month - but that is a lot cheaper than even

ONE of the many meds I have to pay for out of pocket without insurance.

Having been offered COBRA years ago, the 256 is a lot cheaper than the COBRA

premium. You should do a search and see if you have something similar in

your state.

Good luck - I know how stressful it is just to make sure you have even the

basic of insurance coverage - let me tell you - I was pulling my hair out

and crying like mad trying to figure out what to do. You'll find an answer

- just keep looking and asking.

I also know what you mean about medical bills - we took out a loan last year

to pay off a slew of medical bills because some providers will only accept

payments for a few months and then expect you to pay in full - kind of hard

to do when it's in the thousands of dollars. If you don't comply they send

you to collection. Now we're in the same boat again because of the

cancellation of my policy and new bills that need to be paid. It's a never

ending vicious cycle. The state of health care in this country is

deplorable. You would think for such a highly developed country we would

have better health care coverage than we do. It's we who suffer in more ways

than one.

Actually someone very wise on this list sent a post with very good

information and links when it comes to this very subject - I know I saved it

so I'll look for it and send it to you.

Teri (central Wisconsin)

jeribelle2000 <girlsaylor (AT) hotmail (DOT) <mailto:girlsaylor%40hotmail.com> com>

wrote:

Due to DH's job change, and the cost of the Cobra insurance til we go

on his new insurance, I'm going to run out of all of my meds (about a

dozen!) before then. I just cannot pay 3 month's Cobra plus copays. I

have a bit of Fluoxetine left from before my PCP changed me to

Cymbalta, so I'm going to take a Fluoxetine one day a week or so to

try and stretch my Cymbalta. Well, today I took the Fluoxetine, as

well as the Ultram ER, and let me tell you, what a difference. Hubby

noticed I was hobbling and in terrible pain. He just doesn't get it,

how sick I am. My feet are killing me today. Anyhow, I will run out

of the Ultram ER also, before the insurance starts. I could go back

on my generic tramadol, which doesn't provide near the pain relief,

but that's the way of the working class, isn't it.

Many of the other meds I can get at Kmart for $5 a month, so that's

no biggie. But when I last discussed statins with my PCP, she

insisted I take either Lipitor or Lovastatin. Well, Lipitor is out of

the question price-wise. And the Lovastatin isn't much less. I

frankly don't know what I'm going to do. I expect I may be able to

get a little bit of Cymbalta samples from my PCP, but I don't think

she gets the statin samples. As far as the Tramadol, I'll just have

to go with the generic, though it doesn't work very well, as compared

with the extended release Ultram. Oh well, guess I should just go

hide when I run out of meds, lest I risk running off my DH and

friends. Argh.

So, anyhow, now I know how much relief I get from the Cymbalta. Shame

we have to pay so much for drugs in the US.

And yesterday I got the bill for my DH's heart work-up a year ago. I

owe $2005! OMG, how am I going to keep us afloat?! (I haven't even

gotten the bill yet on my Cardiac Cath from this month).

girlsaylor