I Can't Stand This Kind Of Life

[ms spock]

I take 5 total and I'm not taking one of them....normally I would agree @Ms Spock not taking one means not taking all (if that is what you are saying?) but...I know it can't go on doing that.

That is what I mean.

And normally I would bow at this point, but it is you Ayesha, and Ayesha you are doing that - you are not taking all your meds. This means you are not med compliant. You are still messing with them. You need to ring the doctor asap and make an emergency appointment, none of this I have to go and talk about my meds with the doctor business so I just won't take one in the meantime, and I won't change over because I don't think I agreed to taking that one.

I don't think the doctor just handed out a script to you without talking to you about it first? Did the doctor thrust the script in your hand as you walked out the door? If you got a script, then you agreed to it, or the doctor just simply wouldn't have written a script out for you. What you are saying doesn't make sense to me Ayesha.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

@Ms Spock I should have said...I already have an appointment with her this week scheduled; it's in a few days. The appointments were a week apart that is why I'm not rushing to call her as she would just ask me to come in as scheduled. I've been seeing her a long time and I really doubt she would have something last minute like that. Also I'm not taking the medication becasue it's the same class as the last one and I'm worried about the side effects which is really common. The last medication in that class caused me to gain 50 pounds in about 4 weeks, I'm worried I'll gain weight again starting a new medication of the same class. Of course she didn't just change it without my say so but I was so shocked to be taken off a drug that caused me so much grief...it wasn't until a day later that I realized I wasn't sure I even wanted to take the weight risk. I'm already over weight which has it's own health risks and self esteem issues.

Does that make any sense?

I'm hoping she can see from my point of view. One week isn't that long of time to much sure the patient is more comfortable with their medications they are going to be taking.

 

[ms spock]

Does that make any sense?

That makes a lot of sense Ayesha.

The side effects do have to be carefully managed.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

I feel a bit of hope today.

I went to see my psychiatrist today. I was nervous how I was going to approach her with not trying to new medication; a atypical antipsychotic. I've been on them for years now but I put my foot down...I wasn't willing to risk the new drug side effects and most of them have the same terrible side effect which is weight gain. After doing some reading in my bipolar book too I seem to understand that they can also trigger something in some people. I wasn't sure if I understood but it was worse weight gain and I think it has do with genes but since I read this week and could barely get my brain to wrap around the words I'll have to get back to it to understand it better. It just made me angry. I felt screwed over becasue from what I understood the hospital shouldn't have let that happen and they were checking my weight every day. My current doctor cares about the damage being overweight can cause but she didn't put me in that that mess to begin with.

Normally when you are put on one you gain all the weight in the first 2 months which is what happened with me. 50 pounds. 30 pounds in 4 days. I wasn't willing to risk another anitpsychotic which had the same side effects. What if I gained more weight? I just lost 20 pounds and that was with medication helping me. I wouldn't do it. I wouldn't ruin that. I'm realizing it's not easy losing weight with all my medications.

But she wasn't angry. She smiling and said she wont make me take a drug that I wasn't comfortable with. And clearly I wasn't comfortable.

So she put me on Latuda. It's also atypical antipsychotic but it has less of the heavy sedation and it's weight neutral! It's only 2 years old which might be a bad thing. It might be harder to get covered and it will be more expensive. I'm actually thinking of going down to the pharmacy and asking them to check and see if it's covered...even if it's not my doctor can fight to get it covered. For now she gave me samples.

I see my therapist now. He got a hold of me asking if I wanted to see him. I can't say I really want to see him but he asked and I said yes... Seeing my psychiatrist was easier. You talk sure but it's not the same as talking with your therapist which is all about feelings and you are there for longer and then he just stares at you if you aren't sure what to say....

 

[joeylittle]

My insurance covers Latuda (for what it's worth) - I've been finding it helpful. Make sure you take it with 350 calories. The absorbing really changes if you don't. /end medication threadjack.

I feel a bit of hope today.

This makes my heart feel good for you :). I know it's only a bit, not blowing it out of proportion - but that little sliver of "better" is such a great thing, and I'm glad you got some.

 

[Lady of Longbourn]

Yes we called (my husband was panicking a bit that I might be taking a sample of a medication that later we might not be able to get) but we can get it. It seems it will be the same price as the medication it's replacing. It just requires preauthorizion with my doctor needing to fill out some paperwork same as the medication it's replacing....they didn't want to cover that at first either

absorbing really changes

Can you explain? I read about taking it with dinner but changes how?

Hope is good. It's mostly resting on a medication. :unsure:

 

[joeylittle]

For some scientific reason that I do not understand, you will only absorb ("get") about 50% of the strength of the drug if it is taken without sufficient calories. The study determined that more than 350 didn't make a substantial difference, but less than 350 was consistent with lower absorbtion rates at or about 50% strength. So, food gives you your full Latuda dose. Without food you're getting about 1/2. If you are inconsistent, you are just yanking back and forth. It's the strangest thing I've ever read.
http://www.pdr.net/full-prescribing-information/latuda?druglabelid=553#s131 (you need to click to the footnotes for more info about the clinical trials)

Hey, I rest a lot of hope on medication quite often - I say it's fair game to take it wherever you get it. :tup: