Posted by RN320 on December 19, 2006, at 15:51:45
In reply to Re: People who have been on Ensam for months?, posted by RN320 on December 15, 2006, at 11:18:06
Stargazer-
I'm on SSD and have Medicare, so I'm enrolled in one of their stupid prescription drug programs. This year getting the EMSAM was not a problem. Next year will be a different story, and for that reason I'm probably going to have to go off of it and switch over to a different MAOI (Nardil or Parnate) unless my pdoc can get me samples. He's the largest prescriber of EMSAM in the metro Detroit area, and you'd think that they'd want to keep him happy, but the rep told my pdoc that they're not going to be handing out samples in large quantities to pdocs due to the "sheer (alleged) cost" of the patch. I had talked to him about putting me on oral selegeline, and he said that he won't do it because at the dose required to treat depression (in order to absorb as much through first pass metabolism in the gut as the patch delivers transdermally) would be too high. It has nothing to do with dietary restrictions like some earlier poster on a thread suggested...he says that it would be physiologically dangerous for me. He reminded me that the safe oral doses of selegeline are for treatment of Parkinson's. There's at least one person who posted a positive experience with it, though. I think that it's cruel once you find a drug that finally works for you- to have to deal with the strong possibility that you won't be able to stay on it due to Medicare Drug program "rules", insurance restrictions and financial constraints. I hope that you find a solution to your impending problem. Happy Holidays.
/m
poster:RN320
thread:713824
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061217/msgs/715045.html