Posted by secretme on January 30, 2006, at 13:12:56
In reply to Re: Cymbalta withdrawal, posted by LinnieLoo55 on January 30, 2006, at 12:33:26
Thanks for your insights on psychiatrists/therapists. A lot depends on where you live. Many areas of the country are backward, and it is hard to get a psychiatrist or therapist to take new patients. In my area, you have to find a doctor willing to take new patients, and there is no room to find one who may be "right" for me. I'm just concentrating on my breast cancer medication and leaving the other stuff out of my regimen right now. I felt like a toxic dump site until Cymbalta started to lose its grip on me.
Last year, I sold my business (employee benefits), so I am fairly up-to-date on medical insurance. So much depends on where the employer is located, whether the benefits plan is self-insured or fully insured, etc. There are medical plans without drug cards, but that means they are bare bones. Through my husband's employer we have a drug card with the following copays: $20 (generic) $40 (preferred brand) and $80 (nonpreferred brand)for a 30-day supply. So far, we haven't hit the $80 tier on our family's medications. Large employers (without a conscience) that are self-insured can remove drug cards, not pay for certain procedures, add high deductibles, etc. National healthcare is a necessity in this country, but it will take strength of leadership to get on that road. I can't imagine a $4,000 deductible, but then, our plan has a $1 million lifetime maximum benefit, which is not a lot these days.
Re your other points: my son has OCD and ADD. He was on Adderall, then Concerta,(8-hour duration) and when the Concerta wore off, he was so angry and argumentative, it was impossible to tolerate him. He is a college senior in good standing and began 60 mg. Strattera after stopping the Concerta. Strattera is not an "upper," or controlled substance, so the psychiatrist (same one that treated me!) said the Strattera probably wouldn't work as well for the ADD. My son seems to be doing fine and had no problem moving to the Strattera, even though he doesn't get the jump start every day as when he took the Concerta. On the positive side, he does not seem to have the anger and outbursts he had while on Concerta. He also takes 100 mg. of Zoloft every day, along with the Strattera.
I hope he will speak up if he has problems with the medication. He doesn't want to discuss any of this with me. When he graduates college, he does not intend to live in the area where we live now, so hopefully he will find a doctor in the northeast who will pick up on the treatment and make any necessary adjustments.
Good luck to all of us.
poster:secretme
thread:466069
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060117/msgs/604485.html