[RANT]
So, I find myself running low on my celexa. For those of you who are unfamiliar, it is an SSRI similar to Prozac and other antidepressants.
Yes, I take antidepressants…because my life is fucking depressing. We’ll leave that right there.
I’ve been on these for quite some time (~1 yr), and they have assuredly made a positive difference in my day to day functioning.
No sweat, I say. Made an appointment with the doc and left work an hour early. Get to the office 30 minutes ahead of time, always a plus as it helps them organize and get ahead if they’re behind.
I pay my copay, as well as a $5 left over from one of the Evil wife’s bills. The receptionist takes my money and proceeds to tell me that I have an outstanding balance of about $150. My response, of course, is "WTF?!". I only see the doc about twice a year, always pay my copays, and really it’s just a consult to get my prescriptions renewed. No way in hell I should owe this. Being unable to clarify exactly what I owe this money for, they call in the ‘collections’ lady from next door. She proceeds to pull out sheets going back to 2011 showing this and that…long story short, they fucked up the billing, the insurance are bitches, and I’m told I have no recourse because "oh, you only have 120 days to dispute". Furthermore, I must pay half of this erroneous bill before I can be seen. DIDN’T BOTHER TO TELL ME THIS WHEN I MADE THE APPOINTMENT, they waited until I was already there and were basically blackmailing me that if I didn’t pay it, the doctor would not see me.
By this point, I’m pissed. One of my worst pet peeves is people trying to strongarm me, and this is a staggering case of just that. Despite my seething anger, I realize that I’m fooked without my meds, and say "Fine, here’s my flex card, pay the damn thing". No. They don’t take fucking credit cards.
Really!?
Being about 2 microns away from letting the stupid bitches have it with both proverbial barrels, I get my money back and leave. I’m in serious fucking trouble here. Without renewed scripts, I’m facing going off my SSRI’s "cold turkey". Despite the clear knowledge that I am gonna go bat shit crazy being dropped off my meds, they won’t budge. Best I can do is to make *yet another* appointment on Friday, and agree to pay half of the totally bogus bill.
So, in the meantime, I’m going to be stuck with 2 days of ‘cold turkey’ SSRI withdrawls. FYI, I’m not on a low dose, so that ain’t helping.
As the cherry on top…I’m out of blends. The bong is squeaky clean – not even any worthy rez to take the edge off. Crossing my fingers and hoping a retrospectively well-timed order of Fire shows up to help out, but of course the USPS is being sluggish this week. Nooooooo!
EG is looking at a very interesting couple of days, brothers and sisters. My only hope is that I have enough built up in my system that it might carry me through somewhat. I have some Xanax as well, which I will likely lean pretty heavily on to help keep me lightly sedated in the meantime. FTR, I don’t even *like* benzos, but it’s about the only tool left in the kit at this point. ("When all you’ve got is a hammer…")
At this point, I plan to keep my appointment on Friday, get my scripts, and walk out with my records, never to return again. What the fuck ever happened to the hippocratical oath? DO NO HARM, motherfucker!! I’m pretty sure dropping a patient off of SSRI’s due to a billing error qualifies as a whopping violation of that. While I’ve been happy with the doc for several years, this really makes me question his ethics. That sucks, as he’s a good doctor, and I’d really rather not deal with the hassle of switching docs, but WTF else can I do here?
It’s a rhetorical question…I don’t expect that anyone has the answers, or can even help, but I needed an outlet to vent this to, and you guys are about the only crowd that I feel comfortable doing so with. (Please take this as a compliment! You guys are great!)
With all things being considered, I hope to shame his ass into an apology at the very least. Not so much for myself, but for the sake of the Evil Wife and Evil Mother-in-law, who are both in extremely poor health and very much dependent upon medical care for their continued survival. Even my pride, anger, and fact that I’m totally in the right on this come secondary to this consideration.
If anyone does have any advice or insight however, I am totally willing to listen. Thank you for reading my ravings and perhaps sending some good juju my way, if nothing more.
[/RANT]
Celexa did nothing to or for me. Prozac almost killed me. Go Figure
Don’t Date Robots! The world is trained to ignore everything unless it comes from the church, their TV, celebrities, or the media.
Wow JB!! As much as this stuff kicks for me, I can’t imagine it not doing so for someone else.
However…as this is an SSRI, if you’re not low on free serotonin to begin with, I guess I could see it.
That’s one thing I find kind of disturbing, is that these things are given out like Pez, when the doctors have actually no clue whether you have low S or not!
Is that what happened with the Prozac, if I may ask? Ramped up your sero so high that you ‘fried’? I know I’ve gotten pretty close myself…
Wow JB!! As much as this stuff kicks for me, I can’t imagine it not doing so for someone else.
However…as this is an SSRI, if you’re not low on free serotonin to begin with, I guess I could see it.
That’s one thing I find kind of disturbing, is that these things are given out like Pez, when the doctors have actually no clue whether you have low S or not!
Is that what happened with the Prozac, if I may ask? Ramped up your sero so high that you ‘fried’? I know I’ve gotten pretty close myself…
Serotonin Syndrome
"Serotonin is a chemical produced by the body that enables brain cells and other nervous system cells to communicate with one another. Too little serotonin in the brain is thought to play a role in depression. Too much, however, can lead to excessive nerve cell activity, causing a potentially deadly collection of symptoms known as serotonin syndrome or serotonin reuptake syndrome.
Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms
Serotonin syndrome symptoms often begin within hours of taking a new medication or increasing the dose of one you are already taking. Symptoms may include:
Confusion
Agitation or restlessness
Dilated pupils
Headache
Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
Nausea and/or vomiting
Diarrhea
Rapid heart rate
Loss of muscle coordination or twitching muscles
Shivering and goose bumps
Heavy sweating
In severe cases, serotonin syndrome can be life-threatening. If you experience any of these symptoms, you or someone with you should seek medical attention immediately:
High fever
Seizures
Irregular heartbeat
Unconsciousness
Serotonin Syndrome Causes
Serotonin syndrome can occur if you are taking medications, particularly antidepressants, that affect the body’s level of serotonin. The greatest risk of serotonin syndrome occurs if you are taking two or more drugs and/or supplements together that influence serotonin. The condition is more likely to occur when you first start a medicine or increase the dose.
The most commonly prescribed class of antidepressants, which work by increasing serotonin, are the serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).These include Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro (escitalopram), Paxil (paroxetine), Prozac (fluoxetine), and Zoloft (sertraline).
Other prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can raise serotonin levels alone or in combination to cause serotonin syndrome include:
Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), a class of antidepressants including Cymbalta (duloxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), and Pristiq (desvenlafaxine)
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), a class of antidepressants including isocarboxazid (Marplan) and phenelzine (Nardil)
Bupropion(Wellbutrin, Zyban), a drug prescribed for depression and smoking cessation
Trazodone (Desyrel), a drug prescribed for depression
Migraine treatments such as Axert (almotriptan), Amerge (naratriptan), Imitrex (sumatriptan), and Zomig (zolmitriptan)
Pain medications, including Actiq, Fentora, Sublimaze (fentanyl), Demerol (meperidine), Talwin (pentazocine), and Ultram (tramadol)
Lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid), a mood stabilizer medication prescribed for bipolar disorder.
Dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter and prescription cough medicines or cold medicines
Medications prescribed for nausea, such as Kytril (granisetron), Reglan (metoclopramide), and Zofran (ondansetron)
Some illegal drugs, such as LSD and cocaine, and dietary supplements, including St. John’s wort and ginseng, can also lead to serotonin syndrome.
The FDA recently asked drug manufacturers to include warning labels on their products to let patients know about the potential risk of serotonin syndrome. If you are uncertain about drugs you take or have been prescribed, check the label or speak with your doctor. Don’t stop any medication before talking to your doctor.
Serotonin Syndrome Diagnosis
There is no single test to diagnosis serotonin syndrome. Your health care provider will ask about your medical history, including medication, supplement, and recreational drug use, and perform a physical exam. Other conditions may cause symptoms that are similar to serotonin syndrome. Tests to exclude other causes of symptoms may be ordered.
Serotonin Syndrome Treatments
People with serotonin syndrome are typically hospitalized for observation and treatment of symptoms. For example, benzodiazepines are given to treat agitation and/or seizures. Removing the drug responsible for the serotonin syndrome is important. In severe cases, a medication called Periactin (cyproheptadine) that blocks serotonin production is used.’
lol Yes dear Tibs, that is what I meant when I said "frying". ;D
I know I’ve been real close before…once you’ve felt it, there’s no question whatsoever. It’s not pleasant.
On the ‘up’ side, I’m doing OK today. I know I’ve still got system buildup tho. Hopefully I won’t go into a full-on sero crash tomorrow or something.
grab some St Johns Wort to get you through. and some Valerian root too.
It feels good to be running from the devil
Another breath and I'm up another level
It feels good to be up above the clouds
It feels good for the first time in a long time now
I have some advice Dude,
Do an end run around these office workers and simply call or visit your pharmacy. Explain that your out of pills & they will
intercede on your behalf & call your Dr for you. It works for me every month, they just fax my Dr. and he says Yes, (prolly
cause he won’t know about your billing BS)
Serotonin Syndrome Symptoms
Serotonin syndrome symptoms often begin within hours of taking a new medication or increasing the dose of one you are already taking. Symptoms may include:
Confusion
Agitation or restlessness
Dilated pupils
Headache
Changes in blood pressure and/or temperature
Nausea and/or vomiting
Diarrhea
Rapid heart rate
Loss of muscle coordination or twitching muscles
Shivering and goose bumps
Heavy sweating
sounds like an mdma roll lol
best of luck bro… my old doc had me on that shit and when i decided i didnt need it , i stopped tsking it, bad move was hell but only temp hell
I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, EG. I have to take medications in order to remain mentally and emotionally stable and functional so I know how sucky of a situation this is for you. Another possible option for you would be to go to one of those walk-in clinics. Bring your prescription bottles with you. The doctor there should be able to see you and write you out a refill. I’m not sure how much it would cost, though. I know you can go to these walk-in clinics without insurance and pay that way, but I’m not sure if any of them will work with your insurance. I imagine they would be able to, though.
You definitely don’t want to cold turkey things with psychiatric medications due to the risk of seizures and other health consequences that come with cold turkey withdrawal.
I am always up for chatting online with some new and interesting people. I don’t really PM too many people here much. If you see this and you’re interested in chatting or are bored and such. Please hit me up. I LOVE conversation.
No real Dr would fuking dare to pull this shit, just call the phone # on the bottle of pills,
and see if they have an automatic refill service, they will call it or fax it into your Dr and
likely bypass these asshole employees, if nothing else you’ll have this BS on record with
the pharmacy for later when you get around to suing the ass off this Dr.’s staff people.
Until then :weed-sign:
If that doesn’t work it’s time to contact your State Medical Board
People have become unhinged & public shootings have taken place for less reason than this, no way does your Dr. know that his office people are doing this to you.