[xjekkax]

I can't afford it at all. and it makes me feel sadder then usual now. Instead of screaming fits, i cry. Its so annoying. ANd it makes me really anxious. he won't prescrribe me anything else. ugh. Now that i'm on Klonopin is helping the outrageous anxiety caused by the saphris. however he stays the benzo's are dangerous for long term, so how am i supposed to deal with the anxiety after he takes me off them

[~Christina]

Im so sorrry your having to deal with this .. SHame on your doctor for keeping you on a med that you think isnt helping plus you cant afford them .. I think maybe you need to call and explain once again that you cant afford the medication.. there are so many options much cheaper out there

((( Hugs )))

Good Luck

[AniManiac]

That sounds like a good reason to change doctors to me. Refusing to prescribe anything but a medication that's too expensive is unethical (IMO, don't know if that's legally true, but jeez...)

[interested2012]

Originally Posted by xjekkax

I can't afford it at all. and it makes me feel sadder then usual now. Instead of screaming fits, i cry. Its so annoying. ANd it makes me really anxious. he won't prescrribe me anything else. ugh. Now that i'm on Klonopin is helping the outrageous anxiety caused by the saphris. however he stays the benzo's are dangerous for long term, so how am i supposed to deal with the anxiety after he takes me off them

This is an older thread but I thought this might be useful.

I came across this website where you can look up information on assistance with drug costs from manufacturers, drug discount cards, etc. You might find it helpful:

www.needymeds.org

[grandmaof3]

I think your doc is being unreasonable. When I first went on Geodon I had no insurance and no job. The cost was around $650/month for the dose I started out on. My pdoc knew I couldn't afford it and he gave me enough samples to get me through a month. He also helped me fill out the paperwork to get it free from the drug company. I ended up getting it delivered to his office each month free for about 7 months until I had a job and the insurance kicked in. I am so thankful for insurance. Now my Geodon costs me a $30 copay per month which is great considering it would have cost $850 without insurance. As far as long term use of benzos... I've been taking 2-5 mg of Ativan nearly everyday for the last 7 or 8 years and it hasn't hurt me.

[xjekkax]

Originally Posted by grandmaof3

I think your doc is being unreasonable. When I first went on Geodon I had no insurance and no job. The cost was around $650/month for the dose I started out on. My pdoc knew I couldn't afford it and he gave me enough samples to get me through a month. He also helped me fill out the paperwork to get it free from the drug company. I ended up getting it delivered to his office each month free for about 7 months until I had a job and the insurance kicked in. I am so thankful for insurance. Now my Geodon costs me a $30 copay per month which is great considering it would have cost $850 without insurance. As far as long term use of benzos... I've been taking 2-5 mg of Ativan nearly everyday for the last 7 or 8 years and it hasn't hurt me.

Me too! and hes not quite getting that it makes me sad. I don't want to be sad! I'm going there today, hopefully i can get it straightened out

[hamster-bamster]

Doctors and patients vary wrt to benzos. I had one doctor briefly, a very pompous and narcissistic guy, who was extremely cautious against Klonopin while at the time I could not sleep without it. My current p-doc of 6 months is much more relaxed about Klonopin, and guess what, I was so not dependent on it that when the time came to go off it since my sleep schedule stabilized on other meds plus good sleeping habits, I went off ahead of schedule with no problem (normally you need to taper off very carefully because you are presumed dependent). Unfortunately, there is no way to tell in advance if a patient would become dependent. May be that is why doctors are so wary.

[xjekkax]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Doctors and patients vary wrt to benzos. I had one doctor briefly, a very pompous and narcissistic guy, who was extremely cautious against Klonopin while at the time I could not sleep without it. My current p-doc of 6 months is much more relaxed about Klonopin, and guess what, I was so not dependent on it that when the time came to go off it since my sleep schedule stabilized on other meds plus good sleeping habits, I went off ahead of schedule with no problem (normally you need to taper off very carefully because you are presumed dependent). Unfortunately, there is no way to tell in advance if a patient would become dependent. May be that is why doctors are so wary.

yeah i have an addictive personailty so i was worried too. but honestly the saphris was causing more anxiety he took me off of that today thank god. im ready and excited to start new things

[CarlaBentley]

Good for you!!!!! I'm so glad that you're off of something that was doing more harm than good!!!!
What WILL you be taking now, if you don't mind my asking? (And so sorry if you DO mind!)

I have 'only' been dealing with Bipolar Depression for 6 years now, but I've been on every letter of the alphabet when it comes to meds!! And I always read every bit of paperwork that comes with them and read a lot of stuff online, as well.

So, almost since the very beginning, I've been on one benzo or another. (High anxiety is a way of life, for me!!!!) I've been on Lorazepam, Klonopin, and now Alprazolam. Reading about their propensity for addiction, I've always kept a close watch on myself, especially since I've been professionally diagnosed as having an 'addictive personality', whatever THAT may mean!!
I figured that I'm doing fine -- don't seem to be building up any tolerance to 'em and once in a while I forget to take my meds and never seem to start 'craving' a benzo!!

Then a friend of mine had to go off of the benzos he was on, cold turkey. His is a worst case scenario. He was on relatively high doses and had been for well over 20 years. And he is going through absolute Hell -- which one would expect in HIS case, right?

But because of what he is going through, I started reading up online about benzo withdrawal. Good Lord!!!!! Try researching it THAT way -- 'benzo withdrawal' -- and you come across a LOT of stuff you don't read in the papers accompanying your meds when you pick them up at the drugstore!! I can't believe they ever made it to the marketplace!!!

I really think that if I had known a lot more about them before I started taking them, I would have refused them. For some people, being on a low dose of benzo for a relatively short period of time, even if tapered off slowly, it's going to mean suffering really bad withdrawal symptoms. And they can last an incredibly long time.

If that all sounds alarmist, that's fine by me. I'm not trying to get anyone to go off them -- Hell, I'm AFRAID to go off mine, LOL!!!!!

I'm just telling you that if your Pdoc freaks out about letting you take benzos for a long time, or about increasing your dosage, that's why!!! He's got a real good grasp on the inherent dangers and does not want to put you at risk!!

I was put on Hydroxyzine about 6 months ago, and find that it really helps lessen my anxiety. And it's an antihistamine. Very safe, comparatively!!! I don't seem to have any side effects related to it, but it sure does help with the anxiety!!! And I've tried a lot of different things for anxiety, too.

If your Pdoc still wants you off the benzos, or if you feel the need for more help when it comes to your anxiety, maybe you could ask your Pdoc if Hydroxyzine is an option for you!!!

Good luck!!! I hope whatever you're going to be on now will be cheap, safe, and effective!!!! (((((Hugs)))))

[xjekkax]

Originally Posted by CarlaBentley

Good for you!!!!! I'm so glad that you're off of something that was doing more harm than good!!!!
What WILL you be taking now, if you don't mind my asking? (And so sorry if you DO mind!)

I have 'only' been dealing with Bipolar Depression for 6 years now, but I've been on every letter of the alphabet when it comes to meds!! And I always read every bit of paperwork that comes with them and read a lot of stuff online, as well.

So, almost since the very beginning, I've been on one benzo or another. (High anxiety is a way of life, for me!!!!) I've been on Lorazepam, Klonopin, and now Alprazolam. Reading about their propensity for addiction, I've always kept a close watch on myself, especially since I've been professionally diagnosed as having an 'addictive personality', whatever THAT may mean!!
I figured that I'm doing fine -- don't seem to be building up any tolerance to 'em and once in a while I forget to take my meds and never seem to start 'craving' a benzo!!

Then a friend of mine had to go off of the benzos he was on, cold turkey. His is a worst case scenario. He was on relatively high doses and had been for well over 20 years. And he is going through absolute Hell -- which one would expect in HIS case, right?

But because of what he is going through, I started reading up online about benzo withdrawal. Good Lord!!!!! Try researching it THAT way -- 'benzo withdrawal' -- and you come across a LOT of stuff you don't read in the papers accompanying your meds when you pick them up at the drugstore!! I can't believe they ever made it to the marketplace!!!

I really think that if I had known a lot more about them before I started taking them, I would have refused them. For some people, being on a low dose of benzo for a relatively short period of time, even if tapered off slowly, it's going to mean suffering really bad withdrawal symptoms. And they can last an incredibly long time.

If that all sounds alarmist, that's fine by me. I'm not trying to get anyone to go off them -- Hell, I'm AFRAID to go off mine, LOL!!!!!

I'm just telling you that if your Pdoc freaks out about letting you take benzos for a long time, or about increasing your dosage, that's why!!! He's got a real good grasp on the inherent dangers and does not want to put you at risk!!

I was put on Hydroxyzine about 6 months ago, and find that it really helps lessen my anxiety. And it's an antihistamine. Very safe, comparatively!!! I don't seem to have any side effects related to it, but it sure does help with the anxiety!!! And I've tried a lot of different things for anxiety, too.

If your Pdoc still wants you off the benzos, or if you feel the need for more help when it comes to your anxiety, maybe you could ask your Pdoc if Hydroxyzine is an option for you!!!

Good luck!!! I hope whatever you're going to be on now will be cheap, safe, and effective!!!! (((((Hugs)))))

Thank you much I 'll have to keep that in mind

[hamster-bamster]

Originally Posted by xjekkax

yeah i have an addictive personailty so i was worried too. but honestly the saphris was causing more anxiety he took me off of that today thank god. im ready and excited to start new things

Maybe that is why I was lucky - I have absolutely no chemical addictions. I have been told by my neuropsychologist that chemical additions thrown into the mix of what I have (not just bp I) and I would not have made it into this consultation room at almost 40. No alcohol, no drugs, no smoking, no interest in this stuff. I only drink in public and only from a paranoid fear that if I refuse, my party would suspect that I am on psychotropic meds (which ideally should not be mixed with alcohol), and I am hiding this fact. So I drink casually and lightly with this air of "sure, I will have this cocktail" as if I have one or another every day", where in reality the only cocktail I have daily is that of meds

[xjekkax]

Originally Posted by hamster-bamster

Maybe that is why I was lucky - I have absolutely no chemical addictions. I have been told by my neuropsychologist that chemical additions thrown into the mix of what I have (not just bp I) and I would not have made it into this consultation room at almost 40. No alcohol, no drugs, no smoking, no interest in this stuff. I only drink in public and only from a paranoid fear that if I refuse, my party would suspect that I am on psychotropic meds (which ideally should not be mixed with alcohol), and I am hiding this fact. So I drink casually and lightly with this air of "sure, I will have this cocktail" as if I have one or another every day", where in reality the only cocktail I have daily is that of meds

yeah my urge of drinking had decreased tremendously. I now can only have one or two drinks then im done drinking. which is a good thing. i try not to drink too much because the lithium already dehydrates,, (and i never drink enough water to begin with)