Just give a guess I'm curious what you guys have paid so far

With insurance, I'd say it's been about $4000 in the past year, which is when I first started seeking treatment... but I predict it'll be less than that in the future. (I spent money doing diagnostic testing and all that.)

[Unrigged64072835]

I don't know. I have Medicare and supplemental insurance, so I don't pay anything except my Medicare premium of $115 a month. Part of the joy of being a disabled vet, I suppose.

[BipolaRNurse]

If I had to guess, between meds and pdoc visit co-pays, it's probably close to $10K over the past four-and-a-half years. That's a lot of money for someone who doesn't have any to speak of. Unfortunately, it's necessary because I would be a train wreck without psychiatric care.

[bizi]

I pay about $65 a month on meds.(more than that for vit and supplements)
$100 for pdoc visits every 3 months.
$200 a month for medical insurance but my pdoc doesn't take my insurance.
$ for blood work,
$800 rx meds
$1000 for supplements
$400 for pdoc appointments
$3400 for the year.
bizi

[hopeless2015]

I'd say my portion is close to $5000 for 2015-2016 between several inpatients and Dr visits and meds

[Moose72]

No idea. Over 10 years I've been hospitalized 4 or 5 times plus years of therapy and pdoc visits pkus DBT x 2 and my zyprexa for a month was $470!

I've spent $24K on meds over the past 20 years.

[scatterbrained04]

Too much

[HALLIEBETH87]

Thousands

[Bluegirl1226]

About $2,700 so far this year.

[bizi]

Originally Posted by hopeless2015

I'd say my portion is close to $5000 for 2015-2016 between several inpatients and Dr visits and meds

You must have very good insurance!
bizi

[mindwrench]

I've spent $24 on it in the last month. It's $6 per visit. I did figure up tonight how much work I have missed over the years though. In the last 22 years I have missed 12 years of work. And missed 22 of the last 24 months. Given when I am working I average $18-25 an hour I don't know if I want to think about what I've lost in wages.

[TheBiPolarSoldier]

All of my medical care and including doctors,pdoc's and meds....hospitalisation would also be free but thankfully it's has never come to that although when I look back it was probably needed. So I pay no for all my bp needs. I live in Ireland.

[p00dlez]

I am not exactly sure how much it all is because my husband handles the money but I do know its a lot. He buys the most expensive insurance plan they offer at his work because I never know when I will need to be hospitalized. I do ask for the cheaper meds though and generics if possible. There are still copays and a deductible I do know that much.

Honestly I would probably go into shock if I saw what all my healthcare costs. I am soon going to be up to 4 doctors. A GP, a pdoc, a kidney dr, and a endo. The amount probably pretty staggering.

[gayleggg]

In the 30 years I've been fighting BP I know I've spent many thousands with four hospitalizations and all the meds I've taken. Even with insurance it costs $200 a month.

[LucyG]

I went off meds almost 10 years ago, and stopped seeing Pdocs and therapist as all they did was prescribe meds.

Currently my cost to control my bipolar 2 averages anywhere from $1.75 to $2.00 a day for all the supplements I use for the bipolar.

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

Originally Posted by LucyG

I went off meds almost 10 years ago, and stopped seeing Pdocs and therapist as all they did was prescribe meds.

Currently my cost to control my bipolar 2 averages anywhere from $1.75 to $2.00 a day for all the supplements I use for the bipolar.

Do you mind if I ask what supplements you use currently? I use D3 and the EmpowerPlus blend. I notice a difference when I use that vs. when I don't. I have noticed, lately especially, that the level of outside stress in my life can surpass my supplements' capacity for keeping my mood stable. I'm wondering what other options are out there.

[LucyG]

Originally Posted by NoIdeaWhatToDo

Do you mind if I ask what supplements you use currently? I use D3 and the EmpowerPlus blend. I notice a difference when I use that vs. when I don't. I have noticed, lately especially, that the level of outside stress in my life can surpass my supplements' capacity for keeping my mood stable. I'm wondering what other options are out there.

For depression:

I use the Vitacost brand of 5-htp 200 mg capsules and take 2 of those of day. I pay about $28 for a bottle of 120 that lasts between 45 and 60 days. If I'm not sleeping or overly stressed out, I take up to 4 a day. I've never had any problem with 5-htp although it does bother a lot of peoples' stomachs.

I take 1,000 mg a day of Vitacost's DLPA. I pay $20 for a bottle of 300 500 mg capsulesso that last approximately 5 months. DLPA is stimulating to the brain but you don't really feel it other than it can interfere with sleep so I don't take extra unless I become severely depressed about something going on in my life, and then I plan it so I take the extra when I get up in the morning. I do that maybe 5 times a year. This is the one supplement that really make life worth living as it puts dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. It raises your blood pressure about 10 points which it's done to mine, but it's not an issue as I have lowish blood pressure as it is.

For hypomania:

I take 1,000 mg of Vitacost's GABA. I pay around $15 for a bottle of 200 500 mg capsules so it lasts me around 3 months. If I'm overly stressed out I take extra. I've taken up to 5,000 mg at a time in years past with no noticeable side-effects. GABA is one of the primary amino acids used to control stress and anxiety.

I also take NCI Advanced Research lithium orotate 120 mg, but it's really 4.5 mg of elemental lithium which is how it's viewed from what my naturopath told me. It comes in a bottle of 200 that I just paid $15.66 for last week. I normally take 4 tablets a day giving me 18 mg of elemental lithium orotate. From my research, I've read that you can take up to 40 mg of elemental lithium a day which is what I aim for if I find myself wound up or if I can't sleep. I've never had an side-effects from it, and from what I've read, lithium is wonderful for helping to stave off dementia and memory issues.

One other thing I just started taking is nascent iodine, and am amazed at how the SAD I normally suffer from hasn't hit this year. The only explanation is the iodine as I'm sure it's helping my thyroid function better. In fact, my hair is getting thicker, and where it's white in front is darkening up. I'm thrilled to death as I have subclinical hypothyroidism that doctors are afraid to treat as my blood work is fine, but I still have symptoms. I pay around $30 for a bottle lasts me a month which I didn't include in the previous total as I don't view as a bipolar med.

Here's a video on nascent iodine by Dr. Edward Group of the Global Healing Center.

[LucyG]

I forgot to mention that Vitacost.com is a private labeler of supplements along with selling most major brands.

[NoIdeaWhatToDo]

Thanks, LucyG - off to look these up and see if any of them could help me out better than what I take now. I really appreciate your detailed answer!