Wednesday, July 10

Neurologist visit



I went to the neurologist yesterday. It was an okay visit. I told him that I had been having more than usual depression problems. He asked me to tell him about that and I didn’t really know what to say, which is what I told him. I just said that I just wondered if the medicine, specifically the anti-depressant medication, was even doing anything. Then I reminded him that I had been completely off of it for almost a month up until the last time I saw him (2 weeks ago). He reminded me that sometimes it takes a little bit to start working again. He also gave me some samples of a different medicine to take with the anti-depressants, called Deplin. Supposedly it helps the body absorb the medicine better and has made a big difference to/for some of his other patients. I took one yesterday and one today. Unfortunately the prescription D Medicare Prescription Insurance won’t pay for it. So even if it does help, I can’t afford it every month. But hey, I have enough for almost 2 months now because I did fill the prescription that he called in for me. I also asked him if he could get the Modafinil (generic Provigil) refilled for me. He said he’d try (a different doctor had been filling it, and it's an FDA controlled substance). He even kept the empty bottle I took in. Hopefully he’ll be able to call that in today, as I’ve been having fatigue issues; which could also be contributing to the depression problems I’ve been having. Not saying that’s why I’ve been more depressed. I’m saying it could be a factor.

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5 comments:

Lee said...

Fatigue can definately be a factor in increased depression. Hope the meds help.

They are not aware said...

Good luck on getting the Rx relocation. It is possible but sometimes one has to jump through some hoops anymore. After my recent surgery and last check up appointment with said surgeon, I called for a Rx refill through my regular doc, for a Rx that I have gotten through him for a long time, and was denied. So I called to find out why and was told by person checking into it that it was because I had seen another doc. Okay, when I was about dead and needed the referral to the surgeon to take care of what was needed, the doc I usually saw was away and I saw another doc in the clinic. So I asked if they had switched my primary care doc to the other guy and so I needed to ask for refill through him. No, that wasn't it. It was because I saw a doc in the town I saw the surgeon. So I asked if it was doc so and so and yes, that was the doc. I had to explain step by step to this person that the other doc was a surgeon and I was no longer seeing her and that it had all been arranged through the office she worked at and the Rx I was asking for had NOTHING to do with that issue. The refill request had not even been presented to my doc because of me having seen another doc since my last refill. It hadn't mattered that there had never been a request to the surgeon for this med, that that office had arranged for me to see this surgeon and that it was all in the same med system, it hadn't mattered that while I was under the care of the surgeon for 6 weeks and getting pain pills from her (she is a surgeon, they give about a weeks worth and are almost impossible to convince to give another Rx and because I kept throwing up she didn't want me on anything after the first 3 days) I had not asked to refill my long standing Rx of a different pain drug--none of it mattered, they just saw that I was seeing another doc and assumed my pidddlin' 30 Tylenol 3s for 30 days was drug seeking and did not present my request to my doc. I did prevail and got her to present the request and it was immediately granted by the doc.
Doctors are under a lot of scrutiny the last decade or so for controlled substance Rxs. It took forever before I could get my Rx through my primary doc. I was sent to a pain clinic and the only thing they could do was give me an Rx for a lidocaine patch that would cost just over $300 a month and not work as well as what I wanted. After that I just had to find a doc that could prescribe pain drugs that understood I had pain that was not just in one place yet didn't want to be drugged all the time. It is amazing how many people are called doctors that cannot Rx controlled substances. They must have been the ones busted for over Rxing.
You wouldn't have to do that because your controlled substance is different. but there might be a hoop or 2 anyway.
Fatigue and depression go hand in hand. One gets fatigued when one is depressed and one tends to get depressed when one is fatigued for any other reason than physical exertion. It doesn't matter which comes first, the other tends to follow.

Todd said...

Wow, what a hassle. I guess I'll call the doctor's office who has been filling it.

They are not aware said...

I would wait to see if this neuro office has an issue first. Then see if it can be rectified. That is if it is easier to get it from the neuro. If it isn't easier stop the request at the neuro and call the other office.

Todd said...

The neuro was able to get it refilled for me.