Ideas to get medications for M?

[witzend]

******Just to clarify, I'm not asking how to finance medications for M. I'm asking how to get a doctor to see M before this summer so that we can have a prescription. We don't know what medications he needs and we need a prescription.******

M is 23 now, and not on our medical plan. Even if he could be on our medical plan, he would then lose his financial aid because he gets that because we don't support him financially.

This past month or so has been very difficult for me. Nightmares have started in again. A dream I've had for years has been that I'm in or around the house and it comes to me that "he" (whoever the dreaded "he" is?) is trying to get in. I stumble around the house trying to lock all of the doors and windows but the house just keeps getting larger and I end up getting to a door or a window and "he" is on the other side. Sometimes I wake up then, and other times I wake up in the middle of struggling against the door, or face to face with "him" trying to talk my way out of the inevitable horror. This weekend I dreamed he got into the house, and I bashed him in the face with my elbow then strangled him. It wasn't clear if I killed him, but I'm telling myself I have so that I won't have the dream anymore.

Anyway, enough of that. That was just as way of explanation of how disturbing I am finding dealing with M lately. After that dream and M circumventing my advice about how to make peace with Z over the apartment, I told husband that I was very angry at being manipulated into a triangulation with his therapist and that I wouldn't be giving M any advice any more. M told husband that he would seek out a doctor to get a prescription for an antidepressant or mood stabilizer. I can see by his phone records that M has made a phone intake to a local mental health agency. Apparently he told husband that he will have an appointment for therapy fairly soon, but that it will be summer before he can see a doctor to get a prescription for medications.

Obviously, I don't know what his diagnosis is and have no clue as to what type of medication he needs. Because every foreseeable outcome of every situation for him is a negative one I know he's depressed, but I have no idea if he's BiPolar (BP), or borderline, or what. So, a good evaluation is needed to be sure. But, I really don't think talk therapy alone is going to keep him out of trouble until summer.

So, back to him not being on our insurance. I don't see a therapist or a psychiatrist anymore. husband and I are doing well on our medications and get them from our regular doctor. We're also smart enough to know if things are changing, we need to seek help. Is there some way that we could get M in to a psychiatrist or an MD to prescribe based upon his therapist's diagnosis without getting ourselves on the hook for thousands of dollars of sessions? Anyone have any ideas? I know that the therapist can't talk to us, but can we talk to him/her about how we can help him to get on medications more quickly and to make sure that everyone understands the limits of our involvement? ie: Don't tell him that he should ask us for advice because he's just going to ignore it and use think that it is a good enough gesture to take advantage of us...

Thanks all. I hope that this makes sense.

 

[DaisyFace]

Witz--

If M has extremely low income...he should be eligible for Medicaid...which should open up opportunities to see a doctor, therapist or whatever on his own.

Also, I assume when you say he gets financial aid--that means he is attending school? Does the school have any resources available to him? Counseling? medical clinic? That sort of thing?

 

[Nomad]

I don't know really. I have to admit, it's a tad easier for me at times 'cause we have access to decent medical care for difficult child at the moment...although she doesn't always take advantage of this. But it is comforting for me to know that it has been made available to her.
Star provided this link and I bookmarked it: http://www.pparx.org/en/prescription_assistance_programs/list_of_participating_programs
You might see what is available from local universities. You might ask at the local hospital...talk with a social worker to see what is available in your community for those without funds to get apts. with psychiatrists and/or medication in a timely manner.
I know people on medicaid manage to do this and it is not easy, but it is done.

 

[witzend]

Witz--

Also, I assume when you say he gets financial aid--that means he is attending school? Does the school have any resources available to him? Counseling? medical clinic? That sort of thing?

Yes, the counseling he is accessing is through the school. But he can't see an MD through them until summer.

 

[Hound dog]

Aren't there drug companies that have programs for you to be able to sign up for reduced prices or free medications? I'm pretty sure there are......I looked into it once but got insurance shortly after and turned out not to need it. Actually his docs ought to know how to go about getting signed up for it because that's where I got the info. They do this especially for psychiatric medications too.

A lot of psychiatrists will also keep a patient in medications via samples when they don't have insurance to cover the cost. Mine did this for me for several months until our insurance kicked in. Meant I had to show up at his office bright and early when the new samples came in, but it made sure I kept taking my medications.

 

[DammitJanet]

Local community mental health clinic? They sometimes offer medications at a sliding scale fee along with psychiatrists at sliding scales.

 

[witzend]

I don't mind paying for the medications, and I will be sure to have him look into reduced cost when the time comes. But there's nothing I can do without the RX, and he can't see the doctor on the sliding fee scale until summer. So, it's not really the medications that's the problem, it's getting the RX for the medications that is the problem.

 

[Hound dog]

County Mental health ought to be able to help. He can see a psychiatrist there to get his scripts. And county mental health also does sliding scale fees for their appointments too.

 

[GoingNorth]

Depakote was available by sample until recently the generic came out. Drug reps used to give out huge amts of samples. Until my VA ins kicked in, I got my Depakote from the MH clinic, along with Seroquel samples.

I now get my Depakote through the VA medications by mail program (free), and I cannot tolerate atypical APs. I had to go on Haldol which is so cheap that it is on the four dollar list at pharmacies.

Depakote in generic still isn't cheap. I did discover that my blood levels held steady with the generic so that's good. Sometimes generics are absorbed differently.

 

[witzend]

Just to clarify, I'm not asking how to finance medications for M. I'm asking how to get a doctor to see M before this summer so that we can have a prescription. We don't know what medications he needs and we need a prescription. I will pay for one appointment, but it can't go on our insurance. I won't pay for two, and I won't pay for an appointment that addresses anything other than what psychotropic drugs he needs. The doctor would have to prescribe based upon the diagnosis of therapist that he is seeing.

 

[crazymama30]

could you ask the therapist he is seeing (or he could ask) if there is a doctor in your area who would do that, prescribe medications based on what the therapist says? I know in our town, I think we are in the same state, county mental health is worthless unless you are suicidal or homicidal and then they tell you to go to the ER.

Are there any volunteer clinics not through the school he is in, or a sliding fee clinic? My town is much smaller, and we have a volunteer clinic and a low cost clinic. I would google free mental health care and your towns name.

 

[susiestar]

It IS hard to get to see a psychiatrist through the school. I happened to know one psychiatrist because she was in the same bldg as the kids' therapist. I managed to swing the cost of an appointment at her office there and then she told the school to get me in on certain days once a month. Otherwise it would have been a full semester before she had time to see me. The therapist asked the psychiatrist how to go about it so that I could be seen earlier.

What skills/talents does M have? Is there something he could barter with a doctor? One psychiatrist here bartered firewood and tree trimming and home repairs for her services to provide rx's and help with the www.pparx.org paperwork (1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669)) . ALL of the drug company programs run through this now. It seems to streamline things. Rather than chasing all the different companies, you just call or go to the website and get the info you need.

If you decide to pay for the doctor, you are free to say that you will pay for ONE visit, or pay for $X worth of visit/treatment and that M is responsible for all other costs. Tell them it is one time help and you will not be responsible for the other bills. Many docs will work with this. Make sure M knows to put HIS name where it asks for the responsible party.

Does M have any kind of student insurance? Often the student health centers can provide medications far cheaper than most retail places. I know our health center still has really low rates for students and professors. Profs pay a pretty steep fee to use the service though.

Many areas have community clinics that you can walk into located in the ER. We have the Health Dept with certain services, but a couple of docs also organized the clinic in the ER. It can be a long wait, but they have docs of most specialties signed up. I am aware of people who have gone in asking to see a psychiatrist. They got all sorts of waits, other things checked to see if they really needed the psychiatrist, and then they arranged a time to have a psychiatrist there for them. For general ADHD, anxiety and depression they have internists or family practice docs who will evaluate and write scrips.

Are M's problems complicated enough to NEED a psychiatrist? These days most family practice docs and general practice docs are pretty familiar with depression, anxiety, even adult ADHD and can at least get the ball rolling. I don't know what, if anything, M was ever diagnosis'd with, but a good ole regular doctor MIGHT be a place to get the ball rolling. If a doctor calls to make the appointment it is usually much easier to get an appointment.

I hope this helps or triggers some idea.

 

[witzend]

Thanks, guys. I tend to think that a regular MD could prescribe if there were a diagnosis. After all these years learning from you all and your kids, I worry about putting him on an anti-depressant if what he needs is a mood stabilizer, etc. If he will go to a doctor for a prescription, I don't want to blow it by jumping the gun because that's the first person that can see him. At the same time, I don't want to get into it with his therapist, because I'm wary of becoming a part of his treatment plan. It's like dancing on a spider web and trying to not alert the spider.

 

[Star*]

Witz,

Oddly enough - most MD's (at least here) will now prescribe anti depressants and other SSRI's without sending you to a psychiatrist. They did for Dude anyway when he agreed to take them. All doctors will give you a depression questionnaire. If you even hint at being depressed in a "doctor in the box" type place like Doctors care - they whip the clip board out. I said "I'm just sad today. Out came the form. I'm on anti-depressants and at the time was seeing a therapist 3x a week - I'm glad they were in tune that much.

As far as GETTING him there? I think I'd start with a regular physical and go from there. How long has it been since that? Good place to start anyway. Then I'd address other issues. If he needs a referral to a specialist FOR SSRI's or other medications? Then you have a starting point. If it's just a clinic due to finances on his part? He needs to seek out the county mental health people....it's sliding scale. ALL counties have it. President Clinton made sure of that.

Now.....on to you.

The nightmare you are having that is recurring? Intensely interesting. You seem to think stress with M is the trigger. Could be. Oddly enough it may NOT be. Something else in your spidey sense could be setting it off and THAT is the part that is intensely interesting. See I had morbid fears and I went through a lot in dream world. EMDR was a lifesaver for me. That therapy was so quick, and so intense and about the most helpful thing I have ever done in my life. I would highly recommend you look into it with a qualified and trained therapist. The hidden recesses of your mind are harboring more than you think and whatever it is? Needs to be dealt with now. Everything we see, hear, touch, smell, taste? Is stored chemically in our brains. All our fears, happiness, joys, emotions etc - stored chemically - like a gigantic warehouse of digital knowledge. When we have nightmares like you're having? Over and over sensations with fear? It's time to deal with it. Stored images could be short circuiting or it could be things culminating that we have put off that we really feel we have no control over and in fact we do - we just lack the guidance to control them. That's what EMDR does - it gives us the ability to get inside our minds and control those fearful situations in a safe place and sort them out safely once and for all. My fear of crossing bridges - gone in one session. I now know why it bothered me to the point of complete shut down, and I know I won't be hurt. It was something I saw when I was 12. A Yugo on the Washington bridge had been picked up and was teetering over a cable....almost falling. In the back of my mind at sometime in my adult life - that memory came to fruition and WHAM - at 40 one day I could not go over a bridge in a car but had NO recollection of that time or memory at 12 years old. Weird huh?

I think you would really do well in EMDR. At least you could deal with the person on the other side of the door and confront him, control him, and deal with him face to face - in light. Really really.

Hugs
STar