The cost of Medication

 

The cost of medication

 

 

 

Since 2001 I have been taking a cocktail of Bi-polar/Anti-Depression medication/Sleeping pills and anxiety medication.  At one time I was taking 15 different medications at one time.  All were needed for something and making them all balance was a nightmare.

 

Now it's 2015 and pharmaceutical companies have come a long way in making medications better, better preforming, better lifespan and much better cost for the end user. 

 

If you have Bi-Polar and are heavily medicated like I was for so many years, then your Bi-polar is in control of you, you are not in control at all.  This is not good!

 

As you grow through the years and learn more about the disease and find a doctor/therapist you are comfortable with you can really start some good work and with the hope that you can eventually get off most of your medication.  That is a sign of a healthy mental person.  They will probably always need medication,  maybe 1 or 2, but not 15.

 

I currently take 11 psychiatric medications.  All do different things.  One is a sleeping pill.  One is for the bi-polar itself.  One is for my panic attacks/anxiety.  And the other 3 when taken together work as a team to fight depression.

 

Well, I had a doctor appointment today and we talked about reducing my medication.....HOOOOOORRRRRAAAAYYYY!  Hooray for me!  What an awesome sign this shows me, that I'm rational, logical, not mouthy, brassy or down right mean.  I'm almost normal in a bi-polar world.

 

First step is to get my sleeping under control, so we are switching my sleeping pills.  When you take a certain medication for 14 years, it tends not to work any longer, so a new sleeping medication was in great need because right now I'm only getting about 4 hours of sleep a night.

 

 

At my next appointment in 2 weeks, we will take out the 3 anti-depression drugs and replace them with just 1 new medication.  So, that will take my total down to 4 pills a day. 

 

Now there is always a risk in changing meds, there's is setbacks, trouble getting adjusted, the medication just not working properly and then we have to play around with medication like Russian roulette. 

 

I'm hopeful and excited.  I'm stoked because it shows me how well I'm doing and how hard I've worked to get this far.  Having Bi-Polar isn't the end of your life and once you figure that part out, you're starting to get better.  If you are still using it as a crutch to make all your excuses, then you're in denial and need a lot of therapy. 

 

You can live a very productive life and have bi-polar also.  That's what I'm doing and what I plan on continuing.  Now, with medication slow down I feel the most calm I have ever felt in 14 years

 

It's hard being dependent on so many medications and each of them have their own side effects and some of the medications were to offset the side effects of this drug with this other drug.  That's when it gets ridiculous. 

 

So, my news is good for today.  I'll take it!

 

I am Debbie and I was here....