I debated a long time about whether or not to post this, but I figured it might help someone else out there so I thought I would share my experience.
When my husband started his new job, we started a ninety day lapse in insurance coverage. We have purchased a temporary policy with a high deductible, but we are going without some of the perks that we had with our old policy. One of those perks was a reimbursement program on my prescription drugs.
I do want to begin by saying that the medication I was on was not working for me. I have IBS and I have depression and the drugs that my family physician had me on were not helping me at all. If there was a side effect listed with the medication, I had it. I am one of those people who experiences terrible side effects, which makes me hesitant to ever fool around with a good thing when it comes to my medicine. Unfortunately, since I have had Emily, I have not found that magical sweet spot where I have felt good and we have been bouncing me around on all sorts of medicines and no relief from either ailment. When my stomach medication was pulled by the FDA due to people dying from complications, I threw my hands up in the air and knew that I needed to make a change.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so I talked with a girlfriend who is a firm believer in homeopathic remedies. My feelings towards these types of treatments have always been disbelief. I will admit it, I have always considered many of these remedies a waste of money. Her sister-in-law has three homeopathic practices and a long line of happy clients, so she said she could ask her some of the things that I could take after I explained everything that I was looking for, what wasn’t working, and so on. I remember thinking that if it sounded too “weird” or “out there” that I would not take them.
Another important element to me was that I was not paying more for my treatment than I was for the prescription drugs. Always the frugal girl, I wanted my treatment to be affordable, but also to feel better.
My friend gave me a list of what she had suggested and none of it was strange or unheard of. For my stomach, one of her recommendations was a cup of hot water with lemon before bed (how frugal is that?) She also had a substitute for my anti-depressant and a few items that would boost my immune system.
I have been doing this for about a month now and I have never felt better in my life. My constant tiredness and that cloudiness that I felt is gone and I am feeling more like myself than I have ever felt before. I am amazed at the difference that I feel and how I react towards my family. I am experiencing no side effects and I see a noticeable difference in myself. I feel like me again and it has been a long time since I have felt that way.
The icing on the cake is the extra $200 that will be sitting in my account each month. My new medicines only cost me $50 each month! What a savings!
If medications aren’t working for you, homeopathic remedies might be worth looking into. My depression and stomach problems were mild, but were having a negative effect on my life. With care from an expert in the homeopathic field, you might be able to relieve yourself of your symptoms and keep a little extra money in your pocket at the same time.
If you do have to take medications though, my articles on going without health insurance and my article on going without prescription coverage might provide some help! I also blogged on treating ailments when you are without coverage or are looking for the cheapest way to treat your sickness.
Sound Off: Have you ever substituted homeopathic remedies for prescription drugs? What are your feelings towards these types of remedies?
I am currently working with a homeopath for my DS eczema issues. Our current insurance does not cover prescriptions so after visiting the peditrician, and the dermatolagist and paying for several different prescriptions out of pocket I had had enough… especially since none of it worked.
So I told my DH I’m going to the “witch doctor” and I don’t care what she does as long as it helps. LOL
So far so good! Now I need to save up so that I can go myself. I am seriously considering switching to catostrophic medical insurance so that I can pay for alternative medicines and save some $ in the meantime.
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I have used and practice many alternative treatments. And have had much success.
I was depressed when I met my partner and was given foods packed with the following vitamins and minerals
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Vitamin C
Magnesium
Folic Acid
And a multivitamin supplement a day.
Unbeknown to me and I can say it really worked. I think when you are depressed you tend not to eat very well and this does not help the situation.
I have passed this information onto other people and I can report they have felt much better but with everything it takes time.
Regards
Alex
Home Life Weekly
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That’s great, Amy! I’d love to know her ideas for depression and healthy immune systems.
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I believe that we have been provided everything we need for healthy living, naturally. I can’t say that I know a much about it though. We haven’t really needed to as we all have been healthy. I’m grateful for medical advances but think we really on them too much as quick fixes when changes in lifestyle could fix and prevent many problems.
So happy you are finding a good and frugal solution!
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Christina-
This was the list she gave me for my treatment. Part of the treatment is for a yeast imbalance, which she said could be related to my stomach and my depression. She said they all tie together so that is part of the treatment:
5HTP (Tryptophan)- 50 mg once a day. Take with apple juice before bed.
Vitamin B6- 250 mg 1x a day
Yeast Cleanse (it should contain Caprylic Acid)
Probiotics (Acidopholis) 2-3x per day
Garlic Pill- Before bed or in morning
Drink hot water with lemon before bed for stomach
I also added flax seed oil because I have really dry eyes and my mom suggested taking this. It helps so I can wear my contacts
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Great post Amy! I had a very troublesome tummy growing up, I saw every specialist in the book, and nothing was working. Finally my gastroenterologist suggested going to an herbalist, and we found a few items that helped.
I started taking Chewable Papaya Enzyme (3) pills with every meal, and drinking Aloe Vera Juice in the morning. Both helped immensely.
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Nicole- That is so great that you were able to find something that worked for you! I had never heard of those remedies before!
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Thank you for sharing about this subject about using alternative remedies. I am a big believer in them & wish more western medical doctors were open to the fact that they can be helpful. Medicine has its place but I do think God made lots of natural things that can help us, and sometimes it comes down to a mineral or vitamin deficiency or even our diet & people tend to just pop a pill instead of looking at any of these things. I think it’s important to take care of our own health as we know our bodies best. I hope you’ll share more about this topic in the future.
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I’m not on any prescription drugs, but a few months ago I got mastitis (sp) over the weekend. Fever and everything. My wonderful husband cut up some garlic and I swallowed it like pills with milk. Next day, nothing!
Of course, it is good to take that probiotic you mentioned after killing an infection, or you can end up with some fun yeast problems. Same after taking antibiotics. It kills all the good stuff with the bad and leaves you with nothing to balance out the yeast.
My SIL used probiotics (Acidopholis) with my niece when she had colic and it worked like a charm. The whole fam has digestive issues, so they all take it.
I’d like to learn more though.
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Thanks for your post. I linked to all of your healthcare related articles on my blog. My husband is a Type I diabetic. That means he has had it since he was 4, not because of his lifestyle. Unfortunately he cannot use alternatives for his care.
When I read frugal articles on healthcare they recommend: exercising more, or eating healthier. Sorry, his body does not produce insulin. Eating healthier than we already do isn’t going to do a thing. We do not have the luxury to go without healthcare and in fact have paid hundreds of dollars for COBRA when it was necessary. On average our out of pocket expenses exceed 3.5k a year and that is with insurance.
Your articles are more realistic. They focus on more practical solutions than simple concepts.
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Amy!
We have something else in common–IBS. I was diagnosed at age 18. After being pregnant, my symptoms have cleared up almost entirely. It has changed my life and I’m so thankful!!
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This sounds really interesting! My dh suffers from depression and stomach problems. I would love to investigate Homeopathic remedies, but after checking online I’ve learned that the practice of homeopathy is illegal in my state!
I’m so disappointed, as I’d love to explore this area. Any ideas anyone? I wonder if it’s possible to find someone who would do an online consultation?
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I found a prescription discount card that I could pay for month to month for only $4.50. It’s at http://www.rxdrugcard.com. Drug prices on the website to check before you enroll.
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I use homeopathic remedies for colds and flu, I like Oscillococcinum, it really helps with the symptoms.
You are lucky that your depression was mild and were able to treat it with alternative therapies. That However, not everyone is alike and some people do really need prescription drugs to go through depression. Always check with a doctor to see what your options so that you make informed decisions. I would suggest putting a similar disclaimer at the end of your post so that your readers do not start throwing their pills away and blame you if they don’t get any better
Shannon: have you tried acupuncture, ostheopathy (sp?), or mesotherapy?
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Amy, thank you so much for posting this! My chiropractor practices homeopathic medicine, and he’s trying to help me with my migraines. I’m hoping that eventually he can help me with my depression meds too. I’d love to see you write more about your experiences with homeopathic medicine!
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