(originally aired: October 14, 2007)
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 sickness.
Have you ever substituted homeopathic remedies for prescription drugs? What are your feelings towards these types of remedies?
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20 Responses to “Going Without Prescription Coverage”
Thanks for this article. I believe a lot of people will have no choice but to go the direction you went. I’m happy that it worked out well for you! I’m curious what you did for your depression? Care to share
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Absolutely- I am taking 5HTP for the depression. It is similar to the more well-known St John’s Wort, but it won’t effect your birth control. It does the same thing with serotonin that my Wellbutrin did, but it is much more affordable and natural with no side effects. The only side effect that I have read others have experienced with it is weight loss (not a bad thing for me
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Thank you for this – I really appreciate it. I was going to ask what you took for the depression, but I see you already commented on that!
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What has changed my life is a Neti Pot!! When I start going through bad sinus season, I feel like I am popping ibuprofen & sinus meds like crazy. Talk about expensive! And I never even felt 100%. The Neti Pot is like $15, and it is a fantastic. Everyone with any kind of sinus problem should get one.
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Hi Amy,
Can you share any other homeopathic IBS tips? I was just diagnosed with IBS earlier this month and would love to use a more natural approach to treating it. The prescription the doctor gave me causes the most horrible dry mouth/thirst and I only take it if I am completely miserable. I drink Pepto Bismal by the gallon and know it isn’t good for me, so would love to get away from that. I also have depression, and have been thinking of switching to St. John’s Wort, but haven’t made the move yet.
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Heather,
There are two types of IBS so I am not sure if you have the same type as me. I am the type that doesn't go so they had me on Zelnorm.
Honestly, the best thing that you can do for your stomach is drink tons and tons of water, take a fiber supplement and exercise. It keeps things moving. If you have the other type of IBS, you might want to speak to someone in the homeopathic field to get specific treatment tips.
For my type of depression & ailments- this was what was suggested…
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
This was the original plan. What happened though is that we figured out that the garlic & yeast pills were interfering with each other so I dropped the garlic after discovering I was feeling sick to my stomach taking both. It was a simple fix, but I was thankful that I could email her and have the problem resolved quickly.
I hope these answers are helping a little bit. Remember that St. John's Wort will interfere with birth control. That was something I didn't realize and was thankful I had someone knowledgeable to guide me.
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Thanks for sharing your story! I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with prescription drugs, too. Once a simple painkiller I was taking for my arthritis had me unable to function for two days before I stopped taking it. I’m kinda scared of side effects too.
I’m like you, I’m kind of a skeptic about non-researched things, but some things definitely work better. I’ve noticed for years that cold medicines do nothing but knock me out. So now I use warm drinks and citrus and soups. Also, really spicy foods help a lot!
I wish that there was a foundation or something to research herbal supplements and the like. I see studies every once in awhile, but not consistently. Too bad it takes so much money to do effective studies!
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I, too, have IBS and depression, along with fibromyalgia. Do you have fibromyalgia? I have been thinking of going homeopathic since I also have horrible side effects from my meds.
I keep hearing, and wonder if it’s true, that fibromyalgia is caused by a build-up of toxins in the body. I’ve considered one of the body cleanses or detox systems. Has anyone tried those?
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Amy- They thought I had fibro (have numbness & tingling on one side of my body). I had tons of tests done and nothing popped up so that is what I was diagnosed with.
I started seeing a chiropractor and getting massage therapy and all of my symptoms are gone. Combining that with my new supplement routine has really helped resolve my issues. I would definitely look into chiropractic care if you haven't already. It has done a world of good for me.
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Amy
I have been reading about homeopathic medicine for children who have trouble concentrating or staying still. I really would love to try one of these (like BrightSpark etc) but am worried it will harm my son who is only 4 (53 lbs). Do you or your friend (or other readers) have any suggestions? Thanks..
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That is a good suggestion. I think I may try chiropractic care. There is apparently a homeopathic “pharmacy” nearby that has staff able to help craft a personalized supplement routine. I just posted my “resolutions” for 2009 on my blog, and think I need to update it to include some homeopathic research!
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I have been skeptical of homeopathy, too, but have heard too many success stories to ignore it.
Good luck and Happy New Year to you. Please keep us posted on your health.
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Amy – Thank you so much for posting this! My ob/gyn nurse practitioner is fantastic about suggesting more natural remedies when “traditional” medications don’t work very well. I have been having major problems with yeast infections over the last year. After my third or fourth one in as many months, she suggested that I go see a naturopathic doctor, but it’s not covered my my insurance. So I was glad to read I’m not the only one who has challenges with a yeast imbalance. I am already taking the probiotic, but I’ll have to try the yeast cleanse as well. And I’m glad to read about the 5HTP – I’ll have to keep that in mind for a good friend of mine who has mild depression and didn’t like the side affects of her meds.
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I prefer to try the homeopathic or natural route first (when I can afford it!) and save the prescriptions for my last resort. (I don’t like the side effects and all of the recalls make me nervous.)
I have homeopathic meds very helpful for the usual childhood issues, teething, colds, etc.
If someone is really struggling I would still advise a consultation with some professional, natural or otherwise, so that you can get the help you need quickly.
Thanks for this article!
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PS I am just getting The Yeast Connection book and believe that I too have a yeast imballence I need to right.
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Thanks for posting this. I plan to share this information with several friends.
I’m presently taking Ambien after being severely sleep-deprived for years. I tried so many homeopathic remedies (including sleep MD) but nothing helped. If anyone knows of a better alternative for this, I would love to hear about it.
Regular chiropractor visits have greatly reduced my migraines and neck pain. It was my alternative to taking daily migraine meds. Just wanted to share that with anyone considering that avenue.
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Thank you so much for this article. I'm on so many prescription medicines but I don't feel like I'm getting better … I've been thinking about looking into natural remedies to see if I could figure out another way. Your symptoms sound very similar to mine so I'm going to do some research & see what might work for me. Thank you again.
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thank you for posting this, we reside in the same state and I’m working on getting the state offered insurance — just hope i qualify, and i just recently heard from a friend about a local homeopathic practice.
i have multiple drug allergies, and am hoping I will not have as many problems with the homeopathy.
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To MyKidsMom asking for an alternative to Ambien…I have taken both Ambien and Lunesta, but have the best success with an inexpensive Melatonin/Theanine formula from Schiff. (http://www.schiffvitamins.com/product_detail.asp?id=102)
I always buy mine at Costco (300 tablets for $5.99, currently on sale $2 off!). I am not sure what they would cost from a regular retailer.
I have fibromyalgia, night terrors, and other sleep issues and have been sleeping soundly for close to a year using this supplement.
Hope that helps!
Amy D.
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Yes, Amy, I use homeopathics (as well as many other natural remedies) often for both my children and I. We find that they really, truly work!
I’m so glad that you’ve been finding these more natural remedies helping you even more than your old medications! I am a firm believer in going more natural whenever possible (though I am not opposed to conventional medications entirely). I love to hear success stories like yours!
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Amy,
Did the homeopathic practitioner say anything about the timing of taking the B6 and the 5 HTP? I’m not sure, but I think they might have a reaction, or be less effective if taken within a few hours of each other. The B6 increases the metabolism of the 5HTP or something. As I said, I’m not sure, but thought I’d mention it in case you wanna check it out!
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