Possible to trigger short-term mania? (oops!)

If you can figure out a way to see a Pdoc using perhaps one of the sliding-scale places mentioned by Detach, you might be able to get your meds free directly from the pharmaceutical company. I get four of my six meds free this way because my income is so low and I don't have prescription drug coverage. Also, you mentioned school, so perhaps your school has a medical clinic that can help you? Many universities and colleges do offer this.

I have been trying for 2 years to get into one of the local low-income clinics, and haven't been able to. For some I make "too much" for others I make "too little" and the others had too long of waiting lists or weren't accepting new patients. There aren't many of those clinics around here, and the local hospitals are private. I tried "community care" at those for general health, but no luck there either. I'm sick of trying that route, it's too much trying to win the impossible with that and manage my own health too. I'm not trying to be a downer, I just don't see any hope at finding such a clinic here anymore.

I've pretty much given up on finding professional help and am resorting to trying to figure out how to self-manage.

That's good to know that they help with med costs.

Even if I got into a psych clinic if a waiting list at a local one here opens up, wouldn't they require me to see a GP first? Then I would have to find a low-income GP along with a low-income psych clinic?

You could also contact "the National Alliance for Mental Illness", they are across the U.S. If you aren't having success finding a clinic on your own that 1) you can get an appt with within 2 years time? or 2) that will do a sliding scale for your income, then you might want to give this organization a try. Also, no one seeing a pdoc needs to have a GP to my knowledge.

http://www.nami.org/

detach wrote:You could also contact "the National Alliance for Mental Illness", they are across the U.S. If you aren't having success finding a clinic on your own that 1) you can get an appt with within 2 years time? or 2) that will do a sliding scale for your income, then you might want to give this organization a try. Also, no one seeing a pdoc needs to have a GP to my knowledge.

http://www.nami.org/

Cool, I'll try contacting NAMI.

Oh, that's good to know. I figured a pdoc would want to rule out all potential other health reasons for depression/whatever and want me to see a doctor first. Or do blood tests or who knows what. I haven't been to a doctor of any sort since high school.

Is that just how it works when using insurance-- see a general doctor, who then refers a person to a psych? Or can someone just go to a psych when using insurance and skip a doctor too?

okiedoke wrote:Oh, that's good to know. I figured a pdoc would want to rule out all potential other health reasons for depression/whatever and want me to see a doctor first. Or do blood tests or who knows what. I haven't been to a doctor of any sort since high school.

A psychiatrist IS a doctor, a doctor who specializes in psychiatry. They can order blood work if they want to. Mine does every 6 months to monitor my tegretol level and white blood cells. Any other potential reasons for depression can be ruled out by the psychiatrist, if they're any good. My pdoc has never told me to go see my GP, ever.

Is that just how it works when using insurance-- see a general doctor, who then refers a person to a psych? Or can someone just go to a psych when using insurance and skip a doctor too?

That depends on your insurance, if it's a crappy HMO, then you need to be referred out by a GP usually. Any other insurance and you can usually go see the pdoc just by making your own appt. I thankfully can just make by own appt's for specialists.

Good Luck, let us know what happens with NAMI

detach wrote:

okiedoke wrote:
A psychiatrist IS a doctor, a doctor who specializes in psychiatry. They can order blood work if they want to. Mine does every 6 months to monitor my tegretol level and white blood cells. Any other potential reasons for depression can be ruled out by the psychiatrist, if they're any good. My pdoc has never told me to go see my GP, ever.

Thanks, I figured I would have to see a doctor then a counselor then psychologist then psychiatrist-- not go straight to the psychiatrist. Good to know. I still need to figure out insurance or free clinics or whatever, but at least I don't have to find multiple income-based doctors and clinics.

No response from NAMI yet.

I went and got myself some lithium oritate or whatever the type at Walmart is. My mind wouldn't stop spinning and I was irritated and depressed and everything all at once and I couldn't stand it anymore. I'm at least a tiny bit calmer now.

Self-medicating with OTC lithium is a very bad idea. First, the binders they use are inferior to the binders in prescription lithium, so they alone can give you side effects.

Second, you have no way of monitoring your blood lithium levels, which means you could throw yourself into lithium toxicity, which is really really bad.

But, since the OTC lithium is really meant for cognitive protection, I'm guessing the dosages are very low and won't do anything for your BP anyway.

To sum up, don't play with the amounts of lithium needed to treat BP unless you're under a doctor's care. It could be fatal.

It just occurs to me that a lot of these supplements you're taking are quite expensive. If you stopped taking them and saved the money, you could afford to see a psychiatrist.

constantvoyager wrote:Self-medicating with OTC lithium is a very bad idea. First, the binders they use are inferior to the binders in prescription lithium, so they alone can give you side effects.

Second, you have no way of monitoring your blood lithium levels, which means you could throw yourself into lithium toxicity, which is really really bad.

But, since the OTC lithium is really meant for cognitive protection, I'm guessing the dosages are very low and won't do anything for your BP anyway.

To sum up, don't play with the amounts of lithium needed to treat BP unless you're under a doctor's care. It could be fatal.

It just occurs to me that a lot of these supplements you're taking are quite expensive. If you stopped taking them and saved the money, you could afford to see a psychiatrist.

I've spent less than $20 on supplements in 3 months- coupons, store brand, buy 1 get 1 free, and so on. If I could see a psychiatrist for $20, I would. Rates in my city are $150-250 for the first visit. The supplements are $80 a year or so, almost halfway there, I'll give it that.

That's a good point about lithium toxicity.

I take 3-4, 5 mg of the lithium oritote OTC.

Very very low amount and easily might not be helping anything other than calming me a tiny bit. I at least can focus just a little after it, and that's a good start for me.

Self-medicating isn't wise, I know. And it's of course not working either, but making my head slightly more tolerable until I have a better option.

I was desperate and had to try something, as my mind was racing off the hook for weeks and I couldn't get anything done or stand it anymore. I couldn't find a way to see a doctor. Long-term I hope to figure out how to see a doctor regularly.