Prescriptions and Supply Chain Problems

I get anxious in a car. That anxiety escalates when I'm sandwiched between two vehicles, or we are in a left-turn lane, and I'm sitting on the right side of the car. I can remedy the second situation by sitting on the left side of the vehicle behind the driver. That way, I'm next to the center medium, putting a bit of distance between me and other cars. I'm in a no-win situation if we are in the left turn lane and there is no center medium.

I take 0.25 MG Clonazepam four times a day and 10 MG Propranolol twice a day, sometimes three times if needed. I've also been taking Lorazepam as needed. Dosage varies between 0.5 to 2 MG, depending on the severity of the situation. If I'm in heavy traffic, I will take 2 MG of Lorazepam, 10 MG Propranolol, and 125 MG of Simethicone (OTC anti-gas).

I live in an area where good psychiatric care has been hard to find. Therefore I had to go to the county psychiatric facility (which does not prescribe controlled medications such as Clonazepam and Lorazepam) for my other psychiatric prescriptions and get my Clonazepam and Lorazepam from my primary care doctor. The powers that be have been cracking down on general practice doctors who prescribe both Clonazepam and Lorazepam. I had to find a psychiatrist who would prescribe controlled medications. In addition, I've experienced a particularly rough spell since around May or June in which I needed to eat into my reserves.

Found a new doctor who I first saw on the ninth of this month. She gave me 10 MG Escitalopram once a day and will either reduce or eliminate the Lorazepam. For the road trip to see her this coming Thursday, she told me to take 1 MG of Clonazepam instead of the 2 MG of Lorazepam. The Escitalopram, which I will have been for two weeks, should already be doing its job.

I know I have established a lot to get to the problem, but here it is. I keep my ear to the ground to know what will happen. However, what was once theoretical is happening as I speak. We have inflation that is being downplayed (in other words, it's worse than what the powers that be are revealing) and a supply chain problem. What do I do when it's hard or impossible to get my medications? I already mentioned that I had to eat into my supplies during my current rough spell. Also, I just started on a new prescription, meaning I won't have a reserve if the current problem manifests sooner than later.

I can get some of my medications overseas at an affordable price, such as Propranolol, but there is no way to get controlled prescriptions, and the Mirtazapine is too expensive. I haven't checked the price or availability of the new medication.

I'm on escitalopram 10mg, and I take a Trazodone at night to help me sleep.

I don't know if two weeks is enough time to know if the escitalopram is working yet or not- the average time for it to begin to take effect is two to four weeks on average. And I didn't really notice a change, myself- it's my partner that told the primary caregiver who prescribed it, that my anxiety seemed to be less than before.

As far as availability, I think it's fairly common; and as far as pricing- I'm assuming you're in the US- I see on Good Rx anywhere from under seven dollars from Publix for 30 10mg tablets, with a free coupon, to 35 dollars at the likes of Walgreen's and CVS- which totally doesn't surprise me. Wally World's retail price is fifteen, and I think with insurance I pay around ten dollars at an independent pharmacy. I suppose I ought to do the coupon thing; but I'm lazy.

Arik wrote:We have inflation that is being downplayed (in other words, it's worse than what the powers that be are revealing) and a supply chain problem. What do I do when it's hard or impossible to get my medications?

Well I do the easy thing- I don't think about it. Nothing you or I can do, will change anything. I decide to defer worry for the future. Or maybe that's the escitalopram talking. Probably is, a little. Even I can tell I'm more 'whatever' about stuff than I used to be. So, whatever. Or as Spock told Valeris in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, "You must have faith that the Universe will unfold as it should". Maybe the preppers will be telling me 'I told you so' before it's over, but I'm not in a position to live in a bunker stocked up with MREs and drugs- so... I don't think about it. It is, what it is. Thinking about things too much, is what had me wind up being on an SSRI in the first place.

Snaga wrote:As far as availability, I think it's fairly common; and as far as pricing- I'm assuming you're in the US- I see on Good Rx anywhere from under seven dollars from Publix for 30 10mg tablets, with a free coupon, to 35 dollars at the likes of Walgreen's and CVS- which totally doesn't surprise me. Wally World's retail price is fifteen, and I think with insurance I pay around ten dollars at an independent pharmacy.

I can get it now, and the insurance covers it.

Snaga wrote:Well I do the easy thing- I don't think about it. Nothing you or I can do, will change anything. I decide to defer worry for the future. Or maybe that's the escitalopram talking. Probably is, a little. Even I can tell I'm more 'whatever' about stuff than I used to be. So, whatever. Or as Spock told Valeris in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country, "You must have faith that the Universe will unfold as it should".

I'm the type that if a problem exists, I look for a solution. I realize I'm asking a question that's hard to answer.

Snaga wrote:Maybe the preppers will be telling me 'I told you so' before it's over, but I'm not in a position to live in a bunker stocked up with MREs and drugs- so... I don't think about it.

I'm not living in a bunker either because it's not going to get that bad.

Arik wrote:I'm not living in a bunker either because it's not going to get that bad.

Glad to hear you say that. It might get that bad... but when you have anxiety issues, does it really do for us to dwell on maybes? I mean that's our problem in the first place. I've had to turn a lot of my brain off the past year and a half, if I didn't want to go to my grave early.

Snaga wrote:It might get that bad... but when you have anxiety issues, does it really do for us to dwell on maybes?

It's just an economic problem. We don't need to run to the hills or homestead.