[earle58]

you are not med-seeking AT ALL.
rather, you are pain-relief seeking, and are understandably desperate to do so.

recently my np prescribed me something that she knew insurance wouldn't cover.
but she said "not to worry": that the insurance would send her a prior authorization form.
this form asks the md/np to explain why the pt is in need of this particular med.
she filled it out, got it approved, and my insurance paid everything except my nominal copayment.

i do not know if these forms are ltd to massachusetts, but it's worth asking your md about it.

i wish you much relief, and peace.

leslie

[nursingis4me]

Advil does not help with the type of migraines the OP has described--they are not typical headaches!

[woody62]

Now I understand. While HMO coverage cost less, they have to many rights, for my taste, over the person including limiting the number of pills one can received, if they can even receive them at all. In their haste to save money, they short change the people they cover.

Woody

[NeuroICURN]

Not to get too nosy here....but have you had a CT (to check for any bleeding or tumor), and/or a CTA (CT Angio) done?? If not, and your symptoms are this severe, you NEED to have that checked. Many people don't often have a warning to the fact that they have a brain aneurysm....but those that do, it's often migraine headaches. Also, the migraine headaches beforehand can be a warning that it's going to rupture.

If you do end up having one and it's giving you these kind of symptoms, you need to see a neurosurgeon ASAP.....because when brain aneurysms do rupture, more than 50% never live to see a hospital and trust me when I say, the sequalae after a rupture is brutal!!

[TiffyRN]

Drug seekers usually seek meds that alter their mental status; mostly narcotics and sometimes (not as frequently), phenergan. My husband and I both have migraines and I can guarantee we would never "seek" triptans, sometimes the side effects barely outweigh the benefit of getting rid of the migraine.

I think what may have happened with your prescription is that your MD originally ordered 30 (or whatever that number was) and the pharmacist under instruction from the insurance company had the prescription changed with an MD order to just 6, therefore the pharmacy did dispense all on the (new) prescription. If you had insisted when you dropped it off that you would pay for the remaining pills it probably wouldn't have been an issue. If this is true then when you called and begged the pharmacist for more, he probably was not following standard practice by dispensing more, just dispensing them out of compassion. He (or she) probably knew that people do not generally exhibit drug seeking behaviors in regards to triptans. But that is all a theory I have, not any real knowledge, just personal experience with insurance companies getting my prescriptions changed.

[Cindy1008RN]

Anyone that has had a migraine will tell you.........that is NOT drug seeking. I can take one look at someone and I will know if they have a migraine or not. I have never had just a normal headache. All of my headaches have always been migraines. Praying that you can't get control of these headaches very soon.

[rn/writer]

Originally Posted by NeuroICURN

Not to get too nosy here....but have you had a CT (to check for any bleeding or tumor), and/or a CTA (CT Angio) done?? If not, and your symptoms are this severe, you NEED to have that checked. Many people don't often have a warning to the fact that they have a brain aneurysm....but those that do, it's often migraine headaches. Also, the migraine headaches beforehand can be a warning that it's going to rupture.

If you do end up having one and it's giving you these kind of symptoms, you need to see a neurosurgeon ASAP.....because when brain aneurysms do rupture, more than 50% never live to see a hospital and trust me when I say, the sequalae after a rupture is brutal!!

Need to rule out arteriovenous malformation along with the other things mentioned.

You have my utmost sympathy.

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

I am so very sorry that you were treated that way by the ED. When you are better, please file a complaint. There is absolutely no excuse for what they put you and your husband through.

Do you work at this hospital?

I have migraines, but nothing close to what you describe. I can't even imagine...

[MiaKea]

Although my situation is a little different than yours, it is similar in the fact that my insurance would only pay for 3 pills of Mefloquine at one time (in one month).....and the prescription was for 8 pills. To make sure I had adequate maleria coverage while on a mission trip, I had to pay the difference for the pills that the insurance didn't cover. I swear it took me an hour to get it through the pharmacist's head that I had the right to PURCHASE the total amount due to me, even if the insurance company would only pay for 3 pills. After going round and round with the pharmacist, I insisted that she contact my insurance company on the phone while I was standing there.....and they basically told her the same thing: They were paying for 3 pills and I could pay for the other 5 out of pocket. The pills were expensive and I would have preferred to have waited for the insurance to pick up the payment at the end of a month, but I was going to be out of the country and couldn't risk it. Insurance companies don't have any problem taking our monthly premiums, but it seems like they are paying for less and less services.

[SuesquatchRN]

Well, you are seeking drugs, certainly, but so freakin' what? You need them.