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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 8/31/2006 5:36 PM (GMT 0)
My day has been so horrible so far that it can only get better from here on out.  First off, I had a chest x-ray done yesterday morning (per rheumy's request) prior to my re-challenging mtx tomorrow.  I don't have the official results yet, but I obtained copies of the films from the x-ray lab for my pulmonology appt at the end of the month.  I'm certainly no doctor, but I know what peribronchial cuffing looks like, and I still have it.  That was the abnormal finding on my previous x-ray from a few weeks ago.  I probably will not get the green light to rechallenge mtx.  Plus, I called for a new enbrel shipment on monday.  I was told that my refills were out, so my doctor needed to fax in a new authorization (ok, he's done so many times before, no big deal).  I called today to inquire about it, and my pharmaceutical company swears they never received the re-authorization from my doctor.  I called my doctor, and his office swears they faxed it yesterday--but they faxed it again this morning just to make sure it went through.  I was told the earliest I could receive the shipment if they received the re-authorization today was Tuesday (due to the holiday).  My injection is due this saturday--keep in mind, I started this whole thing on Monday of this week--plenty of time for transactions between my pharmacy and doctor's office to take place.  So, no mtx and no enbrel.  On top of that, again my lovely pharmacy company mailed me only a partial prescription for my tramadol.  For some reason, I only received 40 pills--I was supposed to have received 180 pills!  The only other time this happened was when my insurance company decided that tramadol was not a maintenance drug and I needed justification sent from my doctor authorizing it's use beyond 3 months (or whatever arbitrary time limit they came up with).  So now I have no mtx, no enbrel, and a very limited supply of tramadol.  does this justify a few drinks?

My whining is done.

elcamino

Posted 8/31/2006 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
I agree if there ever is a time to whine it is when you need a med and for one reason or another it hasn't been sent. Sorry about the long week-end...I'm not familar with anything but the Mobic and I had a bad reaction to that drug. Can your doctor give you some samples to tide you over...I hope you enjoy that drink.
Posted 8/31/2006 7:29 PM (GMT 0)
I feel for you!!! Get on their butts! When I first started having inflammation problems and prednisone was the only helper, my doctor was only giving me enough to tide me over for a couple of days at a time. I was about to run out and I was freaking out because I knew I had to go to work the next day and without the steroid the pain would be unbearable. i kept calling and calling, I finally told the receptionist that I would be there at 12:30 and I would stay there until I walked out with a prescription, I don't care who has to write it. When i got there at 12:30, the prescription was waiting. I know that doctors should know, but pain is not something to look forward to. When you've had it bad...you don't want it again. We depend so highly on meds and insurance...it's crazy. I agree with asking for the samples.
Posted 8/31/2006 8:01 PM (GMT 0)
More than a few drinks... I don't understand that if your doctor's office faxed the re-authorization this morning, why can't they ship it out to you today that way you get your Enbrel tomorrow? Today is only Thursday right? Good luck El, hang in there...
Posted 8/31/2006 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
how frustrating! i feel for you.... heres tipping my glass of cran juice and soda to you. yalin
Posted 8/31/2006 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the commiseration guys! Samples sounds like a great idea, but they don't typically stock samples of enbrel. I have enough tramadol for about a week or so.

Update--rheumy's office called and cancelled the mtx rechallenge, as I predicted. X-ray still shows up as abnormal (peribronchial cuffing). Rheumy was adamant about me keeping the pulmonology appointment. He's already sent this pulmonologist guy notes and stuff! And he reminded me to make sure I bring the actual films from my x-rays. I guess this just raises a red flag for me because my rheumy is a very nonalarmist doctor. When he says something, you can be sure it's important. That's why he won't even begin to speculate why my x-rays are abnormal--whether it's the mtx, the enbrel, the combination, or a preexisting lung condition. I have to wait until Sept. 22nd to see the pulmonologist--this waiting is very hard.

I spent all afternoon on the phone with my insurance company who kept pushing me on the pharmaceutical company that takes care of my pharmacy needs, who kept pushing me back to my insurance company, ad nauseum. I finally asked to speak to a supervisor and I actually got somewhere--this is for the tramadol prescription. It is as I suspected; tramadol is not classifed as a maintenance drug and my insurance company does not like paying for it. Perhaps they think I'm a junkie? Not likely--tramadol isn't even addictive, nor is it classified as an opiate. Evidently there is a rule saying that I cannot receive a full 180 pills every month (which is what my prescription says), but I can receive 40 every 10 days? The big question is why this company has been sending me the full prescription for the past 7-8 months, and all of a sudden they are choosing to apply this ambiguous rule. I've been assured by the supervisor I spoke to that she is working to find out what happened and how it can be fixed, but I probably won't know anything until next Tuesday.

good news though--the company that supplies my enbrel said that if they receive the authorization from my doctor for the refill today (actually they already received it; it's simply a matter of them processing it), they will ship it out to me tomorrow. If they process it tomorrow, they will ship it to me on Saturday. See, I knew this day would get better :) I didn't even have my drink yet...

Elcamino
Posted 8/31/2006 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
El! {{{{{{{ big hug }}}}}}}}}} the pulmonologist is the best bet...but don't be surprised if you get referred out to ANOTHER pulmonologist. I hope it doesn't happen...but if the lung doc isn't sure, he may want to send you to someone that "knows" more about AI and it's respiratory complications. But good luck & I will keep you in my thoughts that it works out alright.
Very happy about your Enbrel, thank God! Just went through the same B.S. w/ my Humira. 5 weeks without it! Office said they mailed it to me? Yeah OK. Took them 3 times sending it out to actually reach my house. A nightmare...so I feel for ya.
Have that drink anyway.
Posted 8/31/2006 11:09 PM (GMT 0)
I thought so, was trying to figure out why they would wait so long to ship your Enbrel if they got the authorization today... you're right El, at least you've got that going for ya! Hang in there, have a drink anyway, might make ya feel LOADS better!
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