Diet does not really help much with lowering cholesterol. The liver senses lower dietary intake and ramps up the synthesis.

There are some new videos on the truth about cholesterol, now on YouTube by doctors and researchers.

One is Stephanie Seneff PhD who is researching the benefits of cholesterol. This is something no one before has done... all the years that statins have been out....no one is researching what cholesterol actually does!

also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19uxXqWF8h4

I do hope you get this resolved somehow... the insurance problems were so terrible for me I had to retire. I couldn't do it anymore!

So sorry for all of this, Wiz...the stress of it all doesn't help:hug:

As for quitting work, i would definitely have a plan before you do. Make a list of things you'd like to do the first year. Many retirees do go crazy after years of having a routine and then suddenly are at loose ends.

Even though your symptoms may prevent some activities, you could make lists of things to do like volunteering, museum-walking, going to downtown Chicago for the day during the summer and watching the kids play in Millennium Park (there are occasionally rehearsals at Pritzker Pavillion during the day that are wonderful to sit and listen to). My DH retired and is so busy he can't figure out how he got anything accomplished around the house while he was working:)

As for your problems with your pharmacy, maybe you should have your DH get on the phone and get nasty. Ask for the supervisor and get assertive about this problem. Shame on them:mad:

Also I was thinking... If this is a chain pharmacy?

If so you could enlist them at the home office to do this, as stores are just too busy for complex things. Most have a third party department, which just fixes the worst problems to spare the outlet store. They may be able to bypass some of the bozos you are getting on the phone, and get direct help from Express Scripts.

You could also go to the media, about insurance abuse! Get some publicity rolling about chronic illness and how insurances are not stepping up to help the patients out at all, but to sabotage their quality of life, etc.

Today I see my doctor and I'll see if he can get his nurse to call in the appeal today. It has to be done by the doctor's office. When I was seeing Dr. Wynn this was never a problem, he had lots of office staff. My new doctor has only one or two nurses and a receptionist. But then again, maybe the insurance really just won't cover it anymore. I guess I'll find out today.

That isn't necessarily true and it really is out of the RNs scope to independently tell you this unless that is what the physician asked her to pas along. Although you might be an unusual medication specific type metabolizer in most cases the difference is simply the duration of action. There are probably 4 or 5 different Adderall type stimulants you could trial.

Basically there are two types: 1. Ritalin and 2. Adderall. For most people either of the two types works. In some people if for whatever reason the Ritalin type doesn't work it is usually not worth trying another Ritalin variation we would immediately switch the child to an Adderall type for trial.

http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/guide/...dication-chart

I might have missed it in this thread but exactly how much would it cost to pay out of pocket for the Vyvanse? Although no one wants to have to pay it would certainly beat quitting work if you aren't financially ready to retire.

i know the drs office usually orchestrates an appeal.
i'm on medicare and i've had that done a couple of time. they order the refill and when it's refused they send in the appeal.

however, i've also gotten letters from medicare; the drug program, and they say you can send in a form to try and get the drug. i can't remember the terminology they used.

of course this all won't get rid of the stress of it all. so frustrating and time consuming. these "battles" are never good for us.

Well Vyvanse is out of the question now, the insurance company will no longer cover it. I'm going to try going without it and see if I get any better after being off a few weeks. They suggested I try ritalin, or call the insurance company and see if they'll cover that. My blood pressure was high today, 148/98 so I think it's good I take a break. It could be the stress of the situation that made it go up though, or from being taken abruptly off of the Vyvanse.

I told my manager at work what happened. I don't care if they know but if they see a difference in my work they'll know why. They won't dare fire a 56 year old woman with MS so at least I know I'm safe in that regard. :rolleyes:

I know I'll never get a promotion though, at least I feel like it's impossible. Who wants to hire the sick older woman when others can also do a good job? But I know I can keep my job (at least I'm 99% sure about that. :eek:)

Hey Wiz,
It would make more sense to try another Adderall variety first since you have had a positive response and no adverse reaction. Although Ritalin is likely to work also to change from an amphetamine stimulant which was well tolerated and effective to methylphenidate without an adequate trial of the amphetamines could be counter productive and cost you more time to find an appropriate substitution in the long run.

If you have contacts in the mental health arena I'd run it by them as our incredibly brilliant neurologists, who I mean absolutely no disrespect to, aren't necessarily the most well versed in psych meds. :)

Best of luck to you. Jules

Vyvanse is just a fancy amphetamine. Probably heavily detailed to doctors to make some $$. Adderall should work as well minus the longevity of the actions...extended release products tend to be different in bioavailability from company to company. Rxlist would show the absorption graphs and extended time frame, for each.

However a 98 diastolic (lower number) is not good at all. This reflects more on systemic effects, than emotions.
Typically for most people the systolic will go up with temporary stress(adrenalin), but the diastolic remains elevated from chronic stress (cortisol) or drug use.

High diastolic pressure reduces blood to the kidneys. If you find that you urinate more lying down...that is a sign your kidneys shut down from the high pressure while you were upright and working/moving around. Often when people have high blood pressure, they will start making urine as soon as they recline...sometimes within an hour or so.

Ritalin (methylphenidate) will also increase pressures, but not to the extent that amphetamines do, depending on dose of course.

When using amphetamines, it is best to not have any caffeine or nasal decongestants on top of them...that would be additive to raising blood pressure.

This whole problem could be viewed as a "wake up call"..as unwanted as it is at this time. I can really commiserate with you though...as insurance companies torture patients, and caregivers alike constantly.

It can also happen from things like poor circulation, lower extremity edema.