I found a natural way to calm down = it's called Natural Calm by Natural Vitality. All it is is magnesium. A little bit in water to help relax or nap or get to sleep. I like natural if I can get it. Drygirl
Hi Drygirl,
I'm not a vitamin expert, but this looks like it could be a good way to get the proper cal/mag intake for our bones and muscles. I take these:
Thanks for the info!
Found this on Amazon and it is certainly worth a try. My anxiety is sometimes through the roof.
Pattybabe
Please hold fire a while. There is no evidence I've found that supports magnesium as a calming or anti anxiety remedy and there is some occasions where excess magnesium may be harmful - if you read the Amazon reviews some say it made them dizzy or gave them stomach ache - it is a laxative when is used under medical supervision.
If you want to control anxiety naturally and here I totally agree it's the way to go if possible then I would suggest you look at hypnotherapy with a qualified and registered hypnotherapist ( I don't know the US situation but the UK have a certified registry containing only trained therapists with a code of conduct) If they are good therapists they can teach you self hypnosis which saves on costs and means you can help your self any time any where. It is similar in many ways to Eastern meditational techniques or Xen and it does work very well for anxiety and stress in many ( it worked for me when I was running a massive court case for several years and I was stressed out of my mind ).
Anxiety is a big issue especially in modern life especially when one is ill and can impact on the immune system and all disease progression so I don't take it lightly but want to offer you and other members another possible way to take control of yout own life and anxiety not use pills.
assybish said:
Pattybabe
Please hold fire a while. There is no evidence I've found that supports magnesium as a calming or anti anxiety remedy and there is some occasions where excess magnesium may be harmful - if you read the Amazon reviews some say it made them dizzy or gave them stomach ache - it is a laxative when is used under medical supervision.
If you want to control anxiety naturally and here I totally agree it's the way to go if possible then I would suggest you look at hypnotherapy with a qualified and registered hypnotherapist ( I don't know the US situation but the UK have a certified registry containing only trained therapists with a code of conduct) If they are good therapists they can teach you self hypnosis which saves on costs and means you can help your self any time any where. It is similar in many ways to Eastern meditational techniques or Xen and it does work very well for anxiety and stress in many ( it worked for me when I was running a massive court case for several years and I was stressed out of my mind ).
Anxiety is a big issue especially in modern life especially when one is ill and can impact on the immune system and all disease progression so I don't take it lightly but want to offer you and other members another possible way to take control of yout own life and anxiety not use pills.
Thanks for the info assybish. I will hold up on this as I certainly don't need the side effects. Doc prescribed Evoxac for dry mouth but it's $50 per month with my insurance. Can't afford.
Got fired today from my 3 day a week job so it's back to SS and husband's hourly salary. I know this is for the best but now worry about what's to come. How do people on low incomes afford all the meds and OTC, Supplements, etc.? Need suggestions please.
So sorry to hear about the job,
I am in UK so don't know USA health/insurance system sorry but I am on some facebook forums which are USA based and I hear them talking about assistance with drug fees and allowances for people with SS and something about interviews for eligibility. Sorry I am not more help but hopefully some American members can chime in with their experience and help.
I shall look out some stuff on hypnotherapy and self hypnosis training for anxiety - may take me a while so don't fret if you don't hear for a while.
Patty, this is from our moderator Grumpycat on the Fibro community, but perhaps if you follow the suggestions you can get the same kind of savings for Evoxac:
Brand Name Drugs: Copay Coupons and Patient Assitance Programs
Drug companies offer a number of co-pay assistance options for the drugs still under trade. This includes many of the drugs for treating Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), such as Lyrica and; NSAIDs such as Celebrex, Meloxicam, etc., as well as other name-brand medications that may have nothing to do with FMS, such as your blood pressure medication, diabetes meds or your pain medication. *See the links at the end of this article for some of the major patient assistance sites* Also, note that this is written for US patients and that most of these offers only work with patients that have commercial health insurance. Most offers do not apply with Medicare or Medicaid, but SOME DO. It is always worth the time to check. Another very important point to note is that these coupon programs are NOT need based. Whether you make 30K or 100K, you are eligible for the coupons.
There is another resource from the drug companies too. This one is income-based, so not everyone will qualify, but it is worth investigating since many companies have very lenient income guidelines. The programs are usually called “Patient Assistance Programs” and you can find information directly from the drug manufacturer’s website. These programs can help patietns who can’t even afford the reduced copays that the coupon deals offer. In many cases, patients who apply and qualify for these programs pay nothing for their name brand drugs.
Where do I find these wonderful little treasure cards? Well the easiest place to look is online. Go online and Google search your medications name, and the words "patient assistance". This should take you to the drug company's website and their patient assistant page. Many of these places have discount cards that you can print out and take with you to your pharmacy. Some will ask for some demographic info first, and mail you a card to give the pharmacist. You can also share the numbers with your mail order pharmacy by phone. Some of the mail order pharmacies will want you to fax the card over, but it is well worth the time and $.75 at 7/11 to fax that little puppy to the company.
How much do these cards usually save people? Well, that varies, and depends on what the drug company is willing to give, but most of the cards will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars per year. For example my co-pay for Humira was $50 from my insurance company. I found the co-pay assistance card and it dropped my co-pay down to $10 a month. Another example is Remicade, my co-pay for this drug was nearly $300 a month. However with the Remi-start patient assistance program, I pay absolutely nothing. I also use the patient assistance programs for other medications that I take. One of my pain medications has a co-pay of $75 a month. But, I have a co-pay assistance card that brings my co-pay down to $10 a month. I have another medication, Lyrica, I take the brand-name medication. So, I have a patient assistance card from the drug company and it drops my co-pay from $75 to nothing. You can see that it is well worth the time and effort to go online and search these little treasure troves out. Most sites require some basic demographic information such as name, date of birth, and email, while others will need more information, including your address, rheumatologist, the office address, and contact information. Most cards are available to print right away, but for more expensive drugs with more cost saving programs, the cards are mailed to your home.
Usually, the copay cards have a yearly limit on them. What this means is that your card may be good for 6-12 refills, or have a maximum reimbursement amount. Some cards need to be renewed while for other companies, you may need to obtain a new card. It is best for you to keep track of this so that you are on top of renewing/ obtaining a new card, and don't get hit with any high costs when your cards run out. Just print a new card and take it to your pharmacist. Some pharmacists are great at keeping up with this for you, they will even let you know of any new offers, apply them to your account, manage expiring copay cards, etc.. If you have one of these pharmacists, count yourself lucky, and make sure they get a nice winter holiday card and some treats!
Below, are the sites for some commonly used drugs. Again, I just entered "[drug name] coupon” or "[drug name] patient support program" in my search bar, and was able to come up with the right page as the first in the search list.
Lyrica Coupon:
https://www.lyrica.com/Lyrica_Co-pay_Download
Savella Patient Assistance Program:
http://www.frx.com/pap/
Celebrex Coupon:
https://www.celebrex.com/offers.aspx
Topomax coupons:
http://www.topamax.com/
Keep in mind that these companies also offer a nurse helpline for questions and concerns, and will often have travel packaging if you are planning a trip and need to keep your medications cool, or need to travel out of the country. They can also offer tips on what documentation you will need to bring in order to carry-on your medications.
Price Comparisons
There is another great resource that is free is a website that will compare the drug prices at your local pharmacies and will provide links to the coupons. It is a reputable site, and was featured on NPR within the last few years. It supports itself with ads, so there are quite a few of those, but it's worth the hassle and eye pollution.
http://www.goodrx.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/goodrx-prescription-drug-p.... I was not able to find the NPR article, but it was featured on a number of other reputable news sites.
http://dsi.com/patient-assistance-program
or call: 1-866-■■■■■■■■
This will get you to DSI assistance program. They will be able to help you even though your med is not listed on the website.It is available as a generic (cevmeline) so am surprised you are paying a high tier copay......... Speak direct with walgreens as they have tremendous assistance program as well.
Thanks Tj and dancermom :)
You guys are great and I will look into all these great suggestions.
Dancermom, I also have fibromalgia. Guess I need to join that group as well. Thanks so much for all the details as it sure saves wear and tear on an already overtaxed brain. Trying to stay positive and look for the open door. Y’all sure help. Blessings abound.
I also use a combination supplement of calcium and magnesium citrate. I find it helps me sleep better.
SK said:
Hi Drygirl,
I'm not a vitamin expert, but this looks like it could be a good way to get the proper cal/mag intake for our bones and muscles. I take these:
http://www.professionalsupplementcenter.com/DouglasCalMag2001.htm?r...
Thanks for the info!
I think I could take a supplement better than drink the powder. Thanks for the info and suggestion.
Pattybabe sorry but as I said there is no evidence for magnesium as a stress relaxant/ help you sleep etc.
SK was taking it because she has bone problems and was deficient not for sleeping - in fact she had great difficulty sleeping (despite taking magnesium for bones)
I personally think you will waste your money if you use magnesium supplements - the only way they might work os if you believe they will work (=self hypnosis - sort of also called placebo effect)
If you do use them please do not take more than the minimum amount as the side effects are unpleasant.
You can get magnesium from eating bananas and nuts .
Hey… I want to comment on the earlier part of the discussion about hypnotherapy. In most states in the US, people aren't always certified. However, a good mental health counselor will teach the client grounding techniques and stress reduction techniques for both long term stress and getting through panic attacks, There are a number of very good short term therapies that are evidence based and fall inside the (short) timeframe insurance companies give. Anxiety and depression do come with chronic disease so it pays for all of us to pay attention to how we are feeling emotionally too.
Thanks for the suggestion on hypnosis. Assybish, more worried about my husband and his teeth than mine. Ordered cal-mag for bone, muscles and teeth. Will keep you posted on progress. Gonna go put warm compress on my eyes. They really hurt today.
I also agree that our mental health is of key importance.
Hi I have been taking magnesium too for the fibromyalgia I have. I don't know really if it helps it is hard to say. It is in tablet form though. You get tired of trying to find something to help yourself!! A s you all well know..