I have had UC for 25 years. During that time, I had one really bad flare. All other flares were fairly easily managed. Rowasa and Lialda is what I used most, and the last flare I had was 5+ years ago.
After losing both my parents and other stresses this year, the UC came back. Big difference this time: my insurance! I'm on an individual plan, not a big employer plan, and CIGNA is only approving cheap meds! No lialda. Did try apriso (didn't work). Have been on pred and balsalazide for a few months. Was doing great, decreasing pred from 40mg to 30mg to 20mg to 10mg. The last drop also coincided with me starting to eat more normally. Not sure what did it, but flare came back, bad. have been upping my pred until now I'm back to 40mg/day. Switched to sampls of lialda to see if that would work. Doc wants biologics but my insurance won't pay. What do you do? Get sicker? I cannot afford the meds adn at this point, I've been bleeding steadily (and a lot) for weeks. Yesterday I had virtually no blood, today is more..
I HATE our insurance industry and don't think it's right that people have to get sicker b/c of insurance denying meds.
any thoughts? suggestions? I will hopefully get on an employer plan feb/march but that means between now and then i'm hosed!
Lin
After losing both my parents and other stresses this year, the UC came back. Big difference this time: my insurance! I'm on an individual plan, not a big employer plan, and CIGNA is only approving cheap meds! No lialda. Did try apriso (didn't work). Have been on pred and balsalazide for a few months. Was doing great, decreasing pred from 40mg to 30mg to 20mg to 10mg. The last drop also coincided with me starting to eat more normally. Not sure what did it, but flare came back, bad. have been upping my pred until now I'm back to 40mg/day. Switched to sampls of lialda to see if that would work. Doc wants biologics but my insurance won't pay. What do you do? Get sicker? I cannot afford the meds adn at this point, I've been bleeding steadily (and a lot) for weeks. Yesterday I had virtually no blood, today is more..
I HATE our insurance industry and don't think it's right that people have to get sicker b/c of insurance denying meds.
any thoughts? suggestions? I will hopefully get on an employer plan feb/march but that means between now and then i'm hosed!
Lin