RheaAife you might be surprised how many have some of these conditions and when added together you may hit a jackpot.

The first thing I want to say in regards to your meds is if your husband is on a group insurance from work your should qualify for discounts on some or many of your meds. I would start by researching the drug to check about a coupon. I got one of my meds for free for over a year.
This doesn't work for Medicare or uninsured.

Walmart carries many blood pressure meds for $4. You can go to Walmart site and look your meds up to see how many ate on the list.

For disability or go to guy is Jeremy. He has studied rules and almost knows it backwards and forwards. We have a few wh have just recently been approved. Getting records from doctors is big. Your health records belong to you and when you ask they should give them. MRI. X-rays CT scans and labs. Some may want a small fee. I have found when I ask after the test there is usually not a charge.

Yes high pain levels bring on a high BP. Is your pain being treated?

Enough for now. Welcome to the board. Sometime we are slow.
Feel free to participate. New embers are always welcome.

love and light
hippy

Hi, welcome to the Chronic Pain board. I hope you find friendship and support with us.

Medication is becoming a very expensive but necessary evil. On the expensive meds contact the company that makes the drug. Many of them have programs to provide free or discounted meds when needed. I was able to get 3 of my most expensive meds free on a year by year basis. Also, Costco usually has the least expensive meds. It is worth comparing prices. I saved hundreds of dollars using Costco.

I am very sorry that you are having to deal with so much pain and it is affecting your blood pressure. I hope some of the info offered will be of some help to you.

Look forward to getting to know you.
Hugs-RJ

Hi.

BP meds cost $4 a month at Wal Mart, print off their generic list and talk to your dr about switching meds. If you don't cover anything else you should treat that really high blood pressure.

Many people here have health issues besides chronic pain.

Hi there ! Hope you have a decent day today.
I am sorry to hear about all the challenges you have to face in your life. Being sick is hard... Most of the time chronic illnesses = chronic pain, we are all really tired of these things and can sympathize with you.
You have been given really good advice on how to get your meds cheaper. The doctors need work with you on substitutions if they can with a lower copay.
I take atenolol every day and I think 3 months supply cost me 30$ or less. Some Meds can be broken in half and if the doctor orders a higher dose you may be able to cut your costs that way?
Good luck and hope you will feel better

I thank everyone for their advice. I know that the 3 blood pressure meds that I am on cost 8 a piece. My most expensive meds are my migraine and my thyroid meds. I wish we had a costco around here. It would make things easier. We know about Walmart but sometimes it is inconvenient to go there as it is the next town over. We live in a very small country town. I went to see a specialist that Disability sent me to this past weekend. I am not sure what he was trying to find out but he spent less than 2 minutes with me after waiting for 3 hours. I was told I should know something in about a month.
I have always kept a copy of my records and the primary doctor that I see has a website where I can get my medical record for free when I print them out.
I always feel so tired while I take my medication. I know that it is several of my meds side effects. It is just depressing that I always want to sleep my mornings away. I get my kids off to school and then lay back down.
thank you for responding to my post. I also hope to make some friends here if possible.

Hi! Welcome to the small world...your so normal here. I'm Bipolar, 27 yrs. now, I've been in Pain Management for multiple things for 31 yrs now since I was 17...I have an enlarged liver, but I have liver disease and it swells, comes and goes, I have a Seizure Disorder, Hypothyroidism, Cluster Migraines, Connective Tissues Disease, Degenerative Cartilage Disease, Advanced Osteoarthritis, Bi-lateral CPD, Tumors on Left Kidney, and in Right lung....and some other stuff that I forget to remember....I take 21 or 22 meds a day depending on the day and have had 30 surgeries in the last 17 yrs and have beat cancer.....

You'll find that a person on this Board that has 1 normal little thing wrong with them, is the rare duck, as opposed to those of us who have bodies that are total crap! LOL My brain is the only thing that works right and only if its medicated to keep all the crap straightened out.

I don't have a husband, got rid of him after 26 yrs....not sorry. Got 2 extremely awesome sons out of the deal. I actually prefer to do all this alone, by myself, without all the "too well meaning" humans hanging around. I can scream, yell, cry, laugh, pass out, sleep, stay up for days, whatever...do whatever the hell I want, when I want/need without interruption from people who don't have a clue. I have to be normal 25 hours a week when I'm actually IN my office, (i'm an accountant) but that's it, the rest of the time is anyone's guess.

There are so many great people around here who can provide you a wealth of knowledge and support and friendship and whatever you need....all you have to do is, well what you did....just say Hi!

I get your problem, I did a 2 yr stint with no insurance and it was not easy, my meds are not of the cheap variety...I worked really closely with my Pharmacist and a couple of really good discount programs I'd researched on the Internet...and I was amazed at how inexpensive I was able to get the cost down to.,,,,maybe you could try that. I've also had Insurance that didn't pay very good pharmacy benefits for higher tier meds, and actually got them cheaper paying cash price with good discount programs.

Welcome again, hope you hang around to get to know us.

hugs I will just say Your a mess and we welcome messes here in Chronic pain just as much as anyone else...LOL

Social security must take into account how the side effects from your medication affect your ability to function. Side effects from medication can be just as disabling as the illnesses they are meant to treat, yet the medication is still necessary to treat the disease. Make sure your doctor writes down on your chart how your medication effects your ability to function. Also, if you can prove that your conditions and side effects from your medication make you 20 percent less effective at your job, the vocational expert will testify that there are no jobs that you can do in the national economy. If you can prove that your illness will cause you to miss I think it is up to two working days a month, you will also be found to be disabled, as no employer will allow an employee to be absent that many days a month. Here are some links for you to read. I hope this helps.

http://www.mndisabilitylaw.com/types-cases/medical-side-effects-social-security-disability-claims/

Here is a quote about 20 percent loss of productivity at work. This article relates to anxiety and depression, but it can also be argued for side effects of medication as well.

"Another way to win your claim for disability is to prove that your moderate depression or anxiety, when combined with your severe physical impairment, will result in a 20% reduction in your productivity in the workplace."

http://www.disabilitysecrets.com/resources/disability/disability-benefits-how-moderate-depression-or

To add to Jeremy's info. Your depression automatically falls into the BiPolar category that you suffer from, it's not a separate issue and won't be considered as such by any regulatory agency.

Welcome to the group from me too RheaAife. I really felt for you when I read what you have to deal with everyday and I hope coming here and realising your not alone living like this helps you in some way. It's a worry that your bp is so high despite being on 3 meds so I also hope some of the suggestions made here makes its easier for you to afford all of the meds you should be on every day. Take care, Regards Maddy