@ashleyspencer@autistics.life
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ashleyspencer

@ashleyspencer@autistics.life

My name is Ashley Lauren Spencer. I'm an autistic e-commerce entrepreneur, writer, and owner of The Autistic Innovator and Autistic Bookshop, and the https://autistics.life mastodon instance.

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ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

My new ADHD med dose went into prior authorization with my health insurance.

I was told this can take anywhere from 24 hours to 2 weeks and still be denied.

I think they are fighting it because the copay covers 2 pills a day, but he prescribed 4 pills a day to get me to 100mg a day.

If I use GoodRx, I can get a month's supply for less than my insurance copay, and get it tomorrow.

UGH at US health insurance.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

US health insurance baffles my mind...

I've been paying $75 a bottle for 2 of my meds from my health insurance company's pharmacy. I can get it for $35 at the pharmacy nearby with GoodRx.

My strattera I've been paying $125 a bottle. It's $62 with GoodRx.

I've been overspending $138 buying it from my insurance company's pharmacy.

My mind is blown.

https://www.goodrx.com/

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@pathfinder It's the same medication with a pharmacy coupon buying it from the pharmacy instead of my insurance company.

I about fell over when I saw how much they are profiting off my meds charging me excessive copays.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@pathfinder Definitely! And it’s down the street where I get my snacks all the time. Don’t even need to get on a bus or anything. Can just go there.

ashleyspencer,
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@brianpierce wow one of my meds is only $16 for 90 day supply with them. I pay $75 a bottle.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@Mepurfield the $75 is for 3 months supply. Just off 3 meds alone I’d save $138 every 90 days with GoodRx.

Checked the CostPlus pharmacy and compared to those prices I’ve overpaid $108 just on the 2 $75 ones. God.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@brianpierce I’ve looked up all my meds and wow. Bless that man for creating that business. He’s done a good deed.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@Mepurfield Same generic medicine.

ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

I’ve been drinking my energy drinks because they were expensive and I don’t want to waste money, but think I need to just forget about the last 4 cans of Red Bull.

I had a small can of Red Bull plus coffee today and have felt like I took sleeping pills but can’t sleep because it’s daytime. Overly tired mode.

Luckily I go to bed early and just a few hours left until bedtime. yawn

ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

I broke down crying yesterday because I really miss doing fun things.

I miss my bunny gardening game, my Steam Deck games, the climbing Jusant game.

I miss being able to read a book and watch a TV show.

My cognition is so bad, that I can’t do anything fun. I’m stuck on the couch playing FarmVille all day, and only doing bare minimum business work.

So I emailed my psych about an ADHD assessment. He said to schedule one for June when he returns to work. :) Then we can get me on ADHD meds.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@samantha I got it scheduled for June 27, so will wait a month, but at least there is relief coming soon. Hopefully the extra 20mg of Strattera can help at least a little while I wait for the appointment.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@Mepurfield Thank you. me too. Just don’t have the brain power for any of it. Got a book on aquariums and some ADHD cleaning books, but can’t focus enough to read them.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@jankhambrams Just a matter of waiting for it to get here now. Says it will be delivered sometime between Tuesday and Friday 😭 I may ask them for rush 2 day shipping and pay extra.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@mxtthxw It definitely does. No relief when I can't do fun things to replenish spoons.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@jankhambrams Hopefully it helps because instead of taking 40mg 2x a day, I'll take 50mg 2x a day.

ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

I started taking my nighttime meds an hour earlier, which also means going to bed at 6:30pm.

6:18pm and I’m not in bed and Dinah screams at me meowwwww. I’m like okay okay I’m going.

Go into the bathroom to get ready for bed, she hops up on her perch to wait for me while I brush my teeth.

Little autistic cat. I broke routine and it’s screams at max volume lol

ashleyspencer, (edited ) to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

Google said Strattera goes up to 100mg but it was wrong. Psych said it goes up to 200mg.

Apparently I can also take a low dose stimulant together with Strattera.

I've been diagnosed 2x with ADHD, but he has to do an assessment and legally can't take my word for it, so totally understandable.

Raising Strattera to 100mg a day from 80mg and in 1.5 months if it isn't helping, we will do an ADHD assessment and he will prescribe me low dose stimulants + strattera.

Solutions! Yay!

ashleyspencer,
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He also said I sound like I’m in a burnout, so non-stimulant alone first.

ashleyspencer,
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@JeremyMallin @Cassandra I don’t think it’s that. It’s just that there are strict rules because stimulants are controlled substances.

ashleyspencer,
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@pathfinder his orders were to rest and let the burnout pass before we go adding any new ADHD meds. But he’s upping the non-stimulant 20mg to help for now.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@jacquiharper they gave me adderall at 17 and it did not go well. My hand tremors got really bad too. But your brain is still growing and developing at that age, so different than now.

The psych who diagnosed me in 2018 wanted to give me a low dose of concerta. Not sure which this psych would choose. Hopefully Strattera being raised works. Last time he raised it was a year ago and it took this long to wear off.

ashleyspencer,
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@Kencf618033 He’s very careful and has helped a lot. I thought it was good of him to say, let’s wait until I feel better because it sounds like I’m in a burnout, and I may not need stimulants when it passes. So for now just raising the one I’m already on just a small 20mg.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@ToddPM 😂

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@Cassandra @JeremyMallin It works like that here in the US with SSDI. They do evaluations every few years to see if you can work or not.

It’s unfortunate that disability keeps people in poverty. I probably could have gotten on it in the past, but I didn’t want my income to be capped at poverty.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@Cassandra @JeremyMallin The shitty thing is once you turn 65 you can’t collect SSDI anymore because you’re social security age, but since they didn’t work and didn’t pay into social security, it’s either next to nothing or no SS at all.

ashleyspencer, to random
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

I suspect, based on what my psychiatrist told me when he raised the strattera, the medication I take in the morning for depression blocks dopamine and serotonin receptors.

ADHD is made worse by low dopamine levels.

So I think my morning med is making the ADHD worse.

But it's either take it and stay out of chemical depression, or be depressed and struggle less with ADHD.

I have an appointment with him tomorrow and will find out more and see if anything can be done.

ashleyspencer,
@ashleyspencer@autistics.life avatar

@jacquiharper I take the Strattera in the morning and late morning every day 5 hours apart. When it works it gives me energy, so probably best to not take it at night. I’m usually asleep by 7:30pm.

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