How to access combined meds? Advice please!
Any advice how to go about accessing combined medication?
I was diagnosed with inattentive adhd about 2 years ago at 29 years old & I have a shared care agreement with Psych UK for Elvanse (70mg) which helps somewhat with mood and impulsivity, food noise and energy levels (previously misdiagnosed with a sleep disorder- idiopathic hypersomnia which was really just adhd). Psych UK only do monotherapy and told me I had no other options and pushed to discharge me despite telling them I was still really struggling and felt that Elvanse was only helping with a lesser symptoms and not helping with executive functioning and daily challenges.
My gp won’t prescribe Wellbutrin unless it’s for smoking cessation and won’t do it off-label either ofcourse. When I asked about Atomoxetine they finally agreed to switch me to Venlafaxine which was a nightmare and made my adhd symptoms worse as well as giving me side effects on a low dose which worsened with the next increase. This led to a similar experience where she refused to lower it back down so I had to taper it down myself at which point she finally informed me she couldn’t prescribe Atomoxetine after I asked to again as it’s licensed for adhd and they don’t have the expertise to do so. I was really frustrated she didn’t tell me that it wouldn’t effect norepinephrine until a really high dose when I specifically said that was why I wanted Atomoxetine in the first place. She was a terrible communicator and when I tried to see another doctor they insisted I go back to her as it was ongoing with her.
I then asked my provider (Psych UK) if they would be able to prescribe it privately (not that I could afford it as I just paid for my sons assessment so he could get the help he needs at school) or for any other options to which they just said I could go elsewhere but it would void my current shared care agreement and would mean I have to cover the costs of my medication.
I’m now completely stuck as i could try to switch to another RTC provider which I know does combined treatment (ironically the same one I tried to redirect my referral to after hearing bad things about Psych UK but this was refused by the GP at the time before miraculously getting my assessment appointment the next week after waiting 15 months).
I also can’t seem to get any clarification at what point my SCA would be voided- is this the moment I get a referral elsewhere or only once I start titration with someone else? I’m trying so hard to find out as that makes a massive difference in how I choose to proceed going forward.
Sorry for the insanely long comment but I’m basically reaching out anywhere hoping for advice!
Thanks in advance!