how expensive are antidepressants?

Question

I am certain I am experiencing depression, yet I don't think I can afford treatment. I don't have medical insurance and make $7.00/hour. How expensive is going to a doctor?

Answer 1

You are asking 2 questions. There are community health centers that work on a sliding scale fee. Some may even be free to see a Doctor if you can't afford it. Antidepressants, along with most medications can be very expensive .. although their generics are less expensive. Since you earn so little, there are ways to contact the pharmacutical and you might get the medications for free. Ask your Doctor for free samples as first .. and ask about the programs. Good Luck ! :)

Answer 2

Well, you can get assistance from the state, medicaid depending on how much you make. Then you will have a small copay of about $10 or so dollars. If you don't qualify, their are other ways to get meds. If you see a doctor, they can give you free samples, some psychiatrist work on a sliding scale, which allows you only to pay what you can afford. They are many programs out there and you can get medicated. Paying for them on your own will cost too much, most anti-depressants are $100 or more. The generic brand of Deserol, Trazadone is only about 34 bucks. Prozac I think is pretty cheap now in the generic brand.

Answer 3

Go to your employee health program, if they have one and ask for this advice. In general, the newer the drug, the more expensive the drug. Some of the older anti-depressants work just as well and can cost next to nothing! Good luck! (Also, find out where your nearest local mental health center is...they are helped financially by the state, so to see a Doctor there or a therapist is much cheaper. God bless!

Answer 4

Generic Fluoxetine is a good option though TCAs are more cheaper. Fluoxetine 20 mg in the morning for 6 months. Your symptoms may worsen in the first 3 weeks of treatment but stick to it. You will feel better while your body adapts to the drug. Diazepam 2 mg is commonly used to manage these initial problems of Fluoxetine. Do not take Diazepam more than 4 weeks, taper off after 3 weeks.

You can find more info here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_depression

Answer 5

A good Psychiatrist will normally charge $250/hour and the drugs cost anywhere from $20 - hundreds, depending on whether or not it's a name brand or generic label.

I would agree with the above comments and seek help from your local state department of mental health office, where you can sign up on your states local medicaid program to cover your Dr visit and meds.

Good luck

Answer 6

Antidepressant can be $13 dollars a month...But it's like $40 bucks to get a doctor to prescribe them. Some doctors will give you samples for free. Ask for that.. Good luck.

Answer 7

Going to a doctor is what will kill you. Some doctors have payment plans and financial aid (atleast mine does) to help people afford their bills. The medicine, depending on what they put you on, isn't always that bad. More than likely the medicine will have a generic brand, and that is always really cheap.

Answer 8

Sometimes if you make it known that you need help with financial matters, doctors will provide you with a ton of samples to help out... They have enough of the things, so if you get a doc that really wants to help you, they might just give them to you.

Answer 9

Some companies will give them to you for free, talk to your Dr. and ask about it. They can give the application, you should qualify for it! Good luck!

Answer 10

Go to your local MHMR. Services, therapy, and medication will be free for you there.