Camilla,
I read your letter about Peter, and I am very sorry about the change in
his condition. I can't really give you any hints or suggestions as to the
management of his care. But I was on seroquel at the same time I was on
simenet. What I remember was that the seroquel was very expensive and the
insurance company initially denied payment for the drug. The psychiatrist
called me at home, and I ended up dictating another letter to go to the
insurance company under the psychiatrist's name. I remember thinking can't
this guy do anything on his own? The drug was approved after the second
letter.
I took the seroquel for a month or two, and then I went off it on my own. If
I remember correctly, I was shaking and I thought it was from the seroquel.
It could have been from an interaction with the simenet. I don't know. I
think we knew that the shaking was a possible side effect, and that was why I
stopped taking it so soon. I would suggest that you, even before your doctor
appointment, look up the drug in the Physician's Desk Reference (PDR) or get
a package insert with all the PDR information in it from the pharmacy. I
find that my pharmacy gives me more information about side effects in the
printed material I get with the prescription than is provided in the PDR. I
also ask questions directly of the pharmacists either in person or on the
phone, and I find that they are very helpful. At least once my pharmacy
refused to fill a prescription for me when the pharmacist thought that there
was a possible adverse drug reaction. Another time the pharmacist warned me
about a possible drug reaction, and I pretty much ignored it, until I got
really, really sick. I find that the pharmacists are more helpful than the
doctors about drugs and the side effects.
Enough of this! I will send you something tomorrow about the cat. Take
Care, Katie.
