Allergy quesiton here..

[Petie1104]

DS has severe allergies. Not food, but indoor/outdoor kind, not sure what they're called. At any rate, he has lived in lower AL his whole life, he's four. We are moving to AZ in a couple of weeks and I'm just wondering.....what are his chances of still having allergies there? They haven't tested him to see specifically what he is allergic to, so there is no way to know that. They said that since singulair is working, even though he still has bad days, that they don't feel the need to test him. They also won't raise his dose, even though he's on the same dose he was on at 2 and his allergies seem to be getting worse. He hates it because it causes him to choke and vomit at night. So, I'm just praying that he gets some relief when we move. Anyone know what his chances are for getting any relief? And how do I stress that we need to find out what he is allergic to? I have taken him off dairy, he's been off it for over a year now, and no help there, even though the lady at the whole foods store said it should help.

[changingseasons]

You really should get a second opinion from another allergist. He shouldn't be having those kinds of side effects from medication. And he absolutely should be tested! There could be food allergies contributing to the inflammation as well, you never know. And there are other alternative options you could try to boost his immune system- like vitamin C, quercetin (helps with inflammation), cod liver oil, vitamin D, etc.

That said- YES, there is absolutely a chance that his allergies will improve after the move. My environmental allergies were horrid for the 6 years that I lived in the Midwest, but after moving to the West coast, they're practically nonexistent. (I do have the occasional sneezing and runny nose, but it's nothing compared to before.)

[Petie1104]

Unfortunately, tricare doesn't just let you go to an allergist. His PCM didn't approve that. She said that since the singulair was "working" that he didn't need to be referred. Without her referral we aren't able to get him to an actual allergist, which is probably what he needs.

[changingseasons]

But it's not "working"!! He's having horrible side effects AND his symptoms are getting worse. Did you explain that to the doc? An allergy medication should NOT be making a child choke and vomit.

[Petie1104]

It's worse when he's not on the meds. So I think it is helping some. She said that it is sinus drainage causing the choking. We are out of here in a couple weeks and he will get a new PCM, I am praying that he gets some relief. Some nights he has no problems, but if it rains that day he has horrible problems that night. I don't know, I really don't. She doesn't seem to think it's that big of a deal. DS certainly thinks it's a big deal. I can't wait to get out of here.

[changingseasons]

s I totally understand being stuck with a doctor who doesn't listen. I hope the move helps with the allergies and with a new doc!!

[Petie1104]

This is the same PCM that dx'ed him two years ago. He had a "cold" and 2 weeks in I took him to an appt. She said it was a "cold", and for 4 more months I was bringing him in every 2 weeks and she kept insisting that it was just another "cold." I tried to tell her that it was still the original "cold" and he had gotten no relief, but she insisted that no, he just had another cold. It took 4 months before she said, "hey, maybe we should try some allergy meds". Within 2 weeks he was seeing relief. The problem is, as he gets older, the meds work less and less. Soon enough, if we stay here, they probably won't work at all. It is frustrating, but I am hopeful. DH said that if his PCM there doesn't listen, then we are switching him from Prime to Standard, which means we will get to choose what doc we see. The only problem is it goes from free to 20% copay, but it would be worth it.

[True Blue]

Originally Posted by Petie1104

Unfortunately, tricare doesn't just let you go to an allergist. His PCM didn't approve that. She said that since the singulair was "working" that he didn't need to be referred. Without her referral we aren't able to get him to an actual allergist, which is probably what he needs.

OMG, that is all so wrong. First things first, you can get a new PCM. Call your local Tricare office and speak to the rep and get referred to a new PCM. Another option is to switch to Standard for the remainder of your time there. I refuse to use Prime bc of all the hoops and ridiculousness, like you are experiencing now. That is NOT acceptable. You have to be ready to fight with them. Switching to standard is easy. Yes, it will cost you a little more, but it's not crazy. Depending on your DH's rank, the max deductible is $150, and you pay 15-20% copays after that, with a MAX yearly out of pocket expense of $1000. It is very, very worth it, especially in your situation. They will tell you can't switch back to prime for a year if you do it, but if you would still rather be on prime, you can switch right back when you PCS to AZ.

IMO, the PCM isn't qualified to be making singulair prescriptions and trying to manage allergies that are that severe.

[changingseasons]

Originally Posted by True Blue

IMO, the PCM isn't qualified to be making singulair prescriptions and trying to manage allergies that are that severe.

I totally agree.

[Petie1104]

Thank you. I honestly have tried to switch PCM's but according to the clinic, "all the PCM's are full". Gotta love that. But, I will go in tomorrow and see what I can do. Apparently dh tried to get a referral for allergy testing, and he's active duty, and the clinic told him that they don't do allergy testing and don't send people out for it because so many people have allergies down here. Unfortunately, I don't think they should be allowed to have a policy like that. I'm not even sure if it is legal or if they are hoping that people just won't push the issue.

[True Blue]

I would definitely appeal that above the clinic. Never be afraid to write a letter to the base commander!!! Being civilian wives, we can skip to the top in a way our husbands are not allowed. That is all just craziness. Another option, if everyone is just so darn full, is to see if they will give you a PCM off base. Sometimes they will do that, too. But complaints definitely need to be made, the fact that lots of people have allergy problems there is irrelevant to whether or not you need the care of an actual allergist to help the problem.

This boils my blood. I really, really hate base healthcare/Prime mismanagement. I know we have it better than many others in our country, but I also just can't understand why it has to be so difficult for us. You'd think they'd want to make sure the families of military are well taken care of, you know?