Tropical Storm/Hurricane Gustav

[Sunshine]

I'd been a member here for about a year when Hurricane Katrina hit three years ago. There were a number of members who went through pure hell in the following weeks because pharmacies were closed, the roads to the pharmacies were blocked, their doctors were not available, and/or there was no mail delivery. I remember one member in particular who ran out of a benzo and sufferred terribly from withdrawal (including seizures) for several days.

If evacuations are ordered and you leave the state, remember that pharmacies in other states might not be able to fill your prescriptions (unless your doctor happens to be licensed in the state to which you temporarily relocate). In the event of a severe storm, getting your meds, especially controlled ones like benzos, could be extremely difficult - perhaps impossible - for several days or possibily weeks. Unfortunately, despite the fact that mental illness can be as life threatening as any other illness/injury, emergency treatment will be difficult/impossible to find in the event of a catastrophe like Katrina - even if you have top-notch insurance and/or plenty of cash.

If you live on the Gulf Coast, please, please, please make sure you have at least a couple week's worth of your prescriptions on hand. You've got two business days to contact your doctor to get new prescriptions, if necessary. Even if it's not time to refill them, I'm guessing most insurance companies and most pharmacies will cut you some slack (for most, but probably not all meds) if you tell them you have less than two weeks left and want to be prepared.

[FreedomSeeker]

It's a scary thought, but I've heard about that type of thing before. Being dependent on a medication can be scary, because you might not be able to get it when you need it. And if you do manage to get some, what if you run out before you're able to get more?