Hello Moms,
Ok, I have had an issue for a week now where it feels like my throat is swelling and closing. The first night it was minor and I didn't think much of it and over the week it has gotten better, worse, better, etc. I first attributed it to really bad seasonal allergies that I've been suffering with this year, but claritin doesn't seem to help.
So, here's my question. I don't have health insurance or a lot of extra money. I really think I need to get this checked (although I don't think it's a major emergency). Should I go to the ER or call my Dr. (who I have not been to in 3 years for lack of insurance)? I'm in a pretty rural area and there are no walk in clinics around...trust me, I've looked. I'm wondering which will be less expensive.
Thanks for your thoughts!
**Edit**
I am totally able to breathe without issue...no shortness of breath or anything. It's almost like I have something caught in my throat like when you swallow a piece of steak that was just a tad too big. It's worse at night and seems worse when I lay down.
You guys are great! Thank you all for your wisdom! I do not have my tonsils anymore so I know that is not the issue at all. Unfortunately there are no walk-in clinics or community health centers in the area. The ONLY thing along those lines are Planned Parenthood type places that I've been able to go to even without inusrance and keep up with my paps. They do a sliding scale fee and I've been able to afford it.
I'm going to give the Prilosec a try as my mom recommended that too. If I'm not feeling any relief by Monday I will call my regular doc and get in. They can always get me in same-day.
Thanks again for all your thoughts, I really appreciate it!
Id go to the doctors office instead of the ER. You can usually work down the cost of the bill while you are in the office and if you go to the ER the bill will be so much more.
If your throat is closing and it is hard to breathe you could have a major allergy happening. Did you try benedryl? Do you have hives or heart palpitations? If yes call your Dr. but he may just tell you to go to the E.R.Tell the Dr you have no coverage, sometimes they have a sliding scale to reduce the cost. You are a mom! You need to take care of yourself for your kids. Call the Dr.
Hope you feel better. I'm praying for you.
S.
If you decide to go to the clinic, see if you cannot be seen by a Physician's Assistant (PA) or a Nurse Practicioner - they are very often just as good (in our case better because they take the time to listen) and cheaper than the "regular doctor." They can prescribe (or ask the doctor to) meds, too.
As an aside, I had the same thing earlier this year for about two weeks - it did go away, but I never figured out what it was (I don't suffer from allergies). I will be curious to know what you find out :)
EDIT** If they prescribe you meds, ask if there are samples that you can have - be totally honest about the insurance situation and I'll bet they can get you what you need from their medicine stock or at least, if they have to write you a script, they will pick something at a reasonable cost if they can.
Good luck!
I know you are strapped for money, but better safe than sorry: My husband had similar symptoms last fall. He went to dr and it was good he did. turned out he had an allergic reaction to something which started to close his throat.
Please take care of you.
I don't know if you have acted yet or not, but I would call the doctor and explain both issues they will sometimes work with you or refer you to a place in your area that you may not have known about.
Go to the ER if you experience severe shortness of breath, fingers/nail beds are not a healthy pink color or when nail depressed it goes to white and a few seconds later should be pink again when released, you have chest pain or you have the overwhelming sense you need to be seen now to prevent any further worsening of condition.
Things to try take Ibuprofen(generic is the same as the name brand Motrin and so much cheaper) this is an anti-inflammitory. Benadryl(don't take Claritin at the same time) this is an antihistimine(get the generic about 1/4 of the price). Get a antacid, preferably like a pepcid AC type, but if what you can afford is Tums get that. If this is an allergy sort of thing, this should help unless you are borderline anyphylactic then you should be doing the ER regardless of cost, if it's reflux then the pepcid should help calm things down.
Sleep with your upper body, not just head slightly elevated. Put a cushion from you sofa under the mattress at the head of your bed and then use pillows on the bed to bring yourself up.
The other option is to check out larger towns or cities close to you and look up things like free clinics or urgent cares(charge will be about 800.00 less at least and worth the drive) if you don't have transportation ask around for someone to help you get there or look up your county health department and try to get a referral that is cost effective from there.
While I don't want you to stop going to the ER if you need it, if you don't then I would hate to see you indebted for a long time as alot of hospitals have lost alot of funding and are offering instead of charity service a payment plan.
You should go to the ER. They have papers that you can fill out if you are low-income. They will write bills off a lot of times, and you won't owe anything. That is if you qualify. I don't know what the bracket is for where you live, but I would call the hospital and findout what you can do. Either way, this sounds serious, and you need to be seen. If nothing else, they will send a bill that you can make payments on. Good luck.
K.
This sounds JUST like me... I didn't catch it until you edited the "piece of steak stuck in your throat" part. I had this going on several years ago and could not figure out what was wrong with me. I likened the feeling to having a pill stuck in your throat. It was way worse at night, when I was lying down. Mine was reflux... I never had burning or pain, just the uncomfortable throat thing. I think I might try Prilosec OTC before going to the doctor if you're worried about the money. If it doesn't work, there's something else going on and you need to go in.
Definitely doctor is cheaper.
Costwise go to the doctor's office. It is A LOT cheaper than being seen at the ER. Not all hospital do it, but many will charge you a "facility charge" basically just for walking in the door of several hundred $$$.
We had to take my daughter to the ER once for a very high fever at night, just before we were scheduled to fly the next day: $700 for a doctor to look into her ears, listen to her chest and tell us to give her Tylenol or Motrin and that it was OK to fly. That same visit at our pediatricians is $124.
Go soon though, before it gets so bad that you have to call 911 one day - now THAT is EXPENSIVE.
Good luck!
You may need to have your doc check your tonsils and adenoids, as it seems like you are experiencing sleep apnea caused by inflammation. They might need to be removed--surgery. Is there any way you can get temporary health insurance so that it could be covered?
doctors office is definitely going to be the cheaper route to go! that is where i would go, unless they tell you that it is going to be a week to get you in, in which case i would go to the ER
Sorry this is after you posted your "so what happened" but just a thought... I have hypothyroid condition and before I got my medication straightened out it felt like my thoat was too tight. I know the last thing you need right now is blood tests from the doctors office but if allergy meds don't seem to work... The only way I know to find out if it is thyroid condition is blood work. I know that some of the symptoms for me included, dry skin, tired/fatigue feeling, always feeling cold, dry/coarse hair. Doctor told me it can also affect your periods so maybe planned parenthood could help with the tests? Not sure like you when I was without insurance I only went for birth control. But can they help for period issues? Be sure if you do decide to get blood tests they test for T3 and T4 hormones (if you only test one and it comes back normal, you may never diagnose the problem). The good news is that the thyroid medication I am on is called Armour Thyroid and it is really inexpensive. I get 100 tablets and it runs about $15 (without insurance)! Just one more thought to put out there.
Head to your local urgent care or community health clinic. Both will be cheaper than the ER. Urgent care is open on the weekends, but I suggest that you head in about...oh, NOW if you want to get in between the morning and evening rushes.
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