I’ve made a mess of it by stockpiling

[SerendipitySunshine]

Hands up. bought a stack of 15mg pens when they were cheaper and I’ve slowly been using them up - (with a few from voucher codes emailed etc). I haven’t been prescribed a new pen since January. Now my provider says it is a gap in treatment. Has anyone been as silly as me and I need to start again at 2.5mg? I still have a way to go and worry this is going to do nothing - I didn’t get suppression really until 10mg on the way up.
I appreciate this is all my own fault, trying to afford this wonder drug even after prices went up.

I did this and booked a consultation with OUSHK and fessed up. I told them how many pens I had (I had about 4) and they agreed to prescribe when they ran out. I just had to send them photos of all my boxes. If you have already used yours it may not work but it’s worth you giving it a go.

Which provider are you with at the moment? It might be worth contacting a provider that does video consultations, and explaining the history to see what they say.

With Bolt at the moment. Bought them from all over though - Zava, MedExpress, just followed the cheapest to try to be able to keep going after the rises. Now kicking myself!

I would suggest Oushk, Pharmulous, SwiftDoctor as places that might be able to help if you have a consultation and explain the order history and the reasons why.

The pharmacies suggested by Silence are where I would try too.

Pull together you proof of prescriptions (emails/boxes) to show you have had continuous 15mg treatment without a gap - which would mean 10ish x 15mg pens between August last year and now (around 49 weeks).

If you have been part dosing or don't have any proof you will find it harder.

Oushk have publicly said they need proof of continuous treatment to prescribe higher doses, but some of their independent prescribers might be more flexible than others, unfortunately luck of the draw who you get.

Have you explained this to them? I imagine they would be happy to keep you on your usual dose if they know the reason and you can provide evidence eg email receipts.

Start now on the order fir 2.5mg, and use multiple doses from the new stockpile when your current one runs out.

Try Curely online pharmacy. I use them and had a gap of three/four months before ordering a 7.5mg pen, due to have a stock of pens to use. I explained the issue. They asked for updated photos, date of last dose and proof of the other orders. They then prescribed it to me with no issues.

Re Oushk. They are good but I found them very disorganised and hard to order from. I left in the end as it was frustrating.

Go easy on yourself. Loads of people have done this to save money, not realising the potential consequences. My understanding is that most prescribing pharmacies will understand and help you sort it out.

Have you got photos Op of the boxes with your prescription details, Op,? I did similar but took photos so the providers would see that I had stockpiled as opposed to have had a gap in treatment. I think that I had a 6 month gap between orders.

Pharmalous accepted me at the level I was with proof of prescriptions. Can you prove from prescriptions that your stock brings you up to date to order at this level you want?

This happened to me after the price hike. Brought multiple pens which I'd taken consistently ever since, despite sharing photos of boxes from old supplier and dates I'd taken dose since last order Ouskh refused to let me order unless I restarted at 2.5mg, but as I'd only gone to 5mg it wasn't a big problem really.

My mistake was changing provider with a stockpile but my BMI was slightly under what my previous provider allowed and I wanted a maintenance friendly provider..

The thing is that with the stockpiling at some point you have to do one of two things.

Either keep ordering every 7 weeks (depending on supplier rules) and build more of a stockpile. Especially relevant if ordering 15mg but click counting to a lower dose.
Or start titrating down through the pens and get to the lower maintenance dose and reordering at maintenance plans.

I did the same and booked a face to face in person appointment with my local pharmacy who I had already confessed to about stockpiling. They are expensive but one pen from them and I now have prescriptions to show to buy elsewhere

Thanks so much for your kind words - I feel like such a fool. Thanks again.

You may have to start again at 2.5mg, speak to Swift and ask. You’ll definitely be able to get more but you may have to work through the lower dose pens

I stockpiled, it was a great decision and has saved me an absolute fortune! I hadnt placed an order since last year August and I had a call with SwiftDoctor. They accepted me on maintenance with no issue at all. Book a call and explain, they will be fine.
ETA I only joined them in March so it was a huge gap in any ordeeing

Thanks for the advice

@OnlyCosy don’t suggest the OP acts fraudulently when there’s likely no need. She is likely to be able to explain her situation and get a legitimate prescription from one of the suggested pharmacies.

This is what I plan to do. Going to buy 1 more pen then take a break in ordering. I'll start ordering again while I still have enough to combine with the lower doses over the months it will take to get back up to where I need to be.

Trying to get an appointment with a provider who will let me speak to a real person as I think it’s maybe been AI customer service saying no.

There was another thread on here with exactly same issue. Pp was able to resolve bit, but had to try a few providers. Maybe you can find them thread if you search. What i learnt was keep the box labels.
I'm doing similar by only injecting half dose.

Have you tried to book with swift dr?

Try Curely. You can speak to a human very easily by just calling them.
They answer the phone promptly and are entirely reasonable rather than running on tick box tramlines which seems to happen with a few providers.
I had a not dissimilar situation and they were great.