Health & Wellness Medical experience at Silliman Hospital

It sounds like Stilliman is the best place from what i read. I plan a move to Dumaguete to stay. I have a disability that require's pain medication. One is a small dose of an opioid. Is there problems with medications such as these in the Philippines? Especially Dumaguete? I will need to see a doctor of Internal Medicine since i can't see that there is a doctor of Nuro-Science at Stilliman. Should i plan on making the trip to Cebu for a treatment with this medication? I don't like to take the Opioid but was on a very high dose of Lyrica and have gotten off of most of that. Lyrica i think, is worse than an Opioid. Bad stuff but served its purpose i guess. Thanks for you input if any respond...

 

Hmmmmm...not sure about this. My personal jury is out on the use of psychedelics in condition management. Psychedelics in Psychiatry have a patchy history to say the least. From the experiments of Huxley in the 1950s through to giving volunteer soldiers LSD in the 1960s and 1970s psychedelics have been through a hiatus until of late.

There has been some interesting research lately, ketamine for Depression, MDMA for PTSD, psilocybin for, um, I forgot. Cannabis for MS seems to have reached the state of acceptability in the U.K. and some States of the US. For pain relief/management I narrowly come down in favour of opioids or their synthetic cousins. There haven't been enough studies or studies on the long term effects of cannaboids yet. Mindfulness training in tandem with standard pain medications seem to offer the best evidence so far.

In short there is a world of difference between the lump of Red Leb smuggled in from up some Hippys bum from his return from 'the trail' in the 1970s and modern genetically modified Skunk varieties....really powerful THC content - and it makes folk anxious and paranoid as well as giving them the munchies.

These strains in my experience can be quite dangerous. I've seen kids go into psychosis umpteen times with it. So, if you have a pre-existing anxiety condition (and you are more at risk of having an anxiety condition if you have a chronic physical condition) tread wary. Use under the supervision of a doc would be my advice. No-one wants a chronic physical condition and the added problems of managing a difficult to treat psychiatric one as well.

Hoping as always for more research and happier outcomes...

C

 

I do appreciate your feedback. But I have no opioid addiction. I take 2 milligrams of Hydromorphone two times a day for leg and spine pain from non diabetic neuropathy. I also can take Tramadol (which I understand is sold over country there) but it will not work. I was on 600 mg. of Lyrica a day and dropped to 150 mg. That stuff is addictive and makes a person wowy upstairs. So glad to get off of it. I stop the Opioid two times a month for three days just to make sure I don't suffer and withdrawl. If I do I will stop taking it. Normal starting dose is 8 mg per day. But when I don't take it I am laying around because my legs and spine hurt so bad. I have worked to make my condition better (which they said could not be done) so I could drop medications. I have to live some type of life other than in bed as the doctors had me do for so long my mussels atrophied. Now I am working on getting the strength back. I tried cannabis in all ways and it did nothing but make me wowy up there again. No help no thanks. Yes I was hoping there were good and motivated doctors but even here I have to go to a pain specialist and sign a contract. I get surprise urine tests all the time. But my doctors are protecting themselves. They trust me and know there will be no violations with me. The doctor cut my face visits now to every six months. That is trust.. Hydromorphone is Hydrocodone. Not good but I got a life back. It has been 10 years with the condition 3 basically in bed. But you may be right. Just stay planted where I am or work to not have to use it at all. Cool for me. I don't want to take anything. Again thanks, Just some things I will not be doing I guess...

 

As of the time of my departure from the Philippines two years ago, Tramadol was available over the counter there. To some, that is a good pain medicine. It is only available with a prescription here in the US.

 

Siliman is accredited by blue cross (now Pacific Cross). Know that because I just recently got insurance there for my son and his mom. They even have "no cash outlay" plans where you are supposed to be admitted without paying anything upfront.

Regarding philhealth - they have a catalog of fixed case rates for different categories of hospitals, meaning the actual percentage of the bill that they'll pay varies. 50% is possible but not guaranteed.

 

It is still available here (Philippines) and often I am asked for a script and tell them I buy from them every month and have not had to supply a script before, no problems and they go and get the medication for me, but I have noticed two types, one is a green & white capsule and the other pale green, the pale green does not seem to be as effective as the green & White capsule, and both as far as I am aware are generic brands. I also get very dizzy from the pale green capsule, but often, pharmacies only have a small supply so hard to get my month's allotment...

Also; I was informed by my Wife I am covered by Philhealth via the Barangay cover, she is covered and she asked about me and told them she is married to a foreigner, they assured her that I am also covered (lifetime cover) as long as we remain married (and I assume; living in the same Barangay?) so might be something other foreigners could look into... I still remain wary though...