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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Adderall and Xanax. Is this doctor shopping?

summer615

Greenlighter
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Messages
4
I have searched other threads and I haven't found anything unique to my question... About a year ago I went under neuro-psych testing and was diagnosed with ADHD. I was prescribed adderall (low dose) by my neurologist who I initially started seeing because of my migraines. Everything was fine with the adderall except about 5 or 6 months after taking it I started suffering from severe panic attacks and generalized anxiety. This is not new in my life, I have gone through periods of anxiety and panic before, my first memories involve my anxiety. So my initial thought was so stop the adderall, but the panic attacks continued. So I started to see a psychiatrist who I do cognitive behavioral therapy with and the psychiatrist started me on xanax (also low dose, but can be taken up to 3x a day). My problem comes from when I initially saw my psychiatrist I didn't mention the adderall because 1. I had stopped taking it and 2. I wasn't focusing on the ADHD issue, I just wanted and still want to tackle the anxiety. My neurologist doesn't know about the xanax because I haven't seen him since I started it. Now I am too scared to fill my prescription for adderall because I am not sure if this is considered "doctor shopping" and I don't want to run the risk of being banned from either doctors office. I have always gone to the same pharmacy, used my insurance, and I never refill anything early. I do not abuse these drugs, I feel as though they help me reach my full potential in my daily life. I am willing to try different drug options, including non-controlled substances, but I am not sure if this is labeled "doctor shopping" to see different doctors for the ADHD and anxiety and I never thought of that until now. Obviously, I will be discussing this with my doctor but in the mean time I am just looking for other peoples thoughts. Thank you.
 
Nah, you made a mistake. The pharmacist probably didnt bat an eye at either script and probably wont when you fill the Adderall. I would recommend somehow letting the doctors know you are under both of their care and what drugs you are prescribed. But you need to handle it carefully.
 
If you had gone to either doc and we're attempting to get a second adderall or Xanax script to "double dose" or sell, that would be dr shopping. Technically, you don't have to tell one or the other about meds prescribed elsewhere. There is probably a risk of diminished trust in the future attached if you were to tell either down the road.
 
In this case taking interactions into consideration, my guess it is necessary to inform them. You will sleep better and they will appreciate it when you let them do there work.

If your afraid to loose one or both and feel there is a risk I would at least do some thinking and probably researching so you can line up your options. Not all dr's are gonna do the right thing for there own reasons. That sad if I was the doc the benzo would be the concern, daily use out the question.

Amfetamines are way more forgiving in that regards but the two together? good luck.
 
Yeah its not doctor shopping. you should be fine. doctor shopping is when you have like 2 or more doctors write you a script for the same thing. It isn't smart for anyone to do that because they will eventually get in deep shit with both the law and/or their docs/pharmacies will most likely blacklist them making it so they cant receive those meds anymore. But yeah just come clean with your docs and tell them the truth and that you need these meds and have absolutely no adverse effects from them. They will understand if they are good docs.. but I can understand you being a little nervous to tell them..
 
If it were me I'd call and just leave a message saying that you were notifying the Xanax dr that you were refilling your adderrall and a message saying you were notifying your adderrall doc that you started Xanax since seeing him last and are about to start up his script again. I'd be surprised if either calls you if you just needed it noted in your records. Unless you have a contract with either in which case you need a lot of finesse.
 
Absolutely. Read the other threads from today about people who got dropped for not informing their docs. It happens a lot and you chance losing one or both of them. Even if you don't have contracts with them because of the classes of drugs that they are. Any drugs that have the potential for abuse is a big deal to doctors now.
 
Thanks for your response. This is totally understandable, I just worry about how it will look to my psychiatrist because I didn't tell him initially although I had stopped taking it before I saw him. I do not want to be labeled as "untrustworthy". I may just not refill the adderall as it seems I've dug myself into a hole here.
 
If you plan on sticking with your current psychiatrist and would like to continue both medications, it would make more sense to tell them now as opposed to later if a problem arises. You said you stopped taking your adderrall before you first saw your psych, why not just tell them that you temporarily stopped to see if your condition improved but realized you needed it? I doubt, at this point, that you would be labeled untrustworthy.
 
I guess maybe I am worried he will get mad that I didn't bring up the adderall initally or maybe he wouldn't have prescribed it to me if I had told him
 
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