Benzos Am I wrong or is my doctor a complete asshole for this..

[Phoenix_03]

I’ve been Rx’d alprazolam about 3 years now, first at 0.5 mg 3x daily, stopped them for a few months when I had to change insurance and doctor, then got back on with a new doctor at 0.5 mg 2x daily. It’s been alright, but she doesn’t want to increase or discuss med changes and thinks upping my Zoloft will eventually touch my anxiety. I’m at 150mg now, it doesn’t. Anyway, the last 2 months my stress levels due to life and mainly work stuff have been pushing me to my limits and she told me to take my script every 6 hours, so I was short this month by a few days. They’re due for refill the 30th, I ran out yesterday. When I told her she said no problem she’ll send some form to the state that will allow me to get my script a few days early. CVS told me they won’t do that, the script is written for one fill date to an end date, so the computer says I should still have medication, I cannot get a refill yet. A pharmacy tech there told me to tell my doctor she has to call it in as a new script and either rewrite how I take it or bump it to 3x daily, basically anything that will make it a brand new prescription that they can fill. Now she tells me she’s not comfortable doing that she’ll send me Seroquel for sleep. Like, what? Not only am I already anxious but now you made me feel like I had nothing to worry about, I’d get my meds, but now as Im explaining to you what the problem is you are making me feel like some drug seeking demon. The fuck? it was her idea, she completely understood I was out, I needed them, even CVS is aware I’m out, they want to fill it but not the way she did it.

TLDR; Doc was happy to fill Benzo script 3 days early until I told her CVS said she couldn’t do it the way she was attempting to. Further explanation resulted in her ignoring me and offering seroquel to at least “sleep the next couple nights.”

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Your stress levels increased so you took a few extra. Sounds reasonable. That's what most people do.

A pharmacy has very strict rules to follow. To the letter. They fill when they are legally able to do so . That is why in order to give you more xanax.....they needed a new script ( as the script you have on record wasn't due to be filled yet ). But with a new script.......they can.

The problem came when your Dr. felt they had to write a new one. They freaked out because they thought not only would you have a NEW script you would also have had an opportunity to REFILL your old one in 3 days. The Dr. didn't want to take the time to call the pharmacy and tell them to RIP UP your old script ( or delete it in the computer ) and fax over a new one. Hence her not caring that you ran out early because now it was up to her to fix it and she just didn't want to be bothered. She was probably like.....".oh for fucks sake......the guy can't live a couple days without xanax and I don't have time to deal with this bullshit". I'm surprised she even called in the seroquel. But of course that isn't a controlled substance. But it still took the same amount of time it would have taken her to call in a new xanax script.

Dr. aren't your friends. They treat us like a pain in their ass. They think all we do is whine. They like our money though. The only true way to get along anymore with the system is even if we think we need more than our daily allowance it just isn't worth it. We will either go without a couple extra or go without at the end of the month waiting for our script. We can't win. We are at their mercy and they have everyone that takes controlled substances by the proverbial balls.

 

[AbbeyLee]

I’ve been Rx’d alprazolam about 3 years now, first at 0.5 mg 3x daily, stopped them for a few months when I had to change insurance and doctor, then got back on with a new doctor at 0.5 mg 2x daily. It’s been alright, but she doesn’t want to increase or discuss med changes and thinks upping my Zoloft will eventually touch my anxiety. I’m at 150mg now, it doesn’t. Anyway, the last 2 months my stress levels due to life and mainly work stuff have been pushing me to my limits and she told me to take my script every 6 hours, so I was short this month by a few days. They’re due for refill the 30th, I ran out yesterday. When I told her she said no problem she’ll send some form to the state that will allow me to get my script a few days early. CVS told me they won’t do that, the script is written for one fill date to an end date, so the computer says I should still have medication, I cannot get a refill yet. A pharmacy tech there told me to tell my doctor she has to call it in as a new script and either rewrite how I take it or bump it to 3x daily, basically anything that will make it a brand new prescription that they can fill. Now she tells me she’s not comfortable doing that she’ll send me Seroquel for sleep. Like, what? Not only am I already anxious but now you made me feel like I had nothing to worry about, I’d get my meds, but now as Im explaining to you what the problem is you are making me feel like some drug seeking demon. The fuck? it was her idea, she completely understood I was out, I needed them, even CVS is aware I’m out, they want to fill it but not the way she did it.

TLDR; Doc was happy to fill Benzo script 3 days early until I told her CVS said she couldn’t do it the way she was attempting to. Further explanation resulted in her ignoring me and offering seroquel to at least “sleep the next couple nights.”

Well all doctors are arseholes But these things are relative. I was on 10-15mg/day of nitrazepam (Mogadon) for a good couple of years, and been on and off benzos for 30 years.

Last year in April my GP cut me off cold turkey. No doubt the govt was cracking down on him, so he passed me onto another doctor at that clinic. I was really scared she'd refuse because she's one of the very anti-benzo docs. She did refuse and I was only allowed Lexapro.

I ended up drinking myself into hospital (again). They gave me Valium there, but when I got out I saw a couple of doctors and they both refused benzos. I've finally got one who is more sympathetic, but I'm only allowed 5-10mg diazepam a day, if that, which is a lot less than I was on.

So yeah I do think they're arseholes and benzos are ridiculously demonised. But this is everywhere.

 

[Dextro .45]

I had my family doctor for 20 Freaking Years !!! , this guy was a BOSS, shout outs to Dr. XXX, hope you’re enjoying your retirement

Due to being diagnosed with RA at age 25 I was on a lot of various Opioid Narcotics, Oxy, HM, Methadone now, he would basically write the script how I asked (in a reasonable professional manner), I was 99% honest with him (using I.V. opioids near the end wasn’t disclosed by myself), and told him stuff he cringed at and was concerned …..we talked it out, and I told him my reasons why, and why it was safe, no DDI’s and were low therapeutic doses of said CII substance, and he wrote me a script and trusted me to use responsibility as needed (break through pain, etc) He wrote me a script for Ritalin & Vyvanse in addition to Methadone to enhance analgesic effects, counteract solemness, and increase vigilance (in addition to childhood add, according to school teachers?)

My new doc is a freakin tool…. He is a new doc that basically bought my Dr entire client roster, this little f@cker isn’t very knowledgeable it seems and isn’t helpful or someone that has your back

People say in life jokingly….you gotta have a good mechanic, great lawyer, etc

F@ck that lol….what you/I need is a Great doctor!!!

The fact I need to “convince” some reluctant dip-shit to write me a script for meds I’ve been on for 7-15 years makes me sick to my stomach.

 

[Joey]

The problem is flat out you're taking more than what's prescrcibed. If your doctor is truly telling you to go every 6 hours, as in take a third at the 18th some days you should be getting something to pad out your script for doing that. Start looking for another doctor if you can't get level with the one you have. There is nothing wrong with doctor shopping, to find another doctor.

For a lot of medications, the philosophy in the philosophical doctorate trumps both the patients wants / needs and the law as well. I don't think this sounds like you're being demonized or treated too badly here, but it's foreboding. This same kind of doc might be the kind to axe you off of it completely if you aren't agreeable. No matter what be calm when you speak with this person and be professional in any written to formal complaints.

 

[hydroazuanacaine]

sounds like your doc is in a tight spot about it. maybe something was lost in the telling, but she does not seem to be treating you like a drug seeking demon. it’s understandable that you are feeling resentful; don’t communicate that to her. 1mg of xanax a day is a good deal.

 

[Phoenix_03]

Your stress levels increased so you took a few extra. Sounds reasonable. That's what most people do.

A pharmacy has very strict rules to follow. To the letter. They fill when they are legally able to do so . That is why in order to give you more xanax.....they needed a new script ( as the script you have on record wasn't due to be filled yet ). But with a new script.......they can.

The problem came when your Dr. felt they had to write a new one. They freaked out because they thought not only would you have a NEW script you would also have had an opportunity to REFILL your old one in 3 days. The Dr. didn't want to take the time to call the pharmacy and tell them to RIP UP your old script ( or delete it in the computer ) and fax over a new one. Hence her not caring that you ran out early because now it was up to her to fix it and she just didn't want to be bothered. She was probably like.....".oh for fucks sake......the guy can't live a couple days without xanax and I don't have time to deal with this bullshit". I'm surprised she even called in the seroquel. But of course that isn't a controlled substance. But it still took the same amount of time it would have taken her to call in a new xanax script.

Dr. aren't your friends. They treat us like a pain in their ass. They think all we do is whine. They like our money though. The only true way to get along anymore with the system is even if we think we need more than our daily allowance it just isn't worth it. We will either go without a couple extra or go without at the end of the month waiting for our script. We can't win. We are at their mercy and they have everyone that takes controlled substances by the proverbial balls.

You’re absolutely right, doctors aren’t our friends. The pharmacy techs said exactly what you did, they have to follow the rules to the letter, and if she had called in another script worded differently or with a different dose schedule they could have filled it with no issue. It was her (my dr) idea to go through all this hoopla to get me my script early, then when I tell her what CVS said she is suddenly uncomfortable and acting like I’m a junkie trying to squeeze scripts out of her. If she had said nothing and I knew from the getgo I had to just ride it out til Monday, that would have been fine. She ramped up my anxiety by making me think I was getting my script then and then acting like an ass. I took the seroquel for sleep and that first night it was probably beneficial but besides that I’m not taking it anymore, it’s an antipsychotic and too strong as a sleeping med. I don’t think it’s really supposed to be used that way even though it’s given out like candy to insomniacs.
Thanks for replying, I got my Xanax obviously since it’s past the date I posted, but I’m gonna keep some stashed in case this happens again. I even asked my doc if I could try a longer acting Benzo like diazepam since Xanax was so short acting and she said “all benzodiazepines are short acting”, so any hope for intelligent discussion about anxiety meds went right out the window then.

 

[Phoenix_03]

sounds like your doc is in a tight spot about it. maybe something was lost in the telling, but she does not seem to be treating you like a drug seeking demon. it’s understandable that you are feeling resentful; don’t communicate that to her. 1mg of xanax a day is a good deal.

I know, this was all said through text, so I’m sure context and tone was miscommunicated. I’m having a zoom session with her on Monday so we’ll obviously be talking about it, and I won’t be resentful or negative in any way. Any Benzo script these days is a blessing, I’m not gonna fuck it up. Plus she prescribes my adderall, which is another med doctors seem to never want to give. I keep my bitching and ranting to home or here, in front of her I’m a nice compliant little patient

 

[Nurse Ratched]

You’re absolutely right, doctors aren’t our friends. The pharmacy techs said exactly what you did, they have to follow the rules to the letter, and if she had called in another script worded differently or with a different dose schedule they could have filled it with no issue. It was her (my dr) idea to go through all this hoopla to get me my script early, then when I tell her what CVS said she is suddenly uncomfortable and acting like I’m a junkie trying to squeeze scripts out of her. If she had said nothing and I knew from the getgo I had to just ride it out til Monday, that would have been fine. She ramped up my anxiety by making me think I was getting my script then and then acting like an ass. I took the seroquel for sleep and that first night it was probably beneficial but besides that I’m not taking it anymore, it’s an antipsychotic and too strong as a sleeping med. I don’t think it’s really supposed to be used that way even though it’s given out like candy to insomniacs.
Thanks for replying, I got my Xanax obviously since it’s past the date I posted, but I’m gonna keep some stashed in case this happens again. I even asked my doc if I could try a longer acting Benzo like diazepam since Xanax was so short acting and she said “all benzodiazepines are short acting”, so any hope for intelligent discussion about anxiety meds went right out the window then.

Yeah, stash a few for emergencies and your Dr. is an idiot. Alprazolam and Diazepam are worlds apart in how they work and you are smart enough to know that. You try and make suggestions and you get treated like you know nothing. I know it has to just piss you right off. But because we need the medicine we have to kiss their ass.

At least you have your meds now and you sound like you are very intelligent and will do whatever you have to do to not run out again. And I agree.....they hand out Seroquel to everyone. When i was using and buying pills from " friends" they would be out of ativan or xanax or valium and try to pawn off seroquel telling me it was better than a benzo and I would really like it. Like I was an idiot and didn't know what it was. I was like get the fuck out of here. Seroquel gives me dry mouth, headaches and next day drowsiness. It's a filthy drug and I'd rather toss and turn all night than take that shit.

Have a good weekend !!

 

[Phoenix_03]

The problem is flat out you're taking more than what's prescrcibed. If your doctor is truly telling you to go every 6 hours, as in take a third at the 18th some days you should be getting something to pad out your script for doing that. Start looking for another doctor if you can't get level with the one you have. There is nothing wrong with doctor shopping, to find another doctor.

For a lot of medications, the philosophy in the philosophical doctorate trumps both the patients wants / needs and the law as well. I don't think this sounds like you're being demonized or treated too badly here, but it's foreboding. This same kind of doc might be the kind to axe you off of it completely if you aren't agreeable. No matter what be calm when you speak with this person and be professional in any written to formal complaints.

To be fair she only said to take every 6 hours for an extreme situation I was dealing with at work and I don’t think she thought I was taking the Xanax everyday. Even though it’s enough for 2X a day, it’s as needed, so I’m sure she thought i should have extra. Which in an ideal world I would but I don’t handle stress or anxiety very well and I always think to myself, “damn, me in two weeks is sure gonna hate today me”. I know she didn’t have to do anything at all and now that I’ve calmed down completely from the situation, I know I walk a very thin line. I’d rather be short a couple days then lose the script altogether.

 

[Phoenix_03]

I had my family doctor for 20 Freaking Years !!! , this guy was a BOSS, shout outs to Dr. XXX, hope you’re enjoying your retirement

Due to being diagnosed with RA at age 25 I was on a lot of various Opioid Narcotics, Oxy, HM, Methadone now, he would basically write the script how I asked (in a reasonable professional manner), I was 99% honest with him (using I.V. opioids near the end wasn’t disclosed by myself), and told him stuff he cringed at and was concerned …..we talked it out, and I told him my reasons why, and why it was safe, no DDI’s and were low therapeutic doses of said CII substance, and he wrote me a script and trusted me to use responsibility as needed (break through pain, etc) He wrote me a script for Ritalin & Vyvanse in addition to Methadone to enhance analgesic effects, counteract solemness, and increase vigilance (in addition to childhood add, according to school teachers?)

My new doc is a freakin tool…. He is a new doc that basically bought my Dr entire client roster, this little f@cker isn’t very knowledgeable it seems and isn’t helpful or someone that has your back

People say in life jokingly….you gotta have a good mechanic, great lawyer, etc

F@ck that lol….what you/I need is a Great doctor!!!

The fact I need to “convince” some reluctant dip-shit to write me a script for meds I’ve been on for 7-15 years makes me sick to my stomach.

I actually do know (and used to see) an awesome doc like you said, my ex found him years ago as he’s a suboxone doc and he was trying to clean at the time. Turns out if you have any history of anxiety or ADHD he’ll write scripts for meds to treat those too. My first time seeing him he wrote me 0.5 mg Xanax 3X a day and adderall 20mg 2X a day and that’s without switching to subs. He’s retired now and will only see select patients and I was one til last November. The downside is you gotta see him every month and it’s an hour drive there to his office. I got sick of it and stopped going, looked for new docs, found my current one who writes the same meds, just one less Xanax dose a day. I get that anxiety and ADHD are subjective and the doc can’t technically see these aside from obvious symptoms, so they are reluctant to prescribe the good shit. But pain doctors not treating pain patients adequately because of the bullshit opioid epidemic makes no fucking sense. Especially for patients who have obvious physical ailments or conditions known to cause extreme pain. You shouldn’t have to beg for meds that actually work, the government should have no say over what a doctor uses to treat his patients. And doctors should not be scared to prescribe something they know is needed, if it was them or their loved one in pain they sure as fuck would be medicated I’m sure.

 

[Phoenix_03]

Well all doctors are arseholes But these things are relative. I was on 10-15mg/day of nitrazepam (Mogadon) for a good couple of years, and been on and off benzos for 30 years.

Last year in April my GP cut me off cold turkey. No doubt the govt was cracking down on him, so he passed me onto another doctor at that clinic. I was really scared she'd refuse because she's one of the very anti-benzo docs. She did refuse and I was only allowed Lexapro.

I ended up drinking myself into hospital (again). They gave me Valium there, but when I got out I saw a couple of doctors and they both refused benzos. I've finally got one who is more sympathetic, but I'm only allowed 5-10mg diazepam a day, if that, which is a lot less than I was on.

So yeah I do think they're arseholes and benzos are ridiculously demonised. But this is everywhere.

I asked someone if I should go to the ER that day since I thought they had to treat someone with Benzo or alcohol withdrawal. They said don’t bother they won’t give me shit, which idk if that’s what would have happened but based on your story I bet they were right. I’ve seen doctors that were so anti-Benzo to the point of giving speeches about it during visits, but come on, someone who has a known dependency and is out is very likely to suffer severe effects including seizures, how is that not an emergency that needs adequate treatment?
You’re right, 5-10 mg diazepam is a low dose, just like my 1mg a day Xanax. These days we’re lucky to even get that so I would say count it as a blessing, but I’d be half full of shit . I know it is true but it sure doesn’t feel like it.