Benzos Taking a notebook to my Doctor's office.

3 days ago I was prescribed a month worth of Nitrazepam 10mg to help with my trouble getting to sleep. I have anxiety attacks during the day, but the anxiety attacks themselves are the root of my sleep problems. (I have been having bad back pain lately and I expressed to him that I didn't want any opiates, but I think he is basically giving me insomnia treatment, when my problem is anxiety - insomnia is just a relatively frequent side-effect of my anxiety.

I have been writing down notes about this, and am bringing them to my doctors apt. in 8 hours. I am trying to get him to prescribe me Valium or Xanax or another much shorter acting benzo than Nitrazepam because Nitrazepam is not right for me, and I'm afraid I didn't explain my issue well enough.

If I bring a notebook in, is that suspicious as if I was going to sell them? I would never sell scripted meds, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea because I really need to be on something other than this ridiculously long-acting benzo for insomnia.

I can't remember quite all of what I need to tell him without paper.

Gahh >.<

Simple. Take it during the day.

I;m sure your doctor will understand your amxiety confition and prescribe you an SSRI or SNRI, probably Lexapro.

U don'r want to go on benzos foreber my friend. they fuck u up!

yes, write down your thoughts about treatmenat options and show him.

*snip*
Due to the OP seeking advice on how to get drugs from his doctor.

I have taken a bit of paper to Drs before cause i tend to forget things.....I dont think it will look like your up to anything because of it dude..Relax and take your notes.. I get the impression you re going to YOUR G.P and not a DR you never seen before right?


Your notes arnt along the line of:
Deb x 4 VALS
Mark 2 x xanax (drop off to him)
Pete 2 x vals (pick up)
Mel 5 x vals
pauly 2 x vals and 5 x xanax

drs 4pm Tuesday

are they?

Charles Bronson said:

Simple. Take it during the day.

I;m sure your doctor will understand your amxiety confition and prescribe you an SSRI or SNRI, probably Lexapro.

U don'r want to go on benzos foreber my friend. they fuck u up!

yes, write down your thoughts about treatmenat options and show him.

CLOSED:
Due to the OP seeking advice on how to get drugs from his doctor.

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I did not intend to make it seem as though I am trying to come up with a specific formula of words to attain these specific medications. My intention is to come up with a detailed beginning to a conversation I believe will take longer than just a few minutes. The reason I have referred to these specific medications is for a number of reasons - primarily:

•I will not take SSRI or SRNI medications. Reason being that I have had negative experiences with SSRI's, namely Cipralex. I have not taken SRNI medication before - but it achieves the same effect as an SSRI, except for the additional reuptake of norepinephrine. My daily dose of Methylphenidate HCl extended-release would not like such meds.

I have no idea why bringing a notebook would look like you were intending to sell your meds but even tho i didnt read the entire post i'd say that jotting down all your thoughts to get that clarity of what you wish to express to you doc would be a fine idea.

If you're looking to get a script for an anxiolytic just be honest, explain that anxiety is having a major impact on your daily life & respectfully demand a short term script for an anxiolytic. Dont say 'i think i need valium' just let the doc decide which one's best for you.

*snip*

Polynomial said:

I did not intend to make it seem as though I am trying to come up with a specific formula of words to attain these specific medications .

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You didnt seem that way mate or the MODS would have closed it. I understood perfectly what you mean..You are NOT seeking advice on HOW to get drugs polynomial, that s clear to me and others...If i were you Id Ignore or forget that comment from above...

Polynomial said:

•I will not take SSRI or SRNI medications. Reason being that I have had negative experiences with SSRI's, namely Cipralex. I have not taken SRNI medication before - but it achieves the same effect as an SSRI, except for the additional reuptake of norepinephrine. My daily dose of Methylphenidate HCl extended-release would not like such meds.

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I think you're being too closed minded, do you know what you have to look forward to if you spend your life on benzos? And the months long withdrawals when you come off? SSRI's have different effect depending on the drug. Also you can take beta blockers for anxiety both of these are farrrr better for you than benzos!

doppelganga196 said:

p.s Shut up charles you aint a mod.

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Sorry but this did make me laugh! Lol.

Miss Kirsty said:

I have taken a bit of paper to Drs before cause i tend to forget things.....I dont think it will look like your up to anything because of it dude..Relax and take your notes.. I get the impression you re going to YOUR G.P and not a DR you never seen before right?


Your notes arnt along the line of:
Deb x 4 VALS
Mark 2 x xanax (drop off to him)
Pete 2 x vals (pick up)
Mel 5 x vals
pauly 2 x vals and 5 x xanax

drs 4pm Tuesday

are they?

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Was that directed at me Miss Kirsty? Or the original OP's drug-seeking behaviour. Please elaborate more.

My daily dose of Methylphenidate HCl extended-release would not like such meds.

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So you're on Ritalin LA during the day and also you take 10 mg Nitrazepam at night.
Uppers/Downers syndrome.

My advice to you would be quit taking the Ritalin LA and etc, and for the Valium 10 mg switch over from Nitrazpemam.

Write this down but don't show the doctor the actual notebook.

Polynomial said:

3 days ago I was prescribed a month worth of Nitrazepam 10mg to help with my trouble getting to sleep. I have anxiety attacks during the day, but the anxiety attacks themselves are the root of my sleep problems. (I have been having bad back pain lately and I expressed to him that I didn't want any opiates, but I think he is basically giving me insomnia treatment, when my problem is anxiety - insomnia is just a relatively frequent side-effect of my anxiety.

Click to expand...

Even though some benzodiazepines are primarily used for certain therapeutic uses, they still share the same properties so may be effective for treating more than just their primary use. Out of the sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant properties shared by benzos, certain factors make particular benzos better or worse at displaying various treatment properties, but the dose can be adjusted for the particular treatment.

I have been writing down notes about this, and am bringing them to my doctors apt. in 8 hours. I am trying to get him to prescribe me Valium or Xanax or another much shorter acting benzo than Nitrazepam because Nitrazepam is not right for me, and I'm afraid I didn't explain my issue well enough.

Click to expand...

Xanax is shorter acting than Nitrazepam, but Valium is longer acting than it.

If I bring a notebook in, is that suspicious as if I was going to sell them? I would never sell scripted meds, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea because I really need to be on something other than this ridiculously long-acting benzo for insomnia.

I can't remember quite all of what I need to tell him without paper.

Click to expand...

I think that you would be better off printing off an article or chart to bring in to the office if you are content on discussing other medication options.
This page has a list of the benzodiazepines along with their half-lives, onsets, and therapeutic use.

Some doctors would rather just talk to you and adjust your medication as they see fit instead of using their patients sources of information to influence their decision. Doctors have specific medications that they prescribe for particular conditions, and then a few other back-up medications that they will prescribe if the initial drugs don't work. Chances are your doctor already has a drug lined up for any of his patients that don't respond well to Nitrazepam, so he may not listen to your input.

Some doctors are more open to their patients being proactive in their treatment options, so I guess you will find out soon enough.

Tommyboy said:

Even though some benzodiazepines are primarily used for certain therapeutic uses, they still share the same properties so may be effective for treating more than just their primary use. Out of the sedative, hypnotic, anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, and anticonvulsant properties shared by benzos, certain factors make particular benzos better or worse at displaying various treatment properties, but the dose can be adjusted for the particular treatment.





Xanax is shorter acting than Nitrazepam, but Valium is longer acting than it.



I think that you would be better off printing off an article or chart to bring in to the office if you are content on discussing other medication options.
This page has a list of the benzodiazepines along with their half-lives, onsets, and therapeutic use.

Some doctors would rather just talk to you and adjust your medication as they see fit instead of using their patients sources of information to influence their decision. Doctors have specific medications that they prescribe for particular conditions, and then a few other back-up medications that they will prescribe if the initial drugs don't work. Chances are your doctor already has a drug lined up for any of his patients that don't respond well to Nitrazepam, so he may not listen to your input.

Some doctors are more open to their patients being proactive in their treatment options, so I guess you will find out soon enough.

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THANK YOU TOMMYBOY :D That is a very helpful suggestion, and I will use that chart.

Regarding quitting Ritalin:

I take "Biphentin 60mg", not Ritalin LA. Same thing - irrelevant. Moving on - I was diagnosed with ADD somewhere around 8th Grade. I never believed I actually have ADD, in fact I do not believe in the existence of probably far more than half of these "disorders" out there. I took Biphentin starting in Grade 8, and used it for 2 years, and then I stopped for several years, and continued taking it several months ago. To be honest, it doesn't benefit me really, and I will be discontinuing it once the remainder of my months supply is gone.

I'll be back online in a little while to post again on this matter, time to wake up the girlfriend for work

Take into account I've been a CP'er (Chronic Pain Patient) for the past 20 years or so but in my world notebooks are welcome by doctors. They should include basically a diary of how you feel and possibly what helps your pain and what doesn't. People's memories are notoriously bad. I don't know where the OP could possibly have thought a doctor would think they're selling their drugs because they keep a notebook/diary. That is unless he/she has a guilty conscious. Anyway, IMO the notebook is always a good idea.

Polynomial said:

I did not intend to make it seem as though I am trying to come up with a specific formula of words to attain these specific medications. My intention is to come up with a detailed beginning to a conversation I believe will take longer than just a few minutes. The reason I have referred to these specific medications is for a number of reasons - primarily:

•I will not take SSRI or SRNI medications. Reason being that I have had negative experiences with SSRI's, namely Cipralex. I have not taken SRNI medication before - but it achieves the same effect as an SSRI, except for the additional reuptake of norepinephrine. My daily dose of Methylphenidate HCl extended-release would not like such meds.

Click to expand...

Lol, you won't take SSRI's but you will take benzos? That's like saying I won't prick my finger but I will cut off my arm. Benzos are the most harmful psyhiatric medication out there. They litterally destroy people. Go to benzobuddies.com and read about what has happened to people because of benzos.

sorry, it's benzobuddies.org. also check out benzo.org.uk


"The story of benzodiazepines is of awesome proportions and has been described [by David Blunkett MP] as a national scandal. The impact is so large that it is too big for Governments, regulatory authorities and the pharmaceutical industry to address head on, so the scandal has been swept under the carpet." - Phil Woolas MP, House of Commons Hansard Debates, December 7, 1999.

Having some strange internet keyboard issues - I`m not going to quote.

*snip*

To BeachBum4U, regarding the guilty conscience statement: That`s me alright. The things that happen between the walls of this skull of mine are not always perfectly logical. If only each hemisphere of my brain worked entirely independently!

To burn out,I have taken SSRI`s before, and they make me want to kill myself because they effect me in a way that makes me feel nothing, about anything. Death is a better alternative imho. But, just for the sake of debating - have you ever had a serious toothache? I have had 7 inch long, 3 inch deep gashes in me that hurt less than a toothache.

Anyhow my visit with my Doc is over and done with, got the info I needed. Thanks for your input guys.

I just want to throw in my two cents here.. I have had social anxiety issues throughout my life and also developed sleep problems due to shift work. I was put on effexor for a few weeks which I had to stop taking because it was getting me some very unpleasant side effects. After speaking with my GP and explaining my situation we settled on xanax. I started at .25mgs and have now been on 1mg twice a day (prescribed) however I normally take maximum 1mg a day (split the pill in half). I also will sometimes go days without taking any. To me this drug has been a godsend and works perfectly for my symptoms.

I just want to say that it's very judgemental and unfair to say that anyone getting involved with benzos is in for a life of hell and withdrawals. I'm fully aware of the abuse potential and chances of nasty withdrawals or negative effects down the road but not everyone is here to misuse and binge on their medications. Doctors prescribe these things for a reason, and people with anxiety issues often have problems finding the "right" answer for themselves but the bottom line is its up to the patient and physician to figure that out.

We're not here to help you get prescribed drugs. If your doctor asks you to keep a journal/notebook, that's one thing, but we're not going to tell you if its a good idea or a bad idea.

Continued flaming, harassment or other fighting-type posts will result in disciplinary action by the Other Drugs moderator team.

I'm closing this thread now.