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Changing Doctors...

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MatthewD

Bluelighter
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
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229
This is a fairly simple question, and hopefully it's in the appropriate section. My doctor wont even prescribe me Temazepam for sleep any more, after having given me my second box the other day.

Now, he's very caring, and wants me to see a Psychologist and use non-drug related strategies to sort out my sleeping issues. He says because he really doesn't want me to get addicted to anything.

He also has me on Lexepro for Anxiety (not depression). But as I told him, it's not doing much to stop my panic attacks, and I'm still generally a very anxious person. It's coming up to a month now since I've been on it, and he keeps saying that "the manufacturer says it can take x long before x happens" etc.

I think he may be too legitimately caring. No disrespect to him, but I'd rather a doctor who prescribes me medication to actively help me on demand, instead of making me take the hard road. A lot of you wont agree, but each to their own.

Can I just turn up to another doctors surgery and and start seeing a new doctor? Will they have contact with my current one? As I mentioned, I'm quite an anxious person, and if I had to see this guy again by chance and he found out I "cheated" on him, it would be VERY awkward for me.

Hopefully someone can help.
 
Bob Funkhouse said:
Not sure much bout changing your doc- prob depends on where your from but I am sure that they would need to contact your current doctor to get all your files etc.

I had opposite problem to you in that my doc dished out meds when I was hoping for other forms of treatment.

I personally think if you've got a caring doc you should stick with him.

However, if u do change docs don't feel guilty for doing so- its your choice
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I'm from Australia, if that helps. But anyway, I see you would probably rather my doctor as I would rather yours. Should I just see the Psychiatrist that I used to see for ADD (only stopped a few months before seeing this current doctor for Anxiety) and also get my Anxiety issues sorted out?
 
If you are having problems sleeping the best cure out there is to completely physically exhaust yourself. Go for a walk/run, head to the gym, ect. The reason a lot of people don't sleep very well these days has a lot to do with their lifestyle. If you spend all day sitting at a desk when it comes to bed time your body just hasn't spent enough energy during the day for it to think it needs any sleep at that point. If you REALLY want to talk a pill to sleep then see if you can get a Z drug like Zopiclone. They aren't addictive for 99% of the people who take them and you don't build up a tolerance to them like you do with benzos. Short version, don't take benzos to sleep for more than a week or two. There are many other options out there that are not nearly as destructive to your mind and body.

As for the anxiety, you really don't want to keep using benzos as they only good in the short term, and if you end up dependent on then you are in for a bad time. Benzo withdrawal can last around a year or more for some people. Once again the best cure for anxiety is exercise and a good diet. You can always try breathing exercises and other forms of mental control over the panic attacks. Also if I were you I would really consider see that psychologist. If your sleeping and anxiety problems are being created by stress or something else psychological then talking to someone will help a lot.

I used to have massive panic attacks and was popping xanax like crazy through out the day to keep them away. After I starting seeing a shrink and talking to him about my problems and how they affected me he gave me the tools to help control the panic attacks just with very simple things like the breathing exercises and cognitive behavioural therapy. Now I only take Xanax when a real MASSIVE panic attack happens and that is getting more and more rare as I learn to control my mind and body.

I know this is not what you want to hear as you just want to pop pills to fix your problems, but in the long run you are much better off with a non-drug solution.

Oh also, the SSRI that your doctor gave you will help with your panic attacks but sometimes for certain people it takes a month or two for the effects of them to kick in. Don't give up on them yet.
 
I used to have terrible sleeping problems brought on by anxiety. Once external distractions were removed (ie laying alone in bed with no TV or other sounds trying to sleep) my anxiety would kick into overdrive and keep me awake all night sometimes. Often I would have to turn on the TV to take my mind off what was bothering me at that moment.

My saw a psychiatrist and she recommended venlafaxine. I have been on that for several months now, just 150mg a day which is a pretty low dose, and I haven't lost a night of sleep due to anxiety since maybe 4 weeks after I started taking it. I know everyone is different, and what works for me might not work for you. Still, if you have anxiety I would seriously look at that as the source of your sleep problems, and talk to your doctor about trying venlafaxine. It really worked for me.
 
Why don't you just ask him to prescribe you a benzodiazepine for anxiety until the Lexapro's "anti-anxiety" effects begin to kick in?

I have been through a number of SSRI's and NONE have worked for my anxiety, and only Lexapro has done anything for my depression (it hasn't touched my anxiety and I don't believe it will, either).

Talk to you doctor, be honest, and go from there.
 
If your Doc isnt caring for you, just giving you bullshit pills, then I would find another one. Explain everything to the new Doc. He will have your records transfered to him. Tell your new Doc that your old Doc didnt seem to care at all and treated you with arrogance.
 
kokaino said:
I have been through a number of SSRI's and NONE have worked for my anxiety, and only Lexapro has done anything for my depression (it hasn't touched my anxiety and I don't believe it will, either).
Click to expand...

Have you tried an SNRI?
 
I'm in a similar position, I'll give my doc a bit more time before I leave. Might try out a few SSRI's, that seems to be all she wants to throw at me. Who knows, one of them might work... She seems scared of benzos, I asked her for 10 tablets per month, she will only give 2 small tablets and only for special events. Doctors only want the best for themselves.

In the UK it's quite simple to switch practices, you just have to register and whatnot.
 
All you have to do is go to another practice and see another doctor. Some doctors might be a bit suspicious of a patient walking in off the street and straight up asking for benzodiazepines so I wouldn't do that. In fact I would probably explain that treatment with the other doctor isn't working, you are still taking the Lexapro though, and you want to know what else can be done to control the symptoms that are causing you suffering.

Unless you have been getting a lot of scripts for drugs that raise flags, no one is going to be checking up on you.
 
Also a few people from other countries have mentioned "getting your records sent over". There's no need to do that here - you can just walk in to a new doc and they have no right to your other records unless you decide you want them to have them.
 
^ this. You can go see another doctor without any problems.

if I were you I would go get a mental health plan so you can go see a psychologist either for free or very cheaply. This will give you some strategies to get to the root of the problem of sleeping and some strategies for helping you sleep.

Alternatively, if you want someone who is more experienced with mental health and medication ask for a referral to a psychiatrist.
 
btw, stlinox and zopliclone are quite effective sleeping aids. However, doctors are saying that these are addictive, and I actually had trouble getting them recently.

they are good for the short term, much more effective than temazepam in my opionion. doctors are also more likely to prescribe them.

there's lots of things you can do to help you sleep. have a hot shower, plus some camomile tea before sleep. get some exercise during the day. cut back on coffee in the afternoon. eat healthy. only use your bed for sleep and sex, not for meals and watching movies.

restavit is something you can get over the counter to help you sleep. its an antihistamine.
 
psytaco said:
btw, stlinox and zopliclone are quite effective sleeping aids. However, doctors are saying that these are addictive, and I actually had trouble getting them recently.

they are good for the short term, much more effective than temazepam in my opionion. doctors are also more likely to prescribe them.

there's lots of things you can do to help you sleep. have a hot shower, plus some camomile tea before sleep. get some exercise during the day. cut back on coffee in the afternoon. eat healthy. only use your bed for sleep and sex, not for meals and watching movies.

restavit is something you can get over the counter to help you sleep. its an antihistamine.
Click to expand...

My doctor prescribed me stilnox because she said it wasn't addictive. I strongly disagree with that.

Going in today to get some more :) Just sucks that they are such an expensive script and only lasts me 2 days
 
Hey everyone. I'm glad to see all of the replies I have gotten.

Basically, I might be willing to see a Psychologist, just to see if it makes any difference. But I'm more inclined to see my Psychiatrist, who should both medicate me and help me out in the same way as a Psychologist, right?

But basically, will I get different treatment from a Psychiatrist than a Doctor (GP)? I'm starting to think I should go straight to the Psychiatrist...
 
You can change doctors no problem, if you mention you have been on meds before then the new doc may ask where you were going before there. The odds of them having contactwith your previous doctor are slim.

You are entitled to a second opinion and as long as you are not obtaining controlled medicines from multiple doctors then you have nothing to worry about.
 
Besides Lexepro, I'm on no other medication. I'm experiencing Anxiety at the moment that badly that I just had to chew 3 Temazepam to relieve it a little. I was literally shaking from it...

I know everyone is against Benzo's, but I honestly need them - or something. I just got a HORRIBLE message from the guy the used to be my best friend for most of my life.I'll send it to you Drug Mentor, and tell me that wouldn't upset you. I consider him family, we've been best friends for almost 10 years, I'm closer with him than anyone else in my life. We were cool up until a few weeks ago... I guess this is what happens when your best friend gets with your ex-girlfriend - conspiracies, and false accusations and assumptions. It's killing me.

Ahhh....
 
Also, when switching, I'd be WANTING my new GP to ask for my history from my old GP. And man do I have horror tales of trying to get GPs to get history (easily) from other GPs. I've kicked desks in anger because IDIOTS wouldn't give me medical history (that was sent to them via another doctor in the post so it was hard copy pieces of paper, I moved from Melb to Geelong and I called/seen over 20 GPs trying to find _one_ that could take me on, most wouldn't with idiotic thoughts such as a GP in late 20s, early 30s, so young for a doctor telling me he preferred seeing elderly patients or kids with coughs + colds, that is almost verbatim of what he said) that the GP I had just seen had promised the reception desk would hand me my photocopied history to me as we both understood I'd never see him again with that quote I said just before. *shakes head in disgust all round at that saga*

And I badly needed any GP I was seeing even for 'trial' to see my history, in the past 5 years since my injury, I've had I think over 300 pages of notes for my old regular GP I'd been seeing for ages and he photocopied the most important notes as a brief, something like 40 pages? The receptionist at that medical clinic flat out told me she wasn't doing it again as it took her 'ages' to photocopy them (pfft, her job!) so I had to have each GP I see get hold of those notes or at least copies of them. I found a great GP finally, took over 6 months so I had to go back to melb each month for my monthly scripts until I found a GP down here who I felt happy seeing. I'm not going to go to a GP whom I'm not confident with especially that at times I go every week to see them such as lately, I've been at the GP 1-2 times per WEEK for the past month or two, nature of my injury + insomnia.

So, sorry for that 'rant' but I wanted to get across how I feel important it is you find a 'good' GP, one you feel comfortable with which at present it seems you don't. Just remember, if (hope it's not when!) you get addicted to benzos, you will probably hate yourself and/or the doctor for letting you get 'so far' down that path, but that's still not a given so please, be careful :) Wishing you well, best two things I found lately to get sleep without drugs is, I'm having a shower after dinner with using Johnson's baby sleep body wash and then I have 1-2 games of tetris on my wife's DS when I go to bed, that somehow helps my mind to 'relax' and I fall asleep almost instantly after the game, this has been AWESOME due to the insomnia I've had for past 5 years due to my injury and pain meds routine for it. :)
 
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