Benzos New Shrink Doesn't Want Me on Valium Anymore

[Michael_25]

I've been seeing this one shrink since mid-2012. He put me on 56 diazepam for four weeks. So I've been on this regime for the last three years. He was cool with it ... but now he no longer works their and some bullshit female is now my designated shrink. I saw her ONCE now. The first thing she says: "I see you've been on diazepam for three years now. That is not good. We have to taper you off this drug as it just builds tolerance and is addictive."

Fuck. My past shrink didn't give a shit about my benzos. He gave me diazepam easily. Now, the new bright spark sees me one time and halves my dose?! She said by the end of the year I will be off benzos permanently. Fuck! Stupid bitch. I need that shit. The next time I see her should I just confront her by saying THIS: "
"Look, my old psychiatrist presribed me benzos for the past three years and he didn't mind. Now, after one session, you want to take me off this stuff?! Don't you think there was a valid reason for me being on this stuff for so long. My last psychiatrist thought the benefits outweighed the cons. Now I see you once and you want to get me off it completely. This is bullshit!" And then proceed to walk out the room in a huff ...

 

[pillman1224]

probably the dumbest thing you can say is what you put in bold. she does not sound like a friendly doc this will be a challenge. just explain that the medication works and you dont want to fix something that isnt broken. good luck

 

[Mad Dash]

Like I said man, benzos are becoming harder and harder to come by RX wise. After the great pharmagedon in Florida saw pills travel from Florida to even different countries as far as Asia. The US started clamping down on the FDA who in turn put HUGE pressure on doctors, that is why the black market is in a drought now and is the same reason benzos and opiates in general are being RXd less and less. My medical chart has me diagnosed with the most severe forms of depression and anxiety possible and they only let me stay on valium for 4 months. But since I agreed to taper I demanded to have 15 1 mg Ativan/month for emergency panic attacks. Ones that I can not control through therapy. They agreed to that. But it looks like the days of being on benzos daily are over.

 

[T. Calderone]

I don't think throwing a tantrum will get you anywhere. Look up the Ashton method, (it's a slow taper) print it out and show this to her on your next visit.

 

[Michael_25]

probably the dumbest thing you can say is what you put in bold. she does not sound like a friendly doc this will be a challenge. just explain that the medication works and you dont want to fix something that isnt broken. good luck

I guess it is pretty dumb to throw a fit. Anyway, your idea of saying "why fix something that isn't broken" would be worth mentioning.

 

[Michael_25]

Like I said man, benzos are becoming harder and harder to come by RX wise. After the great pharmagedon in Florida saw pills travel from Florida to even different countries as far as Asia. The US started clamping down on the FDA who in turn put HUGE pressure on doctors, that is why the black market is in a drought now and is the same reason benzos and opiates in general are being RXd less and less. My medical chart has me diagnosed with the most severe forms of depression and anxiety possible and they only let me stay on valium for 4 months. But since I agreed to taper I demanded to have 15 1 mg Ativan/month for emergency panic attacks. Ones that I can not control through therapy. They agreed to that. But it looks like the days of being on benzos daily are over.

I agree, another 10 years and benzos will be the new barbituates: i.e. prescribed extremely rarely.

I don't think throwing a tantrum will get you anywhere. Look up the Ashton method, (it's a slow taper) print it out and show this to her on your next visit.

Will look into that, thanks Calderone!

 

[Hodor]

56 Diazepam over 4 weeks? Like 56 tablets of ...5mg ...10 mg?

If we're talking 10 mgs a day I'd be in the "if-it-ain't-broken-don't-fix-it"-camp, at 20 mgs a day you might seriously consider decreasing the dose and looking for alternatives to manage your day-to-day anxiety (I'm a big proponent of Pregabalin).
My Pdoc got me down to 10 mg/d of Diazepam after a period of rather... abusive benzo use, then switched to Oxazepam, where we eventually settled for 250 mg per week (I myself suggested cutting it to 175 mg, but after this led to a disproportional increase in anxiety, we went back up to 250)... I guess she feels she can trust me because I'm well aware that I've abused this stuff in the past, and I thus respect the fuck out of it... also, it probably helped that I showed an almost Stockholm-Syndrome-esque gratitude after my initial relatively rapid and unpleasant taper down to 10 mgs, instead of asking to get right back on the benzo gravy train.

Edit: After reading about people using Clonidine for opiate withdrawal, I wonder if I should ask my doc for a prescription, maybe that could help me with further decreasing my benzo dose. Anyone got any experiences to share?

 

[Mad Dash]

My doctor put my on zanaflex and hydroxyzine to get off benzos, gabapentin is supposed to work well to but from what I have heard it can be just as addicting a lot of people compare it to GHB. What I am taking seems to have helped. I was on same dose as you 20 mg / day. Now I am down to 7.5, next month I will be at 5mg. And my anxiety has been under control very well. So well in fact there are days where I pocket my dose and save it for the weekend. However, If I know I have a shitty day coming up I take it in the AM.

Off Topic: @Hodor is you SN from GOT? Hodor? Hodor?

 

[hisredrighthand]

Looks like you have three options:

1. See if she knows her stuff and understands that you'll need a slow and gradual taper to avoid brain damage, psychosis and unnecessary suffering. If she does, you might want to at least try it.
2. Transfer to a different doctor that will continue the treatment with Valium, at least for a while.
3. If all else fails, you could get some RC benzo like Clonazolam

 

[SluttyPeach]

Wow, I hate hearing about shit like this only because when doctors taper people off benzos they tend to do it way too fast. Make sure you at least politely stress to them that you want to be in as little discomfort as possible with the taper and maybe ask for alternatives. Others have mentioned pregabalin and gabapentin which can also be addictive but not quite to the extent as benzos. My doctor put me on gabapentin to help anxiety and I have minimal issues, it's worth a try. I wish you the best

 

[manboychef]

you are a consumer of healthcare/mental healthcare. You pay for or indirectly pay for your treatment. One thing that people in the united states fail to realize is that they can find a doctor that better suits them. The healthcare industry has made it harder to do so, but it is not impossible. I hated my psychiatrist. She saw me once every three months for fifteen minutes after waiting three hours in the waiting room with a bunch of other low watt bulbs staring blankly at each other and watching the same Pirates of The Carribbean movie on loop. When it was finally my turn she lead me into the office, gestured to a chair and said "have a seat"...I told her "no you have a seat. I dont like the way you treat me, you prescribed me way to much meds and I felt like my world was ending, and then when you finally got around to returning my phone call in two weeks, you said "whoops, I shouldnt have prescribed lexapro and effexor." whoops? WHOOPS?! is that what my mental health means to you? I'm a ghost bitch! Cya!"

I had someone else setup to manage my mental healthcare. Don't do it unless you do. But yeah, you're a consumer of healthcare services, you have the privelige, nay the right to shop around till you find someone that suits you a lot better...you may even be able to follow your old doctor to his new practice.

 

[Mad Dash]

you are a consumer of healthcare/mental healthcare. You pay for or indirectly pay for your treatment. One thing that people in the united states fail to realize is that they can find a doctor that better suits them. The healthcare industry has made it harder to do so, but it is not impossible. I hated my psychiatrist. She saw me once every three months for fifteen minutes after waiting three hours in the waiting room with a bunch of other low watt bulbs staring blankly at each other and watching the same Pirates of The Carribbean movie on loop. When it was finally my turn she lead me into the office, gestured to a chair and said "have a seat"...I told her "no you have a seat. I dont like the way you treat me, you prescribed me way to much meds and I felt like my world was ending, and then when you finally got around to returning my phone call in two weeks, you said "whoops, I shouldnt have prescribed lexapro and effexor." whoops? WHOOPS?! is that what my mental health means to you? I'm a ghost bitch! Cya!"

I had someone else setup to manage my mental healthcare. Don't do it unless you do. But yeah, you're a consumer of healthcare services, you have the privelige, nay the right to shop around till you find someone that suits you a lot better...you may even be able to follow your old doctor to his new practice.

While this it is totally true that you should get care from a good doc with good bedside manor regardless of the medication they are RXing you; I have found that docs all over the country are no longer writing benzos for long term use. It is in the literature now. Even if there are doctors still following this practice it is only a matter of time before it is common place. The smart money will make the switch now for acute panic attacks with fast acting benzos written at less than 30 days worth instead of fighting to stay on benzos daily. Like I was able to secure with my Ativan. Because if you allow your doc to taper you all the way then they will just say okay you are off now. If you make an agreement early on they will be more inclined to agree to it.

But OP how useful was this RX anyways? You said you had to use 100 mg per dose right? So I mean you got what... four effective doses per month? Might as well make a switch to a more potent benzo and get less of them. Like Xanax or Ativan.

 

[sekio]

benzos are generally meant to be short term stop gap measures used for no longer than about 14 days, so don't be suprised if doctors want to switch you off of them

 

[Michael_25]

While this it is totally true that you should get care from a good doc with good bedside manor regardless of the medication they are RXing you; I have found that docs all over the country are no longer writing benzos for long term use. It is in the literature now. Even if there are doctors still following this practice it is only a matter of time before it is common place. The smart money will make the switch now for acute panic attacks with fast acting benzos written at less than 30 days worth instead of fighting to stay on benzos daily. Like I was able to secure with my Ativan. Because if you allow your doc to taper you all the way then they will just say okay you are off now. If you make an agreement early on they will be more inclined to agree to it.

But OP how useful was this RX anyways? You said you had to use 100 mg per dose right? So I mean you got what... four effective doses per month? Might as well make a switch to a more potent benzo and get less of them. Like Xanax or Ativan.

I was on 56 5mg tabs for 28 days, until I saw this new shrink who thought I need to get off them. She tapered me down to 28 5mg tabs. That's fucking bullshit. That's barely 2 doses for me. I asked about both lorazepam and alprazolam before and I was refused. The reason: "They back a bigger punch and are more addictive than diazepam".

Thanks to all the other posters, too.

 

[Michael_25]

you are a consumer of healthcare/mental healthcare. You pay for or indirectly pay for your treatment. One thing that people in the united states fail to realize is that they can find a doctor that better suits them. The healthcare industry has made it harder to do so, but it is not impossible. I hated my psychiatrist. She saw me once every three months for fifteen minutes after waiting three hours in the waiting room with a bunch of other low watt bulbs staring blankly at each other and watching the same Pirates of The Carribbean movie on loop. When it was finally my turn she lead me into the office, gestured to a chair and said "have a seat"...I told her "no you have a seat. I dont like the way you treat me, you prescribed me way to much meds and I felt like my world was ending, and then when you finally got around to returning my phone call in two weeks, you said "whoops, I shouldnt have prescribed lexapro and effexor." whoops? WHOOPS?! is that what my mental health means to you? I'm a ghost bitch! Cya!"

I had someone else setup to manage my mental healthcare. Don't do it unless you do. But yeah, you're a consumer of healthcare services, you have the privelige, nay the right to shop around till you find someone that suits you a lot better...you may even be able to follow your old doctor to his new practice.

LOL The bold made me laugh. "low watt bulbs" haha. I know exactly what you mean. All the other patients seem to have this vacant look about them, like they don't know whether they're in a hospital or in bed watching Scooby Doo on repeat. I thought I was jacked up on clozapine (550mg)and might have the same vacuous look. Hope not.

 

[SixBuckets]

I've been on an "as needed" Valium prescription for twelve years. I rarely take them more than once every month or two, but when I take them it's definitely because I need them.

I literally have nightmares about what I'm going to do when my pshrink retires and I have to see someone else who may not have as much faith in my ability to self-manage a benzo script.

 

[Mad Dash]

I was on 56 5mg tabs for 28 days, until I saw this new shrink who thought I need to get off them. She tapered me down to 28 5mg tabs. That's fucking bullshit. That's barely 2 doses for me. I asked about both lorazepam and alprazolam before and I was refused. The reason: "They back a bigger punch and are more addictive than diazepam".

Thanks to all the other posters, too.

WHAT?! She wont even give you 10 a month?!?! What the fuck are you supposed to do if you have a real emergency panic attack? So she just wants you off all benzos no questions asked? No deals no nothing? Just she doesn't feel like it so fuck you? FUCK that I would absolutely get a new doctor. That is just stupid. So basically you are going to pay all that money to go see her and all she is doing is giving you enough to keep you from dying of a seizure? FUCK her. I would be out of there.

 

[manboychef]

that is exactly what I said mad dash.

I have taken benzos for sleep for a long time....I take .5mg xanax and 30mg temazepam every night. three or four refills on each. However, I had to take part in a sleep study and go through a host of other meds that didnt work before I could get here. In the last four months I have only taken one extra .5mg xanax one night after I got my flu shot and my body was very achy (which kept waking me up).

Literally I am the lightest sleeper, and the OCD keeps me up with strange scenarios racing around my mind. A rat pissing on cotton in the next house over could wake me up.

Anyways, I would look for a new doctor that is more sympathetic to your needs, and make sure they actually have time for you. If I call my doctor with an emergency on monday, I see him tuesday. Find a guy like that

 

[Mad Dash]

ya getting you off valium is one thing if she meant to switch you to a PRN situation. What diagnosis do you have? I just can not see the ethics behind not giving you ANY kind of medication for panic attacks. Daily benzo use is one thing, but not even like 10 fucking 1 mg Ativan? That is malpractice! If you are anything like me when I get one it is I am a danger to myself AND others. If I did not have something like that I would likely end up in prison.

I have literally been grocery shopping and had a flashback (which are not the way they happen in movies) It os more like a certain random situation that gives you deja vu back to a time when I was in a TIC and then I get a violent panic attack. Thank God I have a key fob with like 4 ativan in it, I put one under my tongue and usually withing a couple mins it starts to clam a little bit then after swallowing the dissolved pill like 10 minutes later on an empty stomach I am perfectly calm. I can't imagine my life without it.

 

[Hodor]

Off Topic: @Hodor is you SN from GOT? Hodor? Hodor?

Technically it is from "A Song of Ice & Fire" - I registered my account before the show came out. And before you say: "Well, the first book was also called "Game of Thrones"!" - no, not for me it wasn't, because in many places outside the US, each long-ass ASoIaF volume was split into two medium-sized books.

Which also meant I had the honor of getting Ned's death spoiled not by some dick on the internet, but by the back cover of Book 1, Part 2, which started with a sentence about how "Robb Stark, King in the North, has to avenge his father's death...".

So, in short, I'm cooler than 95% of the guys with GoT-inspired usernames %) ( )