Posted by Elizabeth on July 18, 2001, at 21:33:39
In reply to Re: Tell me about Buspar? » Elizabeth, posted by sl on July 18, 2001, at 11:03:12
> The booklet from the makers said it wouldn't make me tired, and that's wonderful. I just am on so many right now, I've got a few days left so I'm gonna stick it out. But anyway, drugchecker said it might interact with the tricyclics and/or the Prozac to make me more sleepy, at least til I'm off those.
I wouldn't listen to drugchecker, FWIW. < g > If it made you sleepy, my guess is that the mechanism would be decreasing the rate of metabolism of the tricyclic.
> Well, I've only got 3 wks before the next dr's appt, and if it's not doing anything for me, we'll try something different.
3 weeks might not be long enough.
> I DO know that last night my nervous headache went away, but I'm not sure which med to attribute that to, since I take 3 at bedtime at this point.
Jeez. I had headaches as a teenager that were eliminated by Prozac, FWIW. I'd guess that the relief of your headaches is due either to the Buspar or to *reducing* the dose of one of the other ones.
> No, this is a very special situation. It's a sliding-scale clinic. And there WAS another thing on her tag, I think it might have been RN.
If you think to check next time, I'd like to know. (She might be a nurse practitioner, a "mid-level" clinician who can prescribe under some circumstances). Sliding-scale clinics aren't a "special case" in the sense of not having to practise ethically! I don't fault you for taking medication from whomever will give it to you, but they shouldn't be operating like that.
> And _I_ REALLY don't care what it said on her tag, since she knew what was what.
I dunno, if she thinks Klonopin is "too addictive" to be used for anxiety, I'm not convinced that she knows so much. (Don't tell her I said that. :-) )
> I think we had this discussion before: Is it better to have a GP who knows you and checks their plan, or a psychiatrist or other professional who blows you off?
A GP is different from a nurse or a psychologist. A GP is a doctor.
> Again, it might have a lot to do with the situation. A sliding-scale clinic would probably see a LOT of folks after addictive drugs.
Maybe, but that sort of prejudice doesn't justify mistreating their patients (IMHO).
> And I absolutely respect her opinion. It's not like she dismissed my idea, she just steered me towards a less-addicting anti-anxiety med. Which I'm glad of, I've seen the horror-stories of getting off Klonopin, have you???
Withdrawal symptoms aren't the same as drug addiction. But anyway, if you taper off really slowly (it can take 6 months or more), it's perfectly possible to stop taking benzodiazepines after long-term use. Assuming you no longer need them, of course.
> Ummm...have you noticed that an awful lot of MD's wont even ask you what you want? They'll TELL you "this is what you're going to take!".
That's why I try to talk to them on the phone before making an appointment: to get a feel for whether they're worth my time (and money). Anyway, I've met psychologists, social workers, and nurses who were just as arrogant and inconsiderate as any doctor! < g >
> Like my last one. I'm just glad this woman took my opinion into account and understood the point (anxiety relief) instead of thinking I just wanted habit-forming benzos.
I understand. I just think you should be able to expect that from any competent clinician.
> Keep in mind, I'd never met this woman before, she didn't have my records, all she had was my word. Wouldn't you give her credit for caution??
Actually, I didn't know she didn't have your records. Usually when I've moved and needed to find a new doctor, s/he's wanted me to release my medical records from previous doctors. I do think that caution is reasonable, but my impression from what you related was that she just dismissed the idea of benzos, rather than setting it aside as something to try if the Buspar doesn't work.
> Absolutely fine. She gave me ...well, not free reign, but said I could look up the info and decide how I wanted to taper on and how far to go up.
That's cool. (I think you should read about the use of higher doses for depression and severe anxiety, of course. :-) )
> She told me how the tabs look, and how to split them to get an even amount. :)
They look like little white coffins, don't they?
> And of course, neither of us were sure how I'd respond til the other meds were out of my system. I'll probably stick with just 10mg/day until then (4 more days!).
That's a sensible idea, assuming you can afford to take the time.
> I think you're overly harsh on someone who was doing this for me when nobody else would. AND spent more time talking to me and observing me
than the last MD did.You're probably right; I've had problems in the past with doctors who didn't want to prescribe benzodiazepines on the grounds that they were "addictive." They didn't seem to understand that I don't get any kicks out of Xanax or Klonopin and that I've been taking them as needed for years without ever having problems. (Taking more Klonopin than is needed just makes me more likely to fall asleep).
> By the way, I am unemployed, and had she actually written a prescription, I couldn't afford to fill it, and she KNEW this and gave me a jar. A jar that would have cost me $100 or more, even just to try out for 3 weeks.
Let's hear it for samples! (I got my month's worth of Remeron that way, too.)
Say, isn't there generic buspirone now?
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:70523
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010714/msgs/70744.html