Posted by fachad on August 4, 2001, at 22:46:11
I just got a letter in the mail today from my Pdoc saying that he is closing his practice. He's been my Pdoc for over 8 years, and that is the longest I've continued with any person for anything other than family and personal friends.
I'm really sad to find out that he will not be my doctor any more. I'm also really concerned because I take methylphenidate. I'm not ADD, I'm not even sure what my DX is. Depression was my original presenting symptom, and I went thru a lengthy gauntlet of ADs & etc. with partial success and major side effects hell.
We finally tried methylphenidate to potentate Serzone and it really worked. I took those two meds for about two years then tapered off the Serzone. I kept on methylphenidate for three more years at the same dose.
Earlier this year I had a relapse of depression after being symptom free for about 5 years. I started Prozac (I knew it had fewer side effects yrs ago) and it worked. All this time I continued the methylphenidate.
The Prozac gave me horrific insomnia. I tried a few antihistamine hypnotics with no luck, then my Pdoc prescribed Ambien. It works great.
Which brings me to why I'm worried. In the next few months, I'm going to have to find a new Pdoc, who doesn't know me, and ask him for RXs for three meds, two of which are controlled substances (methylphenidate=CII, Ambien=CIV)
Is this new Pdoc going to tell me that "that's just not appropriate" or try to taper me off, or try to substitute some ineffective, side effect laden med for my effective, current scheduled meds?
If he does, and I go to a different Pdoc, will I be labeled a "doctor shopping drug seeker"? That's so humiliating and degrading. I've never taken over the prescribed dose even once in all these years. But I know that if I stop the methylphenidate (I've done it a few times) my quality of life will go down.
Has anyone else faced this? Any idea how I will fare?
Am I doomed or am I worrying about nothing?Please share your experiences.
poster:fachad
thread:73612
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/73612.html