Posted by ed_uk on April 12, 2006, at 16:09:25
In reply to Re: Ps Thank you - yxibow, ed and bassman.., posted by Meri-Tuuli on April 12, 2006, at 15:02:55
Hi Meri
I'm afraid to say, SSRIs are the only widely accepted medications for anxiety disorders in the UK.
Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed at ridiculously low doses. I always needed a minimum of 10mg diazepam per dose to relieve anxiety. In spite of this, my doctor insisted on prescribing 2mg three times a day. WTF! It appears that doctors have been advised to only prescribe the 2mg tablets. They have been told to prescribe the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time - which would be good if they actually understood it. Unfortunately, it appears to have been interpreted as meaning that ALL patients should recieve the minimum dose, regardless of whether or not it is actually effective. If someone put 2mg diazepam in my drink I would have no idea that I'd been given anything. It just doesn't do anything. When diazepam was first introduced, it was recommended for all grades of anxiety. 2mg three times a day was recommended for mild anxiety. Up to 30mg/day was recommended for severe anxiety. Now that diazepam is only prescribed for severe anxiety, why are doctors giving everyone 2mg three times a day? This was the dose for mild/trivial anxiety. The concept of finding the minimum EFFECTIVE dose seems to be beyond most doctors in the UK. Instead, most people get a sub-therapeutic dose. IMO, if you're going to take a benzo at all, you really do need to take a dose which actually works. Otherwise, you'd be a lot better off taking a placebo :)
2mg two or three times a day IS adequate for some people, but probably not most, at least not in the short term - which is exactly what benzos are used for in the UK - short term relief.
So yeah anyway, my doc told me that he would only prescribe the 2mg tabs and write 'one tds' on the prescription so as not to 'upset' the pharmacy. He told me I could take 5 tabs per dose but not to tell the pharmacy. Some pharmacists are a pain in the *rse.
>Just what exactly is it with the UK and prescribing patterns??
What doctors prescribe on the NHS is controlled by various 'prescribing advisors' who write guidelines telling doctors what constitutes 'good prescribing'. In general, such guidelines are very restrictive.........very and unimaginative.
Ed x
poster:ed_uk
thread:632120
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060412/msgs/632261.html