Posted by jealibeanz on March 20, 2007, at 5:02:46
In reply to Re: I'm considering alcohol to replace medications » jealibeanz, posted by Quintal on March 19, 2007, at 0:51:48
> If you're so confident why the worrying over his reaction? I heard you loud and clear, that's why I posted my suggestion. I think I too stated in detail that the opiates I was taking were also ineffective, but that being controlled substances I worried my GP might begin to feel uncomfortable prescribing several similar analogues within a short space of time. It seemed to me that you had similar concerns in your own case with benzos. Taking the bottle back was just my way of reassuring her that I was taking them as prescribed and not trying to hoard controlled substances - she actually gave me them back to keep. My GP had no reason to suspect I was abusing the opiates either, but as you too imagine, they may start to feel uneasy about prescribing multiple amounts of controlled substances within a short space of time for various reasons, not only that the patient may be abusing them but because it could set up red flags on their prescribing records should they be reviewed.
>
Well, I don't even have a face to face appointment. So when I call, I'd have to rely on him asking me to come in.I never thought of giving him the bottle because I know he'd be like "I don't want your drugs!" (think to himself, not yell). And legally, I'm not sure he can take them from me. If he did, it would be too much trouble to dispose of them legally and document it all properly, which he'd have to do.
I guess I could take the bottle out and show them to him. That's kinda degrading. Me feeling the need to show him I'm not overdosing.
I could work it into the conversation, take them out and look at them, while I'm explaining some weird theory about why it doesn't work. Or just sorta looking at it and talking about how it's designed. I don't know. I still feel weird about it.
The only way I could comfortably hand them back is if I were joking about it.
Yeah, I worry, just because I know he needs to worry. I know the DEA checks things out. I am now his "red flag". The pharmacy almost wasn't going to fill the script. If he wrote another Xanax script, it would make things more questionable.
It's not like the way he's treating me will get him into trouble or have his license revoked, but he may actually be questioned. I don't know. It seems to me, from reports I've read, that it's sorta hit or miss. Docs can go for years abusing controlled drugs themselves, or misprescribing them to others, and not get caught. Or they might be questioned right away.
My case can be explained. And I am only one case. It's not like he's running a drug-ring, giving controlled drugs to everyone in his office. I think his partners would freak out and kick him out of the practice if he did.
Plus, I used to work as a pharm tech at a local pharmacy. He does love to write scripts! I filled far my scripts from him in proportion the many many doctors in the mid-sized city. It wasn't due to location of my store. But he wasn't writing controlled prescriptions. I remember noting that he wrote a lot for Zoloft, seemed to be his fav. Haha, I can't believe he's never tried to push that on me, he actually mentioned Celexa last summer/fall when I was depressed a bit. I don't know why that drug came to mind. He really seems to enjoy Zoloft. (Sorry, tangent, ADHD... brings me to another point though...)
I do have scripts for other controlled meds. In the past year, I cannot believe the number I've been given from him, a GP, especially after going for a few years unmedicated, it's a bit of a shock for me to think about it. I'm now one of "those people". Blehh... the ones the pharmacists hate.
Anyway, right now I also have Lunesta, Provigil, and Ritalin LA, which are controlled. So, he's got me on quite a few. I'm his "liability" I guess. It takes some guts for him to use them, most GP's would be like ummm... see ya! You're either getting referred or getting the pretty samples I give you and pretending to like them.
> I get the impression benzos are still held in fairly high esteem in the US and your own doctor seems to be comfortable with them. I see no reason to feel bad about taking a med that keeps you functional where all else has failed. They do seem to have fallen from grace a little in other countries due to the problems they often cause (worsening the original condition and precipitating new anxiety disorders/OCD) and of course tolerance when used daily for long periods of time.
No, I would not say that at all. I think benzo scripts are hard to get. I happened upon a doctor who was willing to give them to me, after trials of other non-scheduled meds, and knowing me as a patient for a few years.
I think the key, that most people find, is obviously you have to be willing to try other meds before getting them. Plus you need a doc who's willing to do it.
I have had the idea of a benzo proposed to me. I had to ask. The only reason I knew of them was because of my own research. It's not like they run tv ads. It's gotten fairly common over the last year though, I must say, in terms of pop-culture. There's been a lot of talk about teens abusing drugs like Xanax, Brittany Spears taking Xanax XR, etc. So the general population is becoming aware of them now.
It wasn't like this 3-4 years ago when I first asked for Klonopin, and got it. I had two friends... one taking Xanax and one taking Klonopin, both PRN, with SSRI's. They were not the norm. Unfortunately, the stupid newcasters and articles are turning helpful drugs like Ritalin and Xanax and Provigil and Lunesta into household names... all in the last year, more or less...
OK, not Ritalin, that's been talked about freely for years. And the FDA keeps approving "less easily abusable" stimulants, which helps those who need them... although I think I hate these versions.
Xanax is being talked about regarding teens taking it from their parents or other sources, and abusing it in school. I wonder when I hear these reports though. Where are really coming from. Some people get scripts from docs and sell them, but really, it's a controlled drug, how it is floating around on the streets now? Silly, irresponsible kids (says the wise and worldly 24 yr old! :)
Provigil is making its way into new articles and on tv. I've read/heard about it being abused by ER docs and pilots and by the army (maybe not a horrible thing though, do you want your ER doc to misdiagnose you because he's at the end of his 12 hour shift? or your pilot to crash?)
Lunesta is being lumped in with Ambien, Soma, and another sleep med, as causing crazy things... sleep walking/eating/cleaning/crimes. I thought Lunesta wasn't really cited for many problems. There's a lot of citings on Ambien (and I understand, as I too was a sleep-driver/cleaner for a few days). But Lunesta is being associated with it and put on tv.
I hate how medicine has become pop-culture in this country. It's ridiculous. I'd like a law to be put in place to ban ads. Why does the FDA allow this? It makes me mad.
It makes patients wayyy less credible when they speak of specific medications or diseases. I'm sure half the people, at least, in GP's offices are recited tv commercials. This must drive them crazy.
While public knowledge can be a good thing, it's gone too far. OK, I'm done ranting for now...
poster:jealibeanz
thread:741828
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070320/msgs/742391.html