Aa
Dr. took. me off of 120 1mg cold turkey
I have benn on Benzodiazepines (clonazepan, xanax) for 10 years since I was 20 years old. I had one refill on my prescription and I called them in today and the pharacy told me that my doctor called the pharmacy and took me off of my xanax and he took away my refill. Is this legal. For one, I never abuse my medication, I never sell them, and I always pick them up exactly on the refill date. I know I can suffer from siezures if I am cut off cold turkey. Is this legal. If he wants to take me off shouldn't he be weaning me off slowly. I shouldn't be taken off of my benzodiaepines in the first place after taken them for ten years. Can you give me any input on this situation because I am suffering from severe anxiety, insomnia, and my body is shaking constantly from the anxiety I am experiencing a buzz like sensation in my head. What can I do about this situtaton. Please help me with your information.
Chris Hall
Christopher Hall
Chris Hall
Christopher Hall
I too have a benzo horror story. I had been prescribed Valium tens 2x Daily for 10+ yrs and when a small VA clinic opened closer to me than the hospital I had always went to I was forced to change to a new psychiatrist ( which I really didn't feel comfortable doing) but reluctantly I did make an appointment. Within a week of making my appt the psychiatrist nurse calls me to inform me that Dr YoYo, is taking me off my Valium and will not discuss the issue. All this without ever even seeing me face to face or talking to me. I have lost alot of faith in The VAs PACS unit not to mention the pain management Drs at the Murfreesboro VA. Muslim pain Drs didn't surprise me that they want you to be in pain . Don't get me wrong they did the minimum for me and let me know they won't have any problem seeing me suffer. So I outsource as much of my health care as I can. We are a nation of Veterans and we deserve better. Start writing and calling Senetors and Congressmen and all the way to the White House. God bless the USA.
I was interested in your story and I am glad to hear you got your medication. What are your symptoms if you skip a dose? I myself have anxiety and take xanax as needed.
What you write makes perfect sense as many states have that same rule. But this doctor had ALREADY written him a refill and THAT is what he cancelled. To not notify him of this was wrong, irresponsible and totally unprofessional.
Greenlydia
Greenlydia
Your doctor is a moron! He obviously does NOT understand benzos if he did this to you. I don't know if it's legal or not, but medically it's irresponsible, dangerous and cruel. Go ahead and call him..........ask him why. I sure as hell want to know what his reasoning is. If he does NOT immediately call in a refill for you and you are out of medication, please go to your local ER and explain the situation to them. Take your precsription bottles with you for proof that you are not simply a drug seeker.
They will probably give you just enough to last until you can see your doctor, but I would strongly urge you to run away from your current one!
You might also want to consider getting in touch with a PMM. (Psychiatric Medication Manager) They work out of most pyschiatric offices and you do not need to be a patient to take advantage of their services. But these professionals understand benzos, it is their sole job to understand all psycotropic meds, they can write scripts and they can and will help you. I was in a horrible mess with my meds until I learned about PMM's! They hold the same belief that I do.........which is that the vast majority of GPs/PCPS have absolutely no business prescribing these types of meds because they do NOT understand the ramifications of them over the long haul. What little knowledge they have comes from the drug reps who will tout the wonders of a new benzo and gloss over the down sides and dangers. It is usually why your doctor can send you home with an armload of samples! That rep wants his crap out on the streets, and your doctor wants his kick-backs for eveyone script he writes!
PMMs do NOT allow drug reps to call on them and they do not get kick-backs. Yet another reason to know they are concerned with YOU and not their pockets.
And, as was stated above, if your doctor recinded your refills, it should have been his duty to inform you of this decision.
If I was you, I would also present my case to your states Medical Board. After 10 YEARS on a benzo, to abruptly stop prescribing it is, in my humble opinion, tatamount to malpractice! This of course assumes he understands these meds, which he obviously does not, as it is insane to cut a long time benzo user off cold turkey.
I wish you luck in what may prove to be an uphill battle. Don't give up!
Peace
Greenlydia
They will probably give you just enough to last until you can see your doctor, but I would strongly urge you to run away from your current one!
You might also want to consider getting in touch with a PMM. (Psychiatric Medication Manager) They work out of most pyschiatric offices and you do not need to be a patient to take advantage of their services. But these professionals understand benzos, it is their sole job to understand all psycotropic meds, they can write scripts and they can and will help you. I was in a horrible mess with my meds until I learned about PMM's! They hold the same belief that I do.........which is that the vast majority of GPs/PCPS have absolutely no business prescribing these types of meds because they do NOT understand the ramifications of them over the long haul. What little knowledge they have comes from the drug reps who will tout the wonders of a new benzo and gloss over the down sides and dangers. It is usually why your doctor can send you home with an armload of samples! That rep wants his crap out on the streets, and your doctor wants his kick-backs for eveyone script he writes!
PMMs do NOT allow drug reps to call on them and they do not get kick-backs. Yet another reason to know they are concerned with YOU and not their pockets.
And, as was stated above, if your doctor recinded your refills, it should have been his duty to inform you of this decision.
If I was you, I would also present my case to your states Medical Board. After 10 YEARS on a benzo, to abruptly stop prescribing it is, in my humble opinion, tatamount to malpractice! This of course assumes he understands these meds, which he obviously does not, as it is insane to cut a long time benzo user off cold turkey.
I wish you luck in what may prove to be an uphill battle. Don't give up!
Peace
Greenlydia
My doctors office called me today and told me that my GP was let go. I heard through the grape vine that he was overwriting people prescriptions for narcotics and one his patients openly told me that they were trading him crack cocaine for a script of 150 2mg Xanax every two weeks. So he was forced to cancel all of his scripts that he wrote for his patients and all of his patients were all referred to different doctors to be re-evaluated. I hope to God that he will be put behind bars for his actions and putting all of his patients in jeopardy [and abusing his powers as a doctor just to get a quick fix]. So I went in today and saw my new doctor whom is infact a psychiatrist (which I am a lot more comfortable seeing beacuse he knows much more about psychotropic meds than my old GP). He wrote me a script of Phenobarbitol if I wanted to come off of my meds and he also wrote me a new script for my Xanax (1mg 4x daily). So needless to say I took the script for the Xanax and I filled the Phenobarbitol just to be sure that if something like this ever happens again I will have something to ease the w/d. I am feeling so much better right now.
Not being Nasty here but did you give your GP any reason to do this?, benzo's are abused easily just wanted to know if your giving us the full story?. Not calling your a liar either..Just seem's very odd for a med compliant person to be cut off...... is he worried about your dose are u taking more then normal? Call this GP today!
I'm shocked that an ER dr would react in such a way, did you take your bottles with you? Is there another er or urgent care you can go to and tell them you are withdrawling and explain the situation and show them your bottles? Unfortunantly, I can't help to much with what to do until morning, I've been through withdrawl and the only thing that helped was phenobarbital which they gave me to ease the symptoms and keep me from having seizures. I've been through what you're going through though, maybe you can find someone you trust to talk to and keep you company? That helps with my panic attacks. Warm baths and tylenol pm might help with the sleeplessness. Once you calm down the shakes might slow down. Overall you need medical attention ASAP. I wish could help more. I hope you write tomorrow about what your dr said.
The only thing I can think of is to contact your current psychiatrist or doctor and threaten a malpractice lawsuit if you have to. This is just cruel and dangerous. Where do these morons come from?
In Pennsylvania they are allowed to call in xanax to a pharmacy. And I am fresh out. I just returned from the hospital because I had a really bad panic attack and the doctor at the hospital told me, "I do not prescribe benzo's so your only option is to go to detox or talk to your family doctor." For what? I am not a drug addict what-so-ever. As I stated previously, I take my medication as prescribed and I always have. So, needless I put my coat on and left the hospital. I have no idea what to do. I have been shaking all day long, and it feels like mt head is about to explode. Obviously I have to find a new doctor but what the hell can I do in the mean time? It will take me weeks to get in to see a doctor. And good doctors where I live are few and far between.
I have no idea why he would cancel a refill without notification. But he put his patients welfare at risk and that, in my book, makes him unworthy of his title.
Greenlydia
Greenlydia
Greenlydia, I missed that....that does not seem right at all. Not only is it unethical but not sure he can do that. How does one cancel a refill?
Is it possible if you go in & visit they will write this script? In my state NY it is not legal to call in xanax you need to have a written script presented to the pharmacy and you must show valid id, ie drivers license or passport. I see my dr every 6 weeks just to get my script perhaps this is what he wants you to do. Are you fresh out? I suggest you go to that office 1st thing in the morning. Withdrawl can be very dangerous for you. Keep us posted.
This is craziness! Call your doctor as soon as you can and find out what's going on. Regardless of why he did this, they should have notified you and I would remind them of this.
The problem is, I saw my doctor two months ago and he gave me 2 refills on my medication and when I called the pharmacy, they told me that the doctor called them and told them to cancel the refill. At my last appointment he did in fact scedule me to come back on February 4th.
You need to call your doctor because they are very much aware that you shouldn't stop this cold turkey. I do know that if they have been asking you to come in to see them and you haven't, they won't refill your meds until you make an appt. and then they will only prescribe enough to last until that day. Doctors need to see you and know how you're doing on the meds. I'm just guessing here, so call the doctor and ask him why.
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