Posted by jojo on August 6, 2001, at 15:33:13
In reply to Help! Pdoc quiting! (controlled RX transfer), 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.
You need a "Mental Health Transition Specialist"!Several years ago I found myself in a similar situation, and saw the need for the "Specialist" ; >) mentioned above.
I wrote a letter to a psychiatrist picked at random from the telephone book, explaining my need for a new psychiatrist, explained that I did not want psychotherapy ( I had already had 12 years of heavy psychoanalysis with 3 different Psychoanalysts ), had found a workable combination of drugs, and needed a new physician to prescribe the drugs, provide someone to talk to about my life, make suggestions which I might or might not follow, and consider prescribing new drugs if I should request them and bring in supporting references. I asked if he could help me find such a person. This avoided the problem of seeing a new physician "cold" and asking for prescriptions for controlled substances
I mailed it, but before I received a response, I found a new Primary Care Physician to whom I gave my letter, and she put me in touch with a psychiatrist who has fit my needs very well.
About a month after seeing the new psychiatrist, the one to whom I had mailed the letter called and left a message on my machine. We played phone tag a few times, but never spoke.
BTW, the new Psychiatrist never contacted the previous ones.
jojo
poster:jojo
thread:73612
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010804/msgs/73826.html