Posted by Elizabeth on February 7, 2002, at 20:15:57
In reply to elizabeth it's reese againg need help, posted by reese1 on February 6, 2002, at 16:58:24
> elizabeth my last pdoc i was talking about basically said he could do no more for me because it was ect or nothing no buprenex to worried about license or bullshit
Yes, I thought he might respond that way. Good to hear that you're seeing someone new. This guy sounds like the arrogant, closed-minded, authoritarian type.
> have seen a new doc and she is very nice. i've been seeing her for a month or so and the use of buprenex or ultram, she mentioned ultram cause she thought buprenex was not legal was talked about but she wanted to try some other meds which i've tried long time ago
Buprenorphine isn't *labelled* for depression. (It's labelled for pain.) But it's *legal* for doctors to prescribe it for off-label indications. It's only illegal for her to prescribe it if she's prescribing it for addiction -- you have to have a special license to do that (and mostly only hospitals and methadone clinics have them). Tell her that you know someone (me) in the U.S. who takes it for depression, if you think that would help.
I think Ultram is a better first choice anyway, since it comes in a pill and since it's not a controlled substance. It's easier for psychiatrists to accept the idea of prescribing Ultram because they don't have to give you syringes and because it's not controlled. And if you tried Ultram and found that it was somewhat helpful, but you were nervous to increase the dose because of the risk of seizures, she might be willing to try buprenorphine as a next step. By that time she would have gotten to know you better. It takes patience, but you're going to get better.
> the only problem is it will take a two months or less to have any type of showing anything.
What do you mean? I don't understand.
> i want to ask her tommorow morning about trying buprenex during this period of waiting for the lamactol to work. i'm just not getting any better.
I guess your appointment would have been today. How did it go?
> she is very open minded but i'm worried how she'll react.
I think you should go with the Ultram, since she mentioned it.
> i didn't tell you or anyone that i tried buprenex back in december for four days. it worked very well. meaning i felt normal.
Well, don't tell your doctor that. But that doesn't mean Ultram won't work. You should give it a chance. Maybe at your next meeting with your doctor you could ask about Ultram, and if she agrees to prescribe it, ask if she will let you try buprenorphine if the Ultram doesn't work.
> nothing more nothing less. a friend gave it to me because he no longer needed it. but i haven't told her this
That's interesting. How did your friend get it? I think it's a good idea for you not to tell your doctor that you've tried it; that could give her the wrong idea.
> i called the pharmacy that carries it today and they say they'll take a prescription over the phone...
Huh? What pharmacy?
> i just don't know how to tell her because i don't know how i will act in front of her.
Do you have social anxiety, by any chance? Opioids are very helpful for that. I know someone who takes Ultram for it, and the change in him has been amazing.
> if she was here now i would be able to show her but when i go into her office i don't know if she'll see how desperate i am.
I've been in that situation. All you can do is be as straightforward as you can. That doesn't mean you have to tell her everything. Just let her know that you are really feeling awful and you've really tried all sorts of things. You want her to know that your situation is urgent -- you need help now, not two months from now -- but you probably don't want her to think you need to be hospitalized.
You know, you might find it helpful to give her a list of all the medications you've tried and what effects they had. That would help her to understand your situation.
> just wanted to see if you could add any words of help or whatever
I hope it went okay. In the future, if you want to ask me a question before you see your doctor, it'd be better if you asked a few days in advance, since I don't check this board every day.
Do let me know how it went, okay?
best,
-elizabeth
poster:Elizabeth
thread:93100
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020131/msgs/93239.html