Bipolar Disorder Support Group
Bipolar disorder is not just a single disorder, but a category of mood disorders marked by periods of abnormally high energy and euphoria, often accompanied by bouts of clinical depression. This is the place to talk about your experience with bipolar disorder, learn from others' experiences, and find support.
so.....ive been taking 2 mg of Ativan for YEARS at night. My pdoc had allowed me to start taking 2 mg (spread out and not all at obe time) during the day. I was taking it as needed. When i did take it it made me very sleepy. So i havent taken it during the day, even though i had anxiety. This same pdoc had previously had me on 2,400 mg of gabapentin EVERY DAY AND had me on the 2 mg of ativan at night. Last WEEK I called my pdoc to ask whether i could take a smaller dose of the gabapentin during the day instead of the Ativan. I never heard back from her until. TONIGHT. I told her that i had been to my primary dr today for other reasons and that she had given me an rx for 600 of the gabapentin once a day in place of the ativan. My pdoc got REALLLY nasty with me and said “you cant go between providers like this and you can have one or the other. I will need to have a face to face with you to discuss what you want to do”. So, guys, im not really sure what to do because i am VERY AFRAID of benzo withdrawals. Im only taking 2 mg at night. I am very upset and worries. What should i do? I would like to ditch this psych dr. I am reading about Ativan. I should never have been on it for more than a few months. I have been on it for YEARS!!!!!!i am really scared. And tomorrow is my birthday.
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Hey All...I hope that you have a lovely, peaceful beginning of your weekI have a bunch of chores that need doing but may put them off til tomorrow and just hang out with my landlord/roomie todayWhat about you?...Anything special going on?Have a great day and take good care of you!!..Xo
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Once again I've had a fever today. I'm not going to the hospital because that's a huge waste of time but I did schedule a dr appointment for Wednesday afternoon.
A GP does not have the education, training or expertise to treat your BiPolar. And unfortunately your Pdoc was somewhat right, you can't get different scripts from different Dr.'s for the same meds, that can cause all kinds of confusion.
It is not unusual for a BP patient to take Ativan or any other Benzo longterm, there is not a short term prescription period. If you go to a GP instead of a Pdoc eventually your going to have trouble with getting the medications you need, because they will not prescribe certain combinations of Psych meds. Where Pdocs know what they're doing and know that these combinations are how you treat BiPolar Disorder.
It sounds like you need to have a heart to heart with your Pdoc and talk about some of your fears. If it just doesn't work and you can't get to a comfortable place, you may need to find a new Pdoc. But for your BiPolar Treatment you need a Pdoc.
But she is right in that you can't go back and forth between Dr.'s to get the same medications.
Take care,
They are highly addictive, they often stop working (so you take more) and there is evidence of serious issues with long term use.
Having been with someone when their particular brand of benzo was withdrawn from the market and a feeling that there maybe more controls placed on bezos (here in the UK you usually can't get a script for more than 14 days) I'd hate to be in a position where something I had relied on suddenly disappears.
I would just explain this to your psych..... I don't know that your psych was trying to be nasty as much as saying if I'm working with you and your medication then you can't have someone else interfering with the treatment that we come up with
Benzo's should be slowly withdrawn .... I would again discuss this and your concerns with your pdoc
Your doctors want to help you..... Gentle hug......xo