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.

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How to get what you want from your pdoc

BipolarPrincess
BipolarPrincess
I want me some ativan dang it! I was given some in the ER yesterday to calm me down and it was like something turned the switch off and mania dissappeared. Better yet I\'d like to be the one who could turn the switch on and off whenever I felt like without all of these drugs....but since I can\'t I guess I will just have to take the drugs instead.....So my thiughts are she doesn\'t want to give it to me because it\'s so addicting or so she says and she doesn\'t think it will work for me. But you have all seen otherwise that ativan should be my second drug of choice.....since she won\'t listen to me I have been in the ER for paranoia before and they\'ve given me ativan and it took it all away.....What should I do....should I bring the husband into the visit with me to see if she will perscribe it? I just hate having expensive trips to the ER to get some ativan that in all reality if the pdoc would just give a shit about my wellbeing could perscribe it to me and I could do without all the trips to the ER.

Thanks

Princess
deleted_user
deleted_user
My pdoc won\'t give it unless you need it for say an anxiety disorder with panic attacks. I have OCD which is an anxiety disorder, but for that I get Zoloft and Risperdal PRN. Antipsychotics work better than Benzos anyways as far as I am concerned. Antipsychotics were known as tranquilizers. Benzos are really like depressants and work much like alcohol. They can actually make you depressed. Valium was making me very suicidally depressed. If you ask you may seem drug seeking. I have seen the withdrawls from Benzos and really it aint pretty. Grand mal seizures, just ew. Anyways I am not yay Benzos personally. Ativan was great though for akathisia when they shot me up with it over and over. Short term I think it probably has its place, but long term I wonder about some of these pdocs rxing it... ok- I have gone on a rant... :-D Just ignore me I am hypo and haven\'t been sleeping - so yeah. :-D Need some more seroquel & risperdal. :-/
Shelly4
Shelly4
I think how a pdoc sees our well being differs with each one. What you have just described sounds like she does very much care for your well being..........Ativan is very addicting and very difficult to withdraw from. Is it possible she is baseing her decision of something you have done in the past?

From my perspective, ativan has NEVER stopped an episode of hypo mania for me, once started, it usually has to run its course. It is more of a possibility that your raise in meds that your pdoc gave you, is responsible for your mania being under control. Ativan is used primarily for "anxiety". Maybe the ativan quelled your anxiety which helped your other meds work better?

Anxiety can be a HUGE trigger for paranoia. Ask yourself what you can do to keep your anxiety at a minimum before it gets out of hand. I would be honest with your pdoc about the anxiety and how you feel and see where it goes from there.
BipolarPrincess
BipolarPrincess
Well she did perscribe me some celexa but that drug just made my anxieties worse. I wish she would really perscribe me what I need. I do think taking the husband in and having him tell her how much it has improved my life then maybe just maybe she will give it to me.....I hope. I was on benzo\'s before and the drug was xanax a different pdoc perscribed it for me for my PTSD. I do have a disorder besides bipolar that causes a tremendous amount of anxiety so I don\'t see what the big deal is in getting me a drug that will work versus taking crappy drugs that make me worse....
Shelly4
Shelly4
Princess, you are obviously "hell bent" on having the benzo\'s so I think you should pursue it with her.................but, you also have to be open minded to the fact that she did increase your other meds and that may be the reason for your feeling better now. A little patience goes a long way with treatment and avoiding being "over medicated". It is always healthier to consider other options before taking pills for everything. Work with her a little and communicate with her alot..........maybe she feels she cant get through to you.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I am also worried about my new doc continuing to give me Klonopin too. It is the only thing that helps me sleep. I have a history of drug abuse but have been clean for several years now, and I\'m afraid to tell him about it.
BipolarPrincess
BipolarPrincess
Maybe......I just hate expensive trips to the ER....I am going on my third one......I have been to the ER for anxiety ridden paranoia three times and each time they treated me with ativan and it worked. I understand it\'s addicting. But I also only want drugs in my system when something\'s actually needed to be done. I got great sleep last night because they calmed my paranoia down with ativan but I am sure my pdoc is not going to care about that......
deleted_user
deleted_user
have you tried pot instead? Is that a bad idea? Works for me. Shhhh- don\'t tell. That\'s the one secret I keep from my shrink. I\'m weaning off alcohol and need something to keep me sane. And it isn\'t addictive, even though I\'ve been smoking it up since the 70\'s, but I can go for months and months when it\'s "dry". I think it\'s safer than big time drugs. I\'ll probably get some slaps on the hand for writing that but I\'m stickin to it : )
BipolarPrincess
BipolarPrincess
Hubby won\'t let me smoke pot.....he says if I do then he will divorce me. So I just have to stick with trying to convince my pdoc why she should perscribe me this drug that helps me stay sane. I am bringing the hubby in and making him say something along the lines that it has calmed me down and has taken away the paranoia and helped the geodon work better. Then maybe just maybe she will say yes.....I am gonna cross my fingers.....I am getting a call from her today just waiting and waitng for it is the whole thing I have to do now......Thanks anyway Jet.....
deleted_user
deleted_user
Well whatever gets you thru the night! My hub is into the green stuff so it was a moot point for me. But damn- the good stuff is as much as buying meds without insurance. I wish they\'d just hurry up and legalize it. Just think of the revenue against our almost $13 trillion deficit. It would cure a lot of poverty if the feds got a piece of the pie via taxing it. Do you have kids? We don\'t. That might be why your hub is so anti..... A note of warning just like the rest coached you- weaning off stuff sucks. My love affair with wine is over and I\'m still in mourning. And that\'s probably easier than future weaning of the hard meds. After awhile, they may not give you the feeling you need and then what? Morphene?
deleted_user
deleted_user
Does it have to be a benzo? What about vistaril?
BipolarPrincess
BipolarPrincess
Had so much trouble with celexa am afraid of the Vistaril......Pdoc wanted to give me some vistaril.....I turned it down......
deleted_user
deleted_user
Celexa isn\'t like vistaril. Vistaril is an anti-hystamine (works a little differently than benadryl etc) and really helps calm me. And it doesn\'t knock me out too bad so I can still be active in my day.

If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask me. It\'s nice to take because I don\'t have to worry about becomming addicted to it, which scares me a lot.
Unwell
Unwell
pdoc today gave me a script for ativan. told me to stop taking the valium. also have xanax for sleep, oops forgot to tell him that one.

i\'d just tell your pdoc that you went to the ER they gave it to you, it worked for ya. my pdoc told me to take it only when i need it. mention that to your pdoc, see what she says.
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