Couldn't find a Pdoc anywhere close to where I lived. So I went into the family doc after doing just a bit of quick research and demanded they give me Lamictal. He wanted me to go see a psych. as soon as possible but it held me over.

As far as I know GP's arent supposed to prescribe this stuff.

I know they can prescribe Anti depressants but Bi polar is so complex I really dont think theyre qualified

I lied and said I had taken it before, I was desperate.

see im not the only one!! my docter dosent like sending me to p-docs it takes alot but i think thats cuz presonal he likes to deal with mental illness as his son is ill too
but with me i think he has learnt too cuz he listens more now(or i make him lol) and wasnt as hard as i thought it be this time to see a p-doc..everyone just thinks its bad when i say he was the frist to dx me and give me pills..i did get a second opption a yr or so after..but they do, do they same schoool

in candan they are (they didnt at one ponit)
but everyone cant get to a p-doc
all he pruscribes me is my anti-depressant and my mood stablizer..oh and clorazpam but he gave me ativan befor for anxity.

I have had a few family doctors who said they would have no problem with prescribing meds, I choose to stick with my pdoc for that. They are also allowed to talk to eachother about me.....

who are? the g.p or the p-doc

over here (New Zealand) most of the people in my support group are under the care of their GP and don't see a pdoc at all... I suppose it all depends on the mental health training the GP has had and how comfortable you are being solely under their care... personally I would feel anxious about it

I had a doctor who was an Internist who I always thought of as my gp. He was extremeley well learned (sp) and he did better then one or twosrhinks I have been to.

wow well that makes me feel much better!

I have only used GP's, but then I don't have the manic episodes which are so retractable to treat. Any fool can hand out free samples of Prozac or Effexor, I guess.

Juiceski, I lied, too, to get on Effexor. Later, I wished I hadn't, but it did work for what I wanted, just made me feel sick as a dog occasionally as well.

my general practitioner gives me my meds...I got into it with my pdoc so I use my regular doctor for my scripts.....it's really hard to find one that will change your meds though..most will give you your regular meds if you can't get to a pdoc though

my gp will take me on once I am stable. She hasn't considered me stable in the last 15 years I have lived here but when I went to see her the last time I convinced her to take me on because now I think my meds are causing physical problems i.e. high trigylercides and she's the one I go to for physical problems. She was hesitant but then agreed she said as long as she could contact one of the pdocs in the area she would be fine with it. Now I'm having second thoughts...I'm really not that happy with my current pdoc...he's not as good as he use to be and he keeps changing my meds for no reason (as I see it) Just out of the blue I will get told that this med is changing and that med is changing....he put me on seroquel at the beginning of March and never explained why.

I personally feel better to be treated by a pdoc... a GP did give me meds for depression before I was dx'd bipolar... I was seeing another pdoc for a sleep disorder but after my dx in hospital he could not longer treat me and referred me to pdoc's who specialize in mental health and the one I see also has taken sleep disorder training... It was hard at first.. I really liked my other pdoc but this one has helped me and I have had no relapses with psychosis.. I am not sure of the credentials and whether they have similar education.. I guess you could ask the medical association who approves them ... ((hugs)) polar

yeah I had to find a pdoc (other than the one I had an issue with) to consult with my regular doctor so that he could ask her what the dosage should be and things like that..