Finding a Doctor in Canada

[Riggs413]

I imagine that I am not the only person that has run into this problem. Looking for some helpful hints or advice.

Over the past two years I have been given various medications to try and help with my symptoms. I have had serious side effects to almost all drugs that my doctor has tried.

The problem that I have encountered is that the only drugs that work are addictive (the pams, lorazepam etc).

All of the anti-deppressent class of drugs give me problems with my heart (have a minor heart defect from birth) or make my symptoms worse.

The pam drugs (as I call them) work for my anxiety but not for deppression. My doctor will not prescibe these drugs to me due to the addictive properties of them.

I have argued with him many times that I would like to be prescribed what actually works for me, for my body, addictive properties be damned. :crazy: It's not like I want to be on drugs....I just want something that helps me now and will stop taking the drugs when I can handle life on my own. :wall:

Due to doctor shortages and our free health care system, finding a doctor that actually listens to the patient's needs seems impossible. Actually finding a doctor that will see you is next to impossible in some parts of the country. Any advice/hints from fellow Canadians on how to deal with our sometimes screwed up medical system/doctors.

 

[linasmom]

Hi,

The "pams" - benzos - can be difficult to get in the U.S., too. I have had doctors who would not prescribe them to me but would shove anti-depressants into a bag and send me on my way. I guess it's all in the way one defines "addictive" - I believe they are ALL addictive, but I won't go into that rant right now...

Is there anyway you can find a different doctor? I've always chosen to simply see a different doctor if the one I'm seeing is not providing me with the meds I need. However, I don't know how the system in Canada works so I guess I can't offer much advice.

 

[2quilt]

Contact the local psychiatry association, psychology association, universities have lists of doctors in the area, hospital emergency rooms employ psychiatrists, just call administration, yellow pages ( i am not sure canada has yellow pages, but it's a comprehensive list of businesses and associations in alpha order), ask psych nurses for quiet recommendations and which doc to stay the hell away from,

i wish you luck and quick answers!

 

[Rivergirl]

Hi Riggs---I am in Canada too and am on my third doctor in two years (but the one I'm with now I've been with for over a year). Because I have tried every drug under the sun for insomnia and almost none of them worked (and then only at the maximum dose) doctors kind of rolled their eyes but kept giving me new things to try. I have now been on lorazepam (4 mg) for about a year. And my philosophy is the same as yours: I am not going to worry about the addictive properties if it works. When it stops working we'll tail off like any addictive prescription drug and switch to something new. That's what I've been doing for the last 7 years or so. I just keep going back to them and telling them that it's still not working and telling them how the insomnia is affecting my quality of life. So then we try something else. When we find something that works, we stay with it until it stops working. If I'm on it for a long time sometimes I try to switch to something else to take a "holiday" from it, like I just did for a month from lorazepam. Now I'm about to start it again.
My advice is try another doctor, and take a list along with you of what you have already tried that has not worked.
Rivergirl

 

[Auburngirl]

I would also say try another doctor but, remember the risk of addiction is real so I wouldn't automatically dismiss their concerns. That said, I'm on alprazolam and I know someone who was prescribed lorazepam (both in Canada) so it's definitely possible.

I don't know what part of the country you are in. Here I have not had trouble finding a doctor, and both my GP and psychiatrist have been really good about listening to my concerns. If it is hard to get in with a GP sometimes you can go to a walk in clinic and use them as your GP. I wouldn't recommend going to the emergency room unless you are in immediate danger. If you are in a community with a university, there may also be a clinical trial that may be relevant.

 

[Riggs413]

Suggestions...and today's rant is about doctors

Thank you all, for the suggestions. :smile: I have tried most of them already to no avail but will continue with the few I haven't tried as yet.

I was thinking about the problem of finding a doctor who actually cares about the patient's needs and thought about my last experiences with a set of doctors at a facility that I won't name but is a centre for addiction and mental health in Toronto. (I need to vent so here goes)

After two days of examinations the conversation went something like this....."We are going to try another anti-depressant and see if that works". "Well doc" I said, "I don't feel depressed, the anti-depressants that I have been proscribed previously didn't work and I have horrible side effects to the ones that I have tried. I just need something like lorazepam etc that will calm me down, stop my heart from doing the rhumba and maybe allow me to relax for a period of time and not always be on red alert". Doctor responds with, "well, you abused alcohol for years so you may abuse drugs like lorazepam as they are addictive". Me again, "I understand your concern doc, but in the police department using alcohol to get through the day is acceptable, having mental health issues is not. I hid my problems the best I could so that I could keep my career going. I haven't abused narcotics, pain killers or anything else other than when I was self medicating with alcohol! I used what was acceptable to my environment while hiding the fact that I had PTSD!" The doc...."that may be true but I still won't prescribe them to you and we will keep trying the anti-depressants until we find one that works".

At this point the hamster on the treadmill within my head went off the tracks and crashed into the back of my left eye. Walking away I thought I don't get it, but hey I am not a doctor.

Anyways, that was my rant for the day.

Thanks again to all for your suggestions, I will keep plugging along.

 

[Rivergirl]

Hi again Riggs-----a couple of things:
One thing my doctor told me (I am on lorazepam and have been for months, to help me sleep) is that lorazepam and any amount of alcohol can cause serious liver damage. Maybe with your history of alcohol consumption this is making them hesitant to give it to you. Do you still drink? If not, I would suggest making sure they know this, and that you clearly understand that you can't mix the two. I told my doctor that I rarely drink, and that I like having a liver thank you very much. This seemed to calm his fears.

The second is, do you have an official diagnosis of depression? My doctors keep trying to suggest anti-depressants and I keep telling them that I have not been diagnosed with depression. I do have some depressive symptoms like no energy, isolating myself, and feeling down, but mostly these come and go, especially depending on how much sleep I've had. So I point out to the doctors that a) what kind of depression comes and goes according to how much sleep you've had?, and b) many disorders including insomnia and PTSD mimic some symptoms of depression. That doesn't mean I HAVE depression and need anti-depressants.

It sounds like you need anti-anxiety meds, not anti-depressants. (I'm not a doctor or nurse, mind you, so this is only my opinion after 8 years of dealing with doctors. I swear, in Canada you have to figure out what's wrong with you, go in with your own diagnosis, and tell them how to treat it).

The other thing that might be helpful is booking a half hour appointment. My doctor will do this, because many times when I go in I am so tired I speak very slowly. I find that finally in a half hour there is time to really talk about things and he is able to focus on me, not just see me in between rushing to the next patient.

In the appointment keep the focus on your anxiety and that you need anti-anxiety meds, and why are they trying to treat anxiety with anti-depressants for heaven's sake??? If they veer off topic keep bringing it around to managing the anxiety.

How frustrating for you.

Rivergirl

 

[linasmom]

Just an add what I've been told my own doctors and what I've come to find out personally with anti-depressants.

They are prescribed to aid anxiety, not just depression. I'm currently on Effexor and it has greatly reduced my Panic attacks, but not my anxiety. My doctor does prescribe me Xanax (alprazolam) for my insomnia and anxiety. I did have to fight to get them for my insomnia because doctors will try to prescribe anything BUT benzos first for insomnia - none of them worked for me (ambien, lunesta, rozerem, trazaodone). Before they tried to push another one of these sleep meds, I firmly refused and told them I wanted the benzos.

Benzos have become stigmatized because of their street value. Doctors are scared to prescribe them, especially General Practitioners. My advice is to see a Psychiatrist who will probably feel more comfortable prescribing the Benzos. While this may sound blunt and pessimistic, I think your doctor is more concerned with covering his ass than protecting yours.

Best,
Rachel

 

[moog]

I've been wanting to reply to this for some time but I couldn't remember the website and I didn't want to provide you the wrong info.

Here is the link to the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada, click on the link to your Province or Territory; it will bring you to your local College of Physicians & Surgeons page. Each of those sites have a Doctors search, you can do an advanced search for a specific speciality and if they are accepting new patients. You can use this to find a new family Doctor as well, I know that is a great problem here in Canada.

Good luck with your search.


Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada
fmrac.ca

 

[Auburngirl]

To back up what Lina'smom said, I was also told that anti-depressants are used to treat anxiety, so it doesn't necessarily mean the doctor thinks you are depressed. It seems like this is the preferred option.

I was referred to a psychiatrist, and was offered a whole range of options regarding medication. I chose a benzo because I wanted something 'as needed' instead of all the time.

I agree getting a referral to a psychiatrist may be the way to go. I've found that seeing one has been enormously helpful, and it's nice to have someone who gets the chemical and emotion aspects of PTSD.

 

[Riggs413]

Thanks again to everyone for all of the suggestions. I appologize if my frustration is showing in my words. I have tried everything that I can think of and everything that has now been suggested here.

The major problem is that my GP is uncomfortable with prescribing some types of drugs. I have tried to find a psychiatrist to treat me but have run into two problems.

The first one is that in Canada with a socialist style (free) health care system our doctor to patient ratio is high and most communities (it seems all but the larger cities, or maybe they have problems as well) have shortages in some discipline or other.

I have no psychiatrists accepting new patients in the area that I live in. I have found pyschiatrists outside the area that I live in, that are reasonably close (within a 2 hour drive) but none will take me on as a patient as I do not live in what they call their catchment area.

Till now I have refused to move just so that I can get access to a doctor. With the negative experiences that I have had so far with pyschiatrists, I guess I have it in my mind that I will move and then find that the doctor and I can not develop a healthy relationship and then what. Do I continue to move to various locations around the province until I find a doctor that I feel comfortable with? Maybe that is the answer but I don't see it that way right now.

I am not trying to sound down, bitter or anything negative. Just having a hard time trying to figure out the right or proper course of action.

I am fearful of moving as I have finally found a home that is in the country, somewhat isolated but I feel far more secure here than in any other house that I have lived in.

Thank you again to all who have responded for your kindness and suggestions. I will keep plugging along and hopefully the answer will come to me.

 

[becvan]

Okay I have thought about this thread for a few days now.. I doubt you are going to like what I have to say here..

Just because a doctor won't prescribe you an addictive drug, when your already an alcoholic, doesn't mean they aren't listening to you.

Benzos are highly addictive. I know I was on them. They are EVIL to come off of too. They also cycle your anxiety although it really doesn't seem like it at the time. What they do is make you high or knock you flat then you crash off of them. This sets off another anxiety attack requiring you to take another and then the cycle continues. Some people, without addictive personalities, could handle this drug. Most get addicted and don't even know it. It takes a few months of slight usage of them to get addicted then watch out.

Why everyone is actively advocating these drug is beyond me. They have got to be the worst thing for anxiety or stress that I have ever seen.

Now there are all sorts of anti-depressants and other types of drugs that could help. However you won't find which one that will work if you don't try them. And trying them to find one that works can take months to a few years.

Jumping from doctor to doctor until you get one that will give you an addictive drug that you want smacks of addictive behaviors. That is exactly what people do when they want addictive drugs. Go to doctors who don't know their history and are pill pushers.

Perhaps you should look at your behaviors and analyze how you come across on this subject. Give the other drugs a shot. Give yourself and your doc a chance to find a solution that doesn't involve a downward spiral.

bec