First Time Getting Help - Feel Abandon By Doctor After 9 Months

[Ocean5]

she thinks you're more familiar with medications than you are?

I'm new to medicine in past year. Before that avoided. She knew that, but like I said she doesn't remember basic things and I realized 2nd to last meeting when she was reviewing notes they where not accurate dose, or length of time on them. Had to correct her on 2-3 things as she was reading notes about medicine.

Started reducing Klonopin Sunday, then stopped Monday until I saw her Tuesday (her advice I could stop, but as mentioned her notes are not accurate.)

I think maybe too rapid reducation.

I went .75/.5 daily to .25 Sunday. Monday .25. Tuesday doc said I could get off - then nothing until past couple days.

Also started Zoloft in past month (which started to help in one week - then trigger.) But reducing that also since I don't know what is making stay in bed (opposite of me.)

She says she's never heard of Zoloft or Klonopin have this effect, and she been doing this for decades. But that doesn't match up with what's I've been told by relatives or read online.

She said klonopin doesn't build-up in your system...??? Not sure what to believe anymore.

I had a very bad ssri experience she gave me in past 6 months.

First time seeing mental health doctor. So still learning.....trying...

If a therapist does not remember it becomes a significant aspect of therapy, In a way it is retraumatizing, because you are truly not treated well.

Have to agree and how I feel right now

I don't think I would rely on becoming stable on medication alone as you are med sensitive which means it will likely take you longer to find the right meds than a non-med sensitive person.

I think that was her point, and understand that. But I felt like I was being written off.

And I'm going through so much past year, months, weeks...last thing I needed... (and opposite of last visit.)

She is in the "small percentage" that are trained in therapy. Reason I was so hopeful and trusted. In her past she spent a decade treating extreme trauma victims managing hospital ward. Now small private practice (but general practice.)

Agree, I need someone else for trauma therapy for sure. If anything she's made things worse. But no money anymore. So I have to deal.

 

[Rumors]

@Born to Run
Yea she's been telling me I should be seeing trauma specialist very often. But first I need life to be stable first.

If I might make a suggestion, you may want to rethink your reasoning here. You want life to be more stable, but you continue to see someone who has told you that you need trauma therapy more frequently and the fact that she can't keep your story straight makes things feel unstable? Sometimes when we are in the midst of hard times our thinking skills become unclear as to what we need vs what we want. I would urge you to find a trauma therapist and move forward. If life was stable you wouldn't need a therapist to begin with. That isn't a slam, it is a reality that we all face. There will never be a good time for trauma therapy, but it is a necessary means to an end or a beginning which ever word suits you best! Good luck and hang in there.

 

[anonymous]

Please do a bit of research regarding Klonopin and other benzodiazepines. There are a number of forums dedicated to supporting people trying to get off of them. Sometimes people take upwards of a YEAR or more to totally get off these drugs as the withdrawals are not kind....actually, this type of drug has a prolonged withdrawal effect unlike many other drugs out there. That is, its not like many street drugs in which people go through a finite detox period and after that its dealing with "staying clean" as the drugs are out of the system. Benzo withdrawal can be tough as withdrawal symptoms can stick around for a long time.

Its a load of bunk that Klonopin doesn't stay in the system. Klonopin has a long half-life. At the upper end, it is 50, (yes FIFTY) hours.... That means it can take as many as 50 hours from your last does for half of the medication to leave your system. Then after another 50 hours, half of what is left (ie 1/2 of 50%) leaves your system again, so even at 100 hours post dose, you can still have 25% of the drug in your system!

I had a doctor put me on Klonopin for insomnia and I didn't know how horrible this drug was. I was in the hospital at the time, so no ability to research drugs and make an informed decision about them. And of course by the time I got out, it was working so I wasn't about to question things and go back to sleepless nights. I had a wake up call over a year later when I realized how bad they were for me, and that I needed to come off of them. I was only on 1mg at the time, and it was a horrible withdrawal period.

I think with benzos that the taper schedule is to reduce no more than 10% a week?

I think some of the major research on why benzos can be so bad was done by someone in the UK, hence why its a lot harder to get this class of drug over there. Here in the USA many doctors are ignorant to the power of benzodiazepines and prescribe them willy-nilly.

They're definitely not a class of drug to be taken daily for more than a few weeks. I have a current prescription for a benzo with a much shorter half life. I only take 1/2 of my prescribed dose, and I space out the medication so that I don't take it more than a few times a week at most in order to avoid becoming dependent again. I don't ever want to go through those withdrawals!

 

[KwanYingirl]

I went through withdrawal from Xanax. I thought I was dying. I read somewhere that Xanax is the most prescribed drug in the US.

 

[Ocean5]

Please do a bit of reseh regarding Klonopin and arcother benzodiazepines.

Thanks, good information. Thank you! Had started reading more about Klonopin and was shocked how long it stays in system.

On way up to old dose, then starting much slower reduction...10% reduction week seems to be recommended often.