Pcych doc unavailable - attempts to refill early failed & flagged

[KwanYingirl]

I had to find a new Psychiatrist because my old one retired. So I picked this guy I had during an intensive out patient program. He’s pretty close to retirement, too, but that’s not my issue. My previous doc was always reachable. He and a couple other shrinks shared call, but if it was after hours you could always reach someone. In 20 years, I probably called off hours maybe 4 times.
Nice office, great staff, well organized.

So I’ve seen this new one three times. First thing he did was to try me on a different antipsychotic. It was $1200.00/month—-I should add that is office is in a rich area. I took one and was up all night with a scorching headache. Then he recommended some cranial stimulation therapy that takes 20 days at $35/day. Sorry, dude, I’m broke. So I’m one my regular meds that work for me. He’s weird like he’s pretending to be some visionary, but all he does is fill my prescription.

As many of you know my best friend died a few weeks ago and I admit for two days I overmedicated. I was so devestated. I just slept. So when I saw him last week for regular check in, I told him I overused my meds. He didn’t say anything about it.

So of course I didn’t have enough meds to last the month and when I called the pharmacy to order my next month, they said it was two days too early and they wouldn’t fill it. So, I was out of Xanax and my sleeping pill. I called his office several times a day for 2 days. Left a message, tried to reach the answering service it just rang and rang. I’m starting at this point to get wiggy from no benzodiazepines. So I called my regular doc and left asked his nurse for a 2 day supply to last me til I could refill my prescription. So he sent it in and when I went to get it they said they wouldn’t fill it unless the doc calls and says it’s ok to fill early. So I called back and his nurse said he wouldn’t call. So now I’m back to zero. Tried the shrink again and got his bitchy secretary. I told her the situation she said he called it in, I said thank you.

So I go to pick up the prescription and when I got home I noticed they filled the script from my regular doc who said he wouldn’t give permission.WTF???
So at least I had some Xanax and today I went to straighten it out. I was told by the pharmacist that I was trying to get too much drugs from different doctors so he called them both and my shrink told him to cancel my prescriptions.

What should I do? I have enough that my regular doc said ok to the pharmacist for 7 days.

I feel that it should never have taken me two days to reach the shrinks office and he knew I was going to run out. I think I should find a new shrink that is available like my old one was. Thoughts??

 

[Justmehere]

I’m sorry for the loss of your friend.

Benzo withdrawal is awful. It is good to have a responsive doc. At the same time, this situation wasn’t all due to his lack of quicker responsiveness and may not be solved by finding a more responsive doc.

I told him I overused my meds. He didn’t say anything about it.

Did you tell him you would be short at the end of the month and you would need a refill early? He may have assumed you would make the rest of it last until the end of the month.

So I called my regular doc and left asked his nurse for a 2 day supply to last me til I could refill my prescription

It’s understandable that you went back to your regular doc. Did you tell the psychiatrist that you were going to go to another doc to get a potentially addictive med refilled more quickly than you could get it from him? Because if not, I can also see why he got spooked and canceled all the meds.

Better option in the future: ask the primary care clinic for help with the psychiatrist refilling meds.

It is going to spook most docs these days if a patient is jumping to another doc for a benzo refill to happen early due to overuse of the medication. Granted, he should have contacted you to discuss it before leaving you hanging and in withdrawals.

In my area, any new doc would likely to want this doctor’s records to continue you on the meds. I’d suggest that instead of switching to doc number three quickly, which is likely to lead to more red flags being set off, try to go in and talk to this one to work out what happened, what you need, and see if he is willing to help.

Can you get in for an appointment before the meds run out?

 

[EveHarrington]

Is it workable if you know that med changes/adjustments need to have a few day lead time? My doc checks in and gets his messages once a day, even though he only works 1 or 2 days a week. I know if I need meds, I need to ask at least a few days in advance. It’s also a good idea to ask in advance as life happens, docs aren’t perfect, and refills can be delayed for any number of reasons. (Of course, emergencies will happen!)

Do you think you’d be ok with him knowing that you may have to plan ahead when it comes to things like meds?

 

[KwanYingirl]

I will try to work things out with the shrink. I did not tell him I would run out because I felt that would be understood when I told him I overused. I am aware how this looks from the pharmacy, bottom line though is that my shrink was not available. Things happen, I was never told of any policy regarding lead time for meds. I thought that I had enough to last but miscalculated. What’s unfortunate was that my words were not told to my docs. I was honest, but the nurse did not communicate that I only needed a 2 day supply. I specifically told her that. These regulated drugs are a pain in the ass.
I am going to call Monday for an appointment with him. I am not going to trust office staff or medical assistants anymore to communicate my questions.

 

[blackemerald1]

This has been a bit of a perfect storm situation. I think all the 'player's' caused this. Which doesn't help you I know.
Explain thing's very carefully to your new psydoc - yes try & get a extra appt asap & make sure you see the other doc too (to unspook him too).
Get a letter from both to show the bloody pharmacist to explain you are not a abuser of these meds & there was a communication breakdown.
Oh I am very sorry your friend passed away. I know you fully admit to over using these meds as a way of coping at that time. Grief is a slow & painful process. Yes these meds are a pain in the ass bc they are so regulated. I hope you can get those appts so you can explain yourself & he gets up to speed on why this all happened.
All the best,

 

[KwanYingirl]

Yes I see that it unfolded very weirdly. But in my defense, I am honest with my doctors so I don’t go through life aware that I’m causing any problems. I’m just needing my meds and when I have zero way to communicate with one, I reach out to the other. It didn’t help matters that this all went down when we had a blizzard the day before, but what doctor doesn’t have someone on call if not himself? My PTSD does not go away between 5pm and 9am. If I am in panic mode it just happens. I’m fragile and vulnerable and deserve communication. I’ve been shuffled between so many shrinks and all I can say is they have no idea what my story is. They never refer to past records nor ask me what caused my PTSD. This is the first time I’ve not been able to reach one. Lesson learned, though.

 

[blackemerald1]

Yeah I know you were honest I believe you and I can totally understand how frustrated you must feel. I can't imagine you would deliberately screw up your own life in this manner. It's a screw up & it effects you badly.

I hope you can get it sorted. You deserve to know why your Dr had no means of contact especially if this was what you were told to do & it failed.

 

[KwanYingirl]

Ugh I am so sick in the head. I really need my shrink. So flooded and had to cancel all my clients. I’m really dissociative. I worked so hard to not do that and I’m right back down the mayo jar. I’m not feeling safe. I don’t have my meds, I haven’t slept for a week. I left a pleading voicemail at his office. I hope I get a call I need help. I am not coping with Karen’s death. I don’t know how to process it. It just hurts like hell. I wish I had a normal brain.

 

[blackemerald1]

@KwanYingirl it might be time to go to your local hospital and seek some alternative medical advice. You may have to tell them what has happened and you may be going into withdrawal and that's not good.

You say you are not feeling safe. That is not good. Ring an ambulance or get someone to go with you to the hospital. Do it soon. Start thinking of survival now. Deal with the psydoc when you are safe again.

Don't worry about anything but getting to a safe place and being with medical people who can help you.

 

[Justmehere]

Have you reached out to your therapist? Do they provide any crisis support in between sessions?

You’ve been able reduce dissociative symptoms before, it’s likely you’ll be able to do it again. The waves that come with grief can be profound. The more you can ride each wave out, the more the storm will calm.

I am concerned you’ve run out of meds already again without an appointment to see the doctor. Is this the end of the 7 day refill from the primary care doctor?

 

[blackemerald1]

@Justmehere I might have got it wrong but I thought both scripts were cancelled by the pharmacy freaking out. So no new meds available until @KwanYingirl can speak to her psydoc & he isn't returning her calls yet.

 

[KwanYingirl]

You’re both right. I still have not gotten a return call from his office. I need to get back onto my recipe of pills ASAP. I had sent a text message from my primary doc to tell him how hard it’s been to get a conversation with the shrink. He wrote me back a really nice message that said he has never been concerned about me abusing my meds. He offered to write my scripts until I get settled with a new one.