chances of dr keeping swim on benzos!???

[blackdb1]

So about 3 weeks ago swim got rx'ed 63 .25 alprazolam for his anxiety and panic disoreder. Swim however got it from an ER doc to make it until his first appointment with his new psych.

Swims question is what are the chances that the doc will keep swim on benzodiazepines if swim tells them how much it has helped swims life out. Swim was not able to leave the house, had BAD social anxiety, and terrible insomnia! The alprazolam has alleviated all of these symptoms pretty well!!! Swim has tried alot of sleeping meds and anti-depressants but nothing has worked until swim got this.
So what do swiyouguys think the chances are that swim will be able to stay on some benzo? They truly help tons!!! Swim really would appreciate some opinions!!! Thanks in advance!

blackdb1 added 842 Minutes and 53 Seconds later...

No one has any idea whether the doc will keep swim on benzodiazepines or take him off it due to the addiction risk? Swim knows that it really depends on the dr. However is wondering how likely a dr. is to keep a patient on benzo's if they are the best meds out of a large list of meds with negative side effects.

As swim first stated ANY REPLYS would be appreciated greatly!

[Halcion Dreams]

Would it help if SWIM kind of put the dilemma in a way such as that if swim doesn't get the benzo's he will face worse insomnia, and then job loss from the inability to function after no sleep (which is a reality with insomnia). Perhaps if swim makes the benzo's seem necessary to keep his life from crashing it might help.

Dr's (hopefully) really don't want to see someone's life completely collapse, what do others think of this approach?

P.S. Not to sound pretentious, but it certainly doesn't hurt to be in upscale clothes and maybe a work ID tag hanging from the pocket when at the dr's.......opinions anyone?

[darkbreed]

That all depends on the country you live in. SWIM used to live in scandinavia, where it is extremely difficult to get on any benzo at all.

Now SWIM is living in Argentina where you can get any doc to give you whatever benzo you want. SWIM just walks into the office and tells the doc he needs a new prescription on -name of benzo goes here- because he uses this on a regular basis and they don't ask any questions but just fills up the prescription and let you have it. Getting 3 different benzos all of their most potent strength at same time is no problem.

For SWIM this is really great as benzos is what helps him most for his problems which he uses them for medicinally while in Scandinavia SWIM ended up as a needle junkie due to problems getting the medicine he wanted and knew helped, so he had to get it from other sources and thus ended up in bad environments which led to many things. He had lots of problems with the cops back then, in and out of jail, which ironically was because he did not get the medicines he needed which would have made him able to live a normal life instead of having to end up as both a criminal and junkie.

Now SWIM has lived in south america more than 2 years and gets all his medications legally and have had no problems with governments, police , etc. He notices that there are virtually NO junkies here, he has lived here 2 years and have barely even seen a drunkard. In his home country junkies are all over the streets, drunkards as well, and SWIM think there may be a relation between this and the fact people don't get the medicines they need over there, but here they do.

[blackdb1]

Swidarkbreed swim feels his situation is VERY much like swiyour's!!! Unfortunately swim recently used the needle for the first time and felt the strong pull of it...However benzos keep his anxiety down along with helping panic attacks. As a result of having the medicine there he has been able to keep from recreationallly using drugs to cover the problems up. Swim is now running low on the script of alprazolam and has been using opiates to replace the benzo's. He knows this is not smart and it IS getting him nowhere fast! Swim has had opiate addiction problems for about 4 years.

Basically swim just prays and hopes that his new psych will treat him with the medicines and support he needs to get his life on the right path!!! Swim thanks both of swiyou for the replys!

[darkbreed]

SWIM wishes good luck and hope things turn out well!

Best wishes, may the psych be a nice understanding one!

-DB

[RaverHippie]

It may be good to taper down the dose of alprazolam so it stretches to the doctor's appointment at least. It would be a bad sight for SWIY to run out prior to the appointment and go through anxiety over that mess.

[Politicalchalk]

Swim thinks it's a weird number, 63, for an ER doc to give out. Granted, this is speaking from US standards, where they don't like to give out BDZ's at all, the most Swim's ever heard of is 20, and THEY call to get you in like, the next day. Swim hears alprazolam is one of the toughest to come off of, just be careful.

Only your doctor can decide what meds are right for you. Saying things like "Gee Doc, nothin' worked like that Percocet (oxycodone) stuff!" -- Almost every doctors Swim's been to, whenever he brings up the benzos, even just in discussion about them, it's "Drug seeking" -- a hard tag to get removed. If you NEED these meds, and are going somewhere where you can't get them, perhaps tapering down to your lowest effective dose, and stockpiling the hell up. If you have a friend or something that can help moniter how much your taking, that's a double bonus...no good in going off a drug if you'll have virtually unlimited supplies at your fingertips.