Medicated anons, how do you ask for more medication without getting flagged as a seeker?
I've been struggling with depression and insomnia my entire life, and I've finally found a primary doctor that is willing to work with me.
I've been prescribed a low dose of an anti psychotic that puts me to sleep, and 1mg of alprazolam because when I close my eyes and am alone with my thoughts I have horrible panic attacks.
They're so bad that I throw up, shake, and sweat. 1mg of alprazolam combats that, but I've been using it to stave off anxiety during the day just so I can leave my house.
I'm fine with something less strong, but that lasts a little longer- maybe diazepam.
I just don't know how to ask without looking like some druggie fuckwit.
>tl;dr I am prescribed medication but am needing to use it outside of recommended schedule because of nauseating panic attacks
>how do I ask for more without being sketchy?
I've known people my age that were prescribed 60 2mg sticks before. I don't need that much.
Medicated anons, how do you ask for more medication without getting flagged as a seeker?
I've called every psychiatrist in my insurance network and nobody can fit me in for at least 3 months.
This guy has actually managed to cure my insomnia and I have been trying for years. Ambien/ lunesta max doses do nothing/ don't make me tired even with exercise, meditation, and avoiding screens.
I'm really happy to have it fixed.
This absolute crushing anxiety is pretty new (this year). It's a totally different beast and is really fucking up my life.
I don't know, if this is the wrong board I can understand.
I just didn't know where to ask.
I'm 6'3" and weigh 230lbs if that's a reason to ask for a larger dose.
Just ask for some pic related. It makes you naturally tired.
>exercise, meditation, and avoiding screens.
Most of those are BS anyways. You have to figure out why you have this anxiety. I guarantee it is from trauma of some sort and accepting that will be very hard to face.
I've tried so many different kinds of medications, that's the first, most basic kind. It does nothing for me even at doses exceeding 25mgs.
I also did some reading and apparently it can be pretty bad for your short term memory.
Thank you though, user.
Even high dose "wake up naked in a gas station/ celebrities die from them" hypnotics do literally nothing for me.
That's why I'm so stoked this dude found something that works.
I'm considering the sleep thing solved after 10+ years. Right now I am trying to find a way to manage my day to day anxiety so I don't deplete half of what I need to sleep.
This guy gets it.
The only reason I mentioned those first things is they're on the laundry list of things a doc will automatically think you're bullshitting for if you don't list them.
The anxiety is there for a reason isn’t it? Why are you nervous? Is there any way to improve your situation without drugs?
I haven't really had any significant trauma in my life, and I never struggled with it prior to this.
I really just get bogged down about the depression (I can't take SSRIs because bipolar runs in my family and they caused my brother to have a full on two week manic episode previously. They take a while to cycle into your system and I can't really afford to play human petri dish with a chance of insanity at this juncture int my life).
It's the depression, 40+k of medical debt at 23, I think that I am driving my girlfriend to leave me, lack of sex drive, cancelled car insurance, no marketable skills other than food service, fact that I feel like I'm going nowhere in life (can't afford to) and that I don't think that that's changing anytime soon, my internal organ pains, a resting blood pressure of 175/130, the possibility of my kidneys shutting down agian, etc.
The list goes on and on.
I've stopped drinking for my health, and I think that was keeping a lot of those thoughts at bay/ ignored.
When I get these thoughts I get paranoid (checking my windows, jumping at sounds) sweaty, shakey, nauseous, and just full on break down-y.
The only thing I've been able to do lately is just put on cooking videos in the background and try to shove down those thoughts.
If I can fall asleep it's for 30 minutes to an hour and it's always nightmares. I often die.
When I'm out of my meds at the end of the month (last two weeks usually) it feels like my own personal hell. I don't leave my house unless it's to walk my dog, and I don't sleep for days, usually 3-5 days at a time.
It's also really making it difficult to get a job.
See There's a lot of reasons. And right now, no.
I can't really see a way.
It also does really work well when I am medicated.
I need to be able to hold down a job and get my insurance back because biking places has caused my kneecap to displace itself pretty often. It's painful and inhibits me from doing anything for a week or two.
The only work I can find is BOH in a kitchen, and with a bum knee I would be pretty fucked.
When I try to interact with anyone I get clammy and I trip over my words. This never happened to me before.
I feel sick to my stomach and every tiny interaction echoes in my head for hours after. Even something as simple as talking to a grocery store clerk.
This kinda hits home. The only time I'm mildly comfortable is when it's pouring rain.
I can't even think of working FOH because I would walk out and quit at the sight of seeing someone (anyone) I used to know. I would probably throw up, if I'm being entirely honest.
I need to speak to a psychiatrist, but like I said, nobody can fit me in for months.
I'm sorry for dumping all this on you guys. Thanks to anyone who is actually taking the time to read this.
>I haven't really had any significant trauma in my life
Everyone says that in the depression/anxiety phase. I said the same shit even though I knew I had trauma I just tried to downplay it in my mind. If you start to face it take it slow don't overwhelm yourself.
You know I can actually relate to a lot of what you are describing not exactly the same stuff but yeah a lot of that. I never had that big of a problem getting to sleep but I do have nightmares almost every night. All I can say is it is seriously hard to admit you were traumatized in our society especially if it was really bad. People don't respond well to that and the reason is because most people have some kind of trauma in their life and it is always hard to face even if it is "smaller". But I am starting to accept it that this is what I need I need to just let myself feel the feelings still continue to live of course and survive. I had a horrible horrible nightmare the worst ever recently and I think the intensity of it really confirmed it in me, I had been feeling this for a long time but it is very hard to overcome the self hatred and start viewing yourself as a victim. It's because being a victim is terrifying it is not pleasant it is extremely sad the kind of things you face. And no being a victim is not like the way the internet talks about it because the internet is stupid you can recognize when you were a victim and still move forward and take responsibility of your future.
The worst thing that's happened to me was that I died for a little while because of kidney (renal) failure.
Dying was not traumatizing. Everyone I know making a huge deal out of it was annoying, but honestly my insurance fucking me on my dialysis bills is really the most anxiety inducing part.
Creditors calling constantly, that number weighing over my head, my credit being absolutely ruined.
That causes me anxiety. Dying really didn't bother me very much.
I don't really know how that makes me a victim. If you don't mind (feel free to decline to mention) what was the nature of your trauma?
okay well you know better than I will. But even things that society won't deem traumatic can be traumatic. And the mental health system really pushes the idea that only extreme trauma causes mental issues and depression is just chemicals but in my experience it isn't true.
>what was the nature of your trauma?
There was a lot of emotional abuse when I was really young and some worse experiences too.
Don't ask for more medication. Instead have a serious discussion about your symptoms and problems and be willing to listen to and try his suggestions. If those suggestions don't work for you, you go back and discuss with him again, and continue advocating for yourself and your needs until he finds the right solution. Make sure he takes you seriously, but take his advice seriously too.
I started getting pretty awful pains in my side, and I got pretty concerned about it.
I was walking through a walmart and my vision got pretty nauseating. Like the frame rate for life slowed down.
I almost made it to a seat by the entrance, but I was staggering and collapsed on my face. I have a pretty gnarly black eye now.
I wasn't pissing all that much so I did go to the ER when the pain wouldn't subside. I got some CT scans of my vital organs done, and bloodwork. Allegedly I have full kidney function.
I don't know what's going on, but despite my piercing pains in my side (not the one I fell on), the hospital gave me a clean bill of health.
Is it possible to faint from a panic attack?
I do appreciate your words of wisdom in regards to "don't be afraid to call yourself a victim". I can see why that's important.
I will say that I feel like I've been victimized by the healthcare system over here, and it makes me very wary of pursuing further treatment.
This is sort of what I am leaning towards, but I need to write this stuff down.
The thing is, he's just a regular family doctor though and not a psychiatric professional- so it's usually a quick affair.
I can ask him if he is okay with a lengthy discussion, but I am often there among rooms of patients that are already waiting on him.
>I will say that I feel like I've been victimized by the healthcare system over here, and it makes me very wary of pursuing further treatment.
I know what you mean I felt that too. One thing is for sure it seems a lot of times they just ignore whatever the patient says because the doctors "know best" even when it isn't true.
Nah, the dude is actually really nice.
Other doctors, I do feel that way about, but I mean the healthcare system may have very well ruined the rest of my life- especially considering how credit is almost 100% necessary to escape my income bracket.
I've also been getting letters from lawyers. I'm too afraid to open them.
I'll do it after I get my meds again. I can't afford that ruining the next four days of my life.
It was cool to actually talk about this stuff for a bit, despite no constructive strategies really being pitched.
Oh I see what you mean yeah health care is fucked especially in the U.S. I was sent to a psych ward and now I owe 1600 dollars for an ambulance ride and that is after my insurance covered half of it...And I had the hospital stay paid for because I was really upset with the whole thing and I am pretty sure what they did was not entirely legal so they needed to cover their asses. Now imagine if the hospital visit wasn't paid for...I've heard it can cost 10k a night it's insane how much you owe when so little is given to you in the first place.
Yeah. I owe $14,000, $26,000, and another $5,000 for an ambulance ride. Not to mention various other bills nearing the $1,500 mark.
It's really fucked.
Dialysis is pricey. So is literally everything else there.
>It does nothing for me even at doses exceeding 25mgs.
Well that is dumb. Melatonin is a naturally released hormone and more isn't better. In studies of people with delayed sleep phase sydrome, the optimal doses were found to be between 0.3 and 0.5 mg. More melatonin only added to side effects.
Even more importantly, melatonin is responsive to WHEN you take as you have a natural phase response curve that determines the effects. Taking melatonin when it is out of sync with your body's clock can actually have a paradoxical effect of making things worse.
>I also did some reading and apparently it can be pretty bad for your short term memory.
The only studies that showed this were on rats and fish. Unless you have found a study that I haven't seen, this amounts to the level of typing "Is Melatonin bad for you," in Google.
I understand that it is naturally occurring in your body. It just doesn't work for me. It didn't even work when I was a child, I don't really know what to tell you.
Thanks though.
And I can't recall where I read that study, but I definitely didn't just pop "melatonin reeeeeeee" into google.
I've tried everything in the book, this has been plaguing me for years.
I'm really glad that something as simple as an over the counter hormone helps you though dude. I wouldn't wish this on anyone else.