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i was wondering how the Friday doctor visit went? Is there a plan in place for continuing her meds, weaning her off, and start a different medication? Specialist taking over? Did you get the story on how she couldn’t get refill, whether out of refills, needed to be seen by doctor before refill, doctor discontinuing the medication? We are quite concerned, don’t want to advising further, if things are being worked out. How is Mom feeling? Did she get through the medication situation without further seizures?
The doctor is medically negligent to put his patient in a life threatening position by abrupt withdrawals
I would recommend you find another Doctor for your Mother you are comfortable with.
Just explain to the new dr ...you wanted a change in doctor...short & sweet
And once you are newly situated I suggest you write/call a complaint to the Medical Board in your state.
Believe it or not, the medical boards are not there to impress patients, they are there to ensure doctors are behaving in a rational & ethical manner to patients.
If you don't let them know, its highly probable another patient will suffer the same way from this Doctors lack of care
Fortunately for your Mother the B family of drugs has a long half life....so withdrawals may not begin for 3 or 4 days.
And by then I would assume you will have had a prescription filled.
Withdrawals affect the nervous system very badly. And seizures are not uncommon.
Panic attacks (the panic the drugs were covering) and insomnia are very common These drugs interact badly with a long list of other drugs.
Tapering off the drug Very slowly by a medical detox team is a safer ( safer) alternative to cold-turkey withdrawal
However assuming your Mother is elderly and not in the best health, this may be just too much for her to weather.
If she has been doing well, & sleeping well on the 1tab each pm, then it would probably be wise to keep her on that dosage. Though you might consider getting a pill cutter & cutter the tab by 1/4 tab 3 times a week to see how she progresses
Adding the herb Ashwaganda at the same time is helpful. The herb strengthens the nervous system, and lessens anxiety & depression.
A cup of strong Chamomile tea (3 tea bags per cup, or 1 tsp loose herb per cup) with the addition of raw honey is very soothing before bed time also
Lastly, do read up on the side effects of each & every drug she is taking...& withdrawal symptoms...there are videos on Youtube also..
So if she is exhibiting new health concerns you will be aware the cause is related to the medications..
And not have yet another drug added to her list by a well intended though unenlightened doctor.
Best regards
"Insanity is doing the same thing, and expecting a different result"
Albert Einstein
You need Psych doc to be dealing with psychotropics and a PCP to be working with them on any other needs.
Drs who pull the 'I know more than you do, sucks to be you' and simply stop you cold turkey from some of these meds are causing people to get very, very sick.
We have to be our own doctors in many cases. While my oncologist is handling my cancer, he is not involved in my depression meds or my anxiety meds. I am to simply take those as directed--in fact I am told to bring them to chemo days and use my own meds. I just tell my infusionist that I am taking a Klonipin of my own and he charts it.
I hope by age 65 to be off everything but a vitamin. I can hope, right?
A dr who doesn't listen to me is an ex-employee of mine. I have had to learn to be tough and also listen to the dr and do what's best. Right now, it's very, very hard.
For those who judge with very little information you are not helping,
Be prepared to call 911 or go to the ER and keep calling doctor to explain why so cruel and no further direction. Seek better doctor care change to one who is kind and understanding of what your both going through. I would raise Cain with doctor. I'm sure he would remedy your valid concern. I agree totally with Terryi and Peanuts56 cut remaining pills in half may give more time to get d8ctor to realize his mistake.
Make that appointment asap.
Keep us posted
Grace and wisdom
God bless
Doctors are doing this to many people.
This can cause seizures.
I don’t want to scare you but please read about it and get some help in getting her either, her medication or a very slow and easy taper with meds to help your mom through the effects of this. I’m so sorry!!! She will feel withdrawal symptoms with first missed dose. Again please read about it. I hope I haven’t scared you but it is dangerous and urgent. Also depending on how much she was on and for how long will tell you how easy or hard this might be for her.
Many people can benefit from melatonin as the brain produces it to naturally relax the body for sleep at night. But in this world sometimes we need help, right? This is cheap and effective too.
God Bless!
That SAID-this class of drugs (which includes Ativan, Klonopin, Valium and Xanax) is like Booze. Going off too fast is very dangerous. You need to wean them.
Since you were able to have the rheumatologist fill the rx this time, will that physician continue writing it? Or, have you thought of having your Mom see a psychiatrist who could manage it? Just an FYI to you and everyone, if you would like, you can use a telepsychiatrist for a visit. There are various websites with tele medical practitioners as well as tele psychiatric visits. It's a great alternative to having to go in person, possibly with a long wait for an initial visit.
I myself have been using Xanax as 0.25mg prn (once in awhile) due to all the recent stress of multiple issues with my mom/home. It is a very useful/helpful medication when used properly. Good luck with your Mom!
But if the PC feels that she should no longer take it, I will honor that decision. My concern was taking her off so quickly. I'm waiting to hear back. My hope is that she will remain on her usual dose until her geriatric assessment next week.....and then make necessary changes if need be.
Make an Appointment and Talk Turkey to Tom when he is Back in the office. Or Find Quick another Doctor who will Help you. Anyone under the Sun, Hun, Who is on this Sort of Mind Drug, Need to be Weened OFF. Or CUT DOWN.
My former, and I stress former, internist also did this to me, ignoring CDC guidelines for weaning, ignoring the good the drug was doing, ignoring that I was a model patient, never requested an increased dosage, never abused or sold my medications. The doctor did not discuss at my office visit, just simply didn’t renew, and refused to renew a medication I had benefitted from, for close to 15 years.
It caused an horrific withdrawal, with such bad diarrhea, that it threw my heart into tachycardia, caused by dehydration from unrelenting vomiting and diarrhea. Only with intervention from my own gastro, did I avoid heart attack and death, from the severe electrolyte depletion. The internist wouldn’t even take my calls due to severe dehydration, which she caused.
There are elderly people who are dying from the abrupt withdrawals from some of these medications. Exactly why the CDC put out the cautionary memo to prescribers, as doctors are misinterpreting the new laws and medical guidelines, and people are dying from the withdrawal. The dosage may be very low, but being elderly is a major factor in the medical crises people are being thrown into. My doctor said she thought I would benefit from pain management. That was the day (May 2, 2019) she decided to not renew the prescription. The issue is that there are aren’t enough pain management doctors out there, certainly not sufficient to see all the patients who are being thrown off their pain/controlled medicines. I am still waiting, will be two more months until I can get into a pain management doctor. So, instead of helping the patient until they can get a pain management appointment, the doctors are running like a flock of sheep, and not even discussing what they can do for the patient, what alternatives can be safely used until one can begin the pain management treatment.
It May be that state law has tied the doctor’s hands. But there is no excuse for the doctor being negligent. Even very low doses of these medications need tapered.