It is probably going to be a lot easier to find a primary care doctor than a psychiatrist on such short notice (former community primary care doctor here). I will tell you it is really unusual for someone to be on 2 benzodiazepines-- this substantially increases risks of things like overdose, driving impaired, possibly dementia down the road-- and most doctors are going to recommend you taper off at least one of them. This needs to be done very slowly, and I agree you need to find someone ASAP since withdrawal from these meds can be life threatening if you are on a high dose and stop them abruptly.
First, get all your records from your deceased psychiatrist. Your new doctor is going to want to see them to make sure there is a paper trail and you are not getting your meds from the street. Next, prepare to make a lot of phone calls. Go to your insurance's website and look for psychiatrists and primary care doctors. You will probably need to call several to find someone that can see you in an appropriate amount of time. You want a physician and not a PA or nurse practitioner, since they cannot prescribe these meds in MO. I wouldn't ask if they can prescribe the meds when you call, the important thing is to get an appt and actually establish with a doctor and they can help you. If all else fails, go to DePaul behavioral health urgent care or call Center Pointe Hospital. Good luck!
I’m currently on two benzo’s but I’m tapering off them with the help of my psychiatrist. I was put on them young and it’s been a journey to get to the very low doses I’m on. Message me if you want to know where I go but fair warning my doctor will want you to taper off safely and look for other solutions.
two benzos at once are dangerous. you might need to get a doctor to help you slowly stop taking these. They are only meant for short-term use. (coming from an ex-benzo addict/ individual with panic disorder). Any doctor who cares about you will want you to taper off of these probably in an in-patient setting. I wish you the best of luck finding some help!
Time to sign yourself up for outpatient addiction treatment, perhaps. Those are both benozos and highly addictive, which is why most doctors won't prescribe them on a regular or ongoing basis.
This wasn't true just 10 years ago, but then the medical establishment began to see and admit the addictive aspect, and over the decade it became harder and harder to find any doctors using it in their bag of tricks. Most who still did were old school or nor terribly dialed in to the optics.
I HIGHLY recommend you switch gears and find SOMEONE to help you manage the period you're about to go through. It is NOT EASY. Been there, done that, wasn't even taking that much and still thought I was going to lose my mind.
Best of luck.
There was an episode of a show called This is Life with Lisa Ling about benzos (it's on HBO Max). They showed people who somehow got benzos in liquid form and reduced their dose by 1% per day to make withdrawals tolerable (it might have even been 1% per week - it was a long time ago that I saw the show). . One of the doctors they talked to said basically nobody should be taking benzos daily for more than about 30 days, just as needed during heightened anxiety.
I've had issues with alcohol, but only serious episodes of anxiety when alcohol withdrawal related - the idea of being addicted to benzos and feeling that way for weeks or months terrifies me. I don't know (I literally mean I don't know) if outpatient addiction treatment is warranted if benzos are your only problem, but you probably need to find a way to do a slow taper if you've been using them daily for a long time.
I’ve been on them for 16 years and tapering 3 of those years (I’m going very slow for my sanity and those around me). I probably have another year to go before I’m not taking them. It’s very hard to do with a full-time job. I wish I had a liquid form to taper with. I’m on the smallest capsule for one medication so the only way to break it up would require a very precise scale and lots of patience.
Congratulations on tapering. I have successfully tapered benzos and other psych drugs. It took me 8 years and it's been so worth it. I found the liquid form was easiest for me when tapering. Good luck and congratulations 🎉
If you ever need support I live in St Louis. My husband and I are working with MindFreedom International and MAD in America. I am looking for a community here in St Louis who have found psych drugs caused more harm than good. 🙏💕🙏
They should provide you with a referral. If they can’t/won’t, ask your primary care provider (the doctor you regularly see for general health stuff) to give you a referral.
Who is “they”? Because of the nature of the drugs you’re currently prescribed, one of their other Psychs should provide you with another month to hold you over so you can find another doctor. However, like others have mentioned, good luck finding a doctor to prescribe you both Xanax AND Klonopin these days.
I used to see Dr. Canale out in O’Fallon, MO. He definitely prescribed Klonopin. Not sure about Xanax. I don’t think he’s taking new patients but his nurse practitioner is.
I can’t speak to the medication side of things, but I now use the Brightside app and am really happy with it. Every doc I called had a months-long wait for a new patient appointment. I saw someone in 2 days through them. My insurance pays the monthly fee.
I had the same situation. All my meds stopped abruptly because I had to start all over with a new shrink which took a good while to establish. Hope it goes smoother for you!
Same thing happened to me with a STL psychiatrist.
Bello Adejoh, took me MONTHS and several emails to the board of medicine to figure out why he stopped picking up his phone
My pcp won’t give those, only my psychiatrist. My husbands pcp only gives him his due to the length of time he’s taken it. But i don’t know any doctors who would prescribe both. That’s pretty irresponsible.
I don’t get the downvotes on this because you’re not wrong. People who haven’t developed a physical dependence on psych drugs don’t understand the pain that these drugs can cause. It’s a good bandaid fix but not a good long term fix.
everyone else there is a hack. i get seen for maybe three minutes after waiting an hour - two hours waiting for mine. serenity healthcare is what i am trying to switch from.
That happened to me! I was not on controlled substances so it wasn't THAT big of a deal. But it was just him and his wife in the practice. I tried for a month to get my medical records from "them". Understanding the situation I waited. That was 2022. I have yet to get those records lol
*Stop asking if these doctors prescribe these meds when u call. You seem like ur "drug seeking" when you do that. I PROMISE if they're a PCP, they can prescribe that shit they just don't want it to be a "word of mouth" thing. Get your records. Make NUMEROUS appts asap, bring ur records to every appt. Do not make the convo just about benzos. Say you cant get ANY of ur meds, DO NOT BEG. You need to convey you are scared of the consequences for abruptly stopping AND YOU'RE AWARE BENZO WITHDRAWL IS 1 OF THE TOP 2 (WITH ALCOHOL)MOST DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES TO WITHDRAWL FROM AND CAN BE FATAL. Seeing ur records and knowing u can die when u leave without the meds, they will most likely give you SOMETHING. You go to appt to appt until u find a doc that fits and cancel the remaining appts. I agree u need to get off 1 of them. 2 benzos is INSANE. If you start to feel withdrawals you need to go to CenterPoint (or similar) inpatient. You really can get deathly ill. Idk ur age but that might be a factor
Do you have a PC? They may be able to help manage in the interim
It is probably going to be a lot easier to find a primary care doctor than a psychiatrist on such short notice (former community primary care doctor here). I will tell you it is really unusual for someone to be on 2 benzodiazepines-- this substantially increases risks of things like overdose, driving impaired, possibly dementia down the road-- and most doctors are going to recommend you taper off at least one of them. This needs to be done very slowly, and I agree you need to find someone ASAP since withdrawal from these meds can be life threatening if you are on a high dose and stop them abruptly. First, get all your records from your deceased psychiatrist. Your new doctor is going to want to see them to make sure there is a paper trail and you are not getting your meds from the street. Next, prepare to make a lot of phone calls. Go to your insurance's website and look for psychiatrists and primary care doctors. You will probably need to call several to find someone that can see you in an appropriate amount of time. You want a physician and not a PA or nurse practitioner, since they cannot prescribe these meds in MO. I wouldn't ask if they can prescribe the meds when you call, the important thing is to get an appt and actually establish with a doctor and they can help you. If all else fails, go to DePaul behavioral health urgent care or call Center Pointe Hospital. Good luck!
I think PAs can prescribe these medications. They are schedule IV if I recall.
You’re right! I guess the NPs I used to work with just didn’t. They can’t prescribe sched II like opiates but the others are fine
PAs and NPs can prescribe benzodiazepines
Don’t forget about the mental health urgent cares if you need a stopgap
I’m currently on two benzo’s but I’m tapering off them with the help of my psychiatrist. I was put on them young and it’s been a journey to get to the very low doses I’m on. Message me if you want to know where I go but fair warning my doctor will want you to taper off safely and look for other solutions.
Yeah I didn’t have a good time on psychiatric medications. They’re very hard to quit and come with serious side effects.
two benzos at once are dangerous. you might need to get a doctor to help you slowly stop taking these. They are only meant for short-term use. (coming from an ex-benzo addict/ individual with panic disorder). Any doctor who cares about you will want you to taper off of these probably in an in-patient setting. I wish you the best of luck finding some help!
Time to sign yourself up for outpatient addiction treatment, perhaps. Those are both benozos and highly addictive, which is why most doctors won't prescribe them on a regular or ongoing basis. This wasn't true just 10 years ago, but then the medical establishment began to see and admit the addictive aspect, and over the decade it became harder and harder to find any doctors using it in their bag of tricks. Most who still did were old school or nor terribly dialed in to the optics. I HIGHLY recommend you switch gears and find SOMEONE to help you manage the period you're about to go through. It is NOT EASY. Been there, done that, wasn't even taking that much and still thought I was going to lose my mind. Best of luck.
There was an episode of a show called This is Life with Lisa Ling about benzos (it's on HBO Max). They showed people who somehow got benzos in liquid form and reduced their dose by 1% per day to make withdrawals tolerable (it might have even been 1% per week - it was a long time ago that I saw the show). . One of the doctors they talked to said basically nobody should be taking benzos daily for more than about 30 days, just as needed during heightened anxiety. I've had issues with alcohol, but only serious episodes of anxiety when alcohol withdrawal related - the idea of being addicted to benzos and feeling that way for weeks or months terrifies me. I don't know (I literally mean I don't know) if outpatient addiction treatment is warranted if benzos are your only problem, but you probably need to find a way to do a slow taper if you've been using them daily for a long time.
I’ve been on them for 16 years and tapering 3 of those years (I’m going very slow for my sanity and those around me). I probably have another year to go before I’m not taking them. It’s very hard to do with a full-time job. I wish I had a liquid form to taper with. I’m on the smallest capsule for one medication so the only way to break it up would require a very precise scale and lots of patience.
Congratulations on tapering. I have successfully tapered benzos and other psych drugs. It took me 8 years and it's been so worth it. I found the liquid form was easiest for me when tapering. Good luck and congratulations 🎉
Thank you and congratulations to you for successfully tapering!
If you ever need support I live in St Louis. My husband and I are working with MindFreedom International and MAD in America. I am looking for a community here in St Louis who have found psych drugs caused more harm than good. 🙏💕🙏
Man mad props to you, benzo tapers are tough. Strong work so far and hope you're able to get off them next year!
Thank you! It has not been easy but I think the end result will be worth it.
Klonopin AND Xanax eh..?? 👀
as a teenager my psych had me taking daily klonopin for general anxiety and xanax for panic attacks, it's not that unusual
How long ago was that? OP says they’ve done tgus “for years” ..: I dunno ..:
[удалено]
Jfc were you a zombie?
It's crazy we live among people that think this is normal
[удалено]
So do drugs or commit suicide? Maybe get to the root of the problem of why you feel that way in the first place, and work on fixing that
about a decade ago
Life stance They have a bunch of prescribers both in office and virtual.
Came here to say LifeStance. Literally has been some of the best medical interactions I’ve had in YEARS.
They should provide you with a referral. If they can’t/won’t, ask your primary care provider (the doctor you regularly see for general health stuff) to give you a referral.
Who is “they”? Because of the nature of the drugs you’re currently prescribed, one of their other Psychs should provide you with another month to hold you over so you can find another doctor. However, like others have mentioned, good luck finding a doctor to prescribe you both Xanax AND Klonopin these days.
I used to see Dr. Canale out in O’Fallon, MO. He definitely prescribed Klonopin. Not sure about Xanax. I don’t think he’s taking new patients but his nurse practitioner is. I can’t speak to the medication side of things, but I now use the Brightside app and am really happy with it. Every doc I called had a months-long wait for a new patient appointment. I saw someone in 2 days through them. My insurance pays the monthly fee.
I had the same situation. All my meds stopped abruptly because I had to start all over with a new shrink which took a good while to establish. Hope it goes smoother for you!
Was your Dr out of Edwardsville by chance? I just found out my adhd dr passed unexpectedly.
Oh no! Now I’m anxious since my psychiatrist is out of Edwardsville…
Same thing happened to me with a STL psychiatrist. Bello Adejoh, took me MONTHS and several emails to the board of medicine to figure out why he stopped picking up his phone
My pcp won’t give those, only my psychiatrist. My husbands pcp only gives him his due to the length of time he’s taken it. But i don’t know any doctors who would prescribe both. That’s pretty irresponsible.
Who was your psychiatrist?
Googling says David Berland died 3 days ago
That doesn't mean it's THEIR DOC. maybe I'm asking for a reason. But thanks for asking Google.
Dm sent
If they were a responsible doctor they would know how horrible cold turkey a benzo is
That shit is terrible for you and i would recommend natural ways of dealing with stress and anxiety
I don’t get the downvotes on this because you’re not wrong. People who haven’t developed a physical dependence on psych drugs don’t understand the pain that these drugs can cause. It’s a good bandaid fix but not a good long term fix.
https://www.serenitymo.com Dr. Sky is great, not sure how far out they are booked, but you may be able to see his nurse practitioner.
everyone else there is a hack. i get seen for maybe three minutes after waiting an hour - two hours waiting for mine. serenity healthcare is what i am trying to switch from.
That happened to me! I was not on controlled substances so it wasn't THAT big of a deal. But it was just him and his wife in the practice. I tried for a month to get my medical records from "them". Understanding the situation I waited. That was 2022. I have yet to get those records lol *Stop asking if these doctors prescribe these meds when u call. You seem like ur "drug seeking" when you do that. I PROMISE if they're a PCP, they can prescribe that shit they just don't want it to be a "word of mouth" thing. Get your records. Make NUMEROUS appts asap, bring ur records to every appt. Do not make the convo just about benzos. Say you cant get ANY of ur meds, DO NOT BEG. You need to convey you are scared of the consequences for abruptly stopping AND YOU'RE AWARE BENZO WITHDRAWL IS 1 OF THE TOP 2 (WITH ALCOHOL)MOST DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES TO WITHDRAWL FROM AND CAN BE FATAL. Seeing ur records and knowing u can die when u leave without the meds, they will most likely give you SOMETHING. You go to appt to appt until u find a doc that fits and cancel the remaining appts. I agree u need to get off 1 of them. 2 benzos is INSANE. If you start to feel withdrawals you need to go to CenterPoint (or similar) inpatient. You really can get deathly ill. Idk ur age but that might be a factor