pdoc took me of clonapin

I can't imagine lithium would help with anxiety. I have post traumatic stress as well as bipolar so I need two different antidepressant to help manage the anxiety. One is venalflaxine and the other is agomelatine. Benzo's should be a last resort PRN, imho. Diaphragmatic breathing is an evidenced technique. When you breath deeply low into your belly and stretch out your diaphragm, it has been scientifically proven that messages go back to your brain to relax and those messages are then transmitted through your body. It will only take the edge of high anxiety; not cure it, but sometimes we need to rely on things like this until we get medication to manage the chemical imbalance underneath the symptoms. Also doing pleasant things that you enjoy and work for you. It may be a warm bath, a walk, watching a video, talking to a friend, having a warm drink of milk or a chamomile/passionflower/valerian tea. Try to avoid stimulants such as caffeine; coffee, coke (both types lol) will only fuel anxiety. Meditation can also help but you will have to find what kind of meditation works for you... muscle tightening and relaxing? focusing on breath? going to your "happy place", scanning your body and noticing sensations. All very difficult with anxiety... esp if there is hypomania or mania adding to it; but these just may help make the current symptoms a little more manageable - at least I hope so. I'd get back to the pdoc urgently thou and tell them that you do require management of the anxiety; it is acceptable to suggest anti-depressants that help with anxiety, like the two examples I have given. They are safe to take with lithium.

The only reason a dr can drop a psych med patient is even he is proven to be abusing his meds and refuses help.

I never ever abused them, I just got use to them. she said she took me off of them because she didn't want me TO become benzo-dependent. I don't understand why she didn't just start me back over on xanax, it doesn't make since. I don't know for a fact if they dropped me or not. I just know that i keep calling and I've left tons of messages and they won't call back. she told me last time if i missed another appointment she would drop me, but how can i not miss it if i don't know when it is and they won't get in contact with me?

Hey, that helps explain things.

Xanax is merely another benzo, so replacing klonopin with xanax would have been of no benefit whatsoever. I don't understand why she didn't put you on an antidepressant that treats anxiety.

Missing appointments can be quite harmful for a number of reasons:
1. Your illness doesn't get managed adequately. It hurts you and your doctor has to try to manage symptoms that have exacerbated over time without intervention.
2. Waiting lists are long because people don't cancel appointments - it makes it harder for other patients to access your doctor.
3. In Australia it costs more to train as a doctor than it does to buy a house (approximately $300,000). Doctors often have to pay hefty student loans bigger than their mortgages, so they get miffed when patients don't show and they don't get paid.

In saying that, they do generally understand exceptional circumstances and it is really good to keep them as informed as possible.

If I was going to advise anything I would suggest you call your doctor one last time, say something to the effect.

"Hi, I've called ____ times over the past ____ weeks to find out when my next appointment is. My underlying anxiety is not being treated and I'm finding the mood stabilisers are no longer effectively treating the bipolar. I need an appointment as soon as possible. Can you please advise me when my next appointment is by ____ . If I don't hear from you by ____, I will need to start looking for another psychiatrist to help me manage the symptoms I am experiencing atm.

It tells them why you need them to return your message and what you will do, at what stage, if they don't get back to you. It puts you back in control of your treatment.

Good luck with it

Post Edited (Living Well) : 10/24/2013 5:08:57 AM (GMT-6)

Hey Wolflover,
How are you getting on? No news is usually good news but I'd still love to know how things are evolving for you.
Jade x