... until I get next refill on the 8th. I'm now older at 71 and my PCP put me on lorazepam for sleeping problems and anxiety when I was 61. I had been on it with no side effects for 10 years. I also have a rare type of angina called Prinzmetals. I was on meds for that and it controlled it for 10 years, then suddenly it stopped working in April of 2020. The Cardiologist put me on all kinds of different meds and none worked, except to my surprise the lorazepam worked for my angina. I got tolerant of the small dose I was on for the10 years and had to go up for it to keep controlling my angina. I reached a dose of 10 mgs when I decided to go to a Psychiatrist in 2021.They tapered me off in just a week! It was much too fast and I had a terrible time. I always read you had to go off of benzos very slow. After the week was up, she put me on .75mg of clonazepam and told me it was a very long lasting drug and that should solve my problem with tolerance. It worked great for 1 month and then stopped working. She allowed me to go up to 1mg but warned me she would not let me go any higher. I felt good for a couple of months and then that dose also stopped working. I asked her if I could go up another 0.125 which is very tiny and she refused. Here this long lasting benzo was supposed to help me with tolerance and it didn't help me at all! So unfortunately I was so desperate to get rid of the angina, I went to 2mg and it worked, although I'm very tired, but I'd rather be tired than suffer with angina that could cause a heart attack. So of course I'm now going to be out of clonazepam on Friday. I have an appointment with my PCP on Friday in hopes he will give me a few extra to tie me over, but he may no longer want to prescribe me just a few either. The government has come down so hard on schedule 4 drugs and others that doctors are too scared to prescribe them. I understand they can be dangerous especially if mixed with alcohol and other hard drugs, but to those who really need them to function, it is very cruel. Can't believe the Psychiatrist is just going to let a 71 year old woman go through a horrendous withdrawal and possibly die because she didn't want to give her a few extra to get her through until the next refill. I have found a new Psychiatrist but won't be able to see him until the 8th. So what should I do if my PCP refuses to give me a few pills so I won't go into withdrawal? Sorry this is so long, but I'm scared I'll have seizures or maybe even die going through withdrawal for 2 weeks. I also have an autoimmune thyroid condition as well that I take meds for. Thanks for listening, any advice on this would be so appreciated!
Clonazepam - I'm running out of clonazepam and my Dr. won't give me a few to tie me over for 14 days
Question posted by punagirl3 on 22 March 2022
Last updated on 27 March 2022
3 Answers
A psychiatrist is not going to prescribe medication to control your angina. They are going to prescribe medications specifically for mental health. Have you tried any other meds for angina or talked to your medical doctor or cardiologist about this? I know lorazepam is used for all kinds of conditions from anxiety to hiccups. Any benzodiazepine is hard to ween off especially when you have taken for a long time. If anything maybe try Valium or diazepam as it can be titrated up to 10mg if tolerated. If your angina is anxiety caused.. there may be options that are not controlled that could work better maybe with the benzodiazepine as a breakthrough treatment or last resort. That's where your doctors need to communicate. Maybe ditch the psychiatrist and stick with a cardiologist, endocrinologist, and your gp or medical doctor. Of course what do I know? I have spent 20 years in pharmacies and had my own experiences with some similar situations.
It doesn't sound like the psychiatrist has your best interest in mind, by just trying one strict treatment. Best of luck to you. There is always the ER if all else fails and you need medication for the angina. Tell them you're having chest pain and suffering from benzo withdraw.
Please forgive me, you had already answered my questions. I don't know why I forgot once I started typing and thinking etc,, my apologies. I'm not sure what the laws are in regards to controls. As long as the previous prescription has been canceled by the prescriber, a new prescription with new directions and qty can be prescribed or a different med with new qty and directions can replace the old med as long as the prescriber cancels all previous prescriptions. They do have other forms of these meds too like extended- release, wafers, etc or liquids, injectable, topical, maybe get your pharmacist involved, find out what your insurance covers, maybe a second opinion from another cardiologist is in your future. You don't have to stop seeing your regular doctors , just get a second opinion and see if someone has different ideas. Of course that would be a future option. Solve one problem at a time.. right. Please don't worry, it will just get worse faster..
somebody will help you..go the ER like your doctor said. They will take care of you. I'm sending positive energy your way!
I'm so very sorry to hear of the situation you are in. I had a psychiatrist yank me off of clonazepam after being on it for 5 years. I was 62 years old at the time she took me off and she had been prescribed it for my anxiety. It was not a pretty sight. She just took me off cold turkey telling me it causes Alzheimer's. Maybe, maybe not, but it's not a reason to do what she did. I reported her and a year later I was sent a letter saying what she did was ok for her to do.
My suggestion to you is to go to one of those emergency places, not an emergency room and see if the doctor there will prescribe a few to tide you over until your next doctors appointment.
Also, check with your cardiologist and see if he will prescribe it for you. Psychiatrist these days are scared to death to refill what THEY addicted you to.
Clonazepam is a wonderful drug when used appropriately, unfortunately, doctors and psychiatrist start you on it, gradually increase it and you're hooked on it. Then THEY DECIDE you no longer need it and without consulting your PCP or cardiologist they take it away from you. Some have enough sense to gradually taper you off of it, some don't. Those are the ones who should lose their license.
Having gone through cold turkey withdrawals, I strongly suggest you cut your pills in half, even though you need more, to get you through the next 2 weeks in case you are unable to get anymore until then. It will be way better than going without ANY for 2 WEEKS.
Be prepared for your PCP and/or your psychiatrist (if you have one) to be very hesitant to prescribe it for you anymore since you took it upon yourself to up your dosage and now need any early refill. I'm not judging you, just wanting you to be prepared for what you may be up against.
The DEA monitors doctors, especially psychologists very closely these days to make sure they are not over prescribing certain medications, particularly benzos.
The DEA has them so afraid of losing their license they don't care what the cost is to the patient as long as they don't loose their license and the DEA thinks they're God.
If your PCP and the new psychiatrist do give you more clonazepam make sure you take it exactly as directed. Doctors, psychiatrist, etc all talk to each other and everything that goes on, even their personal thoughts, go into your medical records and all of this is transferred to any new doctor you see when you sign the forms to release your records to them from your former doctors, etc.
Thank you for your input. I already thought of going to an emergency mental clinic, but my PCP said they wouldn't give me any either, so my husband has cut up all my remaining pills, and has them gradually tapering down until I see the new Psychiatrist. I'm a little worried though that once my new Psychiatrist sees my records he won't help me either. That's why I can't completely ditch my present Psychiatrist until the new one accepts me. I still have an appointment with her this week, so looks like she hasn't kicked me out. I don't know why she simply didn't taper me down to my original dosage, it would still be unpleasant, but better than cold turkey. I will ask her if she can do that, but doubt she will since she refused to give me any more. I called my pharmacy, and asked if they could give me emergency pills to get me through.
The pharmacist was so kind, he did give me 4 pills, but of course he couldn't give me enough for 2 weeks, but it was better than nothing. So along with those and what I had left, my husband cut them all up. I know it's going to be very unpleasant going from 3mg down to only 0.5mg a day, but at least it won't be nothing at all. Wish, I didn't have angina problem, then at least I wouldn't be worried about the strain on my heart. I have both anxiety and the angina. I suspect my anxiety triggers my heart problem. I have a very rare type of angina called Prinzmetals angina where the coronary arteries spasm and narrow the blood getting through instead of fatty plaque blocking arteries which is the more common type of angina. My Cardiologist is going to do a new type of procedure since my cardiac meds don't work. He is going to do stem cell therapy which will hopefully build the inner lining of my arteries up so they won't spasm, but he first has to do another catherization. He knows I take a benzo, but I don't want to ask him for more because I don't want to lose him. He is the only Cardiologist where i live that specializes in my rare angina, so I want to stay with him.
Sorry to hear about your health concerns. Question, do you have faith in your psychiatrist's ability to do what is right and best for you? If not immediately filed a complaint to her/his superior. Second until you do find another psychiatrist, make an appointment with your medical doctor; to get what you need.
Thanks for answering Rose of Life. I already have an appointment with a new Psychiatrist but can't see him until the 8th. I already saw my medical doctor yesterday and he won't give me a few pills either. He says the government has really come down on doctors giving more pills than prescribed if you run out and his hands are tied. Now I won't have any clonazepam at all by Monday and will be forced to go cold turkey for 2 weeks until I can see new Psychiatrist. My medical doctor recommended I go to ER after I run out, but I'm afraid they will just give me just a couple pills and send me home. Should I go to a detox center? I hate the thought of leaving home for weeks and possibly catching Covid in the detox center from being around other people. I don't know what to do and I'm scared! HELP!
Won't be able to see new Psychiatrist until the 8th. Saw my medical doctor and he won't give me any more pills either. He says the government has come down hard in prescribing benzos for more than the prescribed amount if you run out, so his hands are tied. He suggested I go to ER when my pills are gone on Monday, but I'm afraid they will just give me only a couple pills and send me home, and I need more of them until I can see my new Psychiatrist on the 8th, which is 2 weeks away. Should I go to a detox center? I hate to leave home for weeks in rehab and possibly get Covid being around people all day at a detox center. Despite them dropping the mandate for masks, Covid is still out there, a new variant is coming and I'm in the high risk group. I'm really scared and don't know what to do. Thanks for any imput.
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anxiety, benzodiazepine withdrawal, clonazepam, lorazepam, side effect
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