Posted by utopizen on October 14, 2004, at 19:52:23
In reply to Doh! Waste of session w/psych today...., posted by mattw84 on October 14, 2004, at 19:22:48
Don't blame yourself. I just got back on Klonopin a couple of weeks ago (through talking with my pdoc over the phone, explaining my social anxiety was affecting my class participation grade). He called in .5mg 2x/day to my pharmacy. I knew it wouldn't be effective, since I have previously been on 1mg 3x/day for two years in the past before switching docs a bit. But I pretended, "okay, I'll see how that goes."
Today, I had the appointment, and made sure to let him know I didn't notice any results from the Klonopin. So he said he'd raise it to 1mg 2x/day.
Well, experience tells me I need 3x/day, so I made it clear to him I was finding relief back when my pdocs had me on 3x/day, and despite the 18 hr. half-life of Klonopin, clinically you just don't feel the effects for that long.
He accepted this rationale, which I laid out to him very calmly and not "I know better." And he said he's up me to that dose in a couple of weeks, once my current prescription is emptied out.
But don't think you need to wait until the next appointment to address this. Call your doc, leave a message explaining you meant to say you weren't feeling fine on Klonopin, you were pre-occupied (as my pdoc today said I was last time I met him, and mentioned I "looked much better-- not so pre-occupied").
Docs realize your anxiety makes you pre-occupied and this is acceptable. Don't think you need to wait to talk to your doc until the next appt. Gosh, if I didn't update my doc and leave messages weekly, I'd be so slow in my progress it would be awful!
What's the worst that will happen? Your doctor knows you were pre-occupied, and if you explain this to her, she won't exactly think you're a druggie. BUT DON'T TELL HER to prescribe you a higher dose-- simply say what's happening- that you aren't noticing relief from the Klonopin. She will not take you off it, she will raise the dose. And if she says 2x/day, let her know you don't notice an effect in the mid-day, and she'll give you 3x/day.
If she wants you to gradually increase to a higher dose, let this happen. If you don't seem accomodating, that's when they start suspecting drug-seeking behavior.
You don't need to play drug-seeker. Your doc wants to help you, and simply telling her over the phone you aren't finding relief will often result in her calling in a new dose to your pharmacy.
Once you are on an optimal dose, I suggest Klonopin Wafers. They're great, dissolve on your tongue in less than a second.
poster:utopizen
thread:402191
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/403135.html