Medication Question

Hi all. I've been diagnosed with panic/anxiety for about 4 years now.
Originally I was prescribed klonopin 1mg 3/day along with paxil and it
helped a great deal. Eventually, though, he reduced the dosage to 2/day
when things seemed to calm down a bit. Anxiety was still present, but it
was manageable. About 2 years ago, I moved to a new city and had to get
a new pdoc..... However, within the last 6 months my anxiety has gone
through the roof -- lately I've even had a few panic attacks which has
not happened in years. He tried adding cymbalta 60mg, but that doesn't
seem to do anything....


I really want to ask my pdoc if I can go back to my old dose of 3/day --
I know that that med helps -- but I'm worried that asking for a dosage
increase for that med will mark me as a drug seeker or worse. Is it OK
to ask for this sort of thing or am I headed for trouble? Are dosage
increases of drugs like klonopin normal?

Thanks All!

-Lee

I think you should express your needs and ask him. Tell him you felt better
on Klonopin/Paxil, but now you are feeling more high anxiety once again.
Cymbalta didn't do anything for me either. I take Paxil, and it's been a
good AD for me in combating anxiety. Good luck; you owe yourself to speak
up. Nanny
"Lee" <lee@lee.com> wrote in message
news:rwM_j.311876$qg2.44132@fe08.news.easynews.com ...
> Hi all. I've been diagnosed with panic/anxiety for about 4 years now.
> Originally I was prescribed klonopin 1mg 3/day along with paxil and it
> helped a great deal. Eventually, though, he reduced the dosage to 2/day
> when things seemed to calm down a bit. Anxiety was still present, but it
> was manageable. About 2 years ago, I moved to a new city and had to get a
> new pdoc..... However, within the last 6 months my anxiety has gone
> through the roof -- lately I've even had a few panic attacks which has not
> happened in years. He tried adding cymbalta 60mg, but that doesn't seem to
> do anything....
>
>
> I really want to ask my pdoc if I can go back to my old dose of 3/day --
> I know that that med helps -- but I'm worried that asking for a dosage
> increase for that med will mark me as a drug seeker or worse. Is it OK to
> ask for this sort of thing or am I headed for trouble? Are dosage
> increases of drugs like klonopin normal?
>
> Thanks All!
>
> -Lee

Hi, Lee,
Most definitely talk about this with your new pdoc. Let him know how well
you did on this Paxil/Klonopin combo.
You have to advocate for yourself... Best wishes.
smiles,
Elise

"Lee" <lee@lee.com> wrote in message
news:rwM_j.311876$qg2.44132@fe08.news.easynews.com ...
> Hi all. I've been diagnosed with panic/anxiety for about 4 years now.
> Originally I was prescribed klonopin 1mg 3/day along with paxil and it
> helped a great deal. Eventually, though, he reduced the dosage to 2/day
> when things seemed to calm down a bit. Anxiety was still present, but it
> was manageable. About 2 years ago, I moved to a new city and had to get a
> new pdoc..... However, within the last 6 months my anxiety has gone
> through the roof -- lately I've even had a few panic attacks which has not
> happened in years. He tried adding cymbalta 60mg, but that doesn't seem to
> do anything....
>
>
> I really want to ask my pdoc if I can go back to my old dose of 3/day --
> I know that that med helps -- but I'm worried that asking for a dosage
> increase for that med will mark me as a drug seeker or worse. Is it OK to
> ask for this sort of thing or am I headed for trouble? Are dosage
> increases of drugs like klonopin normal?
>
> Thanks All!
>
> -Lee

hi lee,
welcome to ASAP.

if you had a medication combination that was working for you before,
you need to tell this doctor exactly that. you will not appear as a
drug seeker. you know the old saying, "if it works, don't f*** with
it"! :-)

i hope you feel better soon.

gigglz





On Tue, 27 May 2008 04:56:55 GMT, Lee <lee@lee.com> wrote:

>Hi all. I've been diagnosed with panic/anxiety for about 4 years now.
>Originally I was prescribed klonopin 1mg 3/day along with paxil and it
>helped a great deal. Eventually, though, he reduced the dosage to 2/day
>when things seemed to calm down a bit. Anxiety was still present, but it
>was manageable. About 2 years ago, I moved to a new city and had to get
>a new pdoc..... However, within the last 6 months my anxiety has gone
>through the roof -- lately I've even had a few panic attacks which has
>not happened in years. He tried adding cymbalta 60mg, but that doesn't
>seem to do anything....
>
>
>I really want to ask my pdoc if I can go back to my old dose of 3/day --
>I know that that med helps -- but I'm worried that asking for a dosage
>increase for that med will mark me as a drug seeker or worse. Is it OK
>to ask for this sort of thing or am I headed for trouble? Are dosage
>increases of drugs like klonopin normal?
>
>Thanks All!
>
>-Lee

Lee, wrote:

> Are dosage increases of drugs like klonopin normal?

From what you wrote, you've never shown an increase - only a decrease.

However, to answer your question:
It's normal at first, as the body adjusts to having more benzodiazepine than
it's used to, while the natural body function is to destroy that 'extra' that it
thinks is being produced. *This is a minor and rather quick occurrence and the
body should stabilize fairly quickly.

More on this is explained in an article about Xanax. It's pretty much the same
thing. http://lexington-on-line.com/naf_xanax.html

BTW, your doc may or may not think your request is out of line. If s/he he does,
then find another doctor. It's quite reasonable that you advise what medications
and the doses worked well for you in the past, ALONG with the fact that the
current medication is doing zilch.

E...