what to say to doctor?

[pezinlondon]

hi ppl, just wanted to ask what the best thing to say to my doctor is to get him to prescribe me a benzo for agoraphobia/anxiety. im 20 and i have been suffering for about 4 years and have only left the house a few times in the last year so its getting really bad.i have been seeing my doc for about 4 months and im on 20mg of citalopram which is doing absoloutly nothing for me to be honest. sometimes the axiety is so bad i nearly pass out. i just want to get back to how i was before all of this crap. when im around people i can hardly move i just sort of freeze and i have ignored all my friends bcoz of this

[patmac]

i find it hard to talk to the doctor, i dont think you should be asking him for medication but should tell him the stuff you have just now isnt working or maybe you are not giving it a chance because there is another kind out there that you want!!
i write stuff down and give it to the doctor he used to laugh but he knows i dont like disscussung things and i think it helps because i never forget something i was wanting to tell him at the time ha x

[june]

:hugs:not a good idea to 'tell' your doc what you want:blush:
You talk to him / you explain to him how you are feeling / as patmac says - write it down.
Finding the right meds DOES take time but you could also read up on 'symptoms' on left of screen there is sooooooo much info in there - understanding why you feel the way you do can be half the battle to recovery:yesyes: I have printed off some of the info and carry it with me for 'bad' days:blush:
Best wishes
June

[pezinlondon]

thanks for your reply :) so if i just mention that ive been doing some research online and alot of people are having good results with diazepam he will less likely to prescribe me it coz he might think i want it for recreational purposes? have i got more chance of getting it if i ask to see a psychiatrist? i just really doubt ssri's will help the anxiety and want to get better as soon as possible, had this for 4 years and dont want to waste another day of my life im still young and my 21st is less than a month away :/ god knows what id do if they decide to throw a suprise party i probably wouldnt go , its pathetic!!!

[nanny]

I agree with Patmac, just tell the doctor that what you are taking doesn't seem to be working and ask if there ia another you can try. If the doctor is understanding then i'm sure you WILL be given another medication to try.
Good Luck:)

[june]

in you research you must have noticed that 'diazepam' can be very addictive?? this is why many docs will not prescribe them:blush:
Modern ssri's are supposed to be safer:blush:
You say you have been suffering for 4 years? what have you been doing to help your self in that time?
If you have only seen your doc in the last 4 months - he has to evaluate the serious your anxiety and agoraphobia really is, they may need to be treated differently.
There is NO quick fix for any of this:blush: it took a long time to develop and hard work on your part to fix:yesyes:
Did you read any of the 'symptoms' pages ??
Best wishes
June

[loulabella]

Hi hun,

My best advice is the the AD your on is not working... citalopram is great for some and not for others. Perhaps you need a slightly more calming one, usually the TCA's are good for this. Dathiapen, Amitriptyline etc. If you change you could ask for some diazapam to help you with the switch over... if you've not been out for years then they are at liberty to help you. Sometimes a benzo will help break the cycle and if taken with caution may put you in the right direction. Don't be scared to ask for what you need. You only have one life x