Hi All!
I have been on citalopram for over a year now and recently my doctor admitted that it wasn't working ( I already knew that) and has referred me to psychiatry. During the past few months my anxiety has sky rocketed and with some reluctance from the doctor it was agreed that I could resume a previous dosage of 5 mgs of diazepam a day until I see the psychiatrist and they take over the medication side of things. I was previously on 20 per 28 days so it was an uppage of eight tablets between prescription requests. For some reason though in the past six weeks or so I kept getting issued with only ten tablets and would have to phone the surgery each week to allow for the 48 hour repeat prescription service. Anyhoo this was I believed resolved several weeks ago and I was told when I phone for my citalopram I was to request 28 diazepam tabs too. it didn't happen. Today I had to phone the emergency doctor to try to resolve the issue. Her response... You and your mum have been told repeatedly that you get ten tablets per month and these are for going out. I am not prepared to write you a prescription and if you aren't happy about it make an appointment with Doctor ... and discuss it with him. (I at this point tried to explain that my circumstances had changed and so had my prescription) she repeated again that she wouldn't be issuing it and that I would just have to learn to deal with the feelings, that she was an emergency doctor and didn't have time for this and hung up on me. by this point I was in hysterical tears. Thankfully I have an amazing health visitor who I phoned and she went and saw another doctor on my behalf and got it sorted out. I should explain that I suffer from acute panic and anxiety disorder, I am almost housebound with agoraphobia and I also suffer depression. My GP does not want to take me off the citalopram preferring to leave that to the decision of the psychiatrist due to the fact that when I started the drug I was having so many panic attacks my anxiety was terrible and I became extremely suicidal. he fears withdrawal will knock me back into that. Anyway, the point. What action would you take if you were spoken to in that manner by a GP. I really do feel that her behaviour towards me had it been during a heightened anxiety phase or really down one could have realistically landed me in hospital. To say I was shocked distressed and appalled would be an understatement. I have never ever had my mental health issues dismissed with such a lack of care from any medical professional. Should I complain? Will a complaint backfire on me? Thought please?
Thanks Pooh x
---------- Post added at 23:53 ---------- Previous post was at 23:47 ----------
Ps I was NEVER only on 10 tablets of diazepam a month so Gawd knows where that came from too.