[irishgirl4]

Are any of your PDocs aware of how many pills and what kind of pills that you have?

I have so many pills right now. I have bottles of Sonata, a big supply of Xanax, Klonopin, and Valium. I have a whole lot of Lamictal. Now, after dental pain, I have a large amount of Vicodin.

I just think it is interesting that my pdoc keeps writing prescriptions, without asking for the old stuff back.

[laur88]

Yeah I have a bunch of sertraline and fluoxetine lying around... I suppose I should just throw them out because they clearly didn't work out!

[CesarioRose]

Yea, I have some of the A-Typical Anti Psychotics that my pdoc was trying on me laying around. I have a large supply of lithium, still, and Klonopin, and Lamitical. This stuff was expensive, too! I wish I could trade my drugs back to the pharmacy to get a refund, or trade them to the pdoc to get free sessions. (He's expensive, too! $160/visit, and he doesn't accept my insurance! Eeek! ) Good thing my T accepts my insurance, and i only pay a small co-pay with the T. So i don't have to go see pdoc often (if at all anymore since discontinuing meds.)

[yagalada]

At one point I could have opened my own pharmacy. It was pretty ridiculous because my meds were changing frequently, as well as the fact I was in and out of the hospital so all my meds would go unused at home.

I think, well, actually I know its dangerous to have all these med bottles around. That's how I decided to attempt suicide. I am very lucky to be here, I was in ICU for a week, (stepdown for another few days, then on the psych unit for weeks) and my parents even called the priest and I was given Last Rites. They were counseled by the hosp about ending life support. It was awful.

I really think there should be some protocol for managing meds like this. After my attempt, I was given a visiting nurse who kept all my meds in a lock box and kept track of filtering out the unused old meds, but not everyone needs that level of involvement.

Weekly prescriptions could be another option for people who are getting meds adjusted.

Our school district sponsors a pill recycling day to dispose of meds properly. I religiously get rid of meds I no longer take. It is a safety issue for me.

[ladyjrnlist]

Yeah. It's hard to believe sometimes that my pdoc actually knows I take all this stuff. LOL. Oh well, seems to be helping me so I will carry on

[Ryask]

Don't flush or throw the meds out, they go into our ground water and contaminate it. The medications can be handed back into any pharmacy where they incinerate them.

[kitty004567]

Also some doctors will take extra medicine back if it's not expired or recently expired because it's still good and can help someone else. But I know almost all pharmacies will.

[Anneinside]

You should return your extra pills to the pharmacy to be disposed of properly.

I once had a box of pills, about the size of two shoe boxes. They were very tempting so I taped the box closed and wrote all over it -- Don't open this... go to the hospital...-- and so forth. For awhile I had it locked up in my shed. Then one time I was asked my plan and said I was going to open the box of pills and take them all. The nurse became upset and got my pdoc. She told me to bring the box to her. I refused. She wrote a long note on my chart. She advised me to go to the hospital if it got too bad. It did, and I called her and she said go to the hospital and bring the box. I finally did what she said. I turned the box into the nurses on the ward and they found 50 bottles of pills about half full. A ridiculous amount of drugs to have around when you are suicidal.

I don't know what I have now. I should look. I just know how to stock up. My insurance lets me get another prescription filled every 3 weeks... over a couple of months time you have an extra month of pills sitting around even though you have taken your meds regularly.

Sometimes I wish I still had the box.

Great Thread - I was actually wondering the same thing. I have pain killers for my migraines, tranquilizers, leftover higher miligram seroquel,left over percoset and some other pain killers.

I thought Pharmacies aren't allowed to take meds back but I guess if drs are handing out samples they can take them back too.

I agree with everyone who says having the extra pills around could be dangerous. I have definitely had my own issue with stockpiling pills. If you know you have an issue then it's probably best to get rid of anything you don't need.

I generally hold onto whatever I have for a little while, then toss it once I know I won't br taking, unless it's something like Ativan or Xanax, which I feel like I can always use.

[Anneinside]

Pharmacies can take back drugs to dispose of them but they can't give them out to other people, neither can doctors.

[kitty004567]

Originally Posted by Anneinside

Pharmacies can take back drugs to dispose of them but they can't give them out to other people, neither can doctors.

It's some sort of program this particular doctor is involved in.... I'm not exactly sure how it works. Seems like it would be illegal to redistribute but somehow it's not.

Originally Posted by Anneinside

Pharmacies can take back drugs to dispose of them but they can't give them out to other people, neither can doctors.

I had no idea - I thought CVS told me they couldn't take them back...maybe that was in my head bc I don't want to give them back. Good to know!

[Mac Murphy]

My doctors (gp and pdoc) are both aware of the meds I am taking and they both use ePocrates to check for drug interactions before making any new recommendations.

Still, like many of you, I still have a pharmacy of my own from Oxycontin to clonazepam and many other pain killers and psychotropics alike.

[irishgirl4]

Originally Posted by kdd240z

My doctors (gp and pdoc) are both aware of the meds I am taking and they both use ePocrates to check for drug interactions before making any new recommendations.

Still, like many of you, I still have a pharmacy of my own from Oxycontin to clonazepam and many other pain killers and psychotropics alike.

I keep them on purpose-it makes me feel safe knowing that it is there if I give up. However, I know that that particular method is very, very, ineffective. I don't have THAT many dangerous meds. I am just surprised that these docs don't track our supplies.

[sugahorse1]

i stockpile too. It has been a problem twice as i couldnt stop myself. I know I should hand them in. I have a whole lot of SSRI's which I have not been prescribed for nearly 2 years.
After my last disaster, my pdoc made a note in my file to not give me dangerous meds
Having my pills always gives me an out- I know it's not a clever plan.

[IdoubtIT]

lithium, seroquel, effexor all lying around...and way too much klonipin on hand for my own good.

[Anneinside]

Originally Posted by sugahorse

i stockpile too. It has been a problem twice as i couldnt stop myself. I know I should hand them in. I have a whole lot of SSRI's which I have not been prescribed for nearly 2 years.
After my last disaster, my pdoc made a note in my file to not give me dangerous meds
Having my pills always gives me an out- I know it's not a clever plan.

I understand the desire to stockpile. I know it was reassuring to me to have that out right there in the room. I try not to do it on purpose, but then again, I don't get rid of any meds I am no longer using.

It makes me feel better to know that i'm not the only one who feels better just knowing they are there. Just in case.