[adel34]

Hi Everyone,
It was completely by chance that I got in contact again with my previous pdoc this week. The nurse where I live accidentally contacted her instead of my new pdoc to varify that I was stopping a med since he hadn't written the order in his notes.
Former pdoc and I ended up exchanging e-mails. Previous to this, in the summer when I first moved out here, she randomly said that she didn't want to talk to me anymore and wouldn't even give me my records which I needed to start at a day program.
Now surprisingly, she seemed happy to answer my med questions in a very straightforward way.
Anyway, our exchanges just made me wish that all pdocs would be as honest with their patients as she was with me. For example, she said I was wise to stay away from xanax because of how short-acting it is, wearing off after a few hours and then the anxiety comes back even stronger. She suggested klonopin if I wanted to take anything from the benzo family.
She suggested a starting dose for welbutrin, 75 MG twice a day, and suggested I tell new pdoc to start anything he gives me at the lowest possible dose and gradually increase it. This has always been her philosophy with dosing, and is so reassuring to me. I never had to worry about her overwhelming my brain with huge doses of meds. With this guy I'm not so sure. Him bringing me from 50 to 75 on the zoloft I don't think was the best idea. It caused me to be really hyper for like a day. Good thing it wore off.
Anyway, just frustrates me you know, that here she was so willing to answer my questions and the one I'm meeting with first of all, wasn't honest at all about the xanax. And said in general that he'd "never prescribe anything that would hurt me." That doesn't address my specific concerns.
Oh well, just saying it wouldn't kill them to just answer a patient's question honestly rather than being evasive, for any pdocs who are lurking here.

[~JD~]

I got started on Wellbutrin XL 150mg once a day, and I'm supposed to double that in 12 days. My pdoc knows I don't really care for gradual introductions of medications lol

In response to the main topic: They dont get paid for outside-of-appointment consultations.

[adel34]

Hi JD,
Wow about the welbutrin! I guess everyone is different.
To clarify, my new pdoc wasn't answering my questions honestly in my appointment! That's what frustrates me.
And yes, I know my former pdoc wasn't getting payed to give me this information. It was totally by chance that we were in contact anyway. I'm so grateful that she did though.
If I were working with her, I know she would give me these answers during my appointment no problem. I just wish others would do the same.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by adel34

the one I'm meeting with first of all, wasn't honest at all about the xanax

You haven't said what your pdoc said that was dishonest. I'm sorry you don't like him as well as the first one but maybe he will end up being OK... I'm surprised that the first pdoc would give you so much medical advice when you are no longer under her care.

Originally Posted by adel34

I never had to worry about her overwhelming my brain with huge doses of meds. With this guy I'm not so sure. Him bringing me from 50 to 75 on the zoloft I don't think was the best idea. It caused me to be really hyper for like a day. Good thing it wore off.

Increasing from 50 to 75 mg would be a typical increase for Zoloft because the smallest available pill is 25 mg. The 25 mg increase is not considered large, but fairly conservative. Sounds like your pdoc was being suitably cautious. It would be unusual to increase Zoloft by a smaller amount, as it would mean pill cutting and not all providers encourage that. Feeling agitated, anxious, or "hyper" for a short time would not be unexpected when you get a dose increase for an activating med like Zoloft. Usually this side effect would wear off after a few days as the body adjusts. It sounds like it only lasted a day for you so you have reacted well to the dose increase. Sounds like everything is going well! If you want to increase your Zoloft more slowly when it is time for the next dose increase (if there is one), you could tell your pdoc and discuss that option. There is always pill cutting, or alternatively, a compounding pharmacy could make you a really dilute solution of Zoloft so you could increase really, really slowly. But since you did pretty well with the last dose increase, maybe this wouldn't be necessary.