[SingDanceRunLife]

This may be a little long, but I'll try to keep it at a readable length.

About a month ago, I noticed myself getting more easily irritated and other early warning signs of a mixed/manic episode. I called my pdoc and her advice was to try and find a pdoc here (I recently moved). Well I looked for awhile with no luck, then gave up because things weren't bad.

By last week, I was falling apart and could tell I needed to see someone sooner rather than later. I called my pdoc and left her a message asking if I could make an appt, and was willing to make the 3 hour trip to see her because that's how urgent the situation was, and she never answered, so I went to the ER and I ended up spending 3 days in EOB (extended observation bed -- step down from full on psych ward), and those days were wasted. One pdoc took me off my Zoloft cold turkey, then the next put me back on it at a lower dose...and all along I was saying I needed a med change, I've been through this before, and I know what needs to be happening.

I've made at least a dozen calls trying to find a pdoc that I can see, and the best I've been able to figure out is about June which simply isn't soon enough. My T from home, who I have called in this situation and she said she'll call my pdoc and leave a message telling her the situation and will hopefully hear back from her, and she also recommend maybe trying to find a psychiatric NP.

Does anyone else have any suggestions?

If this doesn't get solved soon, I'll be in a boatload of trouble seeing as I'm barely keeping it together as is

Hopefully your T will be able to talk to your old pdoc and get you some immediate help.

In the meantime, set an appointment with a new pdoc. Yes, it may be June before you get in, but if you don't make the appointment now, it certainly won't get any sooner by putting it off.

I had this happen when I was originally trying to get in with a pdoc: every appointment was at least 6 weeks out. I kept not making appointments. In the meantime, my condition got so bad I did end up in-patient. My only saving grace was the the pdoc I was assigned to inpatient ended up being my pdoc outpatient just by pure luck. So, it worked out, but only by pure luck. Make an appointment with at least one pdoc (maybe with several to try them out if you can) and start putting that in motion, even if things stabilize and you start feeling better. You know down the road, you still will need a pdoc in place locally.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I can't make a pdoc appt yet...I still have to have another T appt before I can, and then I'll get a pdoc appt for June or maybe July And June isn't soon enough, I won't make it to June...

[dillpickle1983]

You could always admit yourself to an inpatient setting or crisis unit. More than likely you'll get a med change or changes. Now generally you have to be suicidal or homicidal but you say you're not going to make it till June, so something has to give. Good luck.

[SingDanceRunLife]

Originally Posted by dillpickle1983

You could always admit yourself to an inpatient setting or crisis unit. More than likely you'll get a med change or changes. Now generally you have to be suicidal or homicidal but you say you're not going to make it till June, so something has to give. Good luck.

I already did that. I was in the hospital Thursday to Sunday -- from my OP: I called my pdoc and left her a message asking if I could make an appt, and was willing to make the 3 hour trip to see her because that's how urgent the situation was, and she never answered, so I went to the ER and I ended up spending 3 days in EOB (extended observation bed -- step down from full on psych ward), and those days were wasted. One pdoc took me off my Zoloft cold turkey, then the next put me back on it at a lower dose...and all along I was saying I needed a med change, I've been through this before, and I know what needs to be happening.

((((singdancerunlife))))

Originally Posted by SingDanceRunLife

I can't make a pdoc appt yet...I still have to have another T appt before I can, and then I'll get a pdoc appt for June or maybe July And June isn't soon enough, I won't make it to June...

I don't understand why you can't make an appointment. Some program restriction or something? You had indicated you had looked and were aware how far out they are scheduling, so I assumed you could make an appointment but chose not to. (Missing something I guess.)

[pinkflower17]

The only thing I can think of that you haven't tried is to call everyone in your insurance's plan within a reasonable distance and just try to get in with someone, anyone. Also, do you have a PCP? A lot, not all, but a lot of family practitioners or internists, especially if you can help them regarding what has worked in the past etc, are competent and comfortable prescribing psych meds for a brief period of time. Especially if you're going to be seeing a psychiatrist in a couple months. And it'd probably be easier to get into to see a GP than a psychiatrist. Sorry you're having so many issues.

[SingDanceRunLife]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

I don't understand why you can't make an appointment. Some program restriction or something? You had indicated you had looked and were aware how far out they are scheduling, so I assumed you could make an appointment but chose not to. (Missing something I guess.)

It's the rule of the places. One of them even has a rule that you must see a counselor through them if you want to see a pdoc through them.

[Apathy123]

What if you made the appointment for june but then called weekly or every couple of days to see if there has been a cancellation? I've done that before. Just a thought.

[SingDanceRunLife]

I plan on making a June appt, but I'm not hopeful about getting in any sooner.