Posted by Chairman_MAO on February 18, 2004, at 20:31:30
In reply to Re: Straterra makes anyone more energetic/alert?, posted by utopizen on February 18, 2004, at 17:50:34
Isn't it lovely how the only way to get the drugs you need out of most physicians is by arguing like an attorney? Gee, I'm sure the founding fathers of this country wanted us to be virtually held hostage by the medical profession when we're trying to be healed--something which, contrary to popular belief, is primarily OUR responsibility and not the doctors. Maybe healthcare costs would go down if only those for whom a consultation with a PHARMACIST wasn't enough would have to see doctors ... all prescription laws should be repealed.
Off my soapbox, you might be able to get Cylert this way: perhaps you should tell him that the Desoxyn is working OK your narcolepsy, but that you're not noticing the same "ADD symptom control" that you used to, and would like to augment it with Cylert. Say that you want an agent free of adrenergic activity (Cylert is only dopaminergic) because you do not want any more sympathetic nervous system stimulation. You may also mention that Cylert has proven effectiveness in narcolepsy, and since it is not as robust as Desoxyn, it would help it but not replace it for this application as well. This logic jives, while still retaining the integral nature of the Desoxyn. Under the above two constraints, we have restricted the choice of medication to only Cylert. See what I mean about arguing like an attorney? If I weren't a philosophy major, I doubt I could have even come up with this. And doing this IMPROMPTU is REALLY hard, as you must know.
Insofar as studies for your sleep, here's one that you could use to get an "emergency supply" of Ambien (we'll ignore other studies that say it's ineffective if used intermittently, heh):
Eur Psychiatry. 2003 Aug;18(5):201-8.
The challenge of chronic insomnia: is non-nightly hypnotic treatment a feasible alternative?
Hajak G, Cluydts R, Allain H, Estivill E, Parrino L, Terzano MG, Walsh JK.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Universitatsstrasse 84, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Goeran.Hajak@bkr- regensburg.de
The adverse effects of insomnia on health and quality of life are matters receiving increasing attention. Yet, surveys have consistently shown that most people suffering from insomnia do not seek medical help, perhaps, in part, because of a concern of becoming dependent on hypnotic medication. The treatment of chronic insomnia poses a particular dilemma in that continuous hypnotic treatment is restricted in many countries to a maximum of 4 weeks, and behavioural treatment is not readily available. Non-nightly hypnotic treatment of chronic insomnia offers a promising alternative option for the many patients whose symptoms do not necessitate nightly drug intake, allaying fears of psychological dependence on medication and respecting regulatory constraints on hypnotic use while providing patients with adequate symptom relief. The practical feasibility and efficacy of this approach has been demonstrated with zolpidem using various treatment regimens and study designs. So far, six clinical trials have been completed on over 4000 patients. Published results show effective treatment of insomnia without any evidence of either adverse event associated with a discontinuous regimen or increased hypnotic use over the treatment period.
I'm sorry, but a medline search on "zolpidem" and "narcolepsy" turned up nothing, and I am not expert enough to be able to boostrap an argument based upon other studies to show that you require it. Any physician with a brain, however, would know that Ambien has no hangover and the antihistaminic drugs do. A holistic nurse-practitioner that I saw years ago once told me in response to my asking if she ever prescribes Ambien long-term, "Well, not usually, but if someone comes to me and says Ambien is the only way they get a good night's sleep, it's pretty hard to say no ..."
This is the way any physician who is interesting in holding up the hippocratic oath should behave. Your doctor is afraid of overprescribing scheduled drugs: you're already on Desoxyn and Klonopin. Doctors can get their licenses yanked by the DEA if they write too many controlled prescriptions; that is, they can only write so many for all patients combined. Yaaay, police state! Go persecution of drug users! Go!
Order your Ambien from overseas, or get it from another doctor. Your current doctor simply does not want to prescribe you another controlled substance, and will give you an infinite number of arguments and half-truths to cover up that fact. And you may not realize it, but you ARE "drug-seeking". Everyone who goes to a psychiatrist expecting medication is "drug-seeking". This is not a bad thing! Rather, it's what we're all forced into in order to be allowed to purchase drugs! As I said earlier, perhaps what we need is repeal of prescription laws ...
Best of luck
poster:Chairman_MAO
thread:314938
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040218/msgs/315357.html