Posted by fca on January 16, 2007, at 12:02:26 [reposted on January 16, 2007, at 14:02:46 | original URL]
In reply to Re: DON'T DETOX BENZS ON YOUR OWN!!!!!!!!!! » invisiblemanpa, posted by Phillipa on January 16, 2007, at 11:43:30
Absolutely, your physician should have worked with you to taper (especially if he/she had prescribed the ativan and dosage). I believe they had a moral and ethical duty to work with you in a thoughtful way.
On the other hand--I stongly believe the physician had every right, if not a responsibility, to discontinue the ongoing use of benzos after your alcohol/benzo mix. You know this is not a good idea and potentially very dangerous--your physician is subject to significant malpractice exposure if they continue to prescribe benzos (unless it is in a controlled inpt or outpt environment) after that. Also, it is not clinically appropriate. While you may never file a claim against your physician I want to assure you that relatives and survivors have a way of valuing your life after your death--sometimes much more than during your life. I know that sounds harsh but that is the way it is in some situations. Even if you forget the malpractice--it just is not good medicine to prescribe benzo's to someone who either will not, or can not, manage their use of alcohol. I am not talking about a person who uses benzo's on an intermittent or PRN basis but on a regular basis. Good luck
poster:fca
thread:722897
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20061224/msgs/722900.html