I ran out of prozac and didn't have anymore refills left and I called my doctor probably 20 times about getting a new prescription, but he won't return my calls or emails. I'm really pissed that he would just leave me out to dry like that. So I've just stopped taking it without having any to gradually decrease my dose. I don't feel suicidal, but I'm pretty upset. Is that malpractice?
Answer:
Depending on the number of times you can document contacting your doc, there is the possibility of him/her being charged with patient abandonment. This isn't exactly malpractice, but depending on the credentials of your doc (GP, Psych) and boards governing licensure in your state, this is still a charge that can hurt.
As a previous poster stated, Prozac isn't one of the "terrible" drugs to withdraw from due to it's long half-life. I personally experienced withdrawl from Effexor XR once and it was a living hell. However, you don't want to let this affect your mood stability so even if you can't reach your regular doc try to call another doc, even if it means going to an emergency walk-in clinic. Take your old prescription bottle, explain your situation, and as long as Prozac is the only psych med they you need they shouldn't view you as a "med seeker" and give you enough to get by til you can get a hold of your doc.
Best of luck, hang in there!!
(p.s. If you have a therapist, enlist the help of him/her. The doc is, unfortunatly more likely to return his/her call).
you shouldnt stop just like that u need to go and see your doctor to get some more asap
prozac in particular is a drug with a long half life, so going without it shouldn't be as bad as going without, say, paxil or a drug with a shorter half life.
as for malpractice, it is very irresponsible. i don't know if it crosses into malpractice, but you should get a new doctor right away. that doctor doesn't know his/her butt from a hole in the ground.
call your doctor until you get a hold of him/her. you ought to get back on it as soon as possible. when you and your doctor decide it is time to get off of medications, you should wean yourself off of them slowly. until then, keep taking the meds/
SSRI meds stay in your system for 2 weeks after you stop taking them.(prozaC is ssri right?).you should be fine until you can get ahold of him tomorrow/fri....yo... might feel slightly depressed today/tomorrow but not as much as before you started taking them....(ive done this too)
i dont think you can sue him for malpractice because i think you're supposed to keep an eye on the levels and schedule an appt in time....its funny you ask ..i just ran out and i need to get downtown to get a refill but im too busy..oh dear...
If your doctor will not return calls or emails, it may be that he is on vacation or something of that nature. If you cannot get ahold of someone at his office, call another doctor, explain your problem and see if they can help you get your meds.
I stopped my meds for two months one time just because I didn't want to take the drugs anymore, it was all good for about a week, must have had the meds built up in my system or something. Anyway, after that everyone that came in contact with me KNEW I wasn't taking them anymore, it is extremely important to take your medicine.
As for Malpractice...check this site out and decide if you have a case to pursue or not, if so, contact an attorney. But again, your doctor may have something going on that is out of his control (My Dr. had a heart attack and was gone for 6 weeks, but had another doctor that the patients were referred to)
it's not a good idea to stop cold turkey and the Dr. office should have called you. i don't know if you would call it malpractice but it is defiantly bad business and neglectful. please go to another Dr. tomorrow and get your Prozac and make sure you don't run out next time.
I would HIGHLY suggest you NOT doing it cold turkey, as
you most likely will suffer for months from "withdrawal" bad feelings,headaches, body shakes, you could gain massive weight, or lose, you might not sleep well etc. BUT the main problem with do it this way is that if there is a next time you need to be on meds, the chances are slim this one will work for you and you may have to try a bunch before you find one that will!!
Just because your pissed at your doc-don't take it out on him by undermining your health and well-being. Could you go to a clinic or seek a new doctor that will listen to you, sometimes even the pharmacists will and can help you out, what about a counselor or pychiatrist, or even an ombudsman of sorts to help you sort through this?
It's your health here not his find a new doc, this one sounds like an overworked jack@ss! I don't know about malpractice but I'd say definitely mistreatment
Best of Luck
I was 20 or 21 when I was taking them and I thought to myself that I didnt want to be on some med for the rest of my life and I just quit cold turkey one day. I was taking 60mg of Celexa a day and I had absolutley no withdrawel effects and was amazed after hearing horror storied. I just started Celexa again after going through a lot of stress this year. My dad having a heart attack, quadruple bypass surgery, gf pregnant then miscarried, dumped me twice, relationship now on a single thread, found out she had twins and only miscarried one. So yea I am suffering insomnia, depression, and anxiety.
Potential seizures. See someone else and get some ASAP! See the depression treatments at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris... on page 2 for more info.
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