Posted by Quintal on February 29, 2008, at 6:02:52
My pdoc gave me 14 x 5mg Zyprexa at the last appointment with instructions to go to my GP for more 'if you like it'. This was in preference to zopiclone, which he was refusing to prescribe any longer. There are a number of problems with this:
a) Zyprexa has a long half-life of over 30 hours, therefore causes a 'hangover' effect the next day.
b) Zyprexa severely imapirs my concentration.
c) my memory is shot to peices.
d) my stomach and saddle bags are already starting to bulge and it's only week 3.
e) health risks associateed with said weight gain i.e. heart disease and diabetes.
f) risk of movement disorders.The main 'risk' with zopiclone is dependence, yet since I will most likely become to dependent on any medication that works long term, I consider dependence on Zyprexa more dangerous than dependence on zopiclone. My pdoc is baffled by this, but I try to be patient with him. I think the main problem is that Zyprexa is well within protocol while zopiclone is almost forbidden in the UK. This seems to blind him to the obvious hazards of using Zyprexa long-term as a hypnotic. I should add that Zyprexa drains his NHS budget of over £60 per month compared to just over £3 for a month's supply of zopiclone.
My social worker went to my GP on Wednesday and asked for some zopiclone and amisulpride when she saw what state I was in. My GP refused and so did my pdoc at first, but in the end he relented to a week's supply of zopiclone but refused the amisulpride. I see him on Tuesday and I'll probably have this battle with him all over again. When my social worker spoke to him on the phone he thought he'd given me zotepine not Zyprexa... I'm just hoping that's not what he's not going to suggest next.
Q
poster:Quintal
thread:815318
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20080221/msgs/815318.html