Wonderful, isn't it? The way I hear it in my region is that a lot of MD's have moved their practices from Quebec to Ontario (OHIP pays more than RAMQ does) and Ontario doctors move to the States, where there's no socialized healthcare and make even more money. It is unfortunate that medicine is now a business instead of a vocation.Gene,
Sorry to hear about the difficulty you're having to find a doctor. It's a frustration we experience in many parts of Canada.
I did follow the below link and found it to be quite interesting but mind you, I've been taking this med for more than 12 years at 2MG's/day.In the case of benzodiazepines, the rationale dealing with cessation rate depends on half life, however if a person has been taking the medication for a long time (years) or at a relatively high dose, tapering would similarly be advisable to help avoid symptoms of withdrawl.
Clonazepam ranks in the short to moderate half life grouping of minor tranquilizers, and one would be wise to follow a tapering schedule if cessation were planned.
Interesting but the big challenge now is to find a doctor who's quite savvy in that area but as I said, so far I've only encountered "nays".However if your doctor is switching to another benzodiazepine, there would be no need to cease the first, as a "wash out" is not required when switching from one benzodiazepine to another.
As I mentioned above, quite informative and I saved it so I may print it, if ever I do find a doctor.Here is an article which describes the implications of the half life of benzodiazepines and provides a good list of the half lifes of many benzodiazepines.
What really caught my attention was:
"Nevertheless, people on potent benzodiazepines such as alprazolam, lorazepam (Ativan) or clonazepam (Klonopin) tend to be using relatively large doses. This difference in potency is important when switching from one benzodiazepine to another"
"Clearly, with repeated daily dosing accumulation occurs and high concentrations can build up in the body (mainly in fatty tissues). There is a considerable variation between individuals in the rate at which they metabolise benzodiazepines."
What is a Physician? Where do you find one? Are they on the Endangered Species list? Think I should try finding one in a museum? Would it be easier to get an appointment with the German Chancellor? (sorry, rambling...)No medication should be stopped without consulting a physician, and a schedule for tapering the dose should be discussed with the physician to help avoid symptoms of withdrawl.
BTW, Steve, I sent another message to Natural Factors asking if any of the DGL ingredients require the cytochrome p-450 stage (liver enzyme) of metabolism. I'll probably have an answer tomorrow. I also skipped the DGL at dinner and as I said in an above post, won't be taking it for a day or two only to see if there's any change.
Today was awful, I woke up restless and could feel that I had had an anxiety attack during the night. About an hour after getting out of bed, I went on another anxiety roller coaster ride and my head was spinning as if I were experiencing vertigo so I ended-up pacing the living/dining area for about 4 1/2 hours (which is what I always do when anxious, have to move) and now feel like I participated in a marathon (and came in last).
Also, I'd like to mention that the other DGL ingredients besides the licorice are dextrose, cellulose, maltodextrine, guar gum and magnesium stearate. Wonder if any of those (or the licorice) need the p-450 to metabolize...
Thanks again,
Gene