New Florida prescription drug law....anyone else in FL being affected by this?

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2011-09-01/news/os-prescription-drug-monitoring-begins-20110901_1_drug-database-prescription-drug-monitoring-model-state-drug-laws

While trying to taper off of K via crossing over to V, I originally had the support of my doctor (a neurologist) that had been prescribing me K for the past 4 years.  After a follow up appointment in Aug, he told me he could no longer prescribe me a benzodiazepam because of a FL law that went into effect on July 1, and the drug database law starting Sept 1.  After 10 years of being diagnosed and misdiagnosed with fibromylgia, multiple tests coming back negative, and worsening fibro symptoms every year for the past 10 years, I had already lost faith in most doctors, had stopped going to doctors, and this was the only one that I had trusted.  He told me to go to a pyschiatrist for help with my tapering and prescription.  I find it funny he was the only one prescribing me this medication for the past 4 years and now all of a sudden while I'm trying to come off of it, he says he can't write any more scripts and tells me to go somewhere else.  By the way, I was never prescribed K for anxiety, I was prescribed .5 mg for "KNEE PAIN" that was waking me up at night 10 years ago and then updosed to 1 mg 5 years ago when I started experiencing restless leg syndrome.  I've suspected this drug has been the culprit of my declining health over the past 10 years with fibromyalgia symptoms, that's why I want off it.  Funny, now my doc is telling me to go to a psychiatrist for help to come off of it, when I was never put on the the drug for a pyschiatrict condition!

Is there anyone else on this board who lives in Florida that is now all of sudden being "abandoned" by their doctor because of this law?

I am in Orlando but fortunately I will be 9 months off in a few days.

Seems like they have no problems passing laws to discourage people from acquiring drugs illicitly, but not much is being done to address the REAL problem, which is doctors handing out prescriptions to dangerous drugs with little understanding of how they work or the damage they can do.

Kind of feels like the medical profession is hanging you out to dry, huh? Hopefully you are able to get this sorted out.

Yeah, that's exactly how I feel!  I've had so much frustration with doctors and their medictions over the past 10 years I've lost all hope in the medical industry and am just trying to find ways to get better.  It seems like everything they have prescribed in the past has either given me worse symptoms, or if the prescription did help, it only helped for awhile before them keep wanting to updose and updose more every time it stops helping. 

Congratulations on being 9 months off.  I have a ? for you....looking at your sig line, we were both on clonazepam.  Did you ever experience any symptoms of fibromyalgia "before" you started to taper, while on this drug? 

Thanks for your reply!

Patches

theyre mainly going after painkillers. I honestly feel sorry for the peeps who actually NEED the stuff for pain.

Congratulations on being 9 months off.  I have a ? for you....looking at your sig line, we were both on clonazepam.  Did you ever experience any symptoms of fibromyalgia "before" you started to taper, while on this drug?

I didn't know what those symptoms were but after googling it I would have to say no. Those symptoms do sound a lot like benzo WD, however.

Patches, I'm sorry you are being denied care like this.  There is no shame in these doctors.  Your doctor is clearly trying to firewall himself from any potential lawsuits. I hope you find a benzowise doctor in your area for the rest of your taper.

These databases are a result of the abuse of the very same medications that have abused us.  I never thought that the crackdown would come from the recreational use.  It's become very costly to the system as law enforcement is constantly locking people up for the medications we have a script for.  This draconian method of cleaning up the streets, I'm afraid, will end badly.

Law enforcement will have access to these databases.  This ushers in a new wave of big brother issues.  Did you know you can be charged with a DUI just by taking the benzo you have been prescribed?  I just learned this.  I know of one individual who was charged with one.  No alcohol was found in his system.  Only the medication he was prescribed.  I predict that pdocs will stop prescribing benzos and focus only on ADs.  There will be a new class of anxiolytics that won't fall into the controlled substance category.  If there is an upside to this, it's been cloaked by the ignorance of a broken system. 

Christopher

I am in Michigan, but I saw this on the news and was wondering if it would affect any of the buddies.  Reminds me of something Dr. Ashton has been fighting against in Great Britain.

www.benzo.org.uk/ashrw2.htm

I don't know why your neuro won't help you finish your taper.  But....

If it were me in this situation, I would find a psych. to help me finish my taper.  A good one will be familiar with restless leg syndrome and fibromyalgia.  You don't want to be caught in a cold-turkey wd.

FL is well known across the nation for all the 'pill mills' that are running in this state. That's why people flocked here to get their drugs and that is a situation that needs to be shut down, along with the drs. that provide that service. With that being said, I also feel that is it wrong to put private information in a database of people that are only doing what their drs. prescribe for prescriptions they need. I feel this is clearly an invasion of privacy and directly against the HIPPA laws. I can understand why Gov. Scott was against this program. It's another invasion of government in our lives. We have to sign papers if we want anyone in our families to have any of our health information and now they are giving it to law enforcement/government without our permission.

Neurologist often prescribe benzos for nerve pain, etc. so I'm not sure why your dr. is stopping treatment. Unless, of course, he doesn't want to be entered into the database and his practice scrutinized. And maybe, just maybe, he has reasons he doesn't want someone looking into his business?  But, he does know you are tapering and he should stay with you until you are off. He is leaving you hanging and that is just wrong.

Ask your dr. if he can recommend someone. He will have to transfer your records and his name will be on them as the original prescribing dr so hopefully he has someone you can trust. He should give you enough medication to get you through the the initial period with a new dr. Some drs. won't just jump in and give you what your previous dr prescribed. Since he is basically dumping this on you feel free to ask whatever you need from him. There is a reason he is backing off this.

Good luck,

TS