A quick note tonight, hopefully with a longer post to follow this weekend… I’ve been frustrated by the people behind the Wisconsin PDMP, or Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, for their mistakes related to buprenorphine. Whoever came up with the numbers made a rookie error when calculating the equivalent morphine dose of patients taking buprenorphine products. … [Read more…]
The high safety of buprenorphine, except when combined with a benzodiazepine, has been twisted in comments about the drug (and in the minds of regulators) to buprenorphine being uniquely dangerous when combined with benzodiazepines, which is not true. I’ve heard more and more from insurers, regulators, and well-meaning agencies about the dangers of combining buprenorphine … [Read more…]
A post on the Forum asked about the best remedies for opioid withdrawal. I will review the medications and other treatments for opioid withdrawal that I have heard discussed by physicians or by people on the internet. Hopefully readers will leave comments about medications or approaches that they have found useful. Likewise, if you are … [Read more…]
First posted 12/13/2012 Anxiety is one of the most common presenting complaints for people who come to my psychiatric practice. By the time people with anxiety visit a psychiatrist, they have usually discussed their symptoms with friends and family members, and some have been to their family care physician. And as a result of these … [Read more…]
I was never a huge Whitney fan, but nobody can debate the beauty and power of her voice. Also beyond debate is that she deserved a better ending than the one she found, alone in a bathtub, while ‘friends’ were partying a few floors away. Xanax and other benzodiazepines, combined with alcohol, are suspected of … [Read more…]
Last night I came across a medical student web site that included a link to a post of mine from a couple years ago, that described my feelings about Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, and other benzodiazepines. The people commenting at that site appreciated my comments, and my comments were ‘seconded’ by other physicians. Here’s the post … [Read more…]
I have written about the sleazy actions of health insurer Humana. Today I filed a formal complaint with the Wisconsin Commisioner of Insurance regarding their practices. I’ll copy my letter below, rather than take the time to write everything over again. If there is an attorney willing to work the case on contingency, please contact … [Read more…]
I’ve been posting more lately, but I’m hoping to slow down by the end of the holidays to let everyone catch up. I’ve also mentioned ‘my book’ several times in the past year, promising to myself and to others deadline that comes and go. I wish I could take a month and work on it full-time, … [Read more…]