Doctors In San Francisco California That Prescribe Xanax For Panic Attacks (Top voted first)

I am having a really hard time finding a doctor that will give me a script for xanax. I use to be able to get them from my old physician, but not anymore. This makes my life a living hell. So I figured that since I actually have a legitimate reason to be prescribed xanax that I could go see my doctor and just be honest with her and I'd get my xanax legally instead of having to go on a scavanger hunt to find real alprazolam. But I was wrong. She treated me like s*** and pretty much made me feel like I was a joke, or some addict trying to get a fix. ( which I am not ) All of this just made my life worse. I feel so discouraged and hopeless. It is not fair that all these doctors seem to be nowadays is these people, these self ritgeous smug people who get to determine whether or not I get to be able function like a normal human and not have to be a shaky, scared and nervous mess all the f*****g time.

Please if anyone knows of any doctors in San Francisco California that understand that there are some people who genuinely need xanax to help them, please list them. All I have insurance wise is medi- cal, I'm currently trying my best to find employment but my panic attacks, GAD AND PTSD are making it almost impossible for me. Any help or info from anyone will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You

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It does. The city-run clinics (Dept of Public Health) do not want their patients taking benzos. Of the ones who are taking benzos, the doctors are told to reduce their dosage until they're not taking any at all. That's what my psychiatrist has been doing. I've been put on a schedule to reduce my Ativan every month until I'm not taking it at all. I've explained multiple times to her that I've tried many meds over the years, and they haven't helped at all. Only benzos have provided the relief that I desperately need. But she won't budge, even in an extreme case like mine. Doctors, clinics, and the medical community are too afraid of benzos due to all the buzz about their bad effects. They don't give a **** about the people who have only been helped by benzos after trying many different meds, and who would be dead or in excruciating pain without them. Someone said that he had a friend who committed suicide because they wouldn't give him benzos. Benzos truly keep some people alive and give much-needed relief in an otherwise agonizing life. There are many other meds that are just as potentially dangerous as benzos, but they haven't gotten much buzz and haven't gone viral. I've landed in the ER with a few different non-benzo meds, so others meds can be very dangerous, though you don't hear about the dangers. It just goes to show how influenced we are by blogs, vlogs, things that go viral, and media buzz. Doctors, clinics, and the medical community need to open up their minds more and prescribe benzos on a case-by-case basis. By denying benzos to good, non-addict people who really need it, they are committing malpractice; they are not it delivering the proper care and compassion that they're supposed to do as doctors.

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Re: Vinny (# 15)

Vinny,how nice for YOU, that you are so healthy and probably young as well. But when you develop an ailment that brings you to your knees and can RELATE and be REAL....stop pontificating about how others should live their painful lives. Talk to me when you're 65, have 8 major problems...then and only then will YOU be relevant to nay of US !!

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I have to agree. It pains me to see people who don't legitimately suffer from GAD, panic attacks, etc., ruin things for those of us who do. Now, it will take a person, who is truly suffering from life limiting panic attacks, a lot longer to find the relief they need. All the info out there, in regard to scamming Drs, only makes a compassionate Dr more suspicious of a sincere patient. I would hope that being refered to specialist (i.e; a psychiatrist) would deter the scammers, since such a relationship requires time and observation. This way, those who actually do benefit from benzodiazepine therapy, will be able to find the relief they need. Although, I do recommend not becoming dependent on it and only taking it when absolutely necessary. I also agree that most people don't have to take it "every 6 hrs" (even though the label says you can) and should take it "as needed".

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I've been taking Xanax for 22 years to treat the burning pins and needles in the right side of my body that are one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia and as an adjunct medication to help me sleep. I continue to be prescribed this med by my PCP, just as I have been for all these years. Just FYI - I have been on exactly the same dose for the entire 22 years (no increases!) and, while I am allowed to take the entire 4 mg per day that I'm prescribed, I often take only .5 mg or 1 mg. On bad days, when the burning and prickling are especially bad or during periods when I have gone days without sleeping, I'll take the full dose. When I'm sleeping better or not dealing wit the burning and prickling, I take .5 a day with no adverse symptoms. It's dangerous and unfair to generalize. Thank God my doctor isn't an arrogant, self-serving, know-it-all but a compassionate human being who has figured out which patients he can trust.

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I would start with a good psychologist who will refer you to a good phychiatrist or just start with a phychiatrist & your medical chart of having had them & where & why. My pain management Dr. Made me see my psychologist for a visit because Dr's consider Xanax a psycho drug area & they have to protect themselves . My panic attacks are extreme along with my spinal nerve pain from many injuries & way over use. It is very difficult to just not get out of the bed. On 1 drug - take my word for it. Never take neurontin or generic name gabapentin & lyrica is the basic same . All kinds of Dr.s give them for everything . They were invented originally for epilepsy! The side effects from gabapentin nearly killed me . I hope Dr.'s have quit giving those out randomly because they aren't controlled .

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all benzos are addictive. klonopin is pretty much just a longer lasting version of xanax. to me klonopin just makes me feel lazy and sleep too long. xanax makes me feel good then sleepy.

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I have to agree with what the other posters are saying. If you are experiencing such terrible symptoms from GAD and PTSD, in which you need Xanax to function, then you should be seeking out a Psychiatrist, not a random GP. GPs generally do not treat long term psychiatric illnesses anymore, especially where a benzodiazepine (such as Xanax) is indicated - unless; of course, it is a Dr that has treated you for many years and knows your history well. Anyway, I if you a documented history of GAD and PTSD, as well as a documented history of being treated with Xanax, then a good pyshiatrist should have no problem prescribing it. If you are asking for any sort of benzodiazepine without a well documented history of being treated with it, then you have to expect a doctor to be hesitant to prescribe it to you. Generally, a good Dr will try prescribe you the safest medication at the lowest dose possible to treat your symptoms. Psychiatry is an inexadt science, where finding the right combo of meds takes time and careful observation. If you are certain that Xanax is the only medication that will work for you, then you should be able to tell the prescribing psychiatrist what meds have or haven't worked and why. If you haven't tried everything, then keep an open mind. Xanax is almost impossible to stop taking after one has been on it for many years Trust me, I know. If you think the shakes are bad now,.. Let's just say, they get worse... and Xanax fails to treat them, since you have developed such a huge tolerance to it (there is a good reason as to why it's contraindicated for long term use). Not mention, it turns your brain turns to jello with zero recall ability. It's also linked to dementia. Anyway, who I am to tell anyone that to do.... Best of luck!

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The city clinics in San Francisco are phasing out benzos. I've been taking Xanax, Ativan, and occasionally Temazepam for a few years. They keep me alive. I'd be dead and suffering in excruciating ways without them. I've tried many, many other meds over the years, but they haven't helped at all. I have Medicare and Medi-Cal. It seems impossible to find a doctor or clinic that will prescribe benzos with my insurance. Does anyone know of any? Is medical marijuana a good substitute for benzos?

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Forget about xanax get Buspar for panic attacks has worked much better for me then xanax at preventing the attacks in the first place. And it is not addictive. If that does not work you could try Klonopin which may be hard to get too but is addictive.

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If someone goes to a doctor and tells them that they've been taking Xanax illegally for years, getting them from presumably not a doctor and taking them as they wish without medical supervision, they shouldn't be surprised when the doctor isn't enthusiastic about prescribing for them. I stated earlier that I've been taking Xanax legitimately for years for the burning pins and needles of fibromyalgia. I'm also prescribed them to help me sleep when my usual medication for sleep is ineffective (which doesn't happen that often.) If I have the pain or can't sleep, I take the Xanax. If I'm not experiencing these symptoms, I don't take it--and I NEVER take it just for "fun" since that's not the purpose for which I have the prescription. I've been on the same dose for 20+ years and can take them or not take them as needed with no ill effects (no withdrawal symptoms)--and I'm allowed a pretty high dose when necessary. It's unfortunate if someone does really need it for anxiety and panic attacks but obtaining it illegally for years and taking it without medical supervision would send up red flags for ANY doctor. It's not surprising, when this is the case, that a physician would hesitate to prescribe it to such an individual. My daughter also has severe anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD and isn't prescribed nearly the amount that would help her but she doesn't buy it from "someone" and take "whatever." She talks to her doctor who continues to work with her to address the anxiety. There are plenty of doctors who understand the need for medication to help those with severe anxiety. They just don't feel confident handing out prescriptions to someone who walks in and tells them they've been illegally obtaining Xanax, but now they'd like the doctor to hand out prescriptions to them for it. They would be concerned--and rightly so--that such a person would be a huge risk for abusing it, selling it, taking more than they're prescribed, etc. Plus most doctors are pretty skeptical of a patient who walks in and asks for a specific controlled substance rather than telling the doc the medical problem with which they're struggling (anxiety, panic, PTSD) and asking the doctor to work with them to control it. There are a lot of other medications for these problems besides Xanax. There are some problems that just happen to us. Some things we do to ourselves.

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So...it's been sometime since the OP originally posted this. Some of us want to know where to find a doc in SF who's not that afraid of benzos and is not too stigmatizing towards them.

Some of us are good, responsible people who have taken dozens of meds that have not helped. Only benzos have helped relieve the severe suffering in our lives.

Where in San Francisco are there docs who are open with benzos?

Any help would be appreciated - thanks!

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Re: Fr33spirit (# 19)

Until you walk in someone's shoes, it might be nice if you would not post so mean. You do not know this man or did you miss the part about PTSD ? My gosh, I certainly wish people would lighten up ..... this is for folks in distress looking for help and right away, you judge them as 'pill pushers'. You MUST be clairvoyant.

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Re: Fr33spirit (# 19)

If you are speaking to me, then you are dead wrong. I'm 65, need neck surgery but too scared until it's absolutely necessary. I have NO LINING in my bladder, called Interstitial Cystitis, listed as the 3rd most painful disease and Shingles in my DNA and break out 6 X a year. So save your BS for someone who cares what a non-empathetic ***** like you thinks!

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Hi there, I live in Maine, I am am also going through the exact same thing as you are. I have been on Alprazolam/Xanax for 30 years. I PTSD, major panic attacks and high anxiety. And I am also on Prozac. So one day all the sudden my Dr. Decides that he's going to wean me off them!!! After 30 freaking years. I found my husband, the father of our beautiful daughter hanging in our basement of our new home. We we're together for 15 years. And then I took care of my mom daily for the last 5 years of her life after she had a stroke. And in the middle of all this hard work taking care of my beloved mother, I cropped up with parotid gland cancer. Which was at stage 3. I had to have surgery which I was in the OR for over 8 hours. Then I I obviously had to heal up a bit and then the radiation treatments started. 8 weeks of extensive radiation treatments 5 days a week 8 weeks straight. I lost hearing in my left ear and lost my whole earlobe. My neck looked like someone took a blow torch it and painful wasn't the word!!! And people who have parotid gland cancer, out of 100%, 80% are usually benign. And of course mine was malignant! As I was going through all this, I still had to take care of my mother and I was so sick. She passed away Feb 3rd 2017. I had to move in with her and everything i owned was in her beautiful home on the water. 8 weeks after my Mom passed our home burned flat to the ground due to a freaking pellet stove!!

I lost everything of my stuff, my grandmother's stuff which were all antiques and also my mom's stuff which were antiques as well. I could go on and on but I won't bore you anymore. But my Dr is killing me. He has weaned me from 4 1mg Xanax a day, down to 1 a day in like 3 month's!! I have been going through major withdrawal symptoms and ended up in the ER 3 times thinking i was having a heart attack. This is absolute bulls*** what he is putting me through. And he claims i will feel so much better when I am off them completely. These a**holes don't give two s***s about people. Just because there are people who do abuse them, doesn't mean they should do it to the people who desperately need them. Tells me I should talk to a counselor. Well you know what?? I talked to many shrinks when I found my husband hanging in our basement!! I am not spending what left of my life going to shrinks and talking about this s*** anymore. I'm tired of it. I am trying to find a physiatrist who will help me. I need my meds back!! I can't even handle life without them. They don't give a s*** what I say and how I feel. I hope for the best for you! Good luck. I'd like to know if you have found anyone that will listen to you and sincerely care. Because I do know what you are going through and I am so panic strickened every single day and I am really at the end of all the BS. I hope that you have found someone that will listen to you and help you. Sincerely, a friend.

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I am very sorry about the problem you had with your doctor.

However, if you go in asking for a specific medication, especially one like this that can be habit forming and is frequently abused, doctors are taught to view that as being drug seeking behavior. Additionally, due to the new regulations that were put in place last year, your PCP won't be able to prescribe it on a long-term ongoing basis, you'll need to see a specialist for that.

This medication could cause side effects, such as nausea, dizziness, headache and irritability.

Can anyone suggest a good doctor in that area?

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Getting back to the O/P, they should try another Doctor, especially if one laughs at you? Of course when you're on MediCal you don't get the coverage you would receive as if you had good health plan.

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Ya know I been trew the same thing just with different problems but never got off street, they always blamed my testosterone problem on my pills I take, to later find out my pituitary gland is not working properly, my advise to you is go see a cike dockter and don't ask for a pasific benzodiazepine clozapam is just as good and last 12hours instead of 6,if they look down on you don't pay them and they will learn after awhile they won't have a good reputation, don't go to a well know dockter,go to one that needs buis and y recommend something y used to take in anoighter state so y can't get your records, but if your young there always going to ? It but don't give up.go to cike docks not pain or family.good luck

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Which doctor? I'm in the the peninsula and am in need of a doctor that can help me out. My original doctor is a FTP and she said I needed to see a psychiatrist to get those types of prescriptions. Would be great if you could help me out. Thank you.

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Please help me find a doctor. I'm in downtown San Francisco, right of market street. {edited for privacy}. Thank you.

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Re: Nick (# 20)

My Xanax script is written by my GP and have never had a problem. In fact he gives me more than I need. Since Hubby & I are Surviorist, (sp) I save the unused in our GO BAG which everyone needs. My GP has been our Doc for 20 years so when he retires, I will be in your same place. Good Luck.

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