Going to Doctors...

[Anonymous]

Hi there

I am considering going to the doctors to try and get some medication for when I do some public speaking (symptons, mainly shaky voice amongst others, thats what I'm worried about though). I was wondering if anyone here knows how it would work in the UK, if he offers me to have say some propranolol would I have to pay for it? Or is that covered by NHS or...?

Also I feel a bit awkward about how to say it... has anyone had experience of what the best way to ask your doctor something like this is... Is it best to bring up the subject of specific drugs such as propranolol which I;'ve read about and heard about in quite a few places one being on this forum or...?
I am a bit embarassed but rather be embarasssed in front of one guy than 500 I guess. Anyway would appreciate any ideas.

 

[LilMissTragic]

Hello there,
Go to your doctor, bring up the subject of your Sp and that it affects you badly during social speaking, he might recommend a therapits or drug treatment, just tell him youve heard a lot about propranolol and ask if it would benifit you are could he recomment another drug. If your working then youll just pay the five pound prescription fee.
Good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there again,

Thanks for the reply, I was just wondering... I'm not actually working... I'm in my last year of school. Full time education... sixth form... 17 years old. Anyone know how that would affect the situation?

Thanks

 

[Yossarian]

If you're in full time education you should be entitled to free prescriptions. Personally when I told my doctor I said I could no longer handle life. He took it from there with questions etc. He might also know of some courses available on confidence blah blah. My doc suggested some but I had to enroll myself. Considering I didnt have the confidence to enroll I found this rather amusing. You gotta laugh.

 

[Anonymous]

So how long does it take to get issued with your prescription here in the UK? Is it done same day or is there a delay... in the UK that is?

Cheers

 

[LilMissTragic]

Same day usually, unless of course the drugs need to be sent off for.

 

[Anonymous]

gotta love 'em

u probably will receive some benzodiazepine. if this is the case you'll get better. just be sure to read about them. i believe drowsiness is the specific symptom for any drug that leads with SA, so this might affects ur activities.

Remember that if u pass the dose. you wont be able to manage a smart conversation wich will lead to the same anxiety to talk, even when ur relaxed. unless u give a damn about this of course.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: gotta love 'em

u probably will receive some benzodiazepine. if this is the case you'll get better. just be sure to read about them. i believe drowsiness is the specific symptom for any drug that leads with SA, so this might affects ur activities.

Remember that if u pass the dose. you wont be able to manage a smart conversation wich will lead to the same anxiety to talk, even when ur relaxed. unless u give a damn about this of course.

Dude...20-40mg of propranolol is what you want. No more fast heatbeat. Just incredible for presentations...incredible. Lifesaver....just changed my life I tell you.

 

[Johnie]

I do not have a good opinion of doctors.

I had a bit of trouble back in January 1992. I was going to my therapist back then, and I used to keep a notebook with all that sort of stuff in it.

I was back at work when my bag was stolen. This contained my wallet with bankcards, and my "therapy" notebook.

By the weekend someone came onto me, trying to blackmail me to extort money, over the notebook! (duh?) The ba****ds were phoning me at home and at work, about every hour.

Because I had nothing to hide (maybe a bit embarrassed), I went to the cops about it. They wanted me to setup a meeting, where they could stake it out. I was to hand over a bundle of money, but actually this was just a bunch of old newspaper. This was to catch the crooks red handed with firm evidence.

You can imagine how this got to me, being s-p and all. The crooks were trying to psyche me out with threats. I could actually smell the fear, the adrenalin, on myself. I was a total wreck.

So on the morning of the handover I went to the doctors and asked him for some medication to calm me down a bit.

You would think I was an escaped lunatic the way the doctor responded. "What do you expect me to do about it" he snapped at me, as if I was as guilty as the perpetrators. I eventually got some pills; can't remember what they were because this sort of thing was new to me back then; I wouldn't be surprised if they were just a placebo.

Anyway I took a bunch of the pills and waited at the pick up point (at work). This was to take place at 10am. The police were supposed to be in wait 10 minutes early.

At about 9:55 there was no sign of the cops. Then a hard looking scar faced character turns up. I thought, oh fuck! Where's the cops? And hid down out of sight.

Yes! This thuggish looking guy was a cop! (my god, what do the villains look like!) He was to hide in the closet behind me, with unmarked cop cars at each end of the road and a couple more police out back, in plain clothes.

Anyway, at 10:10am I saw this weasel faced looking youth peering out from the side path of the building. I stood out front with the bundle of "money" to lure him out. He must have lost his nerve, (or saw the cops) because he did a runner up the rear pathway. Cops dashing everywhere, and they grabbed him; but, unfortunately, without any evidence. (I was glad of this because I did not fancy having to face up with him in a court appearance).

One of the gang phoned me later at work - he was worried where his mate had gone. That was the last I heard from them, though I got reports about the use of my bankcards which were used all over the country. (they got someone later on this)

This may have been a right pantomime, but it really got to me. I put in a months holiday from work, and flew down to stay with my sister in Johannesburg by the end of the week. But it took me years to get back on an even keel again...

So - Doctors, stuff them.

Johnie

 

[Johnie]

thats like a really bad experience and its really wild but it wasnt the doctors fault your bag was stolen was it? i can see how it would freak you out though. X

Nope - Just his surly attitude. The last thing I needed at that time.

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with you Johnie, it sounds as if the Dr. had a attiude problem and that WAS the last thing you needed after all you had been through. Thank goodness not all Dr. are like that one. Having your identity stolen IS horrible. I imagine it was unbearable wondering what you would be 'buying' next without even being aware of it. Not to mention having your privacy disgustingly invaded. It's dreadful.

I had my pocketbook stolen in a store out of my shopping cart when my back was turned looking at something, and what was even worse than losing my money was having my kid's pictures thrown in the ladies room toilet that's where security found my pocketbook... of course the checkbook, money, and plastic was all gone from it. The theif obviously wanted to add insult to injury though, doing THAT with the pictures.