Open-minded doctors in Canberra

[IceCube]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone could recommend (via PM) a decent doctor to go and see in the Canberra area. So far I've just been to the ANU medical centre and have been treated like a drug seeker both times. I want someone who isn't rushing me out the door to get my bulk billing payment to discuss going to the modafinil pathway with.

Cheers

Edited October 28, 2010 by IceCube

[Sonny Jim]

Maybe a psychiatrist would be your best bet. You can get a GP give you a referral. They are a bit expensive but at least you can have a proper chat about your probs for an hour or so.

[Alchemica]

Good luck with the search. On a similar quest myself.

I don't find modafinil overly impressive but I might be an atypical responder or need to go above 200mg to get decent benefit. Have you tried it in the past?

You could try a few different tactics:

-If you have any of the symptoms, get an EEG for narcolepsy. Anyway, it's fairly pricey without an authority script so having that would be nice. Still trying to work out what substances could temporarily induce narcoleptic brain activity reliably... it deserves some attention IMO.

-Find an old doctor nearing retirement. Sometimes they are a bit more relaxed about writing scripts, open minded (sometimes slightly senile if you get lucky), unaware that SSRIs/SNRIs and atypical antipsychotics cure "all that mentally ails you" and happy to give you what you want before they have the chance to admit they have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

-Find a freshly graduated doctor and turn into the highly dreaded "student who prints out papers and expects a script". Make the most of their willingness to get a bit of varied experience behind their belt.

This paper might be useful:

Modafinil and methylphenidate for neuroenhancement in healthy individuals: A systematic review

And this link might help you to prepare a few arguments should there be any concerns about prescribing it:

I'd stay away from psychiatrists for as long as possible. They generally seem to think they have a superior insight into what will be best for you, see anyone who does there own research as being a problem and are more likely to know the potential for abuse.

Otherwise consider seeing your doctor about bupropion (Zyban) so you can "quit smoking" to see if that helps out for a few months while you keep trying to find a decent doctor.