Good news! My persistence paid off. My current PCP is backing down and will give me the full dose I have been taking for 30 years. She was punishing me as if I was taking an illegal drug. Don’t the doctors in San Jose, Rochester, MN (ie Mayo Clinic), Pittsburgh and Vermont have responsibility for continuing to prescribe this medication? No one ever questioned whether or not this was medication was appropriate. They just kept renewing my prescription. I saw this doctor on 12/22 and since then my life has been a living hell. I haven’t been able to unpack from our move. All of my other health issues have gotten worse. I went to her for help with my chronic pain, the arthritis in my spine, hip, shoulders, hands, etc. Plus I haven’t been able to eat normally for 3+ years and I have constant diarrhea. She should have referred me to a psychiatrist and not started the taper herself. She’s not qualified to oversee tapering off this type of medication.
Hugs to everyone here. I lived in the shadow of the Mayo Clinic for years and then I worked at one of Mayo’s hospitals. I have always believed that Mayo would be there for me. There’s a reason it is the gold standard for medical care.