Frequency of Visits
Your treating doctor usually has put together a treatment plan that includes frequency of visits, and will ask you to make an appointment to see her/him within a certain amount of time (always three months or less). Your prescription will last only until that visit. It works best for everyone if you make your appointment before you leave the office. You will receive a reminder call the day before your appointment. Missed Appointments
If you miss your appointment, reschedule immediately or speak to your doctor about your scheduling problems. Please keep track of your medications well enough that you do not call when your bottle is empty. Your doctor might not be here that particular day, and the covering physician is sometimes reluctant to prescribe a phone refill for more than a few days' medicine. This may result in your using up your co-pay and having to pay out of pocket for the rest of the month’s medicine. This can be very expensive. The wisest practice is to make and keep appointments as suggested. Frequent late cancellations or no-shows may negatively impact your treatment plan and may lead to referrals to an outside provider.
Use of Alcohol
When you are taking antidepressant medication, please limit your alcohol use to no more than 2 drinks, 1-2 times a week. More alcohol will interfere with the action of the medication. You should avoid alcohol if you are taking zolpidem or a benzodiazepine such as lorazepam or clonazepam; the synergistic effects can be dangerous. Also, please let us know if you are taking any new medications. Sometimes there are interactions. Abruptly Stopping Medication
Finally, remember that abruptly stopping most antidepressants results in unpleasant physical sensations, such as nausea, dizziness, flulike symptoms, as well as edginess and possibly depression. It will be far easier on you if you come in and discuss a way to taper your meds with your doctor. | 
