Being prescribed an overdose (again)

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  • warby68
    warby68 Posts: 3,017
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    esuhl wrote: »
    Oh dear... you're losing focus. I take you have nothing constructive to add to the thread?

    This is meant kindly OP, back away from the thread and decide what to do about what's really tormenting you.

    You lost parents in a dreadful way with many doubts about whether they could have been saved or had easier passage and need to come to terms with that. I have had similar although in my case I mainly doubt my own decisions along the way. Adopting a keyboard warrior style won't help on a forum like this, some people forget its real life people with real life troubles posting.

    There is no great agreement about the prescribing issue you raised so perhaps let it go before the thread upsets you even more on the other stuff.

    Wishing you well
  • barbiedoll
    barbiedoll Posts: 5,326
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    Going back to the original thread question: Yes, GP's do sometimes prescribe incorrect doses, that's why pharmacists check the prescriptions. They will often call a GP to determine whether or not the dose is correct. And of course, GP's do make mistakes, I have seen a script for paracetamol for a very young child, the dosage written was for an adult.

    Steroids aren't going to cure any infections, they are given to reduce inflammation.

    Eye/ear/nose drops usually have a shelf-life of 7 days after opening. That may be why the leaflet says they shouldn't be used after 7 days?
    "I may be many things but not being indiscreet isn't one of them"
  • FBaby
    FBaby Posts: 18,367
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    Well, I know enough from experience that you're a fool to think you can trust the medical profession to get it right every time.
    This is true, but on the balance of probability, you are much safer trusting your doctor/pharmacist than yourself so you are still better doing as your doctor says. You are of course welcome to ask questions.

    When my allergies became unmanageable, my GP suggested long term nasal steroids spray. I was horrified as I had read about the risks of long term steroids, but he then explains that nasal spray don't pass the blood barrier and intensive research has shown to be safe. He gave me online links to look into and indeed, I was totally reassured. My life has been so much better since I started taking them.
  • DomRavioli wrote: »
    I think you need to speak to someone about this - for your own sanity. Perhaps a work with a therapist would enable you to continue on with your life in a positive way.

    That's just what the NHS does isn't it, smear anyone who criticises them.
    And if you're unhappy with the treatment your parents received, a complaint should be lodged - if that has been done and you are still unhappy, start legal proceedings.

    Are you taking the p!ss or what? 99% of complaints against the NHS are rejected, 98% of those without any investigation. Here are a few comments from the Patient's Association report on the NHS complaint system:

    "not fit for purpose"
    "Complaints distressing, difficult and frequently produce little result,"
    "dishonest replies"
    "poorly handled"


    And here's a quote from the MPs who set up the Health Ombudsman:

    “The Bill was always drafted to be a swiz, and now it is spelt into the Bill…………Anyone who contemplates an office of this kind is faced with the dilemma of making it either a Frankenstein or a nonentity—a Frankenstein if it has effective powers and a nonentity if it has not. The Government, quite rightly, has opted for its being a nonentity, and in that sense it is a fraud……… I congratulate the Government on its being a nonentity. A Frankenstein would, I think, have undermined the power of Ministers......”

    Hansard, 24th January 1967

    A fraudulent complaint system, because an honest one would have undermined the power of Ministers. Scotland Yard are currently investigating the PHSO on 30 counts of Misconduct in Public Office for failing to investigate complaints properly.
    DomRavioli wrote: »
    Maybe google Neuroticism?

    Were Stephen Lawrence's parents neurotic, or the Hillsborough families? When they were smeared by the Police it was a national scandal, but when the NHS systematically smear their critics they get lauded at the Olympics.
  • esuhl wrote: »
    Not to continue my rant, but I was also furious with the oncologist who openly lied to us about my mother's condition. By then, it had been confirmed that the cancer had spread to her ovaries and lungs. But the oncologist repeatedly contradicted this and suggested my mother and I were "confused".

    I had to insist that the two contradicting doctors meet face-to-face with us and argue amongst themselves as to my mother's condition. Eventually the oncologist agreed that she had misled us as she didn't want us to "worry unnecessarily".

    Just to be clear, at this point, it was agreed by all staff that her condition was terminal. So what f***ing difference does it make?! Why would an oncologist so cruelly and deliberately lie to us?! Argh!

    In August 2012 I was taken to A&E by ambulance and diagnosed with heart arrhythmia. I had been complaining that something was wrong but was told to ignore my symptoms and get more exercise. I quickly discovered that chronic endurance training increases the risk of developing arrhythmia. Soon afterwards my GP wrote to cardiology, but I’ve not been allowed to see the letter.

    When I saw cardiology in October they denied that they had ever seen any arrhythmia, and wrote as much to my GP. That letter went unchallenged.

    In Feb 2013 I saw another cardiologist, and he also denied that they had seen any arrhythmia, and then denied that I had ever been taken to A&E at all before discharging me. My GP also ignored his letter even though she had the letter from A&E confirming my diagnosis (I know because it was me who delivered it by hand).

    A few days later I gave cardiology a copy of an ECG that the paramedics gave me, and a copy of the letter from A&E. They were ignored.

    There are ten pages of ECGs in my records, some of them marked with the diagnosis and signed by the consultant in resus.

    By April 2013 I was back on an ambulance again, and after hearing this story the consultant in A&E decided to transfer me onto the observation ward. When my heart kicked off again the following morning a nurse rushed in, printed an ECG, and took it to find a doctor, but ten minutes later the day shift came on duty and denied that I had arrhythmia, blaming my heart rate on a faulty bedside monitor. That ECG is present in my records, and the notes show that they knew I had arrhythmia at the time they were denying it. Later in the morning a doctor confirmed I had arrhythmia and put me on meds, but an hour later another doctor was denying it again, and telling me that they had never seen any evidence of anything wrong. My discharge letter shows that they knew of the August admission that they were denying, but my consultant was still denying that they had seen any arrhythmia prior to April when he referred me for a heart operation in July.

    On subsequent visits to hospital, cardiology were placing new copies of the denial letters in my records even after they knew them to be wrong.

    In June 2014 I was told I had no arrhythmia and sent home from A&E even though I was taking regular medication for it and on the waiting list for a heart operation at the time.

    When I complained I was told that the reason cardiology denied my arrhythmia is that the records were in A&E, and that I’m just confused if I expected that they would have gone downstairs to fetch them. At the time the cardiologist told me that I had never been taken to A&E he showed me a blank screen on the computer as ‘proof’, but what he knew and I didn’t is that A&E have a separate computer system to cardiology. The doctor on the observation ward told me that they had already checked in A&E at the time he was denying my arrhythmia.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409
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    barbiedoll wrote: »
    Eye/ear/nose drops usually have a shelf-life of 7 days after opening. That may be why the leaflet says they shouldn't be used after 7 days?

    I was given two bottles, so that's 14-days each... :-/
    FBaby wrote: »
    This is true, but on the balance of probability, you are much safer trusting your doctor/pharmacist than yourself so you are still better doing as your doctor says. You are of course welcome to ask questions.

    I had no intention of trusting myself and completely ignoring professional opinion. This is why I'm not happy about ignoring the professional medical advice provided by the drugs manufacturer. I imagine it's much more likely for a doctor to make a one-off mistake than for thousands of incorrect information leaflets to be distributed with no one noticing the error.

    Rather than take it entirely upon myself to decide how long to take the drops, I want the experts to advise me. Unfortunately they seem to disagree. Hence my dilemma.
    FBaby wrote: »
    When my allergies became unmanageable, my GP suggested long term nasal steroids spray. I was horrified as I had read about the risks of long term steroids, but he then explains that nasal spray don't pass the blood barrier and intensive research has shown to be safe. He gave me online links to look into and indeed, I was totally reassured. My life has been so much better since I started taking them.

    I'm glad you got the information you wanted and were able to make the decision to use the spray. I think the NHS could save a lot of time and reduce the number of errors made if patients were given more information about the drugs they are taking.

    Routinely telling patients to ignore drug dosage information is going to lead to someone dying, if it hasn't already. Someone is wrong, and I just think that it's really dangerous to tell people to ignore professional advice. Of course you HAVE TO ignore professional advice if two professionals contradict each other.

    As much as I value doctors' opinions (even if I have learnt from experience to never place absolute trust in them), it's my body and it's up to me to decide whether to accept any drugs or medical procedures that are offered.

    Anyway, judging from some of the comments on this thread, it's fairly normal for patients to be given contradicting information, so I'll just have to go back to the chemist/GP/hospital and get them to explain why the contradiction exists. And then I can decide whether or not to ignore the advice printed on the leaflet or to ignore my doctor's original prescription.
  • esuhl
    esuhl Posts: 9,409
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    Oh my goodness -- I've just seen your post, jack_pott. That must've been awful.

    I really wonder why the administration of the NHS is such a shambles. The staff must know how bad it is, so I can't begin to imagine why they knowingly rely on dubious information. It seems to be such a common theme.


    I can't remember if I mentioned it, but I'm allergic to penicillin. One day I was prescribed antibiotics, and only when I got the drugs home did I find out that's what I'd been given.

    It was a Friday night, so I knew I wouldn't get another appointment over the weekend. Fortunately the infection started to get better so I didn't go back.

    A year or so later I needed antibiotics again, and my GP swore blind that I must be mistaken about my allergy. He even laughed that my last prescription was for penecilin. When I told him that I didn't actually take the drug, he "assured" me that I certainly would have done (what?!).

    He argued over it for several minutes, until I simply said that I wasn't going to leave unless he corrected my medical records.


    Another time, I requested a repeat prescription of two drugs. I came to collect them, but there had been some confusion and there was only a prescription for one drug. No big deal, I'll come back in a few days.

    I return, only to be told that they don't have any record of me having the drug on repeat prescription, so I'll need to make an appointment with the doctor. I asked them to double-check, as I'd have to take even more time off work to visit the surgery, but alas no joy.

    I arrive for the appointment, and ask for the repeat prescription to be added to my notes. The doctor replied that the prescription is already waiting for me at reception, and that I'm wasting NHS time and money by making an appointment that I didn't even need! He called the receptionist in, who also rebuked me for wasting their time. I was f***ing furious! I'd left work early on THREE occasions due to their sheer incompetence.


    And it's not just the NHS that get it wrong. My local chemist put a drugs label on the wrong packs of drugs. So my mother (who was partially-sighted) was taking an overdose of fluoxetine (four times the maximum dose), instead of the drug that she should have been taking.

    It was only by chance that I saw the pack and, since I recognised fluoxetine as an antidepressant, I asked if she was feeling okay. After some confusion, I looked at the drug label and saw a totally different drug name.

    You've got to be so careful when people's health and lives are at stake. I suppose it's only when you witness these things for yourself that you see how badly things can go wrong, and how you have to keep your wits about you and question everything.
  • DomRavioli
    DomRavioli Posts: 3,136
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    esuhl wrote: »
    Oh dear... you're losing focus. I take you have nothing constructive to add to the thread?

    Plenty, you just don't want to hear it. You've been told what to do and still you continue on with your misguided rants. I wouldn't be surprised if there were patient markers on your file.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    edited 17 October 2016 at 1:07PM
    esuhl wrote: »
    He argued over it for several minutes, until I simply said that I wasn't going to leave unless he corrected my medical records.

    You like living dangerously don't you! (TextremovedbyMsEForumTeam)was taken away in handcuffs by the police for insisting that the errors in her medical records be corrected. According to the PA you have no right to have the errors corrected.

    In August 2014 I saw a note in my records saying that I had already had my heart operation even though I was still on the waiting list for it. I pointed out the error numerous times during the week I was in hospital but it just went in one ear and out of the other, each time a doctor walked in it was: "I see you've already had your operation". I challenged them about it in my complaint, but they just denied it even though I already had a copy of the document with the error on. My records now say that my heart operation has failed, even though it hasn't.
    Another time, I requested a repeat prescription of two drugs. I came to collect them, but there had been some confusion and there was only a prescription for one drug. No big deal, I'll come back in a few days.

    I return, only to be told that they don't have any record of me having the drug on repeat prescription, so I'll need to make an appointment with the doctor. I asked them to double-check, as I'd have to take even more time off work to visit the surgery, but alas no joy.

    I arrive for the appointment, and ask for the repeat prescription to be added to my notes. The doctor replied that the prescription is already waiting for me at reception, and that I'm wasting NHS time and money by making an appointment that I didn't even need! He called the receptionist in, who also rebuked me for wasting their time. I'd left work early on THREE occasions due to their sheer incompetence.

    I've had numerous prescription errors, it's an uphill struggle getting them put right. On one occasion I had the right drug at the wrong dose, then after I pointed out the error, the wrong drug at the right dose, then after I showed them the drug packets it went back to the right drug at the wrong dose again.

    And yes, they always spin their own mistakes to make it look like your fault. My records have numerous DNAs in them even though I rang to notify that I was cancelling the appointments.

    There was an occasion when the crash team came in to get my heart under control, and they disconnected the bedside monitor so that they could use a portable ECG on a trolley. When the leads are disconnected, the monitor bleeps gently and displays an annunciator on the screen: "Leads Disconnected".

    About an hour later a nurse walked in and said "why is it bleeping", so I pointed out that I was connected to the other monitor on the trolley. It didn't register, and she just stood there pressing every button on the screen muttering "why is it bleeping". After a few minutes of this whilst I repeatedly told her that it wasn't connected she triumphantly announced "Ah! I know why it's bleeping, the leads are not connected." :wall: It doesn't give you much confidence if the staff don't know how to use the tools they're provided with.
  • teddysmum
    teddysmum Posts: 9,471
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    Perhaps this thread should be closed, as it's served its purpose and is now giving people the chance to rant about their personal experiences. These rants serve no purpose, as nothing can be achieved by forum members, but could lead to these people making themselves even more upset.


    Yes, there are many cases where things went wrong, but there are many more with happy outcomes for which the recipients and families are very grateful.
This discussion has been closed.
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