Drug side effects and DWP

Yorkist

Hi all, many of the drugs I've been prescribed for my illnesses carry warnings about how they can reduce awareness, concentration etc. This includes the standard warnings re operating machinery, driving, making important decisions etc. as well as more specific warnings. Surely these should be taken into account by the DM? Has anybody any experience of this situation? If these are ignored could this be grounds for an appeal?
If one has failed to mention these, or they have not been taken into account, could there be a case for arguing that any competent HCP should have heard alarm bells ringing simply due to the fact these drugs were being used?
I hope this isn't a topic that's already been covered heavily but hope I'll be forgiven as a 'newbie'. Cheers, Yorkist (who has now found the NEW THREAD button:j

Dunroamin

Many of us work, drive and function perfectly normally while taking medications with those sort of side effects listed.

Big_is_beautiful

I suppose it depends of how your body reacts to the drugs.
They may affect some people but not others. Many peoples metabolism become immune to side effects after a while, while others suffer continually.
It's a difficult thing to comment on, as individual circumstances differ.
Whether they take account of any side effects, I doubt it, if they can suggest that someone with obvious severe disabilities can work, I doubt side effects of drugs are high on their agenda.

missapril75

Yorkist wrote: »

could there be a case for arguing that any competent HCP should have heard alarm bells ringing simply due to the fact these drugs were being used?

As intimated, side effects aren't experienced by everyone taking the meds so nobody should assume they would.

Perhaps an advocate might be aware of that possibility and be pro-active on an application.

As far as I recall, the application asks about needing help with meds and needing someone with the disabled person at times, so if one was affected in that way, the opportunity to say so is part of the original application.

For example, if a drug does make someone "away with the fairies" for a couple of hours, then they might need someone with them to ensure safety.

But that's not going to be assumed; it needs to be stated.

Errata

Patient Advice Leaflets contain lists of possible side effects which not every patient will experience.

rogerblack

Taking a more general point.
ESA is not granted for being unable to work, for having certain conditions (*), it's granted because you meet one or more of the ESA descriptors.

Anything else is irrelevant.

For example, for pills effect on your concentration to be relevant, they have to match the conciousness descriptor.
To get it on this alone - At least once a week, has an involuntary episode of lost or altered consciousness resulting in significantly disrupted awareness or concentration.

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/esa/wca#LCW

If the awareness/concentration loss is not 'significant' - then you don't qualify.
Then there is the issue if a pill you take, knowing it will cause a concentration loss is 'voluntary'.
I am unaware of caselaw on this specific point.

*) with the exception of notifiable diseases, terminal conditions, ...

princessdon

Drugs do affect people differently. I once had to take some Co-Codamol. Seriously I was ill with them, really ill. I was floating (felt as if drunk), vomiting and gave me a headache.

When I mentioned to a co- workers she takes them daily and has never had a side effect.

That said I am completely unsure how anyone can answer the OP.

Are they saying that they have well documented long term side affects means they hit the descriptors that ATOS ignored, or merely asking if ATOS read the list of side affects that appear on the leaflets.

BTW - Just something as an aside, I had to give my child some Calpol this week and they hadn't had it before. On a child's calpol it warned of driving, drinking, use of machinery etc.

bricklayer1

depends on how many pills and what they are treating imo.

I take quite a few daily, most are for heart related condition and dont mix well with the other ones I take.
So there is an argument depending on your condition,

miduck

princessdon wrote: »

Drugs do affect people differently. I once had to take some Co-Codamol. Seriously I was ill with them, really ill. I was floating (felt as if drunk), vomiting and gave me a headache.

Codeine gives me lovely dreams!

Dunroamin

miduck wrote: »

Codeine gives me lovely dreams!

I've just started taking Tramadol - now that's really spacey!

bricklayer1

Dunroamin wrote: »

I've just started taking Tramadol - now that's really spacey!

Hardcore.................................:beer: