Dude, you claim to be a doctor and for now I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. In my time on FR there have been dozens claiming to be this and that. Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t.
If you are a physician you had a huge advantage dealing with your profession that most here will never have. You need to realize that. If the average Freeper started arguing over medications and dosages with “professionals” they’d be ignored at best or be accused of aiding an addiction at worst.
I’m just a Podiatrist. That doesn’t carry much weight in this scenario.
But morphine is not the drug of choice in metastatic bone cancer pain. The Catholic hospice gave me the resources to make the argument (I didn’t know that, not much chronic pain management in my specialty) and get them to put her back on it.
In my 27 years as caregiver I took on about seven doctors at once over medication. This had nothing to do with Hospice or terminal illness but rather a disabled person. She had PTSD from some bad things like instant quadriplegia, a misdiagnosed non heart ailment she took meds for 15 years needlessly and other things. But the real kicker came when she needed something to help her face some extensive oral surgery. A dentist a few years before had pulled her tooth and gave her Mepraghan. She went into a Coma and a temp of about 89-90 degrees. A patient later died in his dental chair from an unathorized anthieasa he was not qualified to do.
So she goes to a shrink and he gives her two antidepressants Trazadone and Zoloft. Oh the first couple of months she improved then she became highly agitated in a matter of a day. I rush her to the shrink and he says well lets up the meds see you in three months. By the time we get home she is hallucinating. We went to the ER. Because she could not think clearly enough to sign for treatment I was not allowed to sign for her either. I am her husband.
I go and make some calls to family because the doctor said he was not going to do any blood work, EKG, CAT Scan OR MRI despite her spinal stroke history. I go back in the ER and I finally find her in her wheel chair passed out unresponsive shaded closed on her room. I yelled Help Stat and the doctor came in and just stood there. I said she's unconscious do something and he said no. I said you stupid {word I will not post} psychosis or mental illness does not do this.
I loaded her up in the van and went to a level one hospital. They were very eager to help her. They got her conscious again then it started all over again. She is psychotic and we can not treat her we are calling the state. I waited and Mobile Crisis arrived. I proceeded to inform them in no uncertain terms this hospital was going to do something including testing. They agreed.
They took her of all meds but Ativan. Within about 36 hours she was pretty much herself again. Now you would think that would tell them something. Still no MRI. In walks Joe Shrink who never saw her before and says lets go ahead and up the meds {antidepressants}. In an hour the pills were brought in. Within another hour it all started all over. I am not a doctor but that is a bunch of red flags. She was out of it thrashing and talking about events I knew about. It was as if she was replaying her life.
I'm a Christian and I believe 100% in the power of prayer. Day Four I went to the Chapel in the hospital before going home for some sleep. My dad came in to relieve me. I got home and for some reason went on line and typed in Trazadone +Zoloft +Adverse reaction. Instant hits and the right ones. I read two articles and I was certain she had Serotonin Syndrome. I called my dad and said I know what's wrong with her and I'm on my way back right now don't let them give her any meds till I get there.
I went to the nurses station and requested to speak to the floor supervisor. I showed her the articles and they were highly credible sources. I said call the doctor {who wasn't our primary but a hospital contractor} and tell him. She said No we don't do that he comes in in the morning. I said OK then these are my orders. You will only give her the Ativan prescribed her. You do not have permission to give her any other medications.
Next morning the doctor came in madder than a hornet getting me out in the hall and said why did you stop her antidepressants? I said please just read this. He glanced at it and said that is pure rubbish. I said and the Pharmacology Professor who wrote is works where? It was a university hospital same university. He said oh well maybe it is then now lets see about getting her a transfer to mental facility. I looked at him ans said you mention that one more time and you will regret ever saying it. You were wrong. No one did a Physicians Desk Reference. His behavior became subdued and next morning she was back to being coherent but had partial amnesia some of which she still has. Next morning they came to get her for a MRI. Two bleeders in her brain one old and one fresh.
I've taken on Medicaid in my state as well. You just have to keep fighting and not back down. Hard to do sometimes. If my wife had not also been taking Xanax she likely would have died from this. Benzo's are the counteracting drug too Serotonin Syndrome. But I've learned what I know from help from nurses I used to work with and a computer if you use legit sources can be invaluable as well.
“If the average Freeper started arguing over medications and dosages with “professionals” they’d be ignored at best or be accused of aiding an addiction at worst.”
No, Lurker, I’ve done it many times. I speak with a professional voice and tell them what has worked and hasn’t worked and I didn’t give up until they did it right.
I have also worn a white shirt and put my pin with my name on it with the word “Dr.” before my name (Ph.D. kind not medical doctor kind, but they didn’t ask), and the nurses did anything I said. They are conditioned to white and Dr. and jumped in hoops if I said do it.
I used every psychological ruse I had, to get done what needed to be done. Those employees are just employees and you are paying them, so tell them what to do. Don’t let them intimidate you, you intimidate them.
One time he was in a hospital room, ready to go home but the nurses wouldn’t do the paper work at their station. You are leaving and they are through with you so they don’t care if you stay in the room waiting forever. I rolled him out to in front of their station and had him ask for food, coke, etc. and I stood there and stared at them. They couldn’t stand it so got right on the paperwork and we were out of there really fast.
Don’t disappear, stay close to the nurses’s station staring at them and you will get what you need.
I have years of experience with hospital employees and doctors and I’m going to win and they are going to lose.