prescription meds

[ksjane]

What is the name of your state? KS

My doctor prescribed a medication for me because apparently my colon was spasming. The medication was an anti-depressant. I was on this medication for about 4 months, I took one pill daily. I also drank quite frequently. I was having some rather "unusual" side effects. Physical and emotional. So I got on the internet and found out the problem,First of all: I did not know it was an anti-depressant! She did not tell me that was what it was, nor did she ask me if I drank, or tell me that I wasn't supposed to drink, etc.. When she prescribed it, she just said "take this once a day" I said "are there any side effects?" She said "NO" As soon as I found out it was an antidepressant, I quit taking them, it has been one week and I am still having "problems" and seems they might be getting worse. What can I do? What should I do?

 

[vrzirn]

Stop drinking.

 

[ksjane]

I DID stop drinking, however, as I stated, I was not told that by having some wine with my dinner, I might end up hearing voices (ok, slight exaggeration). Is that not the doctor's Responsibility to inform the patient of risks and benefits of medication. Thanks for that intelligent piece of advice.

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

What is the name of your state? KS


"What can I do? What should I do?"

=================================


My response:

. . . from a legal aspect or a medical aspect?

IAAL

 

[ksjane]

From a legal aspect. I am in the process of taking care of the medical aspect.
I am having problems with insurance as far as coverage and the amount of money that I have already put forth for prescriptions. There has to be legitimate "reasons" for what they will or will not cover. If they dont think that the side effects I am experiencing are reasonable enough for me to receive "proper" medical coverage, then they wont pay. That is what I was told.

 

[tammy8]

What was the name of the medication?

 

[ksjane]

Nortriptyline

 

[hmmbrdzz]

What is the name of your state? KS

My doctor prescribed a medication for me because apparently my colon was spasming. The medication was an anti-depressant. I was on this medication for about 4 months, I took one pill daily. I also drank quite frequently. I was having some rather "unusual" side effects. Physical and emotional. So I got on the internet and found out the problem,First of all: I did not know it was an anti-depressant! She did not tell me that was what it was, nor did she ask me if I drank, or tell me that I wasn't supposed to drink, etc.. When she prescribed it, she just said "take this once a day" I said "are there any side effects?" She said "NO" As soon as I found out it was an antidepressant, I quit taking them, it has been one week and I am still having "problems" and seems they might be getting worse. What can I do? What should I do?

My response: Your physician was supposed to have advised you that you were taking an antidepressant to treat a spastic colon, and she was supposed to make sure you were not taking any other meds that would be contraindicated with this drug. If the physician didn't do this and stated "there are no side effects" when you asked her, she's not practicing safely.

What you should do is this: Call your doctor's office and tell them you stopped this medicine because you thought it was making you feel bad. Tell them you still feel bad and that you believe it's related to the antidepressant. If they don't offer to work you in to be seen, ask them to work you in to be seen. Your insurance should cover this.


hmmbrdzz

 

[djohnson]

Where did you have this prescription filled at? Every time I have had one filled they give you a sheet with all the do's and don'ts and also make me sign that I got the sheet. Did you read all the information given with the prescription?

 

[ksjane]

I did get a sheet with the prescription,(I've never had to sign anything though) however it only lists the most common side effects and "possible" side effects. It did not state what the drug interactions were and it didnt even list all of the side effects that I found on the internet, which included drinking. Some of the side effects that I experienced while taking the meds-were the side effects that the sheet said you would only experience if you abruptly quit taking the medication. It also only said the med was used to treat chronic pain. Of course that is not what I found on the internet.

 

[hmmbrdzz]

I did get a sheet with the prescription,(I've never had to sign anything though) however it only lists the most common side effects and "possible" side effects. It did not state what the drug interactions were and it didnt even list all of the side effects that I found on the internet, which included drinking. Some of the side effects that I experienced while taking the meds-were the side effects that the sheet said you would only experience if you abruptly quit taking the medication. It also only said the med was used to treat chronic pain. Of course that is not what I found on the internet.

My response: Pamelor is used to treat a variety of things -- one, abominal pain (spastic colon can cause abdominal pain). You should not have stopped taking the drug suddenly (as the Rx sheet instructed). So far, it would appear you've only felt poorly from this medicine. You had a prescription warning printed out from the pharmacy that said "do not stop drug suddenly". Did it advise you about the effects of alcohol? Your doctor should have told you this, as well, but apparently she didn't. You really should call her if you are concerned about how you feel.

hmmbrdzz

 

[karen_walker]

I was taking amitriptyline for migraine's and it is an anit depressant as well. I knew of the side effects but one of the first things the pharmecist did was give me a sheet that clearly stated DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERIDGES. That should be a given with any prescription or over the counter med for that matter.

If you quit taking the meds and your symptoms are worse, it may not have been the medication at all that was causing your problems. See a different doctor and get a second opinion.

 

[ksjane]

My doctor DID NOT advise me of any warnings, or ask me if I drank, she didnt even tell me this was an antidepressant. The ONLY thing she did was tell me to take one tablet daily at bedtime. I stopped taking it because the side effects were entirely TOO severe to continue taking it. I did however call her and tell her that I stopped taking it and her advice was that if I wanted to make an appointment to come in and get a different med, I was more than welcome to do so, if not dont worry about it, her exact words "its no big deal, I shouldn't still be having side effects from it since I stopped taking it a week ago, however, I already feel 10 times better than I did while I was taking it.

 

[dadrummer]

Never mind..........trying to make that point is useless.

 

[hmmbrdzz]

My doctor DID NOT advise me of any warnings, or ask me if I drank, she didnt even tell me this was an antidepressant. The ONLY thing she did was tell me to take one tablet daily at bedtime. I stopped taking it because the side effects were entirely TOO severe to continue taking it. I did however call her and tell her that I stopped taking it and her advice was that if I wanted to make an appointment to come in and get a different med, I was more than welcome to do so, if not dont worry about it, her exact words "its no big deal, I shouldn't still be having side effects from it since I stopped taking it a week ago, however, I already feel 10 times better than I did while I was taking it.

My response: This is just to give you some advice for "in the future". Your doctor should have (no matter what kind of doctor she was) informed you about this drug she was prescribing you. She put you on a tricyclic antidepressant, and whether it was low dose or not and was being prescribed for a spastic colon, she should have advised you about the risks of combining this drug with alcohol. For example -- had you been an alcoholic and she prescribed this medicine, and this doc had not asked you about your drinking habits and/or had not advised you of the potential dangers of drinking alcohol while on this drug, (and you combined the two and had a cardiac arrest on account of it) she could have been screwed (not to mention the shape you would have been in). She would have particularly been screwed if she knew of your drinking history of prescribed the medicine anyhow. (It would have been contraindicated.) Some antidepressants,
infact -- when combined with alcohol -- are death sentences and are therefore NOT prescribed or are prescribed very cautiously to suicidal patients because to do so gives the patient the availability of a ready-made suicide cocktail (alcohol and Elavil, for example). Had you been taking Elavil -- an antidepressant used to treat depression and sometimes used at low doses to treat sleep disorders and migraines, and you didn't know about drinking while taking this drug and drank while on it, you could have died. Your doctor needs a wake up call. You, as her patient, should let her know you are not happy that she prescribed you an antidepressant and didn't give you the warnings about drinking alcohol with this drug. And you need to read all prescription information when you get it from the pharmacy and abide by it. It's not fooling around when it tells you "DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES WHILE TAKING THIS DRUG".

I'm sorry for going on and on, but I worked psychiatry for many years, and it's ingrained in my head that a doctor AND the nurse and the pharmacist have a duty to inform the patient. It's called negligence when they don't. I'll shut up now. Thanks for listening! I needed that.



hmmbrdzz