forced off meds - where do I stand?

[Ballerina123]

I'm in hospital on section and instead of forcing me to take meds they have take me off all my meds including the ones that control my seizures.

I only found this out tonight and it's the weekend so the consultant is not in till Monday.

I asked why and the nurses said there is no explanation in the notes. It was all just stopped.

Firstly what if my mental health deteriorates further?
What if I have another seizure?

I don't know where I stand because it's the weekend.
Any ideas of what I can do?
Has this happened to anyone else?

[Becca]

This has happened to me. I contacted everyone I could, including my consultants for my physical conditions (I too have seizures) and out of hours and it made no difference, as they still refused to give them to me. I was told the reason was to see what difference having meds made to my mental health. However, when it was apparent I needed my medication and was very ill with symptoms and severe withdrawal they were forced to take me to A&E (as they lacked experience and qualification to treat me) and got into massive trouble after explaining they had refused me my medication.

I would like to say the next time I was admitted the same thing didn't happen. But it did.

I did eventually get someone to listen, but the only way I could do that was with an advocate, consultant letter and gp and to bluntly ask what their qualifications were in my condition and exactly why it was okay for a psychiatrist to stop medications for conditions they had zero qualification in yet make a massive fuss about a psychiatric patient being taken off their meds in hospital (which in my experience generally only happens if someone needs a general anaesthetic) They refused to accept it was the same. It is. Psychiatrists do not have the right to change, or withhold medications for anything other than mental health problems and when other doctors do the same thing with psychiatric medication they are here first to kick up a fuss and complain citing other doctors lack qualifications to do it.

Sorry for the slight rantage, which totally isn't directed at you. As you can probably tell this is something that really really annoys me and I totally understand your concern. But there isn't really anything you can do.

[lozza]

I have just been discharged from hospital and whilst I was in a patient was waiting for a knee replacement so was in a fair lot of pain but when she asked her psychiartrist to write up pain meds for her he simply refused even though she had a letter from her GP and everything.

what you are going through really sucks and I hope you get through the weekend ok and that this gets sorted for you on monday. thinking of you

[Patchy]

Maybe google Matrix Advocacy in Surrey (matrix and kca). I'm not sure if they're open weekends but worth getting them involved if you need advice.

[Angelina]

Maybe they're really not sure what you need anymore right now. The meds you were on obviously weren't working out for you, otherwise you wouldn't be where you are.

If your seizures are withdrawal related he might be under the impression that it will pass as it's not epilepsy for example which obviously never passes. Or he might think they're psychogenic, in which case I'm not too sure about meds in general but anti-convulsants won't help because there is no imbalance to medicate for psychogenic seizures.

I might be wrong - but it might be worth considering all angles of why he has done what he has done.

[Ballerina123]

I spoke to one of the nurses and she said it's trail to see if I get better of worse.
A bit of a dangerous and evil one I think.

I'm mean if it makes me better than good but what if it makes me worse.
I already feel worse this morning I feel so anxious. I've had some lorazapam and it's done nothing.

They think my seizures are withdrawl ones which begs the question why suddenly stop something if he knows that's the case?

Anyway there is nothing I can over the weekend so I should stop moaning. Sorry x

[Angelina]

Quote:

I'm mean if it makes me better than good but what if it makes me worse.

There is no use worrying because if you do get worse you are in a safe place and the right place. Worrying about getting worse may be what makes you worse than the actual trial of not being on meds.

Quote:

They think my seizures are withdrawl ones which begs the question why suddenly stop something if he knows that's the case?

Withdrawal symptoms will pass and you're in the right place for them to manage them as and when they happen. Like with any drug that has been taken for a period of time there will be withdrawals but they pass (think heroin or alcohol as in, they feel terrible an shave awful withdrawal symptoms but they eventually pass as the body adapts to not having that drug again)

By thinking before seeing that you will be worse off is kind of setting yourself up a bit. It's probably better to take a neutral stance as best you can and see what happens otherwise it's a bit like deciding that you're worse off before you even know or have tried. It'll probably take some time to figure it out too. It's almost like a mentality.

I mean, there is the chance that it might make you worse: but to honestly know you have to try and view it from a neutral stance of equal weighting of, this could go either way let's see which way.

Are you scared/anxious/worried about not vein ton meds maybe because you've been on them for so long?
I don't mean to sound horrible or non empathetic or non understanding, I'm just being honest with what i think. x

[Becca]

I think I have misunderstood your post. I thought you were saying you had epilepsy medication that was stopped, which was what happened in my case.

Apologies for confusion!