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Filing a complaint about your doctor


Altostrata

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  • Administrator

So many of our doctors are uninformed about tapering people off antidepressants, common side effects, and, of course, withdrawal syndrome.

If you haven't gotten what you consider good care from your doctor, you can file a formal complaint. I urge EVERYONE to do this. Doctors desperately need to know where they've gone wrong in diagnosis and treatment.

 

I got this advice from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology:

"...Complaints about psychiatrists should be addressed to the American
Psychiatric Association (888-357-7924). Complaints about neurologists
should be addressed to the American Academy of Neurology (651-695-1940).

In addition, you should send your complaint to your state medical board...."

In the US, send complaints to the state medical board and the doctor's professional association.

 

You may also wish to send a very passionate and personal letter to the doctor (I would not tell him or her you have filed a complaint -- let that be a surprise).

(There are also sites like http://www.yelp.com/ where you can write a review affecting your doctor's local reputation.)

Here are links to the state medical boards:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician/medical-licensure/state-medical-boards.page

How to contact the American Psychiatric Association http://www.psychiatry.org/contact-us-for-help :

1000 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209
Call Toll-Free: 1-888-35-PSYCH
From outside the U.S. and Canada call: 1-703-907-7300
Email: apa@psych.org

How to contact the American Academy of Neurology https://www.aan.com/contact-aan/ :

201 Chicago Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Tel: (800) 879-1960
or (612) 928-6000 (International)

Fax: (612) 454-2746
Email: memberservices@aan.com
 
From https://www.aan.com/membership/professionalism-and-disciplinary-program/

File a Complaint
Complaints against AAN members are handled in accordance with the AAN’s Disciplinary Action Policy. To file a complaint with the AAN’s Grievance Committee please submit a letter to the contact below explaining how the AAN member violated the AAN Code of Professional Conduct, Disciplinary Action Policy, and/or Qualifications and Guidelines for the Physician Expert Witness and include copies of any relevant documents supporting your complaint for the Grievance Committee to review.

Please submit complaints in writing to:
AAN Grievance Committee 201 Chicago Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55415
The Grievance Committee meets as frequently as case load requires.

Edited by Altostrata
updated links

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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  • Administrator

If your doctor is not a specialist in psychiatry or neurology, he or she may belong to another medical specialty board such as:

 

American Board of Internal Medicine

510 Walnut Street, Suite 1700, Philadelphia, PA 19106

 

For more information about other medical specialty boards, see the American Board of Medical Specialties:

https://www.abms.org/

 

They have a feature Is Your Doctor Certified? http://www.certificationmatters.org/default.aspx Free registration required.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 3 weeks later...

How and where can we do this in the uk please sUR??

Began taking 30mg Seroxat on 15th Jan 1997 for grief issues. Remained at that dosage until Dec 05, did doctor ct, akathesia set in along with being non functional and overly emotional, brain fog. Doctor prescribed prozac, propranelol and diazeapam to counteract side effects, and told me to ct those 3 after 2.5/3 months use, induced wd seizure on 2nd day after ct. Was reinstated on seroxat 20mg in april 06, remained at that dose until Nov 07 and began a very slow taper lasting 56 months, finally DRUG FREE on 11th may 2011.

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angie, when you find out how to do this in the UK, please post exact instructions here.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 3 years later...

Alto, 

 

I really want to file complaints regarding my mad scientist psychiatrist. However the links are not working. Should we just report it to the State Medical Board and the APA via email?

 

I feel really strongly about this. 

Was on antidepressants on and off from 2000-2007 dx with MDD n anxiety.

2009- had like a physical breakdown. Was exhausted n not functioning properly. Still have depression n had become suicidal. Shrink dx bipolar while I never had a single manic episode. I got at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night. I required that to function since a child. I was admitted to the psych ward immediately. Was then put on a cocktail.

Lithium, lamotrigine, wellbutrin, prozac, depakote, Xanax, trazadone and ritalin.

Went through over 50 shock treatments n put on Invega in addition

Spring 2014, made the decision to try to get off some meds.

11 weeks ago I qt quit invega

10/6 reinstated 150 mg of Wellbutrin

I currently take 40 mg of prozac, 300 mg of lamotrigine, 1 mg of Xanax, 150 mg of trazadone

I am down from three medications. The forementioned others that I was initially put on I stopped prior to 2014.

I am hoping to be med free one day. I do not have any intention of stopping the current ones right now. I'm going to give my body a little more time to adjust.

Progress not perfection!!

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I updated the links.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Alto,

I try to avoid confrontation at all costs. I can't handle conflict anymore since I've been on these meds. Do you think it is ok to not follow up with a letter to your doctor?

Was on antidepressants on and off from 2000-2007 dx with MDD n anxiety.

2009- had like a physical breakdown. Was exhausted n not functioning properly. Still have depression n had become suicidal. Shrink dx bipolar while I never had a single manic episode. I got at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night. I required that to function since a child. I was admitted to the psych ward immediately. Was then put on a cocktail.

Lithium, lamotrigine, wellbutrin, prozac, depakote, Xanax, trazadone and ritalin.

Went through over 50 shock treatments n put on Invega in addition

Spring 2014, made the decision to try to get off some meds.

11 weeks ago I qt quit invega

10/6 reinstated 150 mg of Wellbutrin

I currently take 40 mg of prozac, 300 mg of lamotrigine, 1 mg of Xanax, 150 mg of trazadone

I am down from three medications. The forementioned others that I was initially put on I stopped prior to 2014.

I am hoping to be med free one day. I do not have any intention of stopping the current ones right now. I'm going to give my body a little more time to adjust.

Progress not perfection!!

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  • Administrator

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 2 months later...

When i escaped from this 10 yr mind numbing kafkaesque anosognosic world my doctor put me in, and had the energy to lift myself off the floor,  I started to complain i turned up to his ofice and told him those people who where feeding him info were liars and i would be making a complaint against him to the national health commissioner. 

He then turned feral and said in 21 yrs i am the only person to ever make a complaint against him. 

I then fired him and found a another doctor.

I immedialtely sent off my official complaint against him...........Now check this out .... within about 6 weeks he was in two local newspapers singing a new song titled  "Pill popping ends"......coincidence? Maybe but its a good one isnt it.

 

http://www.times.co.nz/news/pill-popping-ends.html

 

I continue to take up every avenue of complaint available and just this month made  a claim of 'medical misadventure' against him.

 

I urge everyone to complain to all possible places......silence is not acceptance. Yes its not easy to do this ....dont think of yourself see it as a moral obligation and then that is very empowering when seen in that light.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

In Australia , each state has their own system for complaints.   In NSW . the body to contact is the Health Care Complaints Commission.

 

They will be receiving my submission/complaint soon.    The GP concerned prescribed me Lexapro 40mg for 6 years , i.e.  double the maximum dose recommended by the manufacturers.   The submission includes the doctors' own surgery records detailing what she prescribed and on what dates.   Also pharmacy printouts of what I had dispensed and what dates during those years.  I look forward to sharing the outcome . . . her practise was negligent and there's no denying it.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

When i escaped from this 10 yr mind numbing kafkaesque anosognosic world my doctor put me in, and had the energy to lift myself off the floor,  I started to complain i turned up to his ofice and told him those people who where feeding him info were liars and i would be making a complaint against him to the national health commissioner. 

He then turned feral and said in 21 yrs i am the only person to ever make a complaint against him. 

I then fired him and found a another doctor.

I immedialtely sent off my official complaint against him...........Now check this out .... within about 6 weeks he was in two local newspapers singing a new song titled  "Pill popping ends"......coincidence? Maybe but its a good one isnt it.

 

http://www.times.co.nz/news/pill-popping-ends.html

 

I continue to take up every avenue of complaint available and just this month made  a claim of 'medical misadventure' against him.

 

I urge everyone to complain to all possible places......silence is not acceptance. Yes its not easy to do this ....dont think of yourself see it as a moral obligation and then that is very empowering when seen in that light.

I like this statement at the bottom NZ  “Before this started, I often felt reluctant to take people off medication, especially if they’d been on them for years. We’re learning all the time.” Maybe you taught him a little, it's just sad that it only seems to apply to very elderly patients, it's ok to polydrug everyone else!  I can't help wondering how many they are tapering or just yanking them away? 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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My heart breaks when I think back to the elderly patients I used to work with..on loads of drugs, daily benzo, ads and I just wondered if the agitation I saw a lot of them experiencing was due to this.

2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare!

 

On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect.

 

Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan.

 

 

Nightmare that could have been avoided!

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My heart breaks when I think back to the elderly patients I used to work with..on loads of drugs, daily benzo, ads and I just wondered if the agitation I saw a lot of them experiencing was due to this.

 

I think of this too...having been to a home to visit my Aunt often I wondered how much of the Alzheimer patients were actually suffering side effects... from who knows benzos to help them sleep for instance.

The other thing I think of is when I get there... they will likely kill me by trying to drug me just like they do everyone else my system won't take it that I know.  I hope to be proactive but I also know they don't listen well.  I know that is where I am ending up if I live long enough to get that old.  There is no comfort in the thought.  Golden years my ass more like a torture chamber in my mind. 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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When i escaped from this 10 yr mind numbing kafkaesque anosognosic world my doctor put me in, and had the energy to lift myself off the floor,  I started to complain i turned up to his ofice and told him those people who where feeding him info were liars and i would be making a complaint against him to the national health commissioner. 

He then turned feral and said in 21 yrs i am the only person to ever make a complaint against him. 

I then fired him and found a another doctor.

I immedialtely sent off my official complaint against him...........Now check this out .... within about 6 weeks he was in two local newspapers singing a new song titled  "Pill popping ends"......coincidence? Maybe but its a good one isnt it.

 

http://www.times.co.nz/news/pill-popping-ends.html

 

I continue to take up every avenue of complaint available and just this month made  a claim of 'medical misadventure' against him.

 

I urge everyone to complain to all possible places......silence is not acceptance. Yes its not easy to do this ....dont think of yourself see it as a moral obligation and then that is very empowering when seen in that light.

 

Bravo to you for doing this.  I have made some reports on my own behalf and went balistic when my friend died of a brain bleed and reported to every institution that would take a report including the coroner.  There is more I could have done and more i will do should energy and clarity stick with me long enough. 

Again Bravo!

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 1 month later...

angie, when you find out how to do this in the UK, please post exact instructions here.

I have just submitted a 14 page document / letter of complaint with my GP's practice manager. Most surgeries have their own specific complaints procedure. The letter and response to the questions that I have raised / issues flagged will also be filed in my medical records. This is the first step before taking the matter up with regulatory bodies.

 

When I am stronger, I plan to take legal action for medical negligence. This has to be done within 3 years of sustaining 'harm' as a result of negligence in the UK from what I am aware. I will update as I receive a response / progress with my complaint.

1999 - 2004 Paroxetine 20mg  -> 2004 - 2007 Citalopram 20mg -> 2007 -  short term Trazedone use (insomnia) -> 2007 - 2009 Fluoxetine 20mg  ->

2009 - Jan 2012 Citalopram 20mg  (Spring / Summer 2012 protracted withdrawal & related agoraphobia) -> 2012 - September Restarted Citalopram - unbearable start up effects. Discontinued in under 1 week -> Oct 12 -   October 2014 Escitalopram - 10mg prescribed. Started on 5mg and worked up to 10mg in 2.5mg increments  -> Oct 2014  - 5mg; 30/03/15 2.5mg; 15/04/15 3.5mg; 20/05/15 2.9mg;  19/09/15 2.8mg; 30/10/15 2.7mg; 13/11/15 2.6mg. Holding until March.

Diet:  mostly pescatarianl & lots of veg. Weekly offal for b vitamins.  Turmeric, nigella seeds, avocados, apple cider vinegar, coconut products daily. Lots of fluids: water, lemon juice, coconut water, herbal & green tea (decaffeinated).

Supplements: vitamin C 4000mg, Omega 3 fish oil - high DPA & EHA, vitamin E 400iu, vitamin D3 5000mg (Winter only - from sun in Spring / Summer), probiotics.

Current Symptoms: chronic fatigue, erratic sleep, extreme photophobia, eye floaters, noise sensitivity, tinnitus, cognitive & speech difficulties, dizziness, irregular gait, poor co ordination, severe facial and upper body muscle tension, head and neck pressure.

Coping Strategies: good nutrition, cooking, gardening & growing my own food, cycling, dancing, yoga, photography, sewing & creative pursuits, self massage, pampering, meditation, journalling, nature, cuddling cats & humans, laughter & humour, gratitude, self care, aromatherapy, audio books, word games & believing in myself, my potential and my future.

 

"Everything I need is within me" - Shakti Gawain

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  • 3 months later...

Here's the link for making a complaint in Victoria Australiahttp://www.health.vic.gov.au/hsc/index.htm

MEDS HISTORY

2004 hospitalized for acute alcohol induced psychosis and started on my psych drug merry-go-round.2004-2006 SSRI > SNRI Merry-go-round finally settled on Effexor. Also was started on Risperdal in 2004 but switched to seroquell after I had a bad reaction to it.2008. Was switched from Effexor to pristiq, Also managed to successfully Quit Seroquel Cold Turkey.Asenapine- 5mg- August 2014 ~ May 2015. Was put on for Social Anxiety, was great at first then started developing disabling side effects, did a rapid taper and so started my withdrawal nightmare...

MEDS CURRENT

Pristiq-100mg ~ Currently holding

Olanzapine- 3.75mg May 2015 ~ Currently tapering by -.06mg per week (Jan 2016, 3.5mg  ~Feb 2016 intractable insomnia updose to 3.75mg)

Quetiapine- 50mg June 2015  ~Dec 25 2015 Quit cold turkey. ~(Feb 6 2016 hit with intractable insomnia - reinstated 50mg.)

August 2016 : Became destabilised after messing around with cutting doses, trying THC oil etc eventually stabilised,

Held doses for 5 years.

January 2022: Hit poop out, struggling to get more than 3 hours sleep, been one week straight of pure hell, praying to hold on. 

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  • 6 months later...

Question:  I want to file a complaint against the PA who gave me a bad drug.  However, I am also looking into filing a malpractice/negligence suit.  I figured it might be better to file suit before filing the complaint.  I don't want him to know the suit is coming.  Do you all think that is the best route?

History of Wellbutrin, Neurontin, Buspar, Paxil and others in 1990's - teenage years

Xanax .5 mg as needed 2010-2015

One injection of Haldol in ER 10/9/2015 - dystonic reaction (ongoing issues)

One 50 mg pill Zoloft 10/31/15 adverse reaction/s that are ongoing

Xanax .125 mg every 3 hours as needed, .25 mg at bedtime 1/8/16-1/21/16Xanax .25 mg every 3 hours (1.25 mg/day) 1/22/16 - 2/9/16Xanax .25 mg/5 times a day (1.25 mg/day) starting 2/10/16, then tried 6 times/day (2x.25, 4x.1875)Xanax .25 mg/6 times a day (1.5 mg/day) starting 2/19/16

Tapering off of Xanax, switching to Diazepam, starting June 29, 2016, then starting taper soon there after

Completed Xanax taper early Sept 2016, crossover to 20 mg/day Diazepam

Currently at 2 mg Diazepam/day = 1 mg bedtime, 1 mg morning

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  • 3 months later...

I was treated at a major University's Behavioral Health Center by various psychiatrists and departments, who all made major mistakes, denied withdrawal, over-prescribed and misdiagnosed me. At the height of my withdrawal one doctor diagnosed me as Bipolar and Borderline and told my parents that I should be institutionalized. He had absolutely no patience to actually listen to me.  During the 3 years that I was involved with them, my condition only worsened.

 

My question is, is it really worth the effort in filing letters of complaint, when the entire psychiatric establishment doesn't understand and doesn't believe in protracted withdrawal from antidepressants?

 

Thinking or talking about what happened to me is a huge trigger for me that I developed PTSD from. Perhaps it's too soon.

But really, what is my word against an entire University's mental health system?

2005-2008: Effexor; 1/2008 Tapered 3 months, then quit. 7/2008-2009 Reinstated Effexor (crying spells at start of new job.)
2009-3/2013: Switched to Pristiq 50 mg then 100 mg
3/2013: Switched to Lexapro 10mg. Cut down to 5 mg. CT for 2 weeks then reinstated for 6 weeks
8/2013-8/2014: Tapering Lexapro (Lots of withdrawal symptoms)
11/2014 -8/2015: Developed severe insomnia and uncontrollable daily crying spells
12/2014-6/2015: Tried Ambien, Klonopin, Ativan, Lunesta, Sonata, Trazadone, Seroquel, Rameron, Gabapentin - Developed Anxiety disorder, PTSD, and Psychogenic Myoclonus
7/2015-1/2016: Reinstated Lexapro 2 mg (mild improvement, but crying spells still present)

1/2016-5/2017: Lexapro 5 mg ( helped a lot, but poor stress tolerance & depressive episodes)

5/20/2017 - Raised dose to Lexapro 10 mg due to lingering depression(Total of 2 failed tapers & severe PAWS)

9/11/2018 - Present: Still on 10 mg Lexapro and mostly recovered.(Anxiety still triggers Myoclonus.)

10/7/2022 - 20 mg Lexapro (brand only) Plus occasional Klonopin for anxiety and Ambien for insomnia.

 

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  • 2 months later...

My question is, is it really worth the effort in filing letters of complaint, when the entire psychiatric establishment doesn't understand and doesn't believe in protracted withdrawal from antidepressants?

But really, what is my word against an entire University's mental health system?

 

yes of course it is.

File a complaint against your doctor and he might throw it in the bin. But do it anyway.

But dont stop there file a complaint to ALL other possible complaint areas. Especially the FDA as per above post #1. These must surely be recorded and counted. Slowly they will add up.

You will also force someone to have to stop and write a reply and think about this iatrogenic harm.

 

 

nz11

Havent visited this thread for a while and just noticed something so wanted to say... thanks for reading and commenting on my earlier post MammaP and btdt it means a lot to me. i appreciate it.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

I want to complain about the doctor I saw in A&E. He didn't take my temperature or blood pressure or run any tests. He jist explained the stress scale to me and handed me a pack of lorazepam. It wasnt even a prescription. I also want to complain against my own doctor who wouldn't even see me. She spoke to me on the phone and told me to stay on the medication ! I don't know how to go about this in the UK

Started Fluoxetine 40mg In 2010

Switched to citalopram 2011.Fluoxetine made me very drowsy.

Came off citalopram 2014 over 2 weeks tapering as advised by GP. Mild WD symptoms, brain zaps.

Almost 2 years med free, happy and less anxiety.

June 2016 start 20mg citalopram for anxiety, experince akathisa, intrusive harming thoughts, hallucinations, hypermania, negative ruminations, insomnia, no appetite, dioreah, racing thoughts/mind chatter.

Droped to 10mg for 1 week after 10 days on 20mg, then 1 week at 15mg by alternating doses then 1 week at 20mg before dropping to 10mg again for 1 week then 5 days at 5mg. Quick taper due to reaction.

Started .5mg lorozepam/ 2.5mg diazepam every other day from week 2 on cit sometimes daily for about 2 weeks stopped CT as was put on 25mg quetiapine.

Stopped cit 01/8/16. Stopped quetiapine 3/8/16

Taking fish oil

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  • 4 years later...

Now that I am better and approaching Xmas break, I have already made my list of all the "professionals" that led me down this path   They will all get complaints. I will refer to Alto's original post on it. I hope everyone takes to Yelp and writes one there. I feel like the government agencies (although I will do those too) don't do much, only because that info never touches me (and maybe I'm naive to that), but Yelp does. I once complained about a cleaning service that ripped me off. They immediately refunded me the $350 or some odd dollars and said they know how much Yelp reviews hurt.  I've also heard of people getting assaulted from reviews, so use caution or proceed with a strategy (but that example shows how hard it can hit). Then there's google reviews, some doctor review sites. Do ALL of them. Write one piece for each of those people and copy and paste it like mad. Imagine what it could look like out there if everyone from here used every single review board. I know some of you need to spend time on yourself and cannot do this yet, but all the success story people and anyone who can, we need to get this out there.  

Alto- thank you for the initial resources.  It's time. 

3/21/19 started Bupropion XL 150 mg

3/21/19 started Risperidone 2mg

7/7/19 start Abilify half dose 5 mg. discontinue Risperidone

7/9/19 full dose Abilify 10 mg

7/29/19 discontinued Abilify due to panicky side effects

8/2/19 Began Latuda 20 mg

8/5/19 discontinued Latuda due to similar side effects 

8/10/19 discontinued Bupropion after realizing it was causing the insomnia

From 8/10/19 no drugs whatsoever

Currently taking vitamin C, D, E, a probiotic and fish oil. 
Message me here if you want: 
https://www.facebook.com/morra.lal.3/  I've been getting a lot of fake friend requests, so please send a message before friend requesting me, thank you!

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  • 4 months later...

Thanks for the information.

buspar  7/16 to 4/17  does  45 mg, 30 mg , 15mg then 60 mg  stopped did not like the side effects  tapered 

paxil    10 mg 10 /16  11 / 16 bad reaction  stopped  

xanax  .25 mg as needed   10 /16  30 days  only stopped 

ativan  1/17 1 mg 30 days supply  tapper off   the best i could  1/16/18  stopped 
prozac  4/16 to  1/17    20 mg start   then 6 months 40 mgs then down  10/17 to 20 mgs   off 2/17 bad reaction  stopped 

 klonopin  .5  three daily   as needed  took .5 for 30 days when getting   on Prozac 5/1/17 stopped   then started again  1/2/18 to 4/10 stopped by tapering over 30 days down to .125 a day. though time, but  better now stopped 

Mertizipine   11/16 to present started 15 mg  at 7.5 mg  4/17 to  7/18 ,  7/4/18   3.5 mg  skipping does  the plan was to go off it while on  Prozac  but  it never worked    back on 7.5 mg 

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  • 8 months later...

This is in my intro thread, but I thought I would post here, too since it's on topic:
I keep forgetting to post one of my reviews on one of the people involved in my iatrogenic injury. I posted reviews on: my therapist prior to hospitalization, my therapist after hospitalization, my psychiatrist in the hospital (when I read other reviews, it turns out she often overmedicates people, there's one man who said that she put his wife on 9 medications) my psychiatrist after the hospital, the hospital that housed me before I was admitted. All awful and/or damaging experiences. Below is the review I wrote on the psychiatrist that I had after hospitalization. I hope in seeing this, that more people draft their own reviews. I have also compiled a list of places in which you should drop your reviews and included the list that is also on SA for such reviews. I am available to help people draft their reviews, just contact me about it and we can see what the best way to collaborate will be. I think if we can have a collective collection (haha) that would be powerful, as well as as many people sharing their stories in every venue possible to raise awareness and help legitimize our suffering. So, please read my review, let me know if you want help writing your own and also please tell me if there's other venues I should add to the list on places to drop reviews. Thank you. 
*****

 

 

I became a patient of Dr. _____’ after I was released from four days in the behavioral health ward. At first, things were fine. I came in once a month and told him things were fine with medication. I was on 150 mg of an SNRI and 2 mg of an antipsychotic. After three months, he wanted me to do some bloodwork to make sure that I was processing the medication ok.
I did, and upon our next appointment (if I ever have questions on medication, the only way to reach him is by making an appointment that’s usually a month out- a bit disconcerting for someone on psychiatric meds that have creepy side effects), he wanted to switch me out of my antipsychotic for a new one. So, his instructions were to stop taking the old antipsychotic cold-turkey, then take a half of the new one for a day, then take a whole one the day after.
I felt like I had a cold the first night. Over the weeks I didn’t realize this, but I was experiencing  akathisia that got worse and worse. I couldn’t put my son to bed at night because it was hard to keep still. I went to get a facial at a spa and freaked out and ripped open the eye mask because I couldn’t bear to have my eyes covered. After a month, Dr.____ took me off of it and put me on a new antipsychotic. So, how many cold-turkey changes is that? Antipsychotic #1 to Antipsychotic #2 to Antipsychotic #3 in the course of 1.5 months. 

In sum, Dr. _____ wanted me to change my psychiatric medication. He knew nothing of tapering. So, when he wanted to change it, he just told me to stop taking one and start another. After an adverse reaction, he did it again. After another adverse reaction, he did it a third time. After that adverse reaction, I quit the drug cold turkey. In the course of this, never was I ever advised or warned to never go off psychiatric drugs cold turkey, and his lack of understanding in that realm was obvious given that he never had me taper before switching to another drug. 

Then, I got acute insomnia from all the changes and resulting brain injury for not getting a tapering schedule (where you switch to another drug by slowly reducing the amount of the previous drug so as not to shock out the system). I stopped taking my SNRI as I heard from my psychologist that Wellbutrin is particularly activating and it is most likely keeping me up. I left a message with Dr. ____ and his nurse called me back later and said that Dr.____ had never heard of Wellbutrin being an activating drug and said to just keep taking it. Neither one of them ever, ever said it was dangerous to cold-turkey a drug, and, how could they when they had me cold-turkeying the antipsychotics? 

That was just the beginning of my nightmare. I did go back to Dr.____ while I was in the throes of suffering from my iatrogenic brain injury caused from the reckless issuing of drugs. I asked him how he could do something like that to me and probably others, not issue any sort of tapering schedule at all. He maintained that I wasn’t experiencing withdrawal and told me after I mentioned my symptoms that he would put me back on wellbutrin plus trazadone. I asked him if he thought that I should taper the drugs in order to be safer. He entertained the idea by just saying to just cut the trazadone in half for the first two doses. 

Dr. _____ clearly has no concept of tapering with psychiatric drugs and harms people regularly. He should have his license taken away. The following is the hell I have gone through due to his recklessness and harm: 

 

My body started going through psychiatric withdrawal/iatrogenic brain injury. My withdrawal was so severe that I was basically disabled. I was fired from my job and my husband sent me divorce papers with intent to have full custody of my son because I was such a mess of either deep apathy or hysteria. I will attempt to list all of the symptoms I experienced.  I couldn’t sing, write/listen to music, watch TV/music, read, take my son out to parks because I was either too tired/depressed, or the activity would send me into paroxysms of anxiety. At work, I slept through all my prep periods and had to leave early/show up late often because I was so beyond tired, even after sleeping for 8 to 20 hours. I couldn’t eat, I lost 70 pounds in 3 months,  I lost 50% of my hair. I had heat dysregulation that would wake me up at night (heat would roll down my body), my skin peels off like a snake. I couldn’t eat sugar or carbs or else it would hyperstimulate me or make me super sluggish. I have tinnitus in my left ear, I still feel tremors at night. If I turn suddenly, either in my sleep or awake, my heart will start to race. Eating food or taking naps will also stimulate intense anxiety. I had to wear sunglasses while using the computer because the light was too bright.  I will never be able to take cold medicine, drink coffee or alcohol ever again as it will bring me back to being ridden with symptoms. If I ever get cancer, I will probably have to choose to die rather than receive therapy because of how badly I would suffer from receiving treatment. 

Hypnic jerks, waking panic attacks, fractured sleep, intense fatigue, floaters in the eyes, sound sensitivity while sleeping, expressive aphasia, inability to exercise for more than 10 minutes because it exacerbates symptoms, I often mix up homophones, and my short term memory suffers. 

 

In the end, I still have autonomic dysfunction, which means that my body overreacts to stimuli. Had I been given the guidance to taper/had I had the appropriate counseling/had I had psychiatrists that actually evaluated my situation, none of this would have mattered. My central nervous system is damaged forever, and my son and husband will never know the dynamic activist/musician/educator/footballer/dancer that I was. I am a sickly shell of myself because of the reckless prescribing of Dr._______.
I’ve sought help from someone who testifies as an expert witness on cases involving psychiatric drugs. She took one look at my drug history (prescribed by Dr._____) and asked me if I was a complete basketcase from all the reckless drug changes. Thanks Dr.____, for that. 

List of places to drop reviews in:

Yelp

Google

Better Business Bureau

Rate my doctor 

 

I got this advice from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology:

 

"...Complaints about psychiatrists should be addressed to the American

Psychiatric Association (888-357-7924). Complaints about neurologists

should be addressed to the American Academy of Neurology (651-695-1940).

 

In addition, you should send your complaint to your state medical board...."

 

In the US, send complaints to the state medical board and the doctor's professional association.

 

You may also wish to send a very passionate and personal letter to the doctor (I would not tell him or her you have filed a complaint -- let that be a surprise).

 

(There are also sites like http://www.yelp.com/ where you can write a review affecting your doctor's local reputation.)

 

Here are links to the state medical boards:

 

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician/medical-licensure/state-medical-boards.page

 

How to contact the American Psychiatric Association http://www.psychiatry.org/contact-us-for-help :

 

1000 Wilson Boulevard

Suite 1825

Arlington, VA 22209

Call Toll-Free: 1-888-35-PSYCH

From outside the U.S. and Canada call: 1-703-907-7300

Email: apa@psych.org

 

How to contact the American Academy of Neurology https://www.aan.com/contact-aan/ :

 

201 Chicago Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55415

Tel: (800) 879-1960

or (612) 928-6000 (International)

Fax: (612) 454-2746

Email: memberservices@aan.com

 

From https://www.aan.com/membership/professionalism-and-disciplinary-program/

 

To report your adverse reactions and withdrawal symptoms, complete the FDA MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form (3500) online at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/medwatch-online.htm or by phone 1-800-332-1088

 

(Citizens of countries other than the US may also report to the FDA's MedWatch system.)

 

In the US, you can also file a complaint about your doctor with your state medical board.

 

Here are links to the state medical boards:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/education-careers/becoming-physician/medical-licensure/state-medical-boards.page

 

FDA
https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/

 

Conceivably, a patient or patient groups could commission a special report from AdverseEvents.com

 

Edited by ChessieCat
unbolded majority of text

3/21/19 started Bupropion XL 150 mg

3/21/19 started Risperidone 2mg

7/7/19 start Abilify half dose 5 mg. discontinue Risperidone

7/9/19 full dose Abilify 10 mg

7/29/19 discontinued Abilify due to panicky side effects

8/2/19 Began Latuda 20 mg

8/5/19 discontinued Latuda due to similar side effects 

8/10/19 discontinued Bupropion after realizing it was causing the insomnia

From 8/10/19 no drugs whatsoever

Currently taking vitamin C, D, E, a probiotic and fish oil. 
Message me here if you want: 
https://www.facebook.com/morra.lal.3/  I've been getting a lot of fake friend requests, so please send a message before friend requesting me, thank you!

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