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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:00:36
Thank you to everyone who replied to my "Varying the dose with PROZAC" post, which was largely about my suicidal thinking.
Everyone strongly recommended that I see another doctor immediately.
Unfortunately you do not realise how terrible the British NHS system and treatment regime is and how mean they are with expensive drugs.
I first went to my family doctors several months ago complaining about depression and serious suicidal plans and thinking. The doctor prescribed five Zopiclone (which I later found out were sleeping tablets!) and told me to take one every night until I recovered!!
Obviously this did not work and I got worse. I returned and the next doctor (you rarely see the same doctor twice over here) gave me a month's supply of valium. The patient's information leaflet said not to take valium alone for depression, but nevertheless I persevered and got even worse.
Finally my wife came to the doctors with me and told them that she had pulled me off the railway track herself and would they please give me some sensible treatment.
Only at that point did they give me seven YES SEVEN! PROZAC tablets!!
I returned a week later and told them that I was no better and they prescribed a further 28 PROZAC.
They gave me a suicide help line to call if I felt bad and another telephone number to call if I was actually on the track and they would "come out and pick me up".
A few days later I called the suicide line and they told me to stop being anxious and call my family doctor in the morning!!
I called the second suicide line and it was a "wrong number"!!
I pleaded with my family doctor to be refered to a psychiatrist, but he told me that this was not possible because they were all on holiday for six weeks in our area.
Do you get the picture of what its like over here in the UK?
The bottom line is that I did not increase my dose above 20mg/day, despite your advice and I have not seen a doctor, because only the idiots are available to be seen right now and the "good" two doctors are on holiday until next week. However the "good" ones would make you weep, the way they go on. The idiots would probably give me cough mixture.
Thankfully my suicidal thoughts are receeding and I cannot face the thought that if I killed myself I could never read the brilliant stuff that you people write on this board again, so I shall just have to keep on living!!
Thanks everyone for your support.
Arthur Gibson
(Its a "made up" name but not to worry)
Posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:53:35
In reply to How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts, posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:00:36
By the way, I suppose you Americans did get to hear that one of our British NHS family doctors was jailed last year for murdering approximately 300 of his patients?
Last night on our news one was penalised for trading in kidneys from live donors.
My advice to any Americans visiting this country is to not venture more than about twenty miles from London, or the medical care you might get could be better in Ethiopia or Afghanistan.
Posted by ctrlaltndel on August 30, 2002, at 7:36:46
In reply to How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts, posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:00:36
Hi
I'm from uk so I know the NHS (No Hope Service)
It's taken me 10 years to be prescribed more than one drug..they go through the cheap ones first..I'm still not fixed..anyway if you feel ill again I suggest going straight to hospital where they have a psychiatric outpatient place--usually find a pdoc walking round with a coffee cup and depressed : )they won't lock you up--they can't afford it.
Good luck
Posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 7:57:05
In reply to Re: How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts » Arthur Gibson, posted by ctrlaltndel on August 30, 2002, at 7:36:46
I missed out another humourous event in my account of my treatment.
Before I was given PROZAC the doctor advised SEROXAT. (PAXIL in the USA). When I asked if that was any good, she replied "Well I use it on my horse to stop him being frightened when jumping big jumps and it works just fine."
Needless to say I insisted on another drug, as I figured that there was a risk that she was giving me horse medicine to save money. You have to be careful with the NHS.
PS: I feel sorry for the horse. I bet he doesn't get any tapering when she stops it.
Posted by cybercafe on August 30, 2002, at 10:16:27
In reply to While I am on the subject of the British NHS..., posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:53:35
> My advice to any Americans visiting this country is to not venture more than about twenty miles from London, or the medical care you might get could be better in Ethiopia or Afghanistan.
hmmm... i thought london was actually quite horrible itself...
i think if i were suicidal i would probably go for a low dose antipsychotic like zyprexa/olanzapine ... it works so fast .. and tends to remove that agitation/anxiety and replace it with a feeling of well being, calm, peace ... but i guess we're all different...
Posted by crepuscular on August 30, 2002, at 10:20:44
In reply to How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts, posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:00:36
why this is outrage!
Posted by denise528 on August 30, 2002, at 11:37:59
In reply to Re: While I am on the subject of the British NHS..., posted by cybercafe on August 30, 2002, at 10:16:27
Cybercafe,
What doses of Antipsychotics have you taken, geodon, zyprexa etc?
Only 10mg seems to help me taken every six days or so but I worry that this might be too much.
Denise
Posted by cybercafe on August 30, 2002, at 12:40:30
In reply to Re: To Cybercafe..., posted by denise528 on August 30, 2002, at 11:37:59
> What doses of Antipsychotics have you taken, geodon, zyprexa etc?
i just started taking 5 mg of zyprexa.. that's the only AP i've tried
> Only 10mg seems to help me taken every six days or so but I worry that this might be too much.
...wish i could answer that question...
all i can say for sure is -- there are options better than suicide for fast relief of agitation, restlessness, etc ...
Posted by shar on September 4, 2002, at 0:14:22
In reply to How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts, posted by Arthur Gibson on August 30, 2002, at 4:00:36
This amazes me! I've never heard stories like this, and it is pretty scary! I'm glad you're feeling better now. I hope you can continue to get some form of help.
Shar
Posted by Arthur Gibson on September 4, 2002, at 2:23:33
In reply to Re: How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts » Arthur Gibson, posted by shar on September 4, 2002, at 0:14:22
Thanks
I am miles better now.
This is my 11th week of PROZAC and it is working well for me. I am on top of the world and I hope that things stay this way.
I have a four year old son and a six year old daughter. Imagine if I killed myself during my illness? I doesn't bear thinking about. But that is what nearly happened, no thanks to the doctors.
Now we are planning to move to a new house and life is good.
Posted by AlphaOne on September 4, 2002, at 13:27:33
In reply to Re: How the British NHS treat suicidal thoughts, posted by Arthur Gibson on September 4, 2002, at 2:23:33
AG, first of all you should be happy about the NHS - if you were living in the US you might not have coverage at all, because you might not be able to afford it, and then simple bad luck can bankrupt you.
You might take a look at this adress:
pharma24.cc
They have relatively inexpensive medications you can order via the internet.
I wonder if you could get Electro Convulsant therapy. It could be cheaper.
And it is highly effective and has few side effects (in its modern form)
Although of course this is an avenue that is usually explored after medications have failed.Benzodiazepines(Valium) are NOT good for depression.
This is the end of the thread.
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