I feel like the picture of Hello Kitty, in my last post. Have you ever noticed that Miss Kitty has no mouth?
I found this gem tucked in some articles about the APA conference currently being held in San Francisco. It's a good thing I wasn't there covering it, like some people I know- because if I saw it, I might want to throw myself off the Golden Gate in frustration. And I am so afraid of heights I doubt I could ever go near it.
Thisis what the article said,
Interview with: Jeff Guo, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
WASHINGTON, May 9 -- One-fifth of patients with schizophrenia receive prescriptions for drugs that can cause dangerous interactions when taken in combination, a researcher said here.
Significant adverse effects were rare, but between 18% and 22% of Ohio Medicaid patients under treatment for schizophrenia were given prescriptions for an antipsychotic and one or more other drugs with well-known interaction potential by the same physician or pharmacy, reported Jeff Guo, Ph.D., of the University of Cincinnati.
What's more, 11% to 12% of patients received prescriptions for such dangerous drug combinations from the same provider on the same day, Dr. Guo told attendees at the American Psychiatric Association meeting. Action Points
Explain to interested patients that the study found about 20% of schizophrenic patients got prescriptions for drugs that can interact with other drugs they're taking.
Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented as a poster at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
"That shouldn't happen," he said, because the interactions analyzed in the study have been described extensively in the medical literature.
The article goes on, explaining what drugs could cause serious interactions.
Aripiprazole (Abilify) with ketoconazole (Nizoral)
Clozapine (Clozaril) with ritonavir (Norvir)
Clozapine with fluvoxamine (Luvox)
Haloperidol (Haldol) with lithium
Risperidone (Risperdol) with fluoxetine (Prozac)
IT SAYS HALDOL AND LITHIUM CAN BE POTENTIALLY RISKY.
Big speak for it can kill you.
It almost killed me. The doc should have known. If I can find it on the internet why cannot she?
I ALMOST DIED FROM THIS. YOU BET I AM PISSED.
My doctor, who I believed in, should have known better. One month in a rehab hospital, learning to walk again, loosing control of every muscle in my body but my heart, not being able to go to the bathroom without a catheter= not being able to make a bowel movement for over 2 weeks..... Not being able to sleep, lie down or move.....
Why couldn't the doc take 5 minutes to check the interaction? My GP and Gynologocist and Dentist do. I know there are good shrinks out there. I just never met one in my lifetime.
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7 comments:
You made me think a little there - you are right, My dentist ALWAYS goes over all my medications before he does anything! Maybe we should start seeing dentists for meds!!!
@ Wendy, I just think with this day and age, how difficult is it to look something up in a computer?
All too common and I have to wonder - why? It's not like anyone wants a dead or ill patient on their hands, do they? A lawsuit?
As you say, other branches don't seem to have similar problems, or at least to the same extent.
So what's the problem?
Is it that this branch of medicine attracts a certain type of people? Is it that, unlike tooth decay, the effects of illness aren't clearly visible and even those supposedly treating or helping patients don't take their patients seriously?
I don't know.
But it's not right.
I've NO clue why so many psychiatrists don't check interactions. The lady I see now is the only one I've met who not only checks interactions between psych meds she gives me, but also checks with other meds for asthma and stuff. Until her, they all ignored the fact that I take stuff for asthma, at least they weren't consistent. Makes you wonder, at best.
drug digest dot org has a med interaction checker that works...check all meds this way
I always use this interactive website (https://www.aidsmeds.com/cmm/) to check for possible drug/drug interactions. It's supposedly set up for AIDS patients but it works for psych meds.
When I picked up my first prescription for Ambien, my shrink had prescribed a dose that didn't exist. The pharmacist was shaking his head. He had to call the shrink back and ask if she could try again. I think I had a knack for picking the most clueless psychiatrists.
Lisa
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