No physician - no medications

[forgetmenot]

my brother like many people find he does not have a GP any more and he needs toget his psychiatric meds refilled he does not have a psychiatrist like my other siblings he is refusing to sit 3-5 hrs in emerg waiting to get his meds refilled and is now out of his benztopine i believe is cogentin he is also on perhenazine been on these meds for at least 10 years and been stable
does he really need the cogentin with the perphenazine he seems to think no but i always thought they went together unfortunately there is no walk in clincs in his town just emerg dept thanks for any info mary

 

[Jazzey]

Re: no physician

Hi Mary,

I'm wondering if there's any way to convince your brother to go to emerg. I'm concerned about your seeking advice about medication issues on the internet - especially for medication issues. As I know that you already know yourself, your brother needs to be assessed by a doctor...

I hope you're able to convince him to go to the emerg for an assessment.

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: no physician

your right there he really should have a psychiatrist looking after his meds but my brother does well just to go out to get groceries with me he hates being around people worst then me i will try to get him to come with me to walk in clinic in my area but the dr there really don't like prescribing meds to someone they really don't know either god it is just one more thing for me to take care of i just wish he would go to emerg and get his pills because i don't need him becoming unstable like the rest of them thanks for feed back will do my best to get him to dr mary

 

[Halo]

Re: No physician

Mary,

I think that your brother absolutely has to get his medication refilled. We don't know what interactions or discontinuation symptoms he may have if he stops taking them.

Although he may not want to sit for 3-5 hours for a medication refill, but if it means staying well then it is well worth it.

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: No physician

i agree with you totally but it like hitting your head on a wall sometimes he thinks he just needs the medication to decrease his voices i try to tell him he needs both the cogentin prevents the rigidness caused by perphenazine maybe if i take him he will go he is over 40 and still acts like a child but then i guess that is part of his illness just hard to look after my daughter now and everyone else i will try to get him to walk in clinic just wondered if he could just drop cogentin without to many side effects thanks mary

 

[Halo]

Re: No physician

If it means that you may need to take him in order to get his medication, I say go for it. I am NOT a doctor nor a pharmacist so I would never recommend that someone stop a medication especially cold-turkey. As I said, we don't know what kind of discontinuation symptoms he may experience.

Please, please try to get him to the emerg to continue his normal regime of medications. You could also inquire while you are at the hospital of any psychiatrists in your area that are accepting new patients.

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: No physician

i just phoned him he says he is doing fine
i explained to him impt of staying on all his meds he isn't listening
i have flew but when im feeling better hopefully he will come with me to emerg or walk in clinic where i live to get his meds reordered
he is 40 something years old he should be able to do this on his own
i hate having to hold everyones hands but if i have to i will as usual if only to keep him stable so he can help with the unstable brothr thanks mary

 

[Halo]

Re: No physician

i just phoned him he says he is doing fine
i explained to him impt of staying on all his meds he isn't listening
i have flew but when im feeling better hopefully he will come with me to emerg or walk in clinic where i live to get his meds reordered
he is 40 something years old he should be able to do this on his own
i hate having to hold everyones hands but if i have to i will as usual if only to keep him stable so he can help with the unstable brothr thanks mary

I am glad that you explained to him the importance of staying on his medication. To suddenly go off of them could be detrimental. I can imagine your frustration at having to "hold his hand" as you call it but just think of how much better off he is because of you. He is in need of assistance and you are able to give it.

 

[forgetmenot]

Re: No physician

your right of course just feeling sick that all ill make sure he gets it reordered thanks for feed back mary

 

[NicNak]

Hi Mary. I am not sure if this might help, interms of the walk in clinic prescribing the meds, but usually the pharmacy has a record of the prescriptions they have filled for each individual patient.

Maybe if asked for a print out of that, from the pharmacy to take to the walk in clinic, that way they would at least know he has been taking them consistantly for how ever long the pharmacy can go back?

It is a long shot, but it might help.

If by chance, you live in Ontario. I recently heard on the news about this site from the Ontario government to assist people in finding health care in their area. I have posted the link on this forum, but I am posting it here for you too

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

I am glad you were able to convince your brother about him needing his meds.

 

[forgetmenot]

thanks NicNak for all the help and advice take care mary

 

[amastie]

Mary,
I don't understand why he was seeing a doctor for his meds and now can't see that doctor. Is it to do with the cost? Your health care system? I'm very sorry whatever the reason and my heart goes to him and to you for all of your commitment to help him. I agree that as soon as you are well enough, to go with him to emergency. Maybe there they can refer him to another doctor or psychiatrist who can keep his meds ok.

 

[forgetmenot]

hi amastie his doctor has retired leaving him with no one to care for him he lives in a small town where there is no walk in clinics and he has togo to emerg dept to get his meds reordered for now we are trying to get him a new dr but that won't be until may he has to go to the next town to do that. he started hearing voices like my other brother in his 30s and has been on these same meds for 10 yrs i am trying to get someone to take him sooner to get his meds because i cant i am too sick right now thanks for all your support mary

 

[amastie]

Mary,
I would have thought that in such a case, that the hospital would recognize that his *is* an emergency, that he *must* be back on his meds, that if you rang the hospital to explain that they could send an ambulance or psychiatric emergency team to make him go into hospital to be stabilized on his meds, even against his will. You may not want to go that far but you might reach that point as he becomes increasingly unwell while off his meds.

 

[forgetmenot]

no not this hospital again it is a small town and you think there would be more care there but no people don't care in this town they only ridicule they are uneducated and make fun of my family i will get him to a walk in clinic up here where he is not know and people will treat him with respect it will do him good to see there are people who he can trust and who does not look down on him

 

[amastie]

...i will get him to a walk in clinic up here where he is not know and people will treat him with resp.ect it will do him good to see there are people who he can trust and who does not look down on him

That will be good
Take care.