To be angry at MUm's doc?

[Budababe]

Looong story but I will try to shorten!

Mum has been going to same doc for years - in Ireland where you pay 50 euros a time to see doc. Sis went to him too for PND and he just gave her tabs but didn't do much else to help and at one point my Mum actually spoke to him about sis and he said and I quote "it is very hard to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves". She is SICK FFS. If she was well she would be able to "help herself". She had bad PND and has now been diagnosed bi-polar. I was furious at his comment at the time.

Anyway - on to Mum. She has always been a nervy/anxious type and prone to depression. Was on sleeping tabs for years but got herself off them a few years ago. Has been getting "shakes" in her stomach and basically been blaming my Dad for all that is wrong in her life (she expected Mills & Boon when she got married and funnily enough it wasn't like that!). She does nothing. Goes nowhere - gets her hair done once a fortnight and that is it. Gets up about 10.30 and sometimes lies down in afternoon as is so tired. Then expects to sleep all night having done nothing all day. Dad does all shopping, cooking, cleaning etc.

She seems to think everything can be fixed with a tablet. So if she does go out she goes into chemists and asks either for something to stop shaky feeling in her stomach or for anxiety which is what doc told her she "has".

Discovered that the doc had prescribed Xanax and she has been taking way more than she should have. To extent that I was in a chemist with her and the pharmacist wouldn't give her any more. She told my sis that the doc was telling her off for taking so many. She even asked my sis could she order some on the internet for her.

So my sis suggest that she write a note for mum to take to doc and in it sis asked if doc would suggest anti-ds that also treat anxiety. He said it was "a good idea". The sodding total plonker has been charging my mum a fucking fortune over the years and my sis suggests something and it is "a good idea". Some bloody doctor. Why the hell couldn't he do this months ago? She has been getting worse and he already knew she was taking far too many of the Zanax. I am so angry I want to write to someone to complain. But who? And will it do any good.

So mum now has yet another tablet. Hopefully these will actually do some good. But she is now experiencing withdrawal from the tranqs.

I swear to God that if I were in Dublin I would be up to that bloody surgery and I would make sure he knew what I thought of him.

Sorry - so not short!

Can she change doctors?

Good God Buda, the doc was telling her off for taking so many but still prescribed them? Sounds like MIL's GP, they all go in and tell him what to prescribe! I know you can complain but I'm not sure who to!

Irish Medical Council- Complaints
She should change GPs, Budababe, but does she want to? Sounds like he's facilitating her very well!

Would it be possible for someone to go with your mother when she goes to see the doctor. With all due respect I wonder if you are only getting one side of a stroy? Is there more to it? Hope your mum feels better soon?

Try the Governing body of your mothers GP surgery.

There are a couple of pages that may help
here and here

I dont know if these both refer to Ireland, but hopefully they should be able to point you in the right direction.

You could phone the surgery, I suppose, Buda and ask for an explanation. It would be an expensive call, mind you, but at least he would know that you were keeping an eye on things!

Those are both for the UK< Lorayn, Buda's Mum is in the Republic so the governing body seems to be the Irish Medical Council below. Only thing is complaints seem to lead to peer reviews, which IMO are not brilliant because of cronyism. We had a case not so long ago of an obstretician who was carrying out unnecessary hysterectomies on women. He was reviewed by 3 peers, all well-respected obstreticians, and they all gave him glowing reports! All his friends, you see!

in fainess to your mothers gp she does sound quite a tricky case . even you say she is anxious and thinks everything can be fixed with a tablet, and the gp has been trying to tell your mother not to take so many, the description of her day does sound very much like depression but you do not know what your mum is telling her gp - due to confidentiality laws he could not discuss this wiht you or your sister, maybe your mum needs to help herself a little , instead of looking to medication , our society is fixated on a pill for all ills, if your mum is genuinely depressed sure antidepressent swill help, but if she is just a pessimistic person because life hasn't been what she thought it would be the doc and medicine cannot fix that .

But to be honest mummydoc, there are a lot of Irish doctors who have been in practice for years without ever having any re-training and they will just prescribe what the patient asks them to. Shouldn't he refer Buda's mum for counselling and stop prescribing the pills if he knows full well she is going to take too many?

certainly shouldn't stop prescribing for someone who clearly is dependent on benzodiazapines but certainly should be addressing this dependency and trying to engage with her over her dependency and anxiety/depression etc, but you don't know if she tells her gp what Buda has told us. unfortunately there are lots of uk gps just the same.

But even if she needs the meds, if he know she's going to take too many, shouldn't he just prescribe a limited no of tablets at a time? actually, could she get them online without an Rx? if this is the case.

limiting numbers and setting dates for next prescriptions works well , unfortunately yes you can buy a lot of stuff over the internet illegally.

Oops - went away on 28th for a week and forgot about this thread - off to do school run now but will be back later.

Spoke to Mum yesterday and she does sound better.