To want to sue my local surgery?

[beeblabs]

TRIGGER WARNING: If you’re taking Zoloft/Sertraline and it’s working for you, best skip this thread.

A few weeks ago I started having dizzy spells and mild panic attacks. I also noticed my thoughts were getting racier (if that makes sense). I’ve suffered from an overactive thyroid and low blood sugar in the past, so I rang the Dr and asked for a blood test! They told me they couldn’t see me face-to-face due to Covid but asked if I wanted something for my anxiety and prescribed me 50mg of Sertraline.

From the first day of taking these tablets, I couldn’t eat or sleep! I’d lie in bed at night breaking out in cold sweats and twitching involuntarily. I rang the GP and asked them to change my meds, but they told me the benefits will outweigh the side-effects eventually and prescribed me Diazepam! By week 2, I felt like I was tripping on LSD and became utterly delusional (convinced I needed to take my life to save my son from the “evil presence” in the house!). I spent a few days in a psychiatric hospital before being discharged (when I stopped taking Zoloft, the delusions stopped).

Now my mother is talking about suing the local surgery. My husband said that I had a very rare reaction to a popular SSRI and despite my experience, they do help a lot of people.

I can’t help but feel that these mind altering drugs are prescribed too easily and there should be further tests before writing a prescription (especially over the phone, by a nurse practitioner!). I’m currently on a new antidepressant called Mirtazipine and I’m still taking Diazepam for my nerves.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with SSRIs? Or is it all positive?

I’m sorry this happened to you, it sounds horrific. side effects are very common with these kind of drugs, there’s no one size fits all and a lot of the time people (inc yourself) have to change medications until they find one that works for them. Unfortunately, your side effects have been more severe than most.

I don’t believe you could sue the NHS, they were trying to act in your best interest and it doesn’t sound like they were negligent. Please focus your energy on staying well.

It worked well for me. But it’s a psychotropic medication. Sometimes people are affected like you have been unfortunately. So you can’t sue and it says this in the leaflet

If you are depressed and/or have anxiety disorders you can sometimes have thoughts of harming or killing yourself. These may be increased when first starting antidepressants, since these medicines all take time to work, usually about two weeks but sometimes longer.

Hope you’re getting better

The drug just wasn't suitable for you. I'm on thyroxine and have taken Sertraline on and off. There is a take off and landing with them. Take off included for me yes, racing thoughts. Obviously you reacted more severely. I had tried other antidepressants in the past and they didn't suit me so I just switched to a different drug.

Watch out for the Mirtazapine weight gain. That added a whole new dimension (literally) to my depression.

YANBU for thinking that they should have done more investigation of your symptoms (which are fairly generic and could indicate various issues), rather than just jump straight to prescribing something for a particular condition you might not have.

Took me three weeks to have no side effects from sertraline. Best drug for me ever. Changed my life for the better in so many ways and saved me.

This post has got to be a wind up surely?

Yo want to sue them for the side effects?
They are listed in the medication, I e taken both, and until you try them your doctor can’t possibly know how you will react.

@TheGumption

Watch out for the Mirtazapine weight gain. That added a whole new dimension (literally) to my depression.

I had to come off it for this reason. And no, it wasn't 'worth it for your mental health', it put me into obese category, I became diabetic, my joints were in pain as I had had multiple surgeries on my legs after a bad accident, couldn't exercise and became even more depressed.

@mackleless

I wouldn’t be at all happy with the nurse prescribing me anti depressants or anti anxiety drugs. I would want to see the GP and have a blood test

What do you think the GP would have done differently @Kapalika? A blood test for what?!

@mackeless Liver function and blood sugar for a start. Also I’d want my blood pressure taken.

You sound like every GPs pain in the arse.

Yeah because actual health conditions are so yesterday....

@SoosanCarter

You sound like every GPs pain in the arse.

That’s really unnecessary and unkind.Actually the GP will be sympathetic to op esp after a significant mental health event You really didn’t have to post such an unkind post

People wonder why they cannot easily get GPs anymore. It is because of among other things oh lets sue culture that is becoming more and more common. More and more doctors are choosing to not do GP training or leave the GP area because of people like your mother. The stress that these false/unreasonable claims causes to GPs/their staff and families is unreal.

In fairness the op has had a ghastly time,an unplanned acute admission
She really doesn’t need lectured about GP retention and career choices
GP is going to be supportive of op and the dreadful time she’s had

Have some empathy and compassion for a woman who’s had a really scary upsetting mental health event

Why would you sue your surgery because you had a bad reaction to a drug?
You called and asked for meds, they prescribed based on your symptoms.
They are prescribed effectively for many people.
The first couple weeks of sertraline are rough, and I had some mild psychotic episodes also, however i didn't think to sue the gp for a reaction that absolutely wasn't their fault.
YABU.

@Rosieposy89

I had a similar reaction to citalopram. I become very suicidal and needed crisis team involvement. It never crossed my mind to sue or even blame my GP, it was just an unfortunate reaction nobody could have predicted. You consented to take the medication so what grounds would you have to sue?

That's very similar to the reaction my partner had to citalopram, they were the 3rd/4th anti-depressant that he was prescribed. The 'funny' thing is he's not even got depression! It was just 1 of the endless hoops he had to jump through to get diagnosed with bi-polar and anti-social personality disorder 🙄

Thank you, everyone, for your feedback (even the not-so-nice ones 😂). I had a horrific experience that has impacted my life hugely, but I realise that wanting to sue is very unreasonable and Sertraline does work for the majority of people! I personally believe that there should be more caution in administering mind-altering drugs and it is something I may campaign for in future, but I also know that these meds work for a lot of people and it’s not just about me!

I will point out that Mirtazapine ISN’T an SSRI. The psychiatrist agreed that SSRIs just don’t suit me and it’s not something I would ever consider again!

Thank you for all the well wishes.

Importantly - putting aside what happened once you were prescribed Sertraline - did you manage to get your thyroid function test?

Unpopular opinion alert. YANBU to want to have the underlying causes of your symptoms investigate and treated rather than having something prescribed that will mask the symptoms and have potentially serious side effects.

Thank you. It’s important to clarify: I’m not after money and I don’t want anyone to lose their job. I am just genuinely concerned that these tablets are prescribed too easily. 1 in 1000 people will experience suicidal thoughts whilst on Zoloft (I was never suicidal prior to taking it, I did suffer from panic attacks, though) and these tablets are given to millions! Don’t get me wrong, there are also many people whom these tablets have helped so it’s a very fine line! And, no, I never did get my thyroid or blood sugar checked 😂

I hope the medication you are on is helping and that you are feeling better

@beeblabs so suing them will help you to get your point across and won't be damaging to the practice atall? Really? If you are genuinely concerned then speak to PALS, complain formally and raise your concern. The fact that your mothers first suggestion was to sue suggests that you perhaps do want money.

This ^^

If It is a genuine concern speak to them don't sue them.