Orlando Takes Charge – Averts Suicide – You Can, Too
Submitted by Orlando Lujan Martinez of Albuquerque, New Mexico who chose to take charge of his own healthcare after realizing that the drugs prescribed by his doctors were causing depression and thoughts of suicide. Thankfully, Orlando is with us today, and shares this story as a warning to others.
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I am an outpatient at an Albuquerque Hospital. This story is about my medical nightmare and a near death experience caused by drugs my doctor and psychologist prescribe. Drugs that made me so deathly ill they had me thinking that suicide was the only way to end my suffering. How many patients have committed suicide
The first thing to remember is that the doctor (science) is not always right and his medical advise is not sacrosanct i.e. to important to interfere with. Patient and doctor relations does not include being subservience i,e, to obey without questioning. The doctors make mistakes – just like we do. If you have any doubt about your treatment or drugs tell your doctor about your concern: research your diagnosis.
One of the most important things is that the patients must tell their doctors exactly how ill they feel. The patient should listen carefully and then ask questions and should always take notes and have a list of questions for their doctor. Read the information that comes with their medications. Ask questions. Then get the electronic record of their visit so they can double check on what was discussed. Following these steps will help the patients get better health care. Participate in your healthcare because your doctor may, inadvertently, kill you.
Here is the dangerous and absurd situation that I was in.
My doctor prescribed metoprololo, after my heart By-pass operation and it made me deathly ill and suicidal and when I told my Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, she sent me to a psychologist. The psychologist, after listening to my concerns, prescribe tarazadon for my depression, sickness and suicidal thoughts. The trazadon succeeded in making me more suicidal and sick! I was now now taking two drugs that were threating my life.
I had nausea,diarrhea, palpitations, irregular heart beats, lost of appetite, troubled sleep and lost interest in reading and music. I was so sick from the drugs that I sharpened a kitchen knife and made a practice run by cutting my wrist very lightly, just enough to make a thin red line. But I didn’t have the courage to do the job.
Then one day I went to see my psychologist. I was feeling depressed and very sick, she said, “I can see that your intoxicated on your medications. I wasn’t intoxicated I was very sick. At that time, I was so sick, that I couldn’t think well enough to reply, but when I returned home I thought over her remark and decided that tarazadon, the drug she had prescribe, was the cause of my sickness and near suicide so I gradually stop taking the drug-without the consent of the psychologist -and in a couple of weeks I felt much better.
Then I went to my doctor and insisted the drug metoprololo-which I suspected was also making me ill- be change to antenolol. When she changed it she said “Remember this is an experiment” (I suspected that the metoprololo was an experiment too) When I stop taking metoprololo and tarazadon my illness and suicidal thoughts disappeared. I apparently save my life from the hands of a incompetent doctor and psychologist. The compassionate people that were suppose to be taking care of me.
After that near death experience I realized the importance of participating in my health care. If I hadn’t taken control of my medial treatment I might have committed suicide because of the drugs, inadvertently, prescribe by an doctor and psychologist. Doctors decisions are not infallible and they have to to watched closely because they make mistakes like we do but their mistakes sometimes prove fatal.
Since the medical profession is at times inadvertently error-prone I demand, as the recipient of there medical treatment, to voice my opinion and objections because my and yours taxes and insurance pays their salaries and they work for me I am their boss.
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