Family and friends of non-compliant patients often live with the consequences---seeing their loved ones in crisis or deterioration, acting “not themselves” or in some extreme mental cases, actually committing mass murder, as a consequence of not taking their meds or taking them incorrectly.
Nicole, a third year law student,
was stressing out. The pressure of her classwork and part time job was giving
her migraine headaches and pain in her upper back and shoulders. Her doctor
prescribed Vicodin, which helped with the discomfort but soon led to other
problems. Her boyfriend started complaining that she was acting “goofy” and
told her not to drive. Her actions were slow and disjointed and she was unable
to perform in school or on the job. She seemed unable to get ready for any
event on time. When her mother drove her to the doctor to get a new
prescription, at the boyfriend’s request, she saw the consequences of this
medication problem for the first time. Nicol
e was caught stealing a prescription pad from the doctor, was questioned for “shoplifting” at a local store and ended up crashing her car into a tree. The next day, her family brought her to the local hospital for evaluation. After a painful but effective detox and therapy sessions, she was eventually able to recover and eventually ended up graduating from law school.
e was caught stealing a prescription pad from the doctor, was questioned for “shoplifting” at a local store and ended up crashing her car into a tree. The next day, her family brought her to the local hospital for evaluation. After a painful but effective detox and therapy sessions, she was eventually able to recover and eventually ended up graduating from law school.
Susan, a middle-aged housewife, came down with a urinary
tract infection and was treated by her doctor with a ten-day course of
antibiotics. After five days, she felt better and decided to stop taking the
pills. She started to get worse, ended up with an even more severe bladder
infection and had to be admitted to the hospital for several days. Although she
eventually recovered, she suffered with extensive pain, and at great expense.
John, an elderly man, living with his son and his busy family, had been
acting strangely the past few months. She never wanted to get out of bed, was
irritable and sometimes appeared distracted and incoherent. His son, Bob, and
his wife, who both had careers, and together, looked after four sons, were
concerned. Bob hired two teenage girls to babysit the boys after school and
keep an eye on his father. But the symptoms continued. He finally figured out
that John would take his medication, and then forget, insisting that the
teenagers give him more. Bob finally ordered an electronic pill box from an
online distributor. The box helped the caregivers keep track of John’s medicine
and give him the correct amount. After that, there were no more fights and John
got back to his former outgoing, agreeable self.
Although the names of these patients have been changed to
protect the innocent, their stories are very real. If you know someone who has
had problems because of taking their meds incorrectly, please share, either by
adding to the comments section below or going to www.towerviewhealth.com.
