About 6 weeks ago, my mother (85) was told she had an irregular heart-beat - arrhythmia, I think it's called. She was prescribed DIGOXIN, and her life has been misery since. The list of side-effects is horrendous - sickness, nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, general malaise, abdominal discomfort. She has not felt able to leave her flat for over 6 weeks. On further investigation, I find that the other pills she is taking exaccerbate the side-effects of digoxin. She now has pills to counter-act the side effects of the other pills she is taking!
Last week she did what she probably shouldn't have done and cut the dose of digoxin to 1 pill a day, and she is starting to feel a little bit better. Though she was sick again today. Last Tuesday her GP said he would refer her to a consultant. I offered to pay privately if it would hurry things up, but still nothing has happened.
I know GP's are over-worked, but if I can find info on the internet about side effects and interactions, why aren't the professionals aware of them?
Sorry for the rant - just feeling a bit angry and frustrated.
EDIT And another side-effect is arrhhythmia. And depression, which she already has!
Last edited by bindeweede; 29th May 2007 at 08:15 PM.
*Not a healthcare professional*
Netdoctor is always a good place to start for clear information and the MHRA has a database of all the Patient Information Leaflets (although she should have got one in the box)
Unfortunately any drug that is going to be used long term needs to be carefully monitored at the onset to make sure that it' going to be suitable.
Try to get her talking to her Pharmacist as well, see if she can get a MUR (Medicines Use Review) sorted out, often the Pharmacists are better informed about drug interactions, and if you're lucky your local library MAY have a copy of Stockleys Drug interactions - the definitive UK text. Best advice is to badger the health professionals to either get her drug regime looked at (even for the short run) or changed and gleefully accept any specialist referrals.
Dear mongrel
I've tried twice to reply to your kind message, but my connection has been playing up.
Will try again tomorrow.
Tom.
Digoxin is a very common drug used to treat heart problems, mainly arrythmia, usually in older people. Quite a high proportion of people suffer side effects, including the sort of things you describe. This is due to there being a very small difference between the amount needed for a theraputic effect and the amount that is toxic. It also has reactions with other common drugs like amioderone, also used to treat arrythmias, and erythromycin, an antibiotic.
You should not assume that her GP isn't aware of the side effects, it may just be that there is nothing he can do about them, which is why he will have refered her to a consultant who specialises is this area. One thing to make sure of is that the GP (and consultant) know about any other drugs she is taking. They should know about any prescription drugs, but over-the-counter drugs can have interactions as well, and is important for the doctors to know about them.
I know it's unpleasant for both of you at the moment, but the best advice is really to wait for the appointment with the consultant. A week, especially one with a bank holiday, isn't really all that long to arrange things. If you haven't heard anything in a coupe more weeks, start badgering the GP, but for the moment it is best to assume they are doing everything they should be and just be patient. Waiting lists are unfortunate, but they are a fact of life, and annoying your GP and getting yourself worked up won't really help anyone.
Hello Cuddles
Many thanks for your post. Impatience is one of my many faults ("tomorrow is no good, I want it yesterday!"). I'm sure you will understand that I see my mother's quality of life deteriorating, and I seem unable to do much about it. "Mongrel" mentioned this MUR, which I will look in to. Actually, when I took the prescription to the pharmacist, she wouldn't supply it until she had spoken to the GP. She must have been aware of the potential problems.
My copy of the BMA's guide to medicines lists all of the side effects of digoxin, and my mother seems to have most of them, even though she is now on the lowest dose. She has also had bad reactions to erythromycin, clarythromycin and metronidazole, as well as a calcium inhibitor, the name of which I can't remember.
Ho hum.
Thanks again to you and Mongrel. I don't suppose this is the ideal place to post a message like mine, but the response has been very helpful.
Tom.
All we can really suggest now would be to keep on at the doctor and have a chat with the Pharmacist (They get paid to do the MURsOriginally Posted by bindeweede
), if you're not happy with the doctors' opinion, that she should wait to see the specialist, she's entitled to a second opinion.
Trying to get a diagnosis from an internet forum is not the wisest course of action so I'm going to wish you and your Mum the best of luck and a speedy resolution and leave it at that.
I have spoken to the pharmacist about an MUR. He was helpful, but said the Ma needed to be there, and she is house-bound at the moment. I contacted the GP surgery - a request for a specialist appointment was sent in a week ago, although there's no indication when it will be. I have also requested a GP home visit, which will happen tomorrow, and I'll be there, so I don't think there is much more I can do at the moment.All we can really suggest now would be to keep on at the doctor and have a chat with the Pharmacist (They get paid to do the MURs
Trying to get a diagnosis from an internet forum is not the wisest course of action so I'm going to wish you and your Mum the best of luck and a speedy resolution and leave it at that.
Confession. I have fallen in to the old "post hoc, propter hoc" thingy. My mother's symptoms are the same as some of the side-effects of digoxin over-dose, and as they seemed to start about the time she started taking the drug, I assumed the drug was the problem. Recent blood tests have not shown excessive levels of digoxin.
So, please queue here to:-
1... wag a finger in front of my nose.
2....say "Tut,tut".
3.....apply metaphorical slap on wrist.
I would but it's an understandable trap to fall into when someone you care about falls ill.
Any idea what is causing the problems or is it "wait for the specialist"?
One of the GPs came on Thursday and persuaded me the problem wasn't the digoxin or interactions with the other medication my mother is taking. He thought the problem was to do with the stomach/digestive system. He also said the previous GP had referred my mother to a specialist on a sort of "fast-track" scheme where the patient is (apparently) guaranteed to see the specialist within 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks will be up on Tuesday.
I now think I should have persisted, and asked the GP for a private referral - it would have happened a week ago, and the situation might have started moving on.
Spoke to the Ma twice today. She has been sick twice. The only thing she seems able to keep down is porridge. And she is getting more and more depressed. I'll be going over to see her again tomorrow - it's only 18 miles or so, but I know there's very little I can do.
It's a despair situation.
Anyway, thanks for your replies.
Last edited by bindeweede; 2nd June 2007 at 10:54 PM.
Our latest theory is a gastric ulcer or gastritis. In theory, a consultant will contact my mother in the next 2 days. I won't be holding my breath.
If you're lucky it's a gastric ulcer, it can be tested for easily (simplest is a breath test for Helicobacter pylori) and the treatment is antibiotics and Proton Pump Inhibitors :)
If she hasn't been given anything then Zanprol can help, it's a Pharmacy only medicine, and as always consult with the pharmacist if she's on other medication.
Two weeks ago, the GP gave her omeprazole, which I believe is the active ingredient in Zanprol, as well as domperidone. She stopped taking the omeprazole as she thought it was making her nausea and sickness worse. On patient.co.uk, the side-effects are listed as - feeling sick or vomiting, tummy pain, dizziness, general feeling of being unwell, as well as several other things. So again, possible side-effects being as bad at least as symptoms. She is now only eating milky porridge, drinking plenty of water and milk, plus the high-nutrient milk-shake type drinks the GP supplied.
www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/30002133
......and as I expected, the "urgent" consultation, after 2 weeks, has not happened. The consultant's secretary even rang my mother to say she was unable to say when the consultation would take place, but she would ring her up when she knew.
I wonder how urgent is "urgent" in the NHS.
I have emailed an official complaint to the NHS Trust, and will probably write to the Chief Executive, in case the email gets "lost".
"My mother has been treated in a shoddy way by a second-rate service. I look forward to your earliest reply", was how I ended the email.
Last edited by bindeweede; 5th June 2007 at 08:29 PM.
Angry? ANGRY? I am incandescent with fury!
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