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"The treatment provided by hospitals and GPs is so "dangerously" variable that poor care kills up to 10,000 patients a year, the head of the NHS regulator claims.

In a withering criticism of standards in the health service, David Prior, the chair of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), warns that "many patients receive poor care".

This leads to "many thousands" of patients dying avoidably every year, an unacceptable situation that threatens the NHS's integrity, he said."
The Guardian Newspaper

fripfrop

Sugar..I would see my doctor ..if I could, theres a 2 week waiting list
But thankyou

fripfrop

Not that I'm saying anyone is trying to kill me! Just that I think I'm having an adverse reaction to these tablets..and really there's no one to go to...the 111 NHS doctor rang back and says she doesn't know anything about those tablets..and to see if I can be seen in a walkin centre..but I'll need an appointment (why they are called "walk ins" if you need an appointment I don't know!)

chickippo

I just wanted to say that my GP is Muslim and he couldn't be more helpful and empathetic about my mental health and alcoholism. it's not a Muslim thing, it's a people thing.

dig in and stay stopped. I've been sober over 2 years now and it's the best thing I've ever done, aside from having my daughter. it does get easier.

Berrybean

Most surgeries nowadays only give a third of the appointments out as advance appointments. The rest are negotiated on the day by phoning as an 'emergency' appointment. Could you try that? (I do understand your frustration. Getting an appointment at my surgery seems nigh on impossible. My partners is better and changing surgeries is top of my list to get done in the school holidays ).

I would also suggest printing off your description of how you live when in active alcoholism, ready to take it with you to show the GP when you do finally get to see them. (If you don't have a printer, most libraries allow you to print for a very small fee). This is the level of honesty that might be necessary for them to understand quite how far down the road you have gone, but would be difficult to say in an appointment face to face.

That being said, you might have noticed on here, reading other people's threads, that the people who get and stay sober tend to get some structure and routine going in their lives. Financial security is no bad thing, and certainly, being self-supporting is a pretty big deal both for peace of mind and starting to feel better about ourselves, so the job thing probably will help, once you've got a little sober time under your belt.

I can honestly at that my GP wasn't helpful at all re alcoholism. They just advised cutting back - like I hadn't thought of that! But partly that was my fault (I can see now), because I wasn't exactly forthcoming with a lot of the reasons that alcohol was making my life unbearable and unmanageable. This place and AA were where I got my help to stop drinking. I needed to know that the people I was talking to understood and had experienced it themselves.

PS re Medication making you 'feel' bad. Obviously, point out the side effects that your medication is having and get advice as to next steps (you could speak to a pharmacist or the NHS Direct if you can't get to your doctor. Or just turn up early in the morning at the surgery, explain the symptoms that the medication is having and hope that they'll advise or see you later that day). However, it's worth being ready to accept that perhaps this could just one of the things you have to tolerate in order to get better. I don't suppose many cancer patients say that chemo makes them feel particularly good while they're having it. Getting a tooth sorted out at the dentist feels kinda painful at the time of treatment. Lots of the things that make us initially feel good are actually doing us unpercieved harm. I'd wager that there are many things that might make us feel bad initially that do unpercieved (possibly life-saving) good. Sometimes feeling good can't be top priority. We have a lot of work to do in accepting this, as generally we have existed seeking instant relief, and quick gratification. We resist doing things we don't enjoy, even if they might be good for us in the long term. Part of recovery is learning to accept that some things are worth sticking around for the long haul or experiencing some discomfort. We don't just exist to feel good.

fripfrop

Yeah our Surgery gives out "emergency" appointments (ring at 8.30am and get one 3 days ahead, but limited amount..never won the race for that yet haha) I need a new Gp.
Yes a job would be nice...but I NEED to be free to get the help this liason nurse is giving for at leat the first couple of months.
Ive just looked up this medicine on the internet..very very bad news it is. It even says on the instruction leaflet that you have to be monitored CLOSELY for the first few weeks you start to take it..well that's working out well..given a box of them and told to get on with it! GP doesn't even know I'm taking them! haha

I just spoke to NH direct, this morning, the doctor came on, after the operator rang me back, then the nurse, then after an hour a doctor, who said she knew nothing about the medicine.
On the internet forums apparently the nasty side effects of this medicine do not go away..and depression, weakness, confusion and fatigue are just some of them..so I'm not going to take them..or anything else until I get a proper doctor taking proper care with what he dishes out. These pills are not a cure for anything, they are long term to control a fast irregular heartbeat..and I only have that when I'm withdrawing!

My heart isn't racing anymore, Im not anxious, Im not breathless...I'll wait for the apointment with the hospital for the tests and see what they say.
In the meantime, I'm not drinking, I'm giving up smoking and changing my diet..which I think will do more good than popping pills until I find out exactly what's wrong.
I did try to ring my doctor yesterday (not open weekends) and he wouldn't even come to the phone.
I know we don't just exist to feel good..if we did I would have been dead 30 years ago haha
If taking these pills were life or death..or a cure..I'd take them. But the doctor didn't listen when I was telling him my heart was only like this in withdrawal, so I can't see the point in getting sober, to have the pills make me feel as bad as the drink.
I'll try the holistic way, until I have the tests and see what they say.
Thank you so much for your very thoughtful answer berry

Berrybean

I do worry about what it happening to the NHS. And our schools. I work in a special school and our budget has been drastically reduced this year. We're talking really vulnerable kids, but I don't think the government see them as sound investment. Sod quality of life. Thankfully I work with amazing people, and somehow we always seem to 'manage'. It's not easy though. The future is looking very murky as well.

So pleased you're sober. And well done on the smoking as well. Thats a toughie. (I cold turkied on that one as well but staying indoors for a week and handing my keys and wallet overvtk ny partner one half term). Have you accessed any local support groups?

BB

fripfrop

I know Berry, all public services going down the drain while taxes go up and up.
So sorry for the kids you work with.
No haven't been to any groups, waiting for that woman from the hospital to get back to me. I like the sound of what they are trying to do.
I went to AA years ago, but our AA is a shambles!
No structure or anything. I don't even think anyone sponsered anyone, and half the women didn't seem to like each other, not a very good group at all.
If I don't hear from the liason woman soo though, I might go and see what it is like now, cos that was 10 years ago.

Berrybean

Probably worth checking it out in the meantime. Nothing lose by taking a look. Things do change. We change as well. Lots of people use the SMART stuff as well. Might be with investigation. Take care. ☺

Kaily

If your GP won't sign you of sick contact the Mental Health crisis team and explain that you really need help.
The jobcentre make doing anything other than hitting their targets absolutely impossible and are so very quick to sanction people.
Good Luck!

fripfrop

Thats why I was so interested in what that alcohol liason woman was saying. She said their program takes things from AA, CBT, parts of Smart and talking therapy..sounds interesting!
Yes, I'll try AA too, I'm ready to try anything at the minute, and AA is accessable. Smart meetings here are thin on the ground.
You take care too . I like seeing how grounded you are in the posts you write to struggling people on the boards. You keep taking care of those special kids too..as you say, if the government can't see how they can line their pockets with something, they couldn't give a flying fart, good job their are people like you still struggling against the sociopaths running this country. Same as the poor junior doctors in the NHS..the government sold them up the river while the media distracted people with the EU vote...bring on the revolution eh?

SavageHenry

What beta-blockers ? Are they as and when needed or 24 hr release?
They should not leave you drowsy ... it sounds like Librium or some other benzo...

fripfrop

I did Kaily..and the mental health crisis team said they could do nothing to influence the dole, they can't sign people off sick..I really have tried everything barr getting another GP.
But thanks for replying

fripfrop

Thats what I mean! They shouldn't be affecting me like that.
But I read on the forums and also on the leaflet that comes with them..and apparently these ones CAN and DO.
They are called Bisoprolol, and are beta blockers
Here are what it says are the COMMON side effects; affecting about 1 in 10 people
cold hands or feet (?)
numbness of hands and feet
low blood pressure
feeling sick, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation
tiredness
feeling weak
dizziness
headache
I think I had all those plus a belly ache from them, plus confusion and slurred speech

The uncommon and rare side effects are just palin scary to read two being inflammation of the liver and hallucinations.
My problem is, they can't just give you medicine then leave you to it with no one to talk to or help when you have problems with it!
I'm meant to take one every morning

They gave me Librium (clorodiaz..whatever) in the hospital when I was withdrawing...they won't give people that to administer themselves at home, has to be under their supervision..and I had no problem with Limbrium!

SavageHenry

I take Propranolol 10mg have been for years (as and when needed for anxiety and the shakes after booze) and recently much like yourself ended up in hospital ... due to sensing this withdrawal after this binge was different from those before(incoming full on DT's) ... I lied a little (exaggerated symptoms because they can be dismissive) in hospital and ended in a 5 day in house local detox which was amazing and loads of people came to help and offer and I also am on the dole and schemes and due to THAT I am on the sick for a few weeks but it took extreme measures ... but that stay and talking with those that came helped a lot.
I wouldn't recommend that route but it worked for me lolol

SavageHenry

Yeah a Librium detox should not be done alone !!!

fripfrop

This is what happened;
I called an abulance at 5am on Wednesday morning, because of withdrawals and rapid heartbeat.
An hour later a one of those ambulance cars turned up. He took my obs and radioed for a "real" ambulance. They came and the ambulance sat in the street with me in it, while they monitored my heart and did an ECG. This took another 45 minutes. During which time the heartrate moniter was going mad.
I told them I was in alcohol withdrawals.
They took me to coranary care, I got there at 7am.
They hooked me up to another heart moniter and my heartrate was going mad. I told them it was alcohol withdrawals.
They said "We'll give you something for that in a minute."
For 2 hours I lay there with my heart going mad!
Then they gave me librium at 9am. I hadn't seen a doctor at that point, just the nurses making notes of my heart rate.
About half an hour after the librium I was calming down a little.
At about 11 a junior doctor came to see me (after the alcohol liason woman).
By that time, the librium was wearing off and my heart rate was up again, by the monitor, I told her it was the withdrawals.
She told me had the alcohol liason nurse mentioned anything about an inpatient detox anywhere..so I told her no.
So she said, I could have another dose of librium, then be discharged, but when I got home, not to stop drinking, just have a couple a day and taper ??!!!
I told her if I could control enough to taper I wouldn't be in that postition.
So I had another dose of Librium.
A few hours later, the consultant doctor came, with the junior doctor in tow.
He said my ECG was ok and so were some other tests, but "at a later date" I would have to have a test where they inject dye through your system to check the arteries.
He said I MUST NEVER DRINK AGAIN, cos of the tachycardia.
He said he would prescribe a beta blocker, even though he said he thought the tachycardia was because of withdrawals.
An hour later, still woozy from the librium, they said I had to take one of these beta blockers and stay for half an hour so they could see if I had a bad reaction.
After half an hour, full of librium and having had this beta blocker, I was basically kicked out.
I really thought I would collapse in the car park of the hospital while I waited for my son to pick me up.
And the next day taking this beta blocker without the librium in my system is when I discovered how badly it affects me.
And now I'm too afraid to take it !
Just when I edited I saw your reply..You were really Lucky!! Well, you know what I mean

SavageHenry

The only issue now is I am marked as "alcohol dependant" with the dole etc ...
that is my only grievance

SavageHenry

Bisoprolol is for heart issues ONLY ... I would take heed to the warning...

Compare Bisoprolol vs Propranolol - Iodine.com

But you might have been wise to detox and try out the biso' in the care of medical pros... would ease your anxiety alot.

fripfrop

Well if I could find a medical pro! Thanks SH