Search the Community

>Visits the doctors about HPPD, doctor doesn't know anything about HPPD >Tells doctor about persisting drug-induced hallucinations and panic attacks, gets referred to a drug and alcohol service >Makes it clear that there is no history of addiction or continued use, gets referred to psychiatrists >Open to suggestion, trying not to be classed as a drug-seeker, I accept the anti-psychotic prescription Seroquel >Takes Seroquel, makes HPPD worse, notifies doctors of this >Is offered SSRI anti-depressants for panic attacks, rejected them >Prescribed antipsychotic Olanzepine (Zyprexa), which doesn't do anything for HPPD, and Diazepam (Valium) for panic attacks, which also does nothing >Moved to a mental health facility so that doctors can sort medication out >Psychiatrists conclude that panic disorder can fix itself and that the HPPD visuals are psychotic hallucinations >Prescribes Aripiprazole (Abilify), and took away the Diazepam, which made HPPD worse, and induced anxiety and hypertension (high blood pressure) Psychiatrists insist that benzo's are unsafe and should only be used short term due to risk of addiction, despite no history of addiction and the thousands of milligrams worth of any benzodiazepine it would take to actually be fatal. Big fuck you to every single doctor out there who hasn't done their research and has treated every HPPD patient like this. I have already explained to them that the most effective treatment for HPPD include anti-convulsants, but they do not listen. Instead they want to chuck as many anti-psychotics and anti-depressants at me as possible, hoping that I will come across one that will eventually kill me. These doctors are not here to help, they are here to kill and deny effective treatment. Even if addiction were a problem (which is not if you do not abuse medicaiton), I'd rather be addicted to a drug than have HPPD for the rest of my life. Now I will proceed to seek medication illegally because this medical system has failed me.

Eh, just got off my first phone call trying to schedule an appointment to be seen. Incredibly painful. After explaining/describing the situation: "...So you want to be checked into our drug rehabilitation/ substance abuse program?" "No, no, I'm not addicted and I don't abuse drugs. Never have. I mean, I've used drugs, but only a handful of times, and I was never addicted or anything..." Irritated silence. "Okay, so you're hallucinating?" "No, like I said before, it's not hallucinations...just visual disturbances. I repeat, I do not have, and have never had delusions or symptoms of pychosis. Anxiety and depression, yes, but they are ancillary to the other symptoms." Irritated silence. "Um, I'll leave a note, but I don't think anyone will be able to see you without a recommendation/consultation..." And so it begins! So looking forward to this. Any 'interesting' doctor horror stories to share? Or, on the positive flip side, support/success stories?