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Careless Coral Springs ‘Shrink’ prescribes life-threatening drug
• Depakote without first viewing my liver test
Thursday,
October 29, 2009
I would be remiss as a journalist in not sharing a recent, life threatening encounter with a local psychiatrist I chose from my BC/BS provider list to assess my bipolar disorder. For those of you unfamiliar with the ‘disease,’ symptoms of bipolar include mood swings, hyper-imagination, unprovoked irritability and some of a more serious nature as manic behavior intensifies.
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No, I don’t have suicidal thoughts; I don’t hallucinate and don’t have ‘strange’ voices going on in my head. My case of bipolar is rather mild (so far) and rears its ugly head mostly in the form of anxiety in the privacy of my home. I’ve had the bipolar gene all my life, handed down from my Mom who was a creative mentor in my formative years.
Like other creative people, and many of you out there, I’ve had my bout with drugs and drinking, which according to a blood test last year showed not an unhealthy liver, but one with a few miles on it. This was my main concern when Doctor Danger (I’ll share the doctor’s real name in an email if you wish) prescribed the mood-stabilizing drug, Depakote, prior to viewing the results of my liver test from Quest.
The FDA warning for Depakote reads:
The use of Depakote and Depakote ER is associated with a number of serious risks. The Pls (Product labels) for both products include Boxed Warnings for hepatotoxicity (resulting in fatalities), teratogenicity (such as neural tube defects), and pancreatitis (life-threatening cases have been reported). Depakote and Depakote ER are also associated with a number of common adverse reactions for both their mania and epilepsy indications.
Doctor Danger said there would be side effects to Depakote, as is the case with most drugs, but he didn’t mention specifically the potential for damaging my liver and pancreas – and trust me when I say I was listening closely. Keep in mind, I was a heavy drinker for about 20 years and the doctor knew this. He prescribed Depakote, he said, because it was effective in treating migraines, seizures and the manic stage of bipolar syndrome.
He said that although I might have to part with my creative thoughts, sacrifices were to be made if I wanted to once again “conform to society,” which, by the way, was never an aspiration of mine.
In the end, I decided against Depakote. I could live life comfortably with a little mania I thought, but not without my liver and pancreas.
Since my last meeting with Doctor Danger (who I’ve considered reporting to the proper authorities) I’ve taken a more holistic approach to bipolar treatment. I’ve studied it, confronted it and have learned to manipulate symptoms, which is as good as it gets. Bipolar is incurable and by heading symptoms off at the pass, I control the disease; it doesn’t control me.
The lesson to take away from all of this is don’t let doctors have the last word on your health -- or they may be your last rights. Do some research, be open to second opinions and never take what the doctor prescribes as bible.
You are your most cherished patient. But Doctor Danger -- who could be anyone's doctor right now -- he has many.
Reader's Letter
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