Hi can anyone help me or suggest any actions I can take or anyone I could see?
Basically in September I got put on medication to kick start my period as I was 18 and never had one (medication: Medroxyprogesterone) after 3 days of taking them I knew something wasn't right and I felt really poorly and started to get really bad chest pains, tightness, I couldn't breath and my whole body was shaking from head to toe I started to go blue/black. My mam rushed me straight to A&E and all the nurses and head doctors ran over to me and my mam they rushed me in a side bay room and started wiring me up to all machines monitoring my heart. After 10 hours of being in A&E I got transferred out to another hospital who where more in-depth about congenital heart disease after spending a week in that hospital they didn't know what was up with me so I then got transferred out to another hospital that spesalize in heart and chest and spent 3 weeks in there to then be told that the medication I had been given caused me to have a stage 2 heart attack and nearly died could I sue the doctors for giving me wrong medication and putting my life at riskat such a young age?
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ItsEllie
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Hi Ellie,
I would suggest that you seek advice from a solicitor specialised in medical negligence cases.
I think I would be far more concerned about now receiving the correct treatment and finding out if there was any lasting damage which would impact on your future life before worrying about suing anyone. Also was the original medication given something that is usually prescribed for the condition you had?
Well this is the thing now we don't know what impact it will have on my later life as my heart isn't the best and now since the doctors game me wrong medication its caused stress to the heart and lungs leaving me to have a HA. My normal medication was Enalapril and Aspirin which had no effect on me and I was doing great of them, but now since the wrong medication was given to me I'm now on warfarin for life and enalapril because of the HA caused by them.
I’ve been a Complementary Therapist for 22 years, some of my patients had menstrual problems, things can’t be ok if you’re not having periods, something is causing it that they don’t know about. 1)Polycystic ovary syndrome 2) Pituitary problem 3) Thyroid imbalances and they are not great with that one! If you are below 8 stone or 50kg you will not menstruate.
So sorry you’ve had such a trauma. Whilst your anger at the original doctor is right & understandable, if it were me I’d make a list of things to get sorted, then prioritise. To what extent might other things be as urgent or a more worthwhile investment of you & your mam’s time, money & energy than a court case?
For example, do you need to be on a cardio rehabilitation programme, so you can slowly get your mobility & strength back, with the support of others in similar situations? What needs to be done re your work, or education etc, do any rearrangements need to be negotiated? Do you need to see a hormone specialist to understand how hormones impacted you & what the implications are for you going forward? How will you get & keep your injured heart in its best health in future, do you need changes in medical care, diet, exercise, rest levels?
I don’t mean to dismiss the impact of this horrid medical mistake, I just know in my own life that I’ve found energy spent on life-affirming & rebuilding stuff has been so more helpful than ones focused on anger, even when righteous. Your anger is right, for sure, and if you can get recompense then I’m sure that will help financially, but I guess it could be a tough, slow road, and I know myself that holding on to anger is poison for oneself more than the other person. I find it good to use the anger to urge me on rebuilding something for myself (even if it’s a bit of a ‘screw you, see what I’ve accomplished despite you’ type feeling !).
I wish you the very best in recovering fully & fast 🤞
I 100% think your right and I missed out on a lot of education and exams so I should be concentrating on far more important things then them your right and I'm going to start focusing on my future and what helps me in life, Next year I will go back to college and re-sit my year I missed, then once I have completed my course and got the outcome I wanted maybe when im a bit older I will take things to the next level but for now I'm going to take your advise thankyou TealGreeen.
How fantastic to go back to college next year, good for you. And you’ll be amongst many who are “re-starting” I expect - most have had lessons & exams delayed this year. What course will you do?
Yes you can always look into it later. I think there is also a process to request an ‘official review’ into NHS treatment & outcomes. Without it being all about money (which in my view suits USA paid healthcare better than U.K. ‘free’ care), I’d imagine this allows lessons to be learned & you to have some sense of validation & helping prevent the mistake for others.
But also, we are none of us perfect, right? And I expect that doctor feels awful & won’t make that mistake again, and the hospital may already have reviewed things & updated procedures.
I am not sure you could say that this was medical negligence or even a mistake. Yes, cardiac dysfunction is a possible problem with this treatment but is not common as far as I am aware. The doctors obviously prescribed it trying to help you and normally, this would have worked without any problems. How would they have known that you were susceptible to cardiac dysfunction?
I hate to hear of our NHS being sued when they work so hard to preserve life.
I have had High doctors and Nurses say it was caused by that medication and told me I was never aloud to take them and they should of read my background notes (I have proof) if they would of read my background notes they would of known my heart background and known what damage the medication could cause but they obviously didn't read them which they should have. Yes maybe he did want to help but before prescribing patients with medication check weather were aloud them or not. I get your anger towards suing NHS but Higher doctors have told me not to leave it I was minuets away from being dead they have some explaining to do and maybe then they will realise to check history of there patients before handing out medications or giving treatments. I have huge respect for the NHS but they do need to be carful. They nearly took my life what if it was you would you leave it?
Well obviously if it was clear from your medical notes that you had an existing heart condition, then that makes the situation different. I agree that at the very least your case should be a warning to medics to fully read case notes and check medication and any contraindications against them. The actual facts would need to be well established. I also think it would be very traumatic to go through a court case to sue the NHS but that is, of course, up to you and your solicitor. Good luck anyway.
If you did go the negligence route, you need to find a no win no fee solicitor, who takes on NHS cases. They will make the decision if you have a case, of which they will take on.
By the way if there is a claim made, and there is a settlement, the money does not come from the NHS income, but from their insurance company.
I would definitely, as others have said try and see what is still good in your life. Maybe some counselling on the way, just to talk and talk over issues, and again try and get rid of the anger. That only takes away from your general well being.
So good to hear you are going back to college. Well done, make new friendships, and pick up with previous ones,
Hi Marigold, I’m not sure that they have insurance. I believe there’s a “Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts, which is funded by the tax payer.“ I did hear that they put aside £26m pa. I may be wrong though, it wouldn’t be the first time 😁
It is a long emotional hard path to walk! You’ll need a no win no fee lawyer. I had replacement inter ocular lens replacement in 2011, defective and calcifying! The professor who examined me said the surgeon was not at fault, he is in his behaviour but I can’t sue him because of what the professor said. I’m having to sue the manufacturer’s and it’s been since 2015 getting a case together! It has caused me immense emotional stress, I need good sight because of my hobbies, photography, lace making, embroidery. I had one exchanged but no guarantee it want calcify and no guarantee the other can be replaced.
Think long and hard about looking for recompense in the monetary form, may be get your case investigated with a view of disciplinary action.
Doctors never have time to read background notes. It is our responsibility to ensure doctors are aware of our conditions/medications when we visit them. When they prescribe medication we should be asking them, is this compatible with our current condition(s) and medication(s)? Also, ask the Pharmacist if the medication is compatible with our current medication/condition when picking it up as it is likely the Pharmacist will know more than the doctor about medications, what's is safe with what and what's not safe to take together. Finally, make sure we read the information leaflet with any new medication and make sure we understand all the possible side effects. If we experience any side effects, stop taking your medication immediately and seek medical advice.
There is always the chance when taking medication, we are that unlucky sod that happens to have a severe reaction to a medication, the 1 in 10 million!
When we had the meeting with the doctor and they gave me the medication my mam asked him if the medication would react to me other medications and he said no, we then went on telling him about me blood history and he said it shouldn't effect you and you should be fine of them so I put my trust in him as he knows better then I do. After 3 days of being on them I felt really unwell (like I explained) I got rushed straight to A&E and I was minuets away from death. After being transferred from my hometown hospital I got transferred 32.9 miles to another hospital on blue lights. When I arrived I seen the Doctor who new everything about my condition and my situation and asked if I had been taking any other medication, When showing him the medication he wasn't happy at all and took them straight of me. After spending a week in that hospital I then got sent out to another hospital 3.6 miles away and spent 2 weeks in there.
I'm slowly getting there with my recovery its just someday I get bad flashbacks of the trauma I went through and it kind of knocks me back but I'm learning when I get the knockbacks just do something I love doing to take my mind of it and then it will go away sometimes it works and sometimes it don't ill get there it just takes time I guess
YOu need to find out if this is thye normal treatment. Just because you had a really bad reaction doesn't mean they were negligent unless they already knew you had a congenital problem and the medication warns against side effects.
Yes I was born with congenital heart disise and I will never get better I'm not aloud hormonal tablets and the doctor prescribed them without reading my background notes
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