So I am going into hospital soon for major surgery and apart from the obvious stress I am concerned about my medication.
It seems I am meant to take in my own meds and hand them in. They will then be given to me each morning. I did say I took my levo at night but apparently that’s not how they do things! I guess they also ignore the not with other meds or food rule
Any advice how to survive a week of messed up medication please.
I was also given a blood test form at 2pm. I bypassed that and will return tomorrow morning with no levo or food having been consumed. But they will go bananas when they see my TDH of 0.05 where it has been for the past 10 years.
So any advice gratefully appreciated.
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carnation
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I had surgery recently but I was only in for one night and they left me to take my medication when I wanted to. I did mention that I took this at x o'clock and that at y o'clock, etc. I did notice that the other patients' meds were in a part of their locker that had a coded lock on and only the nurse had the code, not the patient.
I suppose you could be assertive and, if you can easily identify your meds (if you take more than one), you can just accept them when they're given to you and say that you'll take this one at x o'clock but can't take that one until y o'clock because they can't be taken together.
It's also usual to stop any supplements a week before surgery to avoid any interaction between them and the anaesthetic.
Yes absolutely be assertive if necessary. All nursing interactions has to be person centred care. We are all individual. Its basic core values. Hope all goes well for you. 🥰 carnation
But I do know that ALL patients should have their rights respected.
If they do not have a definite medical justification for changing the time and the "with food", then they really shouldn't impose those changes on you.
With you already having the operation itself in view, this is not fair, right or proper of them.
I hope someone with experience can help. It might be an idea to contact the PALS service. Even if they cannot themselves help, they might be able to get you in contact with the right people to discuss it with.
I’ve been in hospital numerous times and have just had it put on my notes if I take anything at a different time, of course depends on how accommodating the ward staff are !
This likely depends on the hospital and ward policy. When I was last in for a week I was asked if I wanted to self medicate and I said yes. They gave me a bag to put my meds in, I think I signed something to say I was responsible for them and I just got on with it.
Obviously there were specific new meds prescribed at the time and the nurse then gave me those ones as and when.
Hello Carnation, I too have not been an in patient but I also take my thyroid medication at night. i've had plenty of family in long hospital stays & being kind but firm with the doctor in charge of your floor and of your personal case is key to get it scheduled as you take it. Much love & good things for you!!! 🙏🥰👍😊🌺
I was admitted through A&E last October, I was in for a week while they got the sepsis under control.
On the first full day the hospital pharmacist came round, had a chat about any medicines I was taking. She said they could prescribe levo for me and add it to everything else I was taking, more because I said I was meant to take 125, but couldn’t get the 25s that don’t give me a headache so as I didn’t fancy splitting pills in the hospital I’d only be taking 100. But she thought the only brand they had was Teva, which give me the headaches. So we agreed that when hubby brought my box in (the box with all the labels on, not my pill dispenser which just had round white pills in) then I’d keep the box and dose myself at whatever time I got up for a wee in the middle of the night.
They came round about 4 or 5 days in and we’re happy for me to continue. The box sat on the side table all week.
Then on the day before I was released one of the urology doctors either read the notes thoroughly or spotted the box and basically gave me hell for taking my medication without anyone knowing! Apparently I had to do it under the supervision of the nurse. So the next morning at 4am I had to disturb the nurse, hand over the box, get her to give me a pill, take it, get the box back!
The annoying thing was that every single person that took history previous to this had okayed me taking it on my own, I don’t know what happened that changed. When I went back in for the op I was only in for one night, I took my box with me and just told them I was going to take it in the early hours.
My advice is to tell them, not ask. So long as you don’t come across as someone that’s not too sure of things or likely to get confused then they shouldn’t have a problem with it. Though I’d just take the pills with you that you need.
Not sure what surgery you are having but I have had no problems with any anaesthetists with my supressed TSH. On the plus side they had done fT4 and fT3 before last surgery so that may have made a difference. Last op was just before pandemic so things may have changed re TSH and anaesthesia. The drugs trolley was twice daily and I kept my ndt to myself and got hubby to fish it out of the locker at visiting. ( I had my dominate arm in a sling affixed around my waist for a week. Maybe why they automatically took my prescription meds). For a few days in a lifetime I decided not to fuss too much about the levo not being my usual early morning timing. Hope all goes well.
I took my meds in with me and handed them over. They gave me back what was left when I left.
I think if you tell them you always take them at night there shouldn't be a problem. The medication came round several times a day on my ward, and in the middle of the night, if I remember rightly!
Discovered an odd thing today, funnily enough. I was looking to see what, and who was available in my area re. pituitary tumour and thyroid. Turns out that the Endo who wrote the local healthboard's guidelines for Central Hypo, and used to be the Endo at my local hospital, and supposedly knows about pituitary is no longer in that post. He works privately as an Endo, and his NHS post is now that of Clinical Lead for Realistic Medicine in my health board. This post applies to a health board in Scotland, so do not know if there is something similar in the rest of the UK , or not. Realistic Medicine is supposedly where the patient is put at the centre of decisions made about their care, and decisions taken in partnership with the medical professionals, rather than being dictated to. I think this post and policy must have come about because a lady under my healthboard, previously successfully, sued them in court because decisions regarding her care were forced on her, and she did not feel they were appropriate.
I note this Endo has just left a review on Trustpilot , or similar, 11 days ago, as regards his purchase of a new Mercedes Benz car. Since his guidelines re. Central Hypo. state it to be a mild and moderate condition, he is someone I would like to steer clear of, and he doesn't appear to need my money either.
You could research if there is similar legislation in place in your area, covering your right to choose and not be dictated to, as regards your medical treatment.
Edited:
Silly me. See next post by Catpurple7, and Jaydee's reply which quotes the Nice guidelines covering this.
Hi Carnation... I Also went in last year for a big operation, and was in hospital 12 days.. they asked me what medication I had with me I told them, And it was left in My drawer for me to take just take as I normally would . So hopefully you will be the same. All the Very best with your procedure. 💕
I asked at the pre assessment if I could self medicate with my normal meds. I was very concerned after other hospital stays, that the omeprazole was given after breakfast with the levo, steroids, painkillers etc all at the same time..
I politely asked if the omeprazole could be taken at six am instead and this was agreed. I also asked for the Adcal I take for my osteoporosis, to be split for taking after meals as I suffer with acid reflux. I am currently under no thyroid medication at the moment so that was not a problem this time.
The only meds they like to keep hold of are the strong painkillers like morphine, other opiods and other controlled drugs like diazepam.
When I got my meds back I found they had added to them, so I still had enough to take home and allow for any extra to be taken to see me through to getting my repeat prescription.
Be polite but firm. Explain you self medicate at home with no problems, and that your body is used to taking the levo at that time and you don't want your thyroid results to become out of sync.
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