Covert Medication

The last thing I would expect a doctor to do is covertly prescribe a drug he had moments earlier recommended and I refused to take. He was right in a way: There seemed to be no problem as long as I didn’t know what it was. But now that I know, the effect is severe, even life-threatening.
Two years ago I had surgery and spent three weeks in the hospital recovering. I can never sleep in a hospital room, a fact of which I reminded my doctor every day when he visited on rounds. Upon release, he recommended sleeping pills, which I refused to take and never work anyway if I know I took such a thing. So he covertly prescribed something labeled ゾルピデム (Japanese for zolpidem) and said all the items prescribed were to protect my surgically created new plumbing. I had never heard of zolpidem and wouldn’t have taken it if I knew what it was.
After a year and a half of taking it once a day, I suddenly found out what it was and stopped taking it, whereupon being unable to sleep I read up on it and learned about zolpidem addiction. I tried tapering off, but that didn’t work, because I can’t fall asleep if know I took a sleeping pill. So I quit cold turkey and have been able to get two or three hours of sleep once every two weeks. It’s possible [and I hope it’s true) that I sleep for a few seconds now and then without knowing it as I lie in bed all night trying to fall asleep.
So two issues: the doctor’s ethics (he doesn’t deny what he did and doesn’t admit he was wrong to do it), and my survival. I keep hoping to recover normal sleep, but it’s been five months. I’m 77 but look 20 years younger, whole-food vegan, and lift weights, but If I can’t get back to normal sleep, I’m screwed.

a reply to: xpoq47

If you are in the US I would take legal action.

a reply to: xpoq47

lawsuit time. I hate them, and I hate lawyers more, but this is why they exist. That doctor needs to be reminded of what his job is.

a reply to: xpoq47

I'm probably wrong, but it seems to me like that goes beyond merely being ethically wrong, but possibly even crosses the line into being illegal. Doesn't seem right that he can just decide himself to give you something (without your knowledge) that he knows you're actively against and don't medically need.

a reply to: xpoq47

never work anyway if I know I took such a thing.

There seemed to be no problem as long as I didn’t know what it was.

I can’t fall asleep if know I took a sleeping pill.

I'd say most of your problem is in your own head. Look at what you're saying. " I was sleeping fine till I found out it was a sleeping pill and have myself convinced I can't sleep when I take a sleeping pill"

Apparently the pills worked, as long as you didn't know what they were, so.....it's all in your head.

originally posted by: DAVID64
a reply to: xpoq47

never work anyway if I know I took such a thing.

There seemed to be no problem as long as I didn’t know what it was.

I can’t fall asleep if know I took a sleeping pill.

I'd say most of your problem is in your own head. Look at what you're saying. " I was sleeping fine till I found out it was a sleeping pill and have myself convinced I can't sleep when I take a sleeping pill"

Apparently the pills worked, as long as you didn't know what they were, so.....it's all in your head.

I agree with that, but it's a separate issue. (IMHO)

a reply to: DAVID64

Just because it is in their head doesn't mean the Dr didn't break the law.

a reply to: DAVID64

According to the information on the Web, zolpidem is additive with overuse. It's not to be taken every day, which I did for more than 500 days (5 mg/day) before a pharmacist told me what it was.

I live in Japan, where we have universal health care and rightly or wrongly trust our doctors. There is such a thing as zolpidem detox treatment, but not in Japan.

So how exactly did the Doctor break the law?

Is the medication illegal? Did he procribe a medication incorrectly that is not approved for this application?

Or did the Doctor proscribe a medication that is approved after the surgery the OP had?

Is the problem that the OP wouldn't have taken the medication if he knew what it was? Did the doctor fail to explain what the medication was for? Did the OP fail to understand what was told to him?

a reply to: network dude

Oh, I agree he should sue his ass into bankruptcy and don't settle for whatever payment malpractice will offer. Go after his car, house, wife and firstborn child if you can get it.

Not sure how things work in the Japanese health system but I'd report the Dr as the drug is only meant to be prescribed for short term use (28 days) - if the same Dr renewed the prescription/others failed to check previous prescriptions then it would likely be medical malpractice if they didn't request a face to face consultation before renewing/fulfilling the prescription.

Technically it's a not a traditional sleeping tablet (benzodiazapine) but a hypnotic designed to mimic effects of benzodiazapines so the medication of choice to recommend to people who don't want to take benzos but prescribing it for that duration is obiously going to cause dependence, withdrawal etc... and comes with specific warnings about prescribing it to elderly people due to higher risk of withdrawal and accidents/falls while under it's influence.

It may help you to sleep by understanding that you would have become tolerant to the Ambien/Zolpidem after a couple of months and it would have done nothing to aid your sleep in the last year or so - Personally I found breathing exercises helped ease the rebound insomnia from Zolpidem/Ambien.

originally posted by: xpoq47
a reply to: DAVID64

According to the information on the Web, zolpidem is additive with overuse. It's not to be taken every day, which I did for more than 500 days (5 mg/day) before a pharmacist told me what it was.

According to this website the medication can be taken daily for as long as a Doctor prescribes.

Assuming you are a man the Doctor gave you less than the recommended daily dosage for your sleeping issues.

link

The dose of this medicine will be different for different patients. Follow your doctor's orders or the directions on the label. The following information includes only the average doses of this medicine. If your dose is different, do not change it unless your doctor tells you to do so.

The amount of medicine that you take depends on the strength of the medicine. Also, the number of doses you take each day, the time allowed between doses, and the length of time you take the medicine depend on the medical problem for which you are using the medicine.

For treatment of insomnia:For oral dosage form (extended-release tablets):Adults—6.25 milligrams (mg) (for women) or 6.25 or 12.5 mg (for men) once a day at bedtime. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, do not take more than 12.5 mg per day. Take only 1 dose a night as needed.Older adults—6.25 mg once a day at bedtime.Children—Use is not recommended.For oral dosage form (tablets):Adults—5 milligrams (mg) for women and 5 or 10 mg for men once a day at bedtime. Your doctor may increase your dose as needed. However, do not take more than 10 mg per day. Take only 1 dose a night as needed.Older adults—5 mg once a day at bedtime.Children—Use is not recommended.

a reply to: dandandat2

Depends on the laws where OP is. In America that would be illegal. Every patient needs to be informed of what they are taking and have the right to refuse. I can't give someone haldol and say here take this it's just tylenol.

a reply to: xpoq47


I don't know the law in Japan, but my best advice would be, find a reputable lawyer and present your case to them, then follow their advice.
Just remember, lawyers get paid whether you win or lose. In the U.S. this would be probably be a slam dunk for you, but, like I said, I don't know Japanese law.

originally posted by: OccamsRazor04
a reply to: dandandat2

Depends on the laws where OP is. In America that would be illegal. Every patient needs to be informed of what they are taking and have the right to refuse. I can't give someone haldol and say here take this it's just tylenol.

I don't see how we can draw that conclusion from what the OP has described.

At worst the Doctor failed to explain what each of the medications was for... I don't see where the OP explained that the Doctor misinformed him about the medication. ... I don't even see where the OP makes it clear that the Doctor failed to inform him.

originally posted by: dandandat2
Did the doctor fail to explain what the medication was for? Did the OP fail to understand what was told to him?

Moments before he wrote the prescription we discussed sleep and I made it clear I didn't want sleeping pills, that I only had troubling sleeping in hospitals. All our conversations were in Japanese, which I speak, but my Japanese wife repeated what he said about the contents of the prescription in English to be sure I understood. And she didn't know they were sleeping pills until a year and a half later, when I suddenly found out. Recently, when I said to the doctor that I should have been suspicious, he just nodded in agreement.

I have told my primary before what drugs I am unwilling to take, and occasionally been told 'I'll give you a script for XYZ'. They don't remember what family of drugs I have mentioned in the past, so I have to remind them it's not something I'm willing to use.
I don't think they put such conversations in their records, so suing if I end up taking one of the off-limit drugs would pose an evidentiary problem. That's why I research every single pill- prescription and over the counter- before deciding to use it. Whether your drug-sensitive or not, you should know the risks and benefits of a drug before taking it.

a reply to: nugget1

Ask them to add the drug as an allergy on your chart, it should fix that problem for the most part.

a reply to: dandandat2

He told the Dr absolutely no sleeping pills, the Dr prescribed one and did not tell him what it was or what it was for and lied about what it was for.

I don't know the laws in Japan, in America, that would be a settlement, because they would lose the lawsuit.

a reply to: OccamsRazor04

Now you add in the mix mental issues and no documented instance where the patient declared he does not want sleeping pills, and I wouldn't be so sure about winning that lawsuit anymore...