Lets face it, these drugs are overused as a substitute for poor staffing
levels.
My worthless opinion would be that the notion of distress that you
describe needs to be examined to see what the underlying cause might be.
Surely it demands a more humane and patient centred approach that
firstly examines what it must be like to have an advanced dementia and
be unable to express needs in a way that is socially acceptable before
turning to the chemical cosh?
Paddy
Julian Bradley wrote:
> At 20:41 10/03/04, you wrote:
>
>> Hi again
>>
>> Come on, as a section 12(2) approved doctor, with a major interest in
>> psychiatry, nearly career psychiatrist, and GP, Thioridazine was
>> cracking drug and we have been in trouble since it was banned. So we
>> used, chlorpromazine, promazine, olanzapine and risperidone, as a good
>> drug had been taken away. And now atypical antipsychotics causes
>> strokes, so naughty doctor's, (slap wrists you can't use them), so we
>> are back to chlorpromazine and promazine which dont't work well, and
>> cause Parkinsonistic side effects. So when you have a batty person who
>> is not sectionable, but screams all night night long and keeps the
>> neighbours awake, and social services and the council are on your back
>> to do something, remember 1) Thioridazine worked for almost all patients
>> 2) Long stay and rehab wards have been sold off and are now new housing
>> estates. God, Isn't care in the community a real breeze and such a
>> sucess story. Good Heavens, the pigs are flying low tonight.
>>
>> Richard Johnson
>
>
> No dispute regarding the drug but think the way of putting this case
> is the
> reason we're in such difficulty.
>
> The reason a person yells all night is that they're distressed. If
> thioridazine alleviates their fear and distress then it may have great
> value. Why give a toss about Social Services "wanting something
> done", and
> for heavens sake do we really sedate people for the sake of the
> neighbours
> and the council? If it works it works in the patient's own interests and
> to the patient's own benefit - and long may that continue.
>
> Julian
>
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