"Induced Medication Psychosis - Leading To Severe Depression (Severe Head Pain Only)"

Having had a long standing sleep problem, I was taken to hospital, the same day I visited the GP & told my blood pressure was high. At the GP's I was not diagnosed but was given a prescription, which was written in seconds. There were no questions, it felt like they were handed out like sweeties. Days later I suffered very severe medication induced Psychosis due to Temazepam.

The GP would not come out, I was told to phone an ambulance. The psychosis was the electrical system thrown out of balance, this continued all the way to the hospital. ‘Suspected this was due to medication’ was written on my A&E hospital notes. I was again told to see the GP, who shouted at me saying I was not dying, then again, didn't converse. Again a very short appointment and change of medication. This happened again at the same point when the medication was wearing off, 2-4 weeks later (Yet another 1 minute appointment) I asked to change the GP. The second GP was going to prescribe a beta blocker (but had to tell GP I was asthmatic - which is in their notes.) That GP went on maternity leave and a third GP kept just raising the medication when I had other problems. With each rise came a different severe experience and an emergency GP then sent me to hospital.

I did not feel listened to throughout all this time. I was asked had I tried a drink (on prescribed medication?) I was told you have got to get worse before you get better. Lots of different anti depressants were tried. I had host of nasty symptoms Start & Discontinuation, with electrical shock sensations across my head and pound heart etc (but told it was depression getting worse). I had 7 months in severe pain and really bad side affect. I said your making me worse & to stop after a month, but was told, now we've got them into you we've got to keep going. It seemed to me that to get round the prescribing laws of 4 weeks max, the GPs would prescribe a different name in that group & if I didn't take them I couldn't be signed off work.

I felt the consultant in Bradford thought it was ok (as well as the GP) to ignore the side effects. I kept going to A&E with chronic side effects, only to be sent away by junior Doctors or threatened by a Consultant that he'd send me to hospital if I didn't go away. Again I saw a SHO whilst in psychiatric hospital who saw me for 2 minutes and then handed me onto a nurse, clearly not wanting to be bothered with my care again. He did not accept that the side affects of the medication were to blame (No wards rounds to raise concern or any interaction of nurses.) He also stopped the antidepressant immediately, without my knowledge, which is supposed to be tapered for 6 weeks, sudden cessation brings on "chronic adverse" side effects & worsening of condition. I was left to hobble around.

With everything that went on I felt unsafe in an NHS establishment I saw a private consultant who had also been a GP. He told me that it was the medication doing this, causing all these symptoms and he weaned me off the med's & clearly in pain. I felt physically and mentally better (baring the severe left hand side head pain - all other symptoms vanished) He felt I'd been left to get to this stage and did not deserve it. He also sorted the pain.

I was summoned back to the Bradford consultant, who I saw out of politeness. He told me the private consultant had done me no favors, saying its been triggered and needs treating & probably made things worse / harder to treat - Oh! the pain! Oh! the pain! etc. looking up & down at the wall (he was going to put me back on the same meds he'd prescribed - Benzo - which I was told were rubbish & how can you get better on these) I saw the private consultant again on the NHS in Leeds, who could not believe all what he had said - saying that I was better.

From my experience, it’s my opinion that any slight depression Will Be Unmasked By Benzo Medication, causing a Pandora's Box Of Severe Horrid Symptoms (Perception Changes Due To Med's & Severe Side Effects To Many That Are Sensitive Too Them). It seems to me that The Longer You're On Them, The Worse any Imbalance / Depression will get. Depression can Come & Go, Turn Severe Cause A Man Made Chemical Flood / Psychosis & Trigger Induced Severe Psychosis. If the patient is Not Told About this (and I wasn’t), it will Indeed Cause Worry / Likewise The Side Effects don’t seem to ever be Acknowledged.

They should know that sleep problems can relate to a very slight imbalance health Issue & Yet It states That Temazepam Should Not Be Used As, It Will Unmask Any Depression Make It Worse & Should Be Stopped Immediately If Psychosis occurs / Likewise should be referred to Psychiatric Services promptly for early intervention. I don’t feel that Things Haven't Really Changed Since The Victorian Times - But The Next 15 Years, Changes Should Be Afoot - Having Got In touch With "Pals" / My New GP and made aware of Induced Psychosis & Gone through The Symptoms One - By - One Only To Be Told Side Effects With The New Consutant, but I feel many Don't Talk & Hand Out Pills like sweeties.

I felt All Bradford did Was Criticize Everyone But Themselves - Due To Poor Care - Basically No Counseling / No Plan / No Options. It seemed to me that they Just Shrugged their Shoulders & Thats How I feel Treatment Is In the The 21st Century (They Are Supposed To encourage, To Sort The Medical Problems, they can be treated effectively, Not Add To It & Keep Quiet)

Pals Said There Was A Clause - That Timelines When You Become Aware Of Something - That Basically Applies To This - It will Be Taken Into Consideration. The Parliamentary Health Ombudsman won't look into it due to timelines & assessors / advisers with no GP/Consultant background or a degree in pharmacology (no necessary qualifications needed, for assessors) who call this standard treatment for the time? (Treatment for everyone is the whole experience - when walking through the surgery doors) and it's not to say it wasn't the right treatment? You wouldn't go private if it was & you don't want to prove them wrong by not existing? Or prove that another GP wouldn't do something different!? I clearly did.

(even though these facts are backed up by the MRHA - Govt. body) - And a report that won't be opened until 2014, stating the Government knew what these drugs do to the brain (Plus antidepressants at present statistics don't work in 40% of cases)

In my case I think they did not tell me the facts - they say They Think It May Upset You Or Not Deemed able to understand also due to the treatment causing amnesia. I feel the Whole System Is Shameful & I believe it will Get worse With GP Budgets & Lack Of Knowledge. Apparently This Is Standard Procedure For The Time? We feel we've Learnt Something & so have we – I have learnt that I do Not Trust GP Knowledge, who visit You In A Private Hospital & say If they’d Known I was That Bad they’d have Done Something Sooner!

So I did not feel listened to, I did not feel the right people had the right knowledge about medication, and that people did not assess my condition or plan my care properly. I feel like prescribing laws were flaunted & they’re there to protect us. I feel that Psychotropic drugs should only be administered by consultants & be monitored by pharmacies.