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sporadic side effects

Posted , 3 users are following.

Neil1982
Neil1982

I have recently been put on 100mgs, and die to side effects I have had been sent home from work.

Occupational health have apparently spoken to my Dr/Psychicatirst and been told that I should have side effects from them every day. They don't happen every day. But when they do, I get spaced out BIG time, one a 2 minute delay and dry mouth, and a few more minor ones. Anyway I spoke to someone else I know who is also on them, building up to 400mg and he said that it is bollocks, he doesnt get them everyday either.

I picked up my new meds today and asked the pharmacist why this happens and he says because I am on 300mg Venleflaxine, 1000mg  depakote and 5mg of diazepam this is the reason why my side effects are irregular! He said it depends on how quickly my metoblism breaks the pills down. If i am on a downer the pills will take longer to work causing me issues with the Quetiapine, as the other pills are fighting harder to help my depression along with the quetiapine and it is like they are all fighting to do their job. He also said to try and keep track of the triggers of what happens before I get the side effects to see if there is any kind of pattern. It was a 5 minute chat, and how does a pharmacist know this without knowing my history and yet a Dr/Psych who is more "qualified" say it can't possibly happen?!

Anyway HR are deciding to either get rid of me due to ill health, or disciplinary due to time off. Obviously she doesnt have the balls to say I am lying but that is what they are getting at.

So my question is, anyone else experice side effects randomly?

0 likes, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • HH195
    HH195 Neil1982

    Posted

    Hi,

    Sorry to hear of your position...

    How long have you been on your Q?

    Maybe worth getting a second shrinks opinion?

    I've been on various mg of Q ... From 200mg up to 900mg... On the lower doses I had no side effects at all... At 900mg ... Horrendous side effects...

    Has your shrink considered putting you on slow release Q?

    Maybe put to HR, that they should get an independent view of your situation from medical professionals?? 

    Keep us updated x

    • Neil1982
      Neil1982 HH195

      Posted

      Hey HH

      On my second month of Q. Yeah I am gonna go see a private shrink. This was deemed to be the best solution.

      I mentioned about getting a second opinion but they are coming across as what they have been told is gospel x

    • HH195
      HH195 Neil1982

      Posted

      Defo go for the 2nd opinion...

      Have you got a union?

      With you only being on Q for 2 months... In my opinion it's just bedding in problems... You get used to em... I've been on 600 for about 5 years now and have no side effects at all unless I mix with cold remedies... Then if I get up to quick I go to feint... But I know it's coming... Just make sure I sit or lay down quick...

      You considered the slow release? X

    • Neil1982
      Neil1982 HH195

      Posted

      Yeah with a union, we'll see what happens after this meeting. Will keep you updated x
  • NickOliver
    NickOliver Neil1982

    Posted

    I stopped taking quetiapine a while ago because of its extreme sedative effect - I can't remember whether this was 50 mg or 100 mg but ifwhen taking it at night I was a zombie in the morning - so that if I had a choir practice in the morning I didn't take it the previous night.

    Therefore personally I don't see how you can work when on quetiapine.

    And 20 years ago I was in hospital after a breakdown. Even whilst in hospital I was making regular visits to the Occupational Health at a local hospital. There was a pressure from my employer to get me back to work as soon as possible.

    I was taken back working half-time and I received full pay for 6 months (this was in local govt). Then I still wasn't able to return full-time and I then went on half-pay for the next 6 months. At the end of that 6 months I was told that I wasn't working at the level expected of me (I am a statistician). I was offered early retirement due to ill health (I was just 40) - this was on a pension related to my years of service and a lump sum. I was told that if I refused this I would be sacked as I wasn't working at the required level. Naturally I acceptd this - I was asked to clear my desk the next day.

    To be honest this is the best thing that could have happened to me. I was very unhappy - I was working with people who were **** (expletive deleted) who had contributed to my breakdown.

    And it was enormously traumatic for me - I have never seen my former colleagues since - despite what I say about my colleagues my main social network in the past I had been my work colleagues.

    • Neil1982
      Neil1982 NickOliver

      Posted

      Surprise surprise.  I am in Local government too. How are things with you Now?
    • NickOliver
      NickOliver Neil1982

      Posted

      I am fine now, except for the occasional depression in response to things that happen to me. I did work after my early retirement, although the condition of my receipt of a pension was effectively that I didn't work again in the public sector other than in the NHS or the Civil Service if I was to receive my pension. So I did do contract work in the NHS and I did eventually do work at a similar level to my permanent job in local government.

      Since I had my last breakdown 7 years ago when I was in hospital for a period longer that I have heard anyone else in I have been advised not to work again - I could do permitted hours but the type of work I can get on that sort of basis would be eg clerical work which I would find boring.

      I am 60 now and these days quite a few people of that age are semi-retired but telling people I was semi-retired 10 or 15 years ago was a different matter.

      I was advised not to work again because it was felt that the stresses and strains of working life had lead to my breakdowns - in the workplace it is difficult to walk away from situations - and you can't do anything about the people you work with.

      And I realise that I couldn'tt have worked with the meds anyway.

      I do voluntary work - I visit a v old man (through AgeUK) and I visit a care home. I am looking for more voluntary work eg PC training and I am going to be doing that with the elderly - AgeUK do a lot of this sort of thing for people 55+ if anyone is interested - they are a good source of info on what is on locally.

      But, yes, I do get lonely. So I go out to a local Costas for a meal. I am a regular visitor to Sainsburys not for that reason, but I do see people there.

    • Neil1982
      Neil1982 NickOliver

      Posted

      Work keep going on about their "Duty of care" I'm of the opinion they can shove it up their arse. It is duty of care that they are following the right procedure to sack you, rather than the care of the employee
    • HH195
      HH195 Neil1982

      Posted

      These big companies go on about sh@t procedures n policies!

      I was with a massive blue chip company and I was involved with so many... Shall we just basically call it... Cover ups... If a company really wants to support somebody they truelly can!! If they don't want 2??! Force em!!

      Mental health is not a choice! It's what we were born with! Wouldn't we all love the house and marriage... 2.4 children ... The White Pickett fence?? The family, the friends, the social life...

      Truth is... Easiest thing is... Ignore it??!

      Stand up for yourself... Coz nobody else will!

      Wishing you all the luck in the world!! X

    • NickOliver
      NickOliver Neil1982

      Posted

      You need to speak to an employee representative or MIND etc.

      This is from the CWU (Communication Workers' Union) website:

      "“Anyone who feels they are suffering from mental health issues should not be put off from approaching their employer. Your employer owes you a duty of care and cannot normally be held accountable unless you make them aware of any problems you are having. Duty of care means that they are responsible for ensuring that you are cared for at work and do not have to work in unsafe or unhealthy conditions. This can include protection against bullying or stress. An implied duty of care exists in all contracts of employment”. "

      I told you about taking early retirement - Idid meet a NALGO rep, are they UNITE now - he encouraged to take the offer that I was being made. I was either going to be made a very good financial offer for early retirement due to ill health or I would have been sacked. It was a no-brainer.

      If you do leave learn from my own experience you want to get a testimonial of employment - this must not contain any comments about your performance etc. You can then show this to a futuer employer.

      I am no expert but if the employer treat you with care if they feel that they can't continue with you as things are then they would need to ask you to leave or cnsider alternatives with the same employer.

      And remember employment advisers from people such as at MIND.

      Just look at it like this if your employer gives you work which can be shown to have made your health worse then that is lack of duty of care.

      Why would you want to continue in the job if objectively you are not able to manage it?

    • Neil1982
      Neil1982 NickOliver

      Posted

      Yeah I can continue with my job. I have no issues with it what so ever! It is just they seem to think they know EVERYTHING about it all and they seem to now be experts in mental health
    • NickOliver
      NickOliver Neil1982

      Posted

      Well, actually they should have the advice of a good occupational health doctor. What has your psychiatrist advised? With respect you are not the best person to judge this? Has your employer said that they are not happy with your performance? In my case, I attended an occupational health dept at a local hospital who provided the OH service to my employer. My employer naturally wanted me to get back to work as soon as possible whereas I didn't think I was and I was resistant to the idea. As soon as the doctor said that he thought I was ready he told my employer and I had to start. I think that I have told you all this, but they put me on full pay whilst I worked half-time for 6 months. I won''t go on. At the end of a year they offered me early retirement due to ill-health. If I hadn't accepted that they would have sacked me. My union rep advised me to accept that. Pro rata pension (15 years) and £17,000 - 20 years ago). I did manage to do some work again, mainly contract. I can only say that when they got rid of me it was one of the happiest days of life - not having to go there anymore - I didn't realise how unhappy I was). All I can say is that there is life after work. To say that I was semi-retired to people at the age of 40. I am now 60. I do voluntary work but I have been advised since my last breakdown not to do permanent work again. My bipolar exacerbated by the stresses at work. If I have a disagreement at work or I am faced with a difficult relationship I generally can't walk away from it, whereas in voluntary work I can just decline some job which is not to my liking and in some voluntary jobs not go in if I don't feel like it.

      No, they are not the experts about your mental health, but they do have a duty of care - to you - and to their clients and other colleagues. If you had a physical accident due to a misplaced ladder you would certainly argue that they had a duty of care. If they gave you work which was beyond your capability and which the arising stress made you ill. So if they consider that you are not performing at the required level then they have cause for concern. But no, they can't simply say that because you have a mental health condition they won't continue your employment.

      You need to see what their advisers have to say about this, and challenge it if necessary.

      Finally I was on 15 mg of mirt and I certainly could have not done a professional job or a physical job in the morning. I go to a choir one morning a week and I couldn't read the music properly on mirt. More so with quetiapine.

      But I accept that anyone is different.

      If as you say you work in the public sector if you are a member of a union what do they say?

      Anyway I am sure that you probably know all this. 

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