MEDS

[koja]

I am a Viet vet and the VA has me on so many meds. I am on -VENLAFAXINE-GABAPENTIN-NORYRIPYLINE-PRAZOSIN-CLONAZEPAM-QUETIAPINE. My back and bones hurt all the time. A doctor has diagnosed me with mylodisplastic sydrome and anemia. I am so tired of taking all these meds. I .think the VA is trying to kill me or me kill myself. ANY THOUGHTS FROM ANYONE ?

[Paxiled]

The VA tends to dope people up to keep them complacent.  So do emergency rooms and health plans.  It's just easier and cheaper than really working on the problem.  Read the newspaper series that have been done on vets coming home from Iraq and Afghan, and how doped up they are.  When it comes to mental problems, all health plans bite; they were dragged kicking and screaming into covering these problems at all.  It's not just the VA; it's all health plans.  Your best bet, unfortunately, is to spend a lot of money and see an independent psychiatrist; all the good ones have left all insurance plans because they're not allowed to practice medicine.

[silverberg]

Sorry dude , but both myself and my partner have taken care of vets for over 20, Please do not blame the VA for your problems, Really get tired of OTHER vets, blaming us VETS, who just happen to work for the VA in the medical profession, We are Professions and as good if not better then any CIVILIAN HOSPITAL and most of us have  served in more then one WAR, also the Doctors that take care of you are also the Same Doctors that work at your LOCAL CIVILIAN HOSPITAL, for no extra pay!! Blame the Government for slow care, but not us that work for VA to only listen to vets (especially Vietnam Vets) if you have problems directed at the the people who are responsible NOT US! now with that said, yes get a second opinion

[ILADVOCATE]

No but if you want a referral to a specialist or second opinion it might make sense. I looked up Prazosin and it stated that it was a blood pressure medication but was now also being used to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Is that why they are prescribing it? Did they explain your diagnosis and what each medication is for? Ask them what is being treated and how each medication helps and where the physical symptoms may have come from. You have a right to be an informed consumer as regards treatment.