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TRIGGER WARNING.....ER Staff Abuse. TRIGGER WARNING


[Fi...]

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I was reluctantly taken to the ER for extremely severe Benzo WD symptoms at the insistence of my family.  The ER staff mocked me, laughing that I was screaming I couldn’t breathe.  They also moved me to a room where they electrocuted me.  NOT ECT.  They electrocuted me something was taped to my left hand and a 4 pronged needle was in my skin.  The waves of electricity went up my left arm, into my neck and into my brain.  This happened repeatedly, I convulsed, and was unable to scream for help.  I’m by no means making this up!  I’m traumatized and scared that I’m forever damaged both physically and neurologically.  It’s been hard enough going through Benzo WD.  But, this makes any hope for me impossible. 

 

 

 

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I'm so sorry Fighting4Me. 

 

If that had happened to me I would be phoning the ER and asking them what the hell had they done. 

 

You have a right to this information under Freedom of Information.

 

I have never heard of a 4 pronged needle, Fighting4me, and if it were me, would really like to know, and I'd be asking them to explain.

 

Edit:  I just looked it up Fighting.  There is a 3 pronged device which I found under "4 pronged syringe, needle".  Have a look, but I'd still be asking why they felt the need to use it.

 

I've had to endure their not well hidden mockery, too.  Their eyes roll, etc.  It's humiliating. 

 

Dee x 

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I would get my records and see exactly what they did to you.  You can still recover.  Medical settings are not always safe in BWD.  Unfortunately, the medical profession is not educated on withdrawals.  You should not have been treated so wrong!

 

Withdrawal can be a frightening and lonely experience.  You can do this.

 

SaraSue

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Hello fighting4me-

 

I am really sorry that this happened to you. I was reading through some of your posts and see that you were floxed with Cipro. There is a black box warning on this drug. It is quite possible if not probable that you are experiencing nerve damage from this along with benzo. Have you seen a neurologist? If you are still in the ER tell them about the Cipro  :thumbsup:

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There is nothing in my records regarding what took place.  I was in and out of consciousness.  No one will openly admit to doing this.  It’s criminal and what hopes I had of ever healing are gone. 

 

Due to the severity of my situation I will be leaving BB. 

 

 

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All hope is not lost Fighting. 

 

You were one of the first people to reach out to me when I first arrived at BB.  Reaching out to you now Fighting.  :smitten:

 

Don't leave Fighting, this terrible experience is still very fresh in your mind, and you will be angry and frightened.  And rightly so. 

 

Hang in here for support, Fighting. 

 

And if not, I wish you everything you would wish for yourself.  And some. 

 

Dee xxx

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All hope is not lost Fighting. 

 

You were one of the first people to reach out to me when I first arrived at BB.  Reaching out to you now Fighting.  :smitten:

 

Don't leave Fighting, this terrible experience is still very fresh in your mind, and you will be angry and frightened.  And rightly so. 

 

Hang in here for support, Fighting. 

 

And if not, I wish you everything you would wish for yourself.  And some. 

 

Dee xxx

 

Thank you for your kindness and always being so supportive of others. 

 

 

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I want people to be aware that things like this can happen.  Not saying it will happen to you.  I would have never thought it could happen to me.  Please be careful. 

 

Be there to listen and support each other.  I wish you all speedy and complete healing.

 

FM

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What symptoms did you have that led you to the ER?  Is it possible the test they were doing was an EMG to test nerve and muscle function - this uses electrodes and can feel like an electrical sensation going through your body.  They do it repeatedly in different places, so if you were in and out of consciousness, this may have been what you experienced, except that the signal is usually not sent to your head (although I had a couple in my arms and neck area).
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dear Fighting  :hug:

 

PLEASE hold on... please don't give up hope -- keep fighting -- all is not lost.

 

utterly gobsmacked + so very sorry you suffered this atrocious treatment.

 

i will wish, hope + pray for your health + full recovery x

 

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dear Fighting  :hug:

 

PLEASE hold on... please don't give up hope -- keep fighting -- all is not lost.

 

utterly gobsmacked + so very sorry you suffered this atrocious treatment.

 

i will wish, hope + pray for your health + full recovery x

 

Chipmunk

 

Thank you for your kindness and prayers.  I never thought anything like this was possible.  I pray for strength.  I just can’t envision healing from this extreme circumstance. 

 

I pray that you are feeling better soon.  🙏🏼

 

Fighting

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FM,

I am at a loss explaining what happened to you. Giving anything even similar to ECT against the will of the patients is illegal. It defies all common medical ethics. Have you requested a copy of the record of that ER visit, in order to find out what they DID to you? That is the only way this old nurse would be able to advise you.

east

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FM,

I am at a loss explaining what happened to you. Giving anything even similar to ECT against the will of the patients is illegal. It defies all common medical ethics. Have you requested a copy of the record of that ER visit, in order to find out what they DID to you? That is the only way this old nurse would be able to advise you.

east

 

The records I got just listed general charges like nothing pertaining to being electrocuted.  In fact I never had a hospital bracelet put on me.  Damn right it’s illegal and unethical.  If I saw pictures of the people involved I could identify them.  But, beyond that I have no proof.  I don’t have any scares.  I have what feels like everything on the left side of my body from my head down to my stomach is not functioning in a unified way.  It’s like all the neurons and nerves on the left side are in total Chaos.  My heart skips around, the left side of my head hurts even more than it used to.  Feels like my left lung isn’t getting enough oxygen, feels tight.    Don’t have any of this on the right side. 

In order to file a grievance I need names, times etc.  I don’t have any of that information.  They had their badges turned around or over their shoulders so I couldn’t read them.  I stayed on that bed for hours.  I won’t get into graphic detail but it was horrific.  Unable to talk, move, walk, nothing.  I really think they were trying to kill me.  I remember someone saying can we call a code yet.  It was barbaric.  I taken by ambulance from my home to the ER because I was have severe shortness of breath.  I was alone.  I got the impression that they thought I was faking.  No one believed that Benzo WD would cause that smothering sensation.    I truly have no understanding why people would do something like that. 

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FM,

I wish I could explain what happened to you, but I cannot. If you would write me privately and tell me a bit more, it might begin to make some medical sense to me. I have a sense that your mind was already affected and perhaps distorting what happened in some way, but I do not know that. Just a guess. As a nurse, I can tell you that you did not get good care. Things should have been explained to you, no matter what sort of mental state you were in. Good nurses, technicians and doctors never just DO things to someone. No matter what, everything must be explained and justified BEFORE they do anything. Even on an acute psych ward, we always tried to calm people down using natural methods BEFORE resorting to giving them drugs or restraining them. In the US, there are laws that prevent medical people from doing things like this, without getting consent from SOMEONE. And taking extreme measures is always the very last step. Because you heard them say "Should we call a code" this tells me that something very wrong was going on with you. Maybe your vital signs were bad, and they feared you might die.

One big question: In what sort of hospital did this happen? A regular medical hospital or somewhere else?

east

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I can’t make sense as to why I was brutalized. I wasn’t in any respiratory distress that would warrant being electrocuted.  I’m not going to say it was ECT or a defibrillator because it wasn’t!  I wasn’t in a psych ward, I was in a regular hospital ER. 

 

My current symptoms

 

Shortness of breath (like my brain can’t process the whole breathing function,like the wiring is not correct to make this happen.  My brain is out of synch with my body)

Have to eat tiny meals (eating any “normal” size meals overwhelms my brain.  My brain and digestion are out of synch).

Feel moments of detachment like dp/dr. 

Bouts of dizziness/unsteadiness

Crying spells

Depression-situationalion because of feeling so damaged

PTSD-for obvious reasons

Wake from sleep in a jarring, panicked and fearful manner.

Have no feelings of love and calm

SI- (no plan, feeling like my brain is permanently out of synch, fried)

Unwell feeling ALL the time. 

Nightmares and vivid dreams

Able to drive from time to time

Vision is decent

Heart-skips beats and gets episodes of being out of rhythm (again brain function out of synch)

Headaches and feeling of brain neurons firing

Sneezing spells

Pressure left of sternum

Terror at the thought of being stuck this way.

 

I know there is more... can’t think of the rest.

 

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dear Fighting  :smitten:

 

sorry for the late reply -- our internet has been on/off for days..... just want to share my story, as you're not alone.... sorry it rambles, but trying to type fast.

 

likewise, thank you for your kindness and prayers. yes, praying for strength, for us both /all here.

 

so glad to see you posted again here at BB.... + so sorry for all the sxs + the brutal + barbaric treatment you endured. i just cannot imagine it... + you were alone, my goodness.

 

i too had ER/Urgent 'care' abuse -- also terrifying + cruel but different 'treatment'.

 

so i feel your terror + distress at how this could be possible... ?

 

i was literally force-fed my 1st benzo -- against my will.  + a shot of tramadol -- against my will.

 

i kept begging for my dose of Baclofen.  i listed this as my only med, at triage.

 

i went to ER/Urgent 'care' -- for UTI + felt had gone to kidneys -- after GP who CT'd my Baclofen told me to take Magnesium instead....  but Mg gave me horrible kidney spasms, so thought it was the UTI.

 

it wasn't kidneys... but they made me wait until closing time [not 24hr like ER] @11pm -- last patient there.  they wanted me to go home. as did i.

 

but by 11pm, i'd missed my dose of Baclofen, which my GP had re-instated, but, hadn't brought any w/me... + kept begging during that 4 hr wait for my measly 5mg dose. 

 

during that time -- my entire body slowly seized /paralyzed from the neck down -- my arms froze to the arms of chair... could not move a muscle.  could not move my head... could barely speak, was crying, begging.

 

my spouse was with me... but paralyzed too, w/ disbelief + tried his best to insist the Doc give me my Bac dose, but to no avail.

 

this 'seizure' had already happened post-CT @ home -- it lasted 12 hrs before my spouse finally fed me a double dose @ 2am just so i could lie down in bed.

 

so -- i was terrified + knew this was happening again in Urgent 'care'... so kept begging for my dose -- but Doc just kept repeating  "i can't help you"...

 

i asked why not, why can't i have my med as listed at triage...?  again: "i can't help you".

 

i said i cannot get up from this chair w/out my meds.  please give me my meds.  they ignored me.  they looked at me like i was nuts, or faking, as you describe.

 

i'd already torn a bicep + quad, trying to get up from kitchen chair during Baclofen i/d WD + could barely get food to my mouth for weeks.

 

they never told me what Ativan or Tramadol was, nor what to expect; sxs, wd, etc. they even sent me home w/ a few Ativan. 

 

had never taken anything like these drugs before, incl. Baclofen.

 

my GP was angry about Ativan + tried many failed ADs, Z-drugs -- but dangerous sxs... so finally... Clonazepam.... wish i never touched it... should've just coped w/the Bac w/d + may have healed by now.  CLZ has now disabled me.

 

please try to envision healing.... i try so v hard to, it feels impossible, i know -- but i'm now trapped in my body since last July + cannot dwell too much on my SI or... you know....

 

i do hope + pray you are mobile + able to get outside, or to any therapy, support etc, or have them come to you ? 

 

i've not had any luck yet ... but you might, your luck + healing is due to change for the better, i'm sure.

 

so, sending you hope + strength + as others here say -- Please don't give up + i won't either  :hug:

 

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Chipmunk,

 

First, I want to thank you for your bravery in sharing your story! 

 

It sickens me to think that “medical professionals” treat people in such a brutal and inhumane manner.

 

I’m glad that you had your husband with you.  Having someone by your side helps in so many ways.

 

I think medical abuse is more common especially in Benzo related matters because there is no specialist we can go see.  We are defined by our symptoms.  And, at the mercy of those not believing or withdrawal syndrome even exists. 

 

I can relate to the horror of immobility that you experienced.  Makes me cry. 

 

All this suffering is SO unnecessary!!! 

 

Even not being believed by some in the BB community. 

 

I don’t know how long I can endure this.  It’s more than a case of severe anxiety.  I feel so damaged.  I don’t know for me there is healing from the destruction I’ve encountered. 

 

How are you doing now?  Are you able to get out of the house?  Be thankful that your husband is standing by you.  That is a huge blessing!

 

I force myself to try and go places.  It’s so incredibly hard when your brain isn’t functioning properly.

 

I pray for improvement, and beyond that I can’t do much else.

 

You are an amazing woman Chipmunk, we can’t let them win...

 

 

I will continue to pray for your healing. 

 

Again, thank you for sharing your journey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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FM, your story about that ER still baffles me. I just cannot imagine someone being given ECT without consent. In the US, this does not happen, due to laws that protect patients right. Maybe it is very different in other countries...?

Whatever, I am so sorry this happened. Someone in BWD does not need crazy stuff like this happening. Because, thanks to benzos, I have spent a lot of time in ER's, and being a nurse, I know that very few of the staff had a clue about benzos. Thus, whenever I had to go inpatient, I was denied my nightly benzo. You all know exactly what happened then. I was also given IV Levaquin on several occasions, throwing me into WD but I didn't know that could happen, so why would they? The care I got in the ERs was okay. I did not feel belittled, although I am sure privately, most of them thought I was a bit looney bin. T o be honest, my behavior may not have been stellar, due to benzos.

FM, I can only reassure you that yes, people do heal from this stuff. Almost everyone does, IMO. It takes time and determination. You are a tough woman. You can do this.

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East,

 

I’m in the US and it was not ECT.  It did happen, unfortunately.  And, in no uncertain terms would I have ever consented to something so barbaric.  I’m not sure if you are implying that my behavior warranted being treated the way that I was.  However, I was in no way deserving of what was done to me.  I was having shortness of breath and that was why I was in the ER to begin with. 

 

If you read Chipmunk’s post you will see that it is not all that uncommon for Benzo suffers to be mistreated by medical professionals we put our trust in.  To varying degrees many of us wouldn’t be on this forum if it weren’t for the negligence of the medical community. 

 

I’m trying to raise awareness that things like this do happen.  Otherwise, I would have never mentioned it. 

 

I’m truly in survival mode.  And, I pray that no one ever has to be treated so heinously.

 

 

 

 

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