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Law suit anyone?


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I was just wondering, has anyone ever thought about trying to get some type of compensation for all of this suffering related to taking benzos?

 

Could it be done?

 

Would it be aimed towards the Dr. who prescribed the benzos, the drug company itself - who?

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I've thought about it a ton, and in my case it would be directed at my first psychiatrist who treated my like I was crazy, and no matter how often I insisted "I wasn't like this BEFORE xanax", he would say "yes you were, you are bi-polar, you just didn't know it, you've always been ocd, blah blah blah"...  and prescribed me every anti-psychotic in the world while upping my xanax dosage...  and then when I finally said it was the benzo's he disagreed but said "fine, I'll have you off the xanax in five days no problem"....  and then when I told him how badly I was suffering just a day or two out from detox said "oh yeah, that's called acute post withdrawal syndrome and it lasts from two weeks to two years, see ya later"....

 

uh, yeah I've thought about suing that guy. And if I thought it would go anywhere I would, but there are a million psyches in this area that feel the same way he does. Benzo wd's are just the return of pre-existing ailments, blah blah blah.

 

And for the record, I'm not, nor have I ever been bipolar or ocd, but if I hadn't researched a few things on the internet, I could have easily been led down that path and never returned...  but yeah, my psyche was reckless, careless, unsympathetic, and deserves to be sued just as much as any physician guilty of malpractice.. 

 

Jeff M.

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[a5...]

Well,

Before I was placed on Ativan 2mg and Klonopin.. I had to sign a paper, very small print..

I signed it, I was never told about dependency to Benzo's.. nor was Ativan or Klonopin Valium Related!

I just thought well, another pill..

So that paper I signed, I don't know what it was, but I do know it was for the Klonopin, I was on Ativan 2 months before Klonopin..

 

I suppose the paper probably explained it was a Benzo and it was addicting and or can cause dependency..

It was in small small print, you'd have to read it with a magnifying glass... I didn't read it and signed it anyway, not thinking..

I also asked for a nerve pill, so I don't know if I could do anything or not.. odds are probably not.

 

Keryn.

 

PS- hopefully one year, somebody can.

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Hi Floydhead86,

 

What a mess! I like you, was not told that the Ativan that I was first placed on was addictive.  It was given to me to "resolve" an incessant hand tremor that was caused by the antibiotic Avelox.  It did not help it one bit but I stayed on it thinking that it eventually would ( about 5 weeks) stupidly thinking I was doing the right thing and it was helping my body to heal somehow.  Of course all H--- broke loose when I tried to stop taking it and then I was placed on Klonopin, as it was supposed to basically be " a cake walk " to wean off of.  This whole mess has just INFURIATED me!  More so as of late.  I guess it is because I am about 3 months "free" and still feeling "enslaved" to this whole mess!  UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  >:(

 

Keryn, it is interesting to me that you had to sign a waiver of sorts before you were given the Ativan and Klonopin.  I just told a cousin of mine today that this should be done before your receive a prescription for any benzo.  It should tell you the side effects, addictive nature of the drug, withdrawal symptoms, and expected length of withdrawal.  I know what you are saying about the form that you signed, you probably just thought it was another "meaningless" form to fill out! 

 

This whole mess makes me feel so HELPLESS  :( yet so ANGRY  >:(!!!!!!!!

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[a5...]
Keryn, it is interesting to me that you had to sign a waiver of sorts before you were given the Ativan and Klonopin.  I just told a cousin of mine today that this should be done before your receive a prescription for any benzo.  It should tell you the side effects, addictive nature of the drug, withdrawal symptoms, and expected length of withdrawal.  I know what you are saying about the form that you signed, you probably just thought it was another "meaningless" form to fill out! 

 

That's exactly what I thought, I had filled out so much, but I do recall a paper on the Klonopin before it was prescribed.. of course I just said ok, signed it and went on.. with my 7 + prescriptions walking out.

I really want those medical records, I haven't got those as of yet.. but I will.

 

Keryn.

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Hi Sunny Days - I just sent you a PM - and then came on here and saw your post about law suit......I don't think it is too easy to sue these doctors - they will twist it around somehow and it is an emotionally difficult journey - at least that is what Bliss Johns says in her books "BezoWise"  She did try to sue her doctor but her information was used against her.  In England there may be a class-action suit and I wrote to the author of the article that was published in Psychology Today about it.......I asked him if he thought that there was any basis for

us to do this in the US?  I am waiting to hear from him.

      I understand your anger and frustration because I am feeling the same way - it is criminal what these drug companies have done and the doctors should be held liable as well for not being informed and for not having us be informed of the dangers of these drugs.

      Talk to you soon.

Hoping2BFree

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Oh yes! 

 

When I think of my doctor getting along in his happy little life while I'm trying to remember where my kitchen is, I get a little ticked  :tickedoff:

 

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Sunny i have thought the same thoughts you have. The docs should take the drugs to understand what they do to us and required to sign a paper cause I never was....
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Hi Star104,

 

Tell me about it!!!!!!!!  All Dr.s who prescribe these things should be required to take them first!!!!  >:D

 

I used to think that, but then it occurred to me: the majority of people don't have problems. And if the doctor was one of those who didn't, s/he'd be even more convinced that it should be a cakewalk for the patients.

 

I just wish there was a way to make the doctor feel how I felt, even for just a few minutes, so they'd understand better.

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Hi Iptc01 and trlkly,

 

I read on this site just recently that about 50 percent of the people have trouble with these drugs.  Think about all of the detox centers out there.  I know that there are a lot of illegal drug users there as well as alcoholics but there are also quite a few benzo users trying to get off.  There are a lot of Buddies on this site who went to detox centers, but of course are still having trouble - that's why they are here.

 

But as you said trlkly, our luck would be that many of the Dr.s would be in the OTHER 50 percent and not have too much trouble.

 

I hate to sound defeated already, but I think we are just in a no win situation.  It would help though, like you said Iptc01, if people were asked to sign some kind of form telling of the highly addictive nature of these drugs before we received a prescription.  There was one member that I spoke to that said he did have to do this but I, like you, certainly didn't and I don't believe that this practice is very common place.

 

I guess we just need to focus on getting well and moving on with life,  yet being very wary in the future of any drugs we are prescribed.  RESEARCH ANYTHING BEFORE TAKING IT - FIRST!!!  MAKE AN EDUCATED DECISION YOURSELF AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT IS RIGHT FOR YOU!!!

 

Good luck and the quick healing Buddies,

 

SUNNY DAYS AHEAD  :)

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So true sunny!! I trusted the docs too much when it came to medication ect....Of course some us really do need meds for certain conditions, like you said I will do my own reasreach before use.....Good thing is we all will heal in time...

 

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I called 5 attorneys this last year. Couldn't get anywhere. I would get a call back and email "not interested."  I had a specific outline addressing dependence but not focusing on the words involuntary addiction, for more unbiased advice, to keep it out of drug addict arena. Closing in on "no informed consent". I excluded Pdocs as I had a GP for situational insomnia, deliberately keeping it out of the mental health as I didn't want biased advice from that arena. The fifth law office had a paralegal who I plagued calling her 4 times until she would give me a definitive answer as to why no lawyer would personally call me back, and, had no interest in benzodiazipines lawsuits. First off, I NOW suspect they get a few calls regarding benzos. Secondly, she finally gave me useful information as to part of the problem with suing doctors is a new law, called the Torte Law. This new law was passed in 2003 and was specifically designed to protect docs from malpractice suits. That said, I was told, I can't prove withdrawal symptoms. Can you believe that? You can prove in SOME cases death caused by a certain med, you might be able to prove loss of limb from a med, things you can see. You can prove diabetes now with the new Astra Zeneca "seroquel" lawsuit, but you just can't prove withdrawal symptoms. Let's hope the new covered up brain damage research can pave the PROOF highway to prove withdrawal etc.

 

As well, I've had correspondence with this author who wrote of involuntary tranquilizer addiction from her personal experience. This woman FOUGHT LONG and HARD to the tune of 2Mil over a 12 year period. She is also a prominent, well respected, business woman in my native Vancouver. Tried to sue doctor and inept attorney. She lost. Here's a bit of her story. http://www.addictionbyprescription.com/author.html

 

Are there angles we don't know about? These docs and pharmeceutical companies are protected. It's criminal, what both of these entities get away with, and how they are both protected. Go UK! Maybe they can start the EVIDENCE ball rolling. Because even proving no "informed consent" which is hard to prove in itself, doesn't seem enough to constitute a lawsuit for patient.

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