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True Story: From Mother's Hospital at UAB, The Dark Side of Medicine

Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:08 am
Posted by BamaCoaster
God's Gulf
Member since Apr 2016
6211 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:08 am
So, my mother, who is 68, has had 5 hip surgeries in the past 3 months.

She was supposed to come back to our pool house, where we have been taking care of her for the past 2 months, last Wednesday. She caught an infection, plus a blood clot, and internal bleeding, and after the latest surgery, ended up in the ICU where she caught "ICU Delirium", which apparently is common. We were unaware of this possibility, and she was on another planet for a couple of days. I began reading to her, and she "snapped out of it" within like 3 hours.

The people and specialists at UAB have been nothing short of angelic, until my wife suggested we request a visit with a psychiatric doctor, not that she has any symptoms, but that she has been through a lot and is emotional. The doctor in training, came in our room with a mask, of course, and talked with my mom for like 30 minutes. My mother was engaging, energetic, inquisitive, positive, etc. The doctor said, several times, that she rarely speaks with people like this, and she is happy to actually get to have a normal convo with someone.

Her head doctor, waddled in a couple hours later, and he reminded you of the guys you are warned about in middle school. Just a strange bird. He starts talking to my mother as if she is a toddler, and asking rudimentary questions. She answers, and they have a basic convo. His manner is weird, and he's one of those people that give you a bad vibe. He stated, "we don't know what the future holds, so just in case, we will prescribe you x and y just in case".

I was like, hold up. Have you read her chart? What were the results? She isn't depressed or unmotivated or anything.

He replied they were doing this for preventative measures, and just in case.

I asked, in an unpolite manner, if there was in case in which they would not have prescribed my mother psychotropic drugs.

They stammered, and they stammered, and I told him to GTFO. I am incredulous that these certified professionals first and only reaction/cure is drugs. It was a disgusting experience.


TL;DR: Quack docs are quacks. Doctors should teach nutrition not pharmaceutical addiction.
Posted by wfallstiger
Wichita Falls, Texas
Member since Jun 2006
13284 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:11 am to
Was it ordered as a prn or as a matter of routine?
Posted by Aubie Spr96
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
43177 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:12 am to
Psychiatrist over prescribe more than any other specialist IMO. Not sure I’ve ever heard of someone taking a visit and not coming back with a script.
Posted by Ed Osteen
Member since Oct 2007
58310 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:14 am to
quote:

True Story: The Dark Side of Medicine


Posted by Hateradedrink
Member since May 2023
3088 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:14 am to
quote:

I asked, in an unpolite manner,


Dang I wonder why the stammered and exited the room asap instead of engaging a lunatic
Posted by idlewatcher
Planet Arium
Member since Jan 2012
86404 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:15 am to
quote:

we don't know what the future holds, so just in case, we will prescribe you x and y just in case".


Doctors are legit drug dealers
Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
86652 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:15 am to
quote:

Psychiatrist over prescribe more than any other specialist IMO
this.

RFK is coming
Posted by forkedintheroad
Member since Feb 2025
253 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:17 am to
Your mom was lucid but you kicked her doctor out? Was she not capable of making her own medical decisions at that time?
This post was edited on 2/22/25 at 10:21 am
Posted by The Baker
This is fine.
Member since Dec 2011
17069 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:19 am to
You did the right thing.

You have to look out for loved ones.

NYT article on evil psychiatric practices.

People are making fun, but there are literally a group of drug reps that can go around determining whether a patient needs to be involuntarily committed for saying very minor things like “im sad”. That doc was probably on their doll.
This post was edited on 2/22/25 at 10:25 am
Posted by BamaCoaster
God's Gulf
Member since Apr 2016
6211 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:20 am to
quote:

Was it ordered as a prn or as a matter of routine?


My wife recommended she speak with someone due to her emotions, but docs didn’t recommend it.

She’s cried a couple times per day, but she lost a couple of days due to “icu delirium”.
Posted by redstick13
Lower Saxony
Member since Feb 2007
39760 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:21 am to
I would absolutely love to go on a rage filled post about my experiences with the US healthcare system but it would absolutely get me banned from this site and certainly put me on a few watch lists. Let me summarize.

Healthcare should never be about profit margins because people with the best healthcare training in the world are now given powers to manipulate your treatment based on how much money they can make off of you.

Pharmaceutical companies should not be allowed to advertise, manipulate or otherwise have any say so in a person living a healthy life.
Posted by Scruffy
Kansas City
Member since Jul 2011
74881 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:22 am to
Psychiatry is essentially the profession of placing people on some variation of mood stabilizer.

This isn’t a matter of nutritional management. Not sure why you think that is the issue at play here.

Your mother needs someone to talk to and interact with on a regular basis.

I’m not entirely sure what your expectations were here.

If you want her to have someone to talk to, get her a counselor or therapist.

Does she need psych meds? Probably not, but you requested the specialty that prescribes psychiatric medications.
This post was edited on 2/22/25 at 10:27 am
Posted by Rick9Plus
Baton Rouge
Member since Jul 2020
2217 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:22 am to
Never request a psychiatrist unless you think the person needs meds. If you want someone to just talk to her about things and help her with coping skills, a social worker or LPC is a better bet.
Posted by Hangit
The Green Swamp
Member since Aug 2014
43154 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:23 am to
Congrats on having your mother out, and healing. Just be glad that Dr. Quack wasn't her brother.

Bama, and whatnot...
Posted by BamaCoaster
God's Gulf
Member since Apr 2016
6211 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:24 am to
quote:

Your mom was lucid but you kicked her doctor out? Was she not capable of making her own medical decisions at that time?


She was, and she did, and she would have done it if I was not here, but anger got the best of me.

I have incredibly strong feelings about pharmaceutical drugs. Was published in lsu medical journal during undergrad on an article about dtc (direct to consumer) advertising in 06.

This guy was incredibly strange as well. Wouldn’t want him around my toddler.
Posted by Scruffy
Kansas City
Member since Jul 2011
74881 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:27 am to
quote:

This guy was incredibly strange as well. Wouldn’t want him around my toddler.
He is a psychiatrist.

What did you expect?
Posted by rphtx
CO
Member since Apr 2018
1456 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:28 am to
When I was doing a rotation at a rehab/mental facility in ATX, I sat in on staff meetings once a week. The Dr in charge of psychiatry only came in once a week to read charts and make medication decisions. We were there to make medication suggestions based on the case histories and current 'well being' of the patients. This dude would literally glance at each chart and would basically just add another drug to the daily regimen.

There were some patients that were on 15+ medications. He would ask us to evaluate side effects with these folks and it was not even possible. Once you get past 3 meds it becomes hard to determine where exactly an adverse effect is originating. In any case, the point is the guy was just throwing meds at patients without a thought or care. Me and another pharmacist tried to tell him it would be better to back off on alot of the meds and try to establish a better baseline with just a couple drugs. We were eventually uninvited to staff meetings and moved over to the physical rehab side, even though our rotation was for psych. i truly hated that place and that Dr.
Posted by BamaCoaster
God's Gulf
Member since Apr 2016
6211 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:29 am to
quote:

but you requested the specialty that prescribes psychiatric medications. I am not sure what your expectations were here.


Prob right. I was unaware of my request, but surely after their convo, drugs shouldn’t have been prescribed. And, why prescribe something based on “an unknown future”?
If that’s the scenario, we should all be on mood stabilizers, based on that logic.

Posted by AlonsoWDC
Memphis, where it ain't Ten-a-Key
Member since Aug 2014
9120 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:33 am to
quote:

Healthcare should never be about profit margins because people with the best healthcare training in the world are now given powers to manipulate your treatment based on how much money they can make off of you.


Don't you worry.

RFK will save us.
Posted by Hateradedrink
Member since May 2023
3088 posts
Posted on 2/22/25 at 10:33 am to
ICU delirium comes and goes, and is a very real thing that increases morbidity. It’s not unreasonable to start quetiapine in patients who have demonstrated a propensity for this and stop it when they leave the ICU.

Hospitals and ICU doctors hate ICU delirium because it increases ICU length of stay and, thus, costs the hospital system money. They want patients out of the ICU ASAP.

You may have gotten this information if you asked real questions instead of going straight Joe Rogan.
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