Question About 1151 Neglegence Claim

[Rockhound]

I am wondering if I would have a neglegence claim against the VA Hospial for keeping me on Naproxen to long. One of the known bad side effects of long term use of this medication is ulcers and if not caught in time could cause death due to ruptured ulcers of the stomach or intestines.

After having been admitted twice for gastrointestinal problems, they finally found out I had ulcers and only then did they take me off the Naproxen.

On Monday next, if I can manage to wait that long, I will be going in for the third time for these ulcers, I am once again having gastrointestinal problems. although I am managing to keep food down, I have had near continues diarrhia for a few days. To get into the hospital I must arrange transportation three days in advance, so unless I get any worse I will for go calling an ambulance, which is way to costly.

Even though they finally took me off the Naproxen, they should have known, that I should not have been on this medication for so long, do I have any recourse.

Rockhound Rider :D

[purple]

I looked up this med on the internet and ulcers were listed as a side effect...was just letting you know what the VA might come back with.

[Rockhound]

I looked up this med on the internet and ulcers were listed as a side effect...was just letting you know what the VA might come back with.

After reviewing different means on the side effects of Neproxen, a NSAID, ulcers were indead a known side effect. What I further found out was, that the longer you are on this type of medication, their is a definate likelyhood, that one would develope ulcers. Knowing that the longer a person is on Nsaids, the more likelyhood that one would develops ulcers, the Dr has a higher responsibility to the person to not only monitor the person, but seek out and administer alternative treatments, so that the person does not develope ulcers. To do otherwise, to me, constitute negligence, in that the Dr did nothing to mitigate the probable side effects the longer the patient was being treated with them.

To make this 1151 claim fly, I would have to have a IMO state unequivically and backed by some stantard, that a Dr has a higher degree of responsibility the longer a patient is kept on a drug that has know side effects that are more likely to occur the longer the patient is kept on them.

Rockhound Rider :D

[purple]

I would think that the pt has some responsibility here to...the responsibility to say to know these side effects, and stop taking any med that is making you sick.

For me...that is why I don't just do what docs tell me to do when it comes to meds--if something is making me sick, I stop taking it.

There is a line of personal responsibility here.