This time we saw a different psychiatrist, it was a male around 70 years of age. I wanted to show to the notes that I wrote of everything he did and his behaviors and once my fiancé said it was just bullshit, he dropped the phone and returned it to me. I told him the voices tell him to kill himself every day and how he has compulsive behaviors, wouldn’t even listen. I told him he was drinking grapefruit juice with the Quetiapine (Seroquel) and how it had contraindications in the medical warnings because it increased the levels of the medicine in your system and causes liver damage along with it. He went on to explain to my fiancé that several medications taken with grapefruit caused the person to die and have irreversible adverse symptoms. He gave him the option of being on a medication that he could drink the grapefruit juice with, but my fiancé refused and started to speak about his theory about how it would actually be good for his body because he knows what’s good with it and how he didn’t notice any effects on the 50 mg of Seroquel whilst taking it together. I asked to give him another medication as he would not quit drinking the grapefruit juice (which he makes every day – buys 50 grapefruits at the farmer’s market) and he said that he wanted that one and it was his decision to drink it. When I said that he was going to die if he kept doing that, he said he couldn’t do anything about. I told him that he was his psychiatrist – he’s supposed to care, and he just shrugged and wrote down the prescription for an increase of 200 mg of Quetiapine twice a day, along with 25 mg of Vistaril as needed. WTF. Next time if he does the same thing, I’m asking to see a different psychiatrist. I’m his appointed medical caretaker and I get a say in his medications too, so he HAS to listen to me. And on top of that, when we went to the front office to make the appointment and she asked what time would be good, I asked what day and she replied rudely, “Are you [fiancé’s name],” and I was like, “No, but I’m the one taking him to his appointments, so it has to fit my schedule.” I’m considering going to a different clinic just because how rude, uncaring, and inconsiderate their staff are. I’m now scared that he’s going to die because he won’t listen to what I say or what the psychiatrist explained to him. I told him in front of the psychiatrist that I would hospitalize him because he would be hurting himself knowingly if he continued drinking it with the medication – it’s literally just like alcohol in the reactions that it causes.
I really think you need to go elsewhere if possible, that is rude the way they spoke to you, you and your fiance deserve better.
I’m sorry that happened too.
However, to ease your mind a little bit, that’s not a lot of Seroquel (they took my son from 300 mg/day to 900 mg/day in about 3 days to try to break his psychosis once, and he only weight about 130/140 lbs at the time) so even if the grapefruit juice doubled it, he wouldn’t OD.
As far as the liver damage goes, if it’s like drinking, it will take years. Get him stable, then worry about his liver.
To play devil’s advocate, maybe the doctor is trying to build trust with your fiance. If he is, part of that will be to listen to him over you, or to at least appear like he is. He made a huge increase in the meds that your fiance is willing to take, so he’s listened to you in part.
As far as the receptionist goes, as long as they do what I want them to do, they can have any attitude they want. They have so many HIPAA laws jammed down their throat, it’s a wonder they can even talk, so maybe she’s frustrated with that or maybe someone took a dump in her morning cherios? Either way, I try not to let someone else’s bad day become mine.
Hopefully, the next visit will be better.
I think so too. I’ve been to various psychiatrists for MDD myself and they always took my mom’s input and took the time to hear how both of us felt on how I was doing and advancing.
Yes, he was going to put him on 400 mg twice a day, but then went down once I mentioned the grapefruit – says maximum dosage is 1,200 mg daily. I don’t think he was trying to play Devil’s advocate at all, he didn’t agree with anything my fiancé told him and I think he just dropped the phone because he didn’t feel like reading everything I wrote (probably 2-3 pages long on a Microsoft page with 12 pt). Next time if it happens again, I’ll just literally demand to see someone else because I feel like it’s totally unacceptable to not listen to a family member’s concern. And people with schizophrenia lie a lot – when we saw the psychologist there for the evaluation he lied about a lot of things, including doing drugs, which he then admitted to. The psychologist then told me she could see I was the historian when he put his hands over my mouth and said, “Don’t listen to anything she says.”
I’m sure it wasn’t funny at the time, but the way you described that is very humorous to me.
When he’s better, I certainly hope he appreciates how you’ve stuck by him & fought for him.
Yeah, the psychologist smiled when he did that and laughed a bit. I do too, thank you.
Update: Drank grapefruit juice, started bending over in pain and coughing. Went to bed, says stomach is killing him, but wants to continue drinking 3 a day of what he has left. Doesn’t want to go to the ER. I know he’s going to hate me, but I think I should throw out the rest.
Is it sharp pain or more like acid reflux?
Because that’s a lot of acidic fruit juice to drink.
Coughing can be from acid reflux - I developed a chronic cough from it once.
Kept telling the doctor it couldn’t be acid reflux because I didn’t feel any heartburn, but that’s exactly what it was.
He already has gastritis, doesn’t want to take medication. He drinks like 10 a day and he’s perfectly fine. I just cut them open and I’m throwing them out so that he cannot get them (he would retrieve them in the garbage if they were not open).
One day I hope your fiance appreciates how truly fortunate he is to have you. 
Thank you, I hope so too.
It sounds like the 70 year old psychiatrist is burned out. How rude of him to shrug his shoulders and not be more emphatic. If only our loved ones would take the meds as prescribed. On the other hand I do understand their point of view that the medicine makes some to feel ill. My daughter is always complaining how exhausted she is and can’t concentrate on anything,
So sorry what you are going through. Being an advocate is often a thankless labor of love.
Thank you. I agree with you on that, next time if I get the same guy and he doesn’t adhere to what I am trying to explain him, I will directly ask for a different psychiatrist in that clinic since that one isn’t his original and file a complaint.
I wish I can be in that room with her. Cause I know she’s manipulating the Dr saying all is Wonderful in the Land of Willy Wonka. But the second she’s out that office door she is already yelling at the voices in her head about the entire session. After that I’ve lost her for the day/night and then deal with the consequences.
I do try to speak to the Dr before she goes into the room so I can tell her what to question her on.
If his Dr doesn’t help/listen and just gives him more meds then I say switch.
I could always trust my son to tell the truth, I have learned that while he may still be an honest person, his schizophrenia is a big liar.
Why can’t you? You should be in that room with her, all she had to do is sign some papers or you can ask the psychiatrist if you can join them.
I know what you mean, I wish it were different.
I would give a brief log of the changes both negative and positive for the doctor. I would think they would love it.
Hopefully what happened to me doesn’t happen to him.