General Medical issues thread

[Bodie]

John K
It sounds like family need to organise an ACAT assessment via community health - it could done as they could also recommend some home assistance measures.

 

[Flashback]

Will be interesting to see if this gets any traction, takes some of the emotion out of it...

Data61 gamifies psychiatry to reduce misdiagnosis

Detecting bipolar and complex disorders faster.

www.itnews.com.au

 

[get me outta here]

If only it were that simple. There are medications to help with these probs, but they need to get the right ones which requires a diagnoses.

Thanks for your suggestion but if it was as simple as going to the doctor and seeking help I would have done that by now.

I don't need a doctor to provide diagnosis on whether it's delusional paranoia or paranoid personality disorder. This person is clearly delusional. They make things up to raise alarm bells. They do not seek help. They appear not to want help. They were very angry with me last time I tried involving a close friend to ask them to seek help.

What worries me is what happens when they reach breaking point. They may end up hurting themselves or someone.

It's not always black and white.

 

[JohnK]

If only it were that simple. There are medications to help with these probs, but they need to get the right ones which requires a diagnoses.

I agree. Short of getting them committed against their will there will not be a professional diagnosis.

P.S. As I said not everything is black and white. This is a walking time bomb and my hands are tied. I am very close with my diagnosis but that's not going to get us anywhere important. I have enough to deal with on my own without taking on this task. I just hope nothing serious happens.

 

[get me outta here]

Hope it doesn't end up with a violent situation that escalates to the police being called. That may get them 'committed'.

I agree. Short of getting them committed against their will there will not be a professional diagnosis.

P.S. As I said not everything is black and white. This is a walking time bomb and my hands are tied. I am very close with my diagnosis but that's not going to get us anywhere important. I have enough to deal with on my own without taking on this task. I just hope nothing serious happens.

 

[Bodie]

The only options re mental health are getting a Justice Examination Order (JEO) by the courts- or police / ambulance via a incident would be Emergeny Examination Order (EEA) . They are not committed- they get examined by mental health to determine care - often released to get care in community after examination.

If family have Power of Attorney they might have to go down that path re more permanant care - if not it may require Adult Guardianship so someone can be appointed to care for care and estate.

 

[suze2000]

If the patient refuses to acknowledge they have a problem, the family can also stage an intervention. I have seen it done. Sometimes works, sometimes does not. The other option is to make a GP appointment under some ruse and get the GP to speak to them about their mental health and possible issues. Involuntary admission is a pretty drastic step (though I know someone it helped a great deal). And then there's the ACAT team. And if the family does not know how to access that, I'm sure a phone call to the Police (NOT 000) will be able to point them in the right direction, as the police would use them all the time. Once the assessor is at their home, it would be difficult to refuse help, surely? (and any behaviours displayed during that time can be observed, and the family advised). I don't believe there is nothing that can be done, if the person clearly has an illness.

 

[cove]

I used to get phone calls from an acquaintance in Melbourne anywhere between midnight and 3 am when he was off his medication. This person tricked a trustee into allowing a release of funds held in trust and it took less than 6 months to blow a large sum. Luckily he lost his mobile phone and he has lost my phone number.

 

[love_the_life]

Re the paranoia, I think it could be the CAT team (Crisis Assessment Team) not ACAT which is the Aged Care Assessment Team. Son has called CAT quite a few times - sometimes they visited other times just talked to him in the phone.

 

[cove]

If you are older and your knees, hips and feet are a bit worn out you should try walking and exercising in a hydrotherapy pool for an hour to see if that helps.

 

[suze2000]

Re the paranoia, I think it could be the CAT team (Crisis Assessment Team) not ACAT which is the Aged Care Assessment Team. Son has called CAT quite a few times - sometimes they visited other times just talked to him in the phone.

Darn it's too late to edit my post. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Pushka]

Clearly my immune system has been well and truly dampened by plaquenil. I never used to get colds. This is my third in 3 months. This one I’m putting down to stress with sale of house etc and moving. I’m in the last 2 weeks of an 18 month process. I’ve also found that cough medicine takes disgusting when drinking sparkling wine. Or maybe that’s the reverse.

Have a whole battery of blood tests to be done this week so will be interesting to see if there are any chemical reactions. I’m thinking maybe RA might be rating this time as I’m getting some nodules on the extremities.

For those following along the friend of my son, genetic tests have found that he has Lynch Syndrome, inherited from his mother who has since undergone some quite radical preventative surgery. Specialists are quite amazed she has escaped the Cancer so far.

Lynch Syndrome

What is Lynch syndrome?Lynch syndrome is a type of inherited cancer syndrome associated with a genetic predisposition to different cancer types. This means people with Lynch syndrome have a higher risk of certain types of cancer. Lynch syndrome is also known as hereditary non-polyposis...

www.cancer.net

 

[suze2000]

Clearly my immune system has been well and truly dampened by plaquenil. I never used to get colds. This is my third in 3 months.

I didn't realise that was a thing. I thought it just reduced the inflammatory reactions? Since I'm STILL having problems with joint pain and the tinnitus is so much worse, I'm not sure how much longer I will persist with it.

 

[Pushka]

I didn't realise that was a thing. I thought it just reduced the inflammatory reactions? Since I'm STILL having problems with joint pain and the tinnitus is so much worse, I'm not sure how much longer I will persist with it.

It’s the immune system that sets up the process for inflammation to occur; plaquenil dampens the immune system so that inflammation is reduced and that impacts on the joints and other related issues. No one seems to know why. In that sense it treats the cause and not just the symptoms - the cause being a dysfunctional immune system. You do need to have your eyes checked every year. I do know that the first year I was on it I had the worse sunburn ever even though I was on the watch out for that and didn’t hang around in the sun. Tinnitus is a rare side effect and it’s a shame it is causing you so many problems as plaquenil can be very effective otherwise.

Being on plaquenil means that I can’t have live vaccines like the measles and the DrDIL made sure I didn’t change new grandbaby’s nappy after he’d had the rota immunisation as it’s a live one and expressed for two weeks after.

 

[Katie]

My new GP recommended that I see a particular Naturopath to help with the cause of my rosacea, and not just treat the symptoms. (Snd please no arguments for or against naturopaths or their training or methods, the dermatologist's solution is endless anti-biotics, or as now, going on to Roaccutane until who knows when? As there seems to be some evidence, even if it's anecdotal stories, that skin issues are linked to the gut, I figured I'd give this a burl.)

So I've started a three-week detox, which will probably only be 19 days long (and I'll be breaking it the night before flying to the US in at least J! Brekky in the Flounge, yay!). Naturopath said to try it, or not, and isn't being too full on about sticking to it. Anyhoo, week one is basically gluten-free and vegan. Of course, no "nasties" like alcohol or coffee or tea. Of course, being a naturopath, there's various supplements and potions to go with it (I'm anaemic, as well as deficient in Vit D, Magnesium, Zinc, and Active B12). Today is day four, and I'm going OK. I've finally tried Vege Rama on Adelaide St (BNE), and they have some tasty food. I shouldn't have been, but as a confirmed carnivore, I was surprised.
Next week, I get to add chicken, fish and eggs to my diet, then in week three, add veal and lamb. All three weeks gluten free and dairy free.

Will be interesting to see how it goes, but as I'm also taking the Roaccutane, any improvement in the rosacea (it's the pustular, acne kind, eww) cannot be attributed solely to diet or medication.

 

[drron]

Please do take the recommendations re bowel screening seriously.I first had a colonoscopy and had 3 polyps removed.All benign.I had repeat tests at 1,3 and 5 years with no new polyps so I was allowed 3 years for the next test.That was done last week and a 20mm polyp was removed-that is getting to a worrying size but fortunately pathology was benign.Though now I am to have a repeat proceedure in 6 months.Basically to make sure all was removed and the blood vessel clips have gone-no MRIs until that is so.

 

[RooFlyer]

I first had a colonoscopy and had 3 polyps removed.All benign.I had repeat tests at 1,3 and 5 years

In my last colonoscopy I had 3 small polyps removed, so recommendation was another one after 3 years, not the 5 of usual schedule. Would 1 year be the more usual?

 

[drron]

It depends on your gastro.Mine would normally say 2 years if multiple polyps removed plus my title probably changed things a bit.Others would say 3+ years.

 

[Hvr]

Have got a sore throat, nose running and coughing a lot. Had to go home from work this evening because I was ill. Will see a GP ASAP and hopefully ok before my next shift on Wednesday.

Will just sit here in the warm and quiet with OTC cold/flu relief.

 

[Antoallison]

Have got a sore throat, nose running and coughing a lot. Had to go home from work this evening because I was ill. Will see a GP ASAP and hopefully ok before my next shift on Wednesday.

Will just sit here in the warm and quiet with OTC cold/flu relief.

Hope you feel better soon, stay in bed and work on those jokes.