Can i sue my doctor for this!?

Question

Well, im 19 years old and have many problems. I went to 2 different doctors and they both perscribed me medications. I notified each doctor or which medications im currently taking and asked if there are any interactons or if its too much medication. My answer was its fine. So i have Prozac(fluoxetine), Sulfamethoxale, and Sulindac. I took my pills but had a weird feeling. So i researched online and found very DANGEROUS interactions. I got so pissed off. My doctor didnt warn me. The serious interactions are intestinal bleeding and heart attack or stroke. I called the pharmacist and she told me to stop taking immediatly! (interactions between sulindac and fluoxetine)...What should i do!? i stopped taking the sulindac but am taking the fluoxetine because i need it mentally as the sulindac was just to help pain due to chronic costochondritis.

Answer 1

No, you can't sue them for that.

Answer 2

My cousins boyfriend had a reaction with sulindac and paxil. they were prescribed from the same doctor. His reaction was very severe and they only reason he knew something was up was the filling pharmacist mentioned the heads up on this counteraction. Unfortunately docs usually know less than a pharmacist about mixing meds. sad but true. anyway, he has a lawsuit against the doctor but he was only able to do that because the same doctor gave him both meds. I believe since yours was two different docs you may not have a case. For future reference, always ask the pharmacist filling the meds if they will counter-act. they will know for sure. good luck to you.. i agree with the user above. the docs will most likely say you didn't make them each aware of the other... your word against theirs...

Answer 3

I don't think you could sue them. Here is my reasoning, one doctor prescribed you one, and the other the other medicine. Now, they might know those two don't mix, but since you went to two seperate doctors, they had no control over you doing that.

Now, you say you called the doctor and asked them, the only way you would be able to prove that is if you had the conversation recorded, because if you sue the doctor, and they get on the stand, they can deny ever talking to you.

Also, if you do try to sue, the doctor would probably be protected by the hospital lawyers, and they can drag out the whole court procedures until you are broke and can't afford counsel anymore.

I am not saying you don't have a case, but I think it will be very difficult to prove your case.

Answer 4

I think it would be difficult to sue unless you had upper gastrointestinal bleeding. There usually must be some damage to successfully sue. If you had other risk factors for GI bleeding such as prior GI bleeds, high doses of sulindac or other NSAIDS, concurrent corticosteroids, or concurrent blood thinners your case may have some merit, if you suffered some damage. But without one of these risk factors doctors can use the 2 drug together and monitor you closely.

Answer 5

Well if your doctor knew you were taking other medicines, he should have looked them up and checked to see if they were safe together. Usually pharmacy's check too... I think you have a very good case if you can prove everything. (Your doctor could say you didn't aware him of your other medications.)

Good Luck!

Answer 6

prob.

Answer 7

There are 4 components of malpractice: duty, deviation of standard practice, damage, and direct caustion. Basically, duty means that the doctor has agreed to treat you. Deviation means that they did something that was not the common standard of good medicine. Damage means you suffered some form of injury. Direct cause means that it was the deviation from the standard of care that caused the damage. It doesn't sound like you were harmed so there would be no malpractice.

I have to say that I am a psychiatrist and I have never heard of a fluoxetine/sulindac interaction. Most of the time drug companies report every possible side effect they can so that you can't sue them

Answer 8

wow sounds like you went to a couple of quacks...hope ur ok.  you can most likely sue them for malpractice if you have proof that they prescribed these medications together.

Answer 9

As a resident physician, I can say that this reaction is not one that is well-known or publicized.  I would predict that many patients who experience this side-effect are not taking prescription NSAIDs like Sulindac, but over-the-counter NSAIDs like ibuprofen, as these medications have similar mechanisms of action and similar side effects on platelet function and stomach irritation.  Alternatives include the COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib (Celebrex) which does not have as substantial a risk of bleeding and theoretically would not cause this interaction.

Regarding your thoughts of suing your physician, in this country you can sue anybody for anything as long as you have a good story (and sometimes without even that).  You do have a basis for negligence, but without evidence of lasting harm (serious GI bleed), you likely will not walk away with much more than satisfaction if you win.

In medical society, these events are called "near-misses" and should be brought to the attention of your doctor, your pharmacist, and their places of business to allow for better education of all involved in this serious medication error.  Sometimes this does involve a lawsuit, but often, you may ask for the quality control or patient safety officer to do an internal investigation.

Sorry for the book.  I personally plan to bring this interesting subject to the attention of my fellow residents, interns and staff.

Answer 10

ask a lawyer

Answer 11

Yes you can sue them. You should request your medical records and go talk to a lawyer that specialize in medicine.

Remeber the lady that sued MCD's for her burned private. She put the cup of coffee she purchased between her legs and burned herself. The OLD LADY WON.