The on and on going ECG saga!

[sapphire]

Well, had appt with my GP yesterday, showed him the Orange Book section pertaining to ECG's and QT, and the SMPG of the same.

The ECG's I've had done have been either 452ms or 457ms, so no where near the 700 that at possibly dangerous, or the 500 that is dangerous.

My GP is agog with all this shite, so hopefully his letter will do the trick, he even spoke to a cardiologoist from our local big hospital, and the cardiac consultant even said there is no reason for me to stop taking meth. GGRRRRRRR

Honestly though.we don't even really know if meth does cause LQTS, as the only study done, the patients were on a average dose of 400mg/day and were nealy all HIV and on HIV meds are are well known to cause LQTS.

So, GP is wqriting stern letter to CDT quack!

Today, had appt with keyworker, and for the 4th time, she's not there, with no explanation, and even when she is there she's 30-40 mins late for my every appt! Do you think she'd wait that long for me?!

Anyway, have requested a change of keyworker, and the duty key I saw today was great, I showed her the Orange Book, she looked at my ECG's, and asid, "Well, you're not in the danger zone really are you".


I said that I though that the DSP were using this QT stuff to make people reduce, due to the new recovery abstinence agenda, and the key said, Well, I cannot confirm that, but I'm not going to deny it either!

So, meet new key next week (have had her b4 and know she is good), and if nowt happens, it's the Alliance all the way for me!

[froude]

Normal day at your D.S.P then Saph ,impossible aint it ,and your the one who gets the letter ,looks like our DSP has the same manager lol.Good News on the ECG,and especially the new Key,always good to see a Key you aint got to go through your life story with as youve had them before.Good Luck Saph for 2012,All the best Froude.

[OP8S]

I think that your keys answer sums up the situation pretty well sapph. Can't confirm, but wont deny it ! If it wasn't the case then she would have denied it surely.
Good luck with the letter sent from your own GP to DSP quack. My prescribing GP did the same & got advice from consultant cardiologist, who said that there was no need for forced reduction of my meth & has stood by their words. I'll still be going for ECGs until either they get sick of it or I reduce I imagine. It's a bit of a cloud hanging over you the whole time isn't it, my QT interval has been the same approx. everytime but whenever I have to go for another ECG I do worry in case they get a reading which is outside normal parameters & pounce on that one reading, using it as a reason to force a reduction. It's just been the last year or so that this has been the case. Though I've been on the same dose now & higher before for the last several years, without mention of ECGs or so much as a dizzy spell ( that I can't account for. A few dizzy spells over the years but they have been self induced  )
Lets hope that your GP's letter puts an end to all this extra hassle, we've enough hoops to jump through already !

[derek d j]

Drug Treatment exists to do what it can to ameliorate the 'drug problem'.

Playing silly beggars with ECGs or making other excuses to push users out of treatment is a very cynical exercise that will ameliorate nothing except local dealer bank balances. What do these people think they're doing?

Keep on howling, fight crime and help to cleanse the brainwashed.

[simon]

I wonder if anyone knows a cardiologist that might post on here?

[sapphire]

It would be helpful!

In fact,I'm going to write to the cardiology team ay my local hossie, as they are sick of doing ECG's when people have northing wrong, and no symptoms, and see if they can get involved.

[angiesims AKA true grit :)]

Ohh hope it all goes alright Sapphire for you. Bloody stupid isn't it. I think everyone of us has had the piss took out of us with our appointments! But if the situation was reversed we'd be kicked off! Hope it gets sorted for you x

[simon]

I'm on leave at the minute but I'll e mail our cardiologists on my return to see if they may post a guide. Worse they can say is no.

[sapphire]

It's now been passed to the lead doc at the DSP, have pm'd Jules and Beryl all the details, but can't say too much on the board as it'll be obvious who I am!