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Hello all. For about a week and a half I haven't been able to open my eyes. I had to go to the hospital for a procedure and they read of my medication list. They asked why I was on haldol, zyprexa and cogentin (sp). I've never been on these medications in my life, but it seems the nursing home doctor put me on them. I was a complete zombie. What can I do about this? This angers me and I refused this morning's dose. Thanks for any input

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https://www.agingcare.com/questions/what-can-i-do-to-stop-my-nursing-home-from-running-out-of-my-medication-every-10-days-492726.htm

You posted back in March about the NH not having your Meds and having to wait for them to be ordered. Is this the same NH? Two of those drugs are antipsychotic drugs. Now your suing for a bedsore. Why are you still at this place, if you are. Time to find another facility.
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There are, I am afraid, bits and pieces missing here the more I read.
It isn't easy for these medications to be just found floating around out there.
The claim is that they were given without any MD prescribing them.
If they were found in the bloodstream and that's documented by the hospitals, and the patient had no access to any meds due to being in a NH, how, then did these meds get on board at all. They are not just sitting around free for the taking of any nursing home that wishes to quiet someone down a bit.

I think this is a legal case. There is a bedsore involved here apparently with a settlement or suit, also. All this is sounding complicated, and definitely legal needs involvement.
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You should never swallow a new pill without asking what it is.
If you do not know what the pill is then you should tell the staff you will not take it until you speak to the doctor about it.
We cannot know your health history, but it sounds as though there was a situation in which you may not have been as rational and able to manage your own affairs as you now do seem to be.
Now that you ARE, and have been on these medications, and you wish to stop them, and if you are not adjudged by any court as incompetent in your own care, you will need to discuss with medical personnel how to decline these meds and how to safely be gradually titrated off them as Geaton suggests below. You will want to discuss with the doctor, again, why you were put on them, what occurred that they were given to you and you were not aware they were added, and how to titrate off them.

Please discuss all of this with your doctor, and in future do not take pills you do not recognize and understand without speaking to your MD about them first.
Again, a Forum of strangers can do little about this. This is for you to discuss with your medical team.
Wishing you good luck.
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I'm sorry for this distressing situation and I don't blame you for refusing to take any further of these medications, BUT you need to know: "It is not medically safe to stop taking Haldol (haloperidol), Zyprexa (olanzapine), or Cogentin (benztropine)suddenly without medical supervision. Here's why: 1. Haldol (haloperidol) Risks of stopping suddenly: Withdrawal symptoms: nausea, vomiting, sweating, restlessness, and insomnia. Rebound psychosis: return or worsening of symptoms like delusions or hallucinations. Movement disorders: sudden withdrawal may cause tardive dyskinesia or catatonia. 2. Zyprexa (olanzapine) Risks of abrupt discontinuation: Rebound symptoms: anxiety, agitation, trouble sleeping, or return of psychotic or manic symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms: nausea, headache, and irritability. Possible cholinergic rebound (excessive sweating, GI upset). 3. Cogentin (benztropine) Used to prevent side effects (like tremors or rigidity) from antipsychotics. Sudden stop risks: Rebound extrapyramidal symptoms: tremors, stiffness, or muscle spasms may return or worsen. Rare but possible cholinergic rebound: confusion, nausea, and increased salivation." Please ask to talk to your doctor or a different doctor in your facility. Do you have a medical PoA agent who you assigned and is now acting on your behalf? Or a legal guardian? If not, then I agree an ombudsman would be a good first step. It would help give us context if you could tell us your age and why you are in a nursing home. Are you a permanent NH resident? Are you on Medicaid? At your procedure, was someone with you to advocate for you while in the hospital?
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BrandonVan Jun 4, 2025
Thanks for your reply. I understand what the medication is used for. Ive never had a psychotic episode, nor any mental health crisis. Just anxiety and I take klonopin for that. The procedure was a colostomy surgery. Yes, my son is my POA. I'm 52 years old, I'm in a NH but hopefully not for long as I just won a settlement for a stage 4 bed sore. So as soon that money starts to trickle into my account I'll be out of there. My regular doctor was flabbergasted that the NH put me on these medications and is the one who told me that NH use them to just make you sleep all day. It did just that, I'm paraplegic. I honestly don't know what to do. I've only been here 2 weeks and 7 of those days in the hospital.
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Call your state's Ombudsman and let them know this was done to you. Then talk to a personal injury lawyer. If you are of sound mind and legally make your own decisions, no doctor can put you on drugs like this without your consent. If you have a POA, or conservastor/guardian, or are a Ward of the State, the person in charge of you would have to have consented to these drugs being given to you.

These are not life-saving drugs administered in an emergency situation. These are psychiatric drugs. If you make your own legal decisions talk to a personal injury lawyer. I certainly would.
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That's scary that a doctor can have you taking medications without telling you or explaining why.
I would ask that the nursing home doctor come talk to you when you return to explain why they did what they did.
I hope you have someone as your medical POA that can get to the bottom of this for you and be your advocate in this situation.
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BrandonVan Jun 4, 2025
Thank you for your reply. I've looked up what the medication does. It makes people more domicile. It's an anti-psychotic medication and is used to put people to sleep. Again I will do as you said
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I think the ombudsman would be a good first step.
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BrandonVan Jun 4, 2025
Thanks, I was thinking the same thing, but didn't know if this was considered abusive or not. As the medications main purpose is to knock people out
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