Readers Sound Off

Medical Mix-up Re the 'Rx for Success' article, February: When my regular doctor told me to stop taking my medications because he wanted to clean out my system and try some new ones, I stopped taking everything and ended up having a seizure. Only after I came to in the hospital did my doctor make it clear that he meant for me to stop taking only the meds that he had prescribed! I also had two other doctors'a gastroenterologist and a neurologist'who were prescribing other medicines. After the seizure I was in the hospital for five days and found out I had almost swallowed my tongue. If my mother had not dropped by my apartment when she did, I am told I probably would have died. After this incident my primary physician decided to compile a list of all the meds I was being prescribed by all my doctors to help prevent a similar occurrence from happening again. Amazingly, though, all these doctors worked in the same hospital! Steven Mulholland Philadelphia Worries About Whitfield I just finished reading Native Tongue about LeRoy Whitfield's collapse [February]. Brother, if you need something or someone, please get the help you need. I realize that may be easier said than done, but you were in a vulnerable position. For what it is worth, your life affects us all. Be well! Jahmel Terrell Via e-mail While sharing your experiences and decision making is helpful for many readers, I am shocked that an educated person such as yourself does not understand that you have to get on a regimen and be disciplined about it. Without treatment, it can only get worse. Name withheld I just read the article where you passed out. I thought it was only me. I get light-headed and dizzy. I have been positive for 41/2 years but am on meds. I'm glad to know this is not in my mind! Mike Via e-mail Missed Connection I expect there are some timely and informative articles in the February issue of your magazine. Unfortunately, posted in our clinic is a sign that reads 'Please turn off all cell phones and pagers,' so all the copies (with the simulated ringing cell phone) went to the dustbin. I could go on and on about how this obnoxious promotion adds to the already exorbitant prices charged for medications or how it sends the message that having HIV is like a day at the beach, but I am too dumbfounded to go on. Michael Buitr'n Vocational Counselor Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute Los Angeles Missing the Message Your December issue showed 'before' and 'after' face photos in the 'About Face' article, but it did not give the important information for those of us who suffer facial wasting. Where and who and what and how many treatments made this difference? What a magnificent transformation. It could be me next! Lily Hayes Via e-mail [The editors reply: The man whose photos appeared with the article was a patient of Clinic'estetica in Tijuana, Mexico. We did not cite answers to the questions you bring up specifically because of the fact, as the article states, that each of the procedures listed can have different results with each patient and the number of needed treatments to achieve 'desired' results can vary. Our goal in not providing this information was to prevent readers from becoming overly excited about one person's results and assuming that her or his own results would be the same.]