âš“ Life Stolen: Navy Veteran Confined to Wheelchair After Years of Misprescribed Anti-Nausea Drug
A former Royal Navy veteran and mother is speaking out about how her life was «stolen» after her doctor repeatedly prescribed a dangerous anti-nausea drug for over a decade, resulting in irreversible nerve damage and confinement to a wheelchair.
Petra Walker-Barrera, 68, from Dover, Kent, suffered a massive heart attack and was left with severe neurological problems, including difficulties with movement, speech, and vision, after unknowingly taking the drug metoclopramide for years longer than medically advised.
The Decade-Long Misprescription
Metoclopramide is a medication primarily intended to combat nausea and vomiting. However, NHS guidelines explicitly state that the drug should not be taken for more than five days due to the risk of severe side effects, including Tardive Dyskinesia (involuntary, repetitive body movements).
Despite these clear warnings, Ms. Walker-Barrera was prescribed the drug repeatedly from 2008 to 2019.
During this period, Ms. Walker-Barrera reported serious and escalating health problems to doctors multiple times. Tragically, her concerns were repeatedly dismissed as anxiety and thought to be unrelated to the medication. It wasn’t until 2019 that a neurologist finally identified the metoclopramide as the cause of her severe health decline, but by then, the neurological damage was deemed irreversible.
Irreversible Damage and Loss of Identity
The damage has profoundly impacted the Navy veteran’s quality of life. Ms. Walker-Barrera is now confined to a wheelchair, unable to perform basic daily tasks like cleaning, cooking, or applying her own makeup. She can no longer smile due to the nerve damage.
A mother of four and grandmother, her identity was deeply tied to her independent life at sea. She served in the Navy as a radio operator from the age of 16 and later worked in relations and records on cruise ships.
«What happened took my life away,» she stated. «I have to rely on people all the time now—even for something like cooking. I had to accept being in a wheelchair. I also lost my job on a ship—because you can’t work at sea if you’re disabled and I’ve worked at sea all my life.»
The emotional toll is immense. She expressed deep frustration, saying, «I also feel like I lost my identity because in my jobs I had to dress well and take pride in my appearance. But now, I can’t wear nice shoes because my feet are twisted inwards, and I can’t put on make-up because I can’t use my hands.»
Legal Action and Search for Justice
Following the diagnosis, Ms. Walker-Barrera pursued legal action over her treatment and was granted permission to proceed by the courts, as confirmed by her lawyers, Slater Gordon.
Her case serves as a stark warning about the importance of rigorous adherence to prescribing guidelines, the critical need for medical professionals to listen to patient concerns, and the devastating, long-term impact of misdiagnosis and pharmaceutical mismanagement.
Ms Walker-Barrera now has a powerful deep brain implant, which uses artificial electrical currents to the nerves in her brain to help her control her speech and movement. However, he will be left with the effects of the drug for the rest of his life, including heart failure and neurological disorders tardive dystonia and dyskinesia. He wants to warn others about the long-term dangers of metoclopramide.
He said: «I want people to realize how dangerous this drug is. And I want GPs to start listening to patients and stop this cycle of endless repetition. I went I was told many times that my symptoms were anxiety, or because I was a woman, or because of my age.
«This was because GPs would only listen to one symptom at a time – and I was never given explanations for my medication. I’m afraid that this will ruin someone’s life – if it It’s already there. And it’s going to affect a lot of people.»
Ms Walker-Barrera emphasized that the effects of the drug had not only affected her, but also those around her. He said: «It’s important to think about the fact that this has not only affected my life – it has also affected the lives of my children who have to take on the role of carers.»
He said how the situation had undermined his faith in UK health care, saying: «When the NHS was created, it was brilliant. But it has changed – not for the better. And I think things are going badly in terms of GPs are not like that. I have a problem with the way they have to do things like this now, I have cost the NHS a lot of money with all my care.
He added: «But all that could have been prevented if someone had listened to me – even if the doctors had not prescribed me to use the medicine for longer than they should have.»
Ms. Walker Barrera added that the money she received from her residence will not make up for what she lost and she is now mourning the loss of her life. «I was asked by legal teams to provide details about my loss of income, but it wasn’t just income. It was a lifestyle. It was being at sea. I was able to take my children on cruises in the Caribbean.
«You can’t measure the loss of something like that.»
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