Dr. Navin P. Patel, MD

"I caution everyone who is considering Dr. Patel as their psychiatrist. He was assigned to my dad when he was brought to the emergency room for visual hallucinations. The radiologist and emergency room doctor said there was something evident on the CT scan but it was not serious enough to be causing the problems. (This is the same thing Dad's neurologist at the NeuroMedical Center in Baton Rouge had stated based on the CT scan done at that office.) Dr. Patel disagreed with five other professionals and diagnosed Dad with dementia - related hallucinations. (It seems to me that the neurologist would know.) However, for whatever reason, Mom is going along with Dr. Patel's decision. Dr. Patel prescribed Zyprexa for Dad and he received the generic form - Olanzapine, 10 mg per day. Dr. Patel must have warned us not to look at the internet a dozen times during the meeting. Well, Zyprexa nor Olanzapine is approved by the FDA for patients over 60 suffering from dementia - related hallucinations. Medicare does not cover it. With the mortality rate of one in forty die within the first six months of taking the medication, it was found that the benefits did not outweigh the risks. Dad has a medical history that includes quintuple bypass surgery, a stroke, COPD and more. Death is usually from a heart attack, a stroke, or pneumonia. Research was done with subjects who were believed to be healthy - no known vascular (heart nor stroke) condition. This tells me Dad is at even greater risk. The medication has not helped Dad. The hallucinations continue as they were prior to taking the drug. Again, I caution everyone to really think seriously about going to Dr. Patel or taking someone you love to him. Apparently, he makes decisions without sharing all of the pertinent information with his patients and their families making it impossible for them to make an informed decision. Prescribing medications that is not FDA approved seems unethical to me! W Dupuy Dad passed away March, 2016 - due to the effects of Zyprexa / Olanzapine."