A WOMAN whose life was made a misery for 22 years because of a GP's negligence has spoken out for the first time.

When Irene Ritchie, from North Shields, went to her doctor complaining about acute anxiety she was given a powerful tranquillising drug.

While the drug calmed her down Mrs Ritchie, now 69, began to develop alarming new symptoms.

"I felt myself stiffening up and my body started twisting. I couldn't sit still and began pacing up and down all the time," said Mrs Ritchie, who was 45 when she first began taking the drug.

What she didn't know was that the drugs she was prescribed, first Parstelin and then Stelazine, should only be given to patients for a limited period because of the risk of severe side-effects.

But she stayed on drugs containing the active agent trifluorperazine for 22 years.

Mrs Ritchie, reported her problems to her GP, Dr David Mayes, and asked whether he could refer her to a specialist but no action was taken. Over time the drugs had a devastating effect on Mrs Ritchie's life.

"I didn't want to go out because I couldn't stay still, I lost touch with friends and family. I wouldn't open the door to them in the end."

The nightmare ended when Dr Mayes announced he was retiring from his Northumberland Square practice in North Shields and Mrs Ritchie went to see another local GP.

As soon as he saw her the new GP expressed concern.

Within a few months Mrs Ritchie was weaned off the drug.

"I travelled on the metro sitting down for the first time in October. That was the beginning of a new life," she said.

She also approached Newcastle solicitors Hay Kilner to seek compensation.

Recently lawyers acting for Dr Mayes agreed to make an undisclosed five figure payment to Mrs Ritchie.

The mother-of-one is bitter that so much of her life has been ruined.

"I go all over now, I love travelling and visiting people. I even had my hair cut spiky, everybody else has hair like that so why not me," she laughed.

She even dyed her hair purple for New Year.

Dr Nicholas Wilkes, her solicitor, said: "This illustrates the dangers of patients being on medication for a long time without close supervision."