A woman has been left needing a wheelchair and with her “life in ruins” after medication designed to be taken as a five-day course was repeatedly prescribed to her for years.

Petra Walker-Barrera now has lifelong issues with her vision, speech and movement after the anti-sickness drug metoclopramide was continually reissued by GPs.

Despite a government warning in 2013 against the long-term use of the medication, doctors prescribed it a further 30 times in the three years that followed.

Meanwhile, Ms Walker-Barrera, from Dover, continued to report a number of serious physical issues GPs failed to connect to the metoclopramide use.

It was only in 2019 that specialist neurologists linked Ms Walker-Barrera’s many ailments to her use of the drug, sparking legal action against those who had prescribed it to her.

Now, she is committed to warning others – both health professionals and patients – of the perils of long-term use of metoclopramide, as she believes many others nationwide are being given the medication on repeat prescription.

The severely disabled grandmother, 68, hopes that by telling her story it will prevent other lives being ruined.

“Despite warnings about the long-term use of metoclopramide, I was kept on it for years,” she said.

“I went to see the GP so many times but was dismissed as having anxiety.

“Because of this, my life is in ruins. People need to know what metoclopramide can do.

“Having spoken to patients across the country in person and on social media, I have heard it is still being prescribed long-term.

“It is too easy to access repeat prescriptions, and the necessary checks by GPs are not being made, but they really need to be.

“We cannot allow what has happened to me to happen to even one other person – it is ruining lives.”

Ms Walker-Barrera was first prescribed metoclopramide in Blackburn in 2008 after having her gall bladder removed.

She moved to Dover in 2011 and was again issued the drug in 2013 after struggling with nausea as a result of ulcerative colitis - an inflammation of the lower end of the digestive system.

That same year, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) published a warning against GPs issuing repeat prescriptions of metoclopramide.

But Ms Walker-Barrera continued to receive hers for another three years, with separate GPs prescribing the drug a combined 30 times.

Despite returning to doctors numerous times to report the onset of symptoms - including problems with her eyes and vision, inability to control her jaw, and weakness in her feet and legs - she was allowed to remain on metoclopramide.

Now, she lives with two serious movement disorders called tardive dystonia and dyskinesia, and has to use a wheelchair as she is unable to walk.

We cannot allow what has happened to me to happen to even one other person – it is ruining lives…

Muscle weakness in her face means she cannot smile, her speech is slurred, and her attempts to walk have resulted in numerous falls, which have seen her lose several teeth – factors she believes have robbed her of her identity.

While her medication was stopped at one point in 2014 – at a time when her only symptoms were eye problems – a GP later reinstated it.

The link between her long-term medication use and worsening symptoms was finally recognised in 2019 by experts at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen’s Square, London, after her condition continued to deteriorate.

“I had been going back to the GP so many times, but all of my symptoms were treated in isolation,” she added.

“I was never given the time to cover everything in one appointment and they did not look at my medical records.

“There was one appointment where I went with my daughter and the GP told her it was all in my head.

“After my diagnosis, she has struggled badly with the guilt of not believing my symptoms were as bad as they were because of what the GP told her.

“The team at Queen’s Square were amazing, and when they told me I was so angry and upset this had happened.

“Even after the warning had been given against repeat prescriptions, I was still given metoclopramide.

“I just do not know how it could have happened. How could they have done this?”

Ms Walker-Barrera has been fitted with a deep brain stimulation device, which implants electrodes within areas of the brain to treat certain medical conditions.

It has improved some of her symptoms, and she is soon to have surgery on her feet to help her chances of walking.

But she says the impact on her identity has been particularly difficult.

“I have always taken pride in my appearance,” said Ms Walker-Barrera, who worked in the Royal Navy and on cruise ships.

“All through my career I have had roles where I have had to be well-presented – but that has been taken away from me.

“I am in a wheelchair so even if I put nice clothes on, no one will see.

“I cannot wear pretty shoes because of my feet and I cannot even put make-up on because of my hands – I genuinely feel like I’ve lost my identity.

“I have dyed my hair bright red because at least I can feel in control of that.

“This has been the most awful ordeal and it has been devastating for me and my family.

“If one good thing can come out of this, it would be to warn other people about metoclopramide. If only I knew back in 2013 what I know now.”

Ms Walker-Barrera, who has now relocated to Staffordshire, took legal action against the GPs who prescribed her with metoclopramide from 2013 onwards.

A trial was set to take place this July, but a settlement was agreed in December, with Ms Walker-Barrera receiving an undisclosed sum.

Her lawyer, Kelly Lloyd Davies, from Slater and Gordon, said: “Like most patients, Petra put her trust in medical professionals and believed their advice and reassurances.

“This has, very sadly, resulted in her being left with conditions which restrict almost every aspect of her life. Truly, this has been devastating.

“This case raises serious questions about the process of issuing repeat prescriptions and ensuring patient welfare is not put at risk through failing to properly listen to their concerns and carrying out appropriate and timely reviews of their medication.

“This has failed badly in Petra’s case.

I cannot wear pretty shoes because of my feet and I cannot even put make-up on because of my hands – I genuinely feel like I’ve lost my identity...

“We very much echo her message of asking questions of medical professionals if something does not feel right, and would urge people to seek appropriate support if they feel they have experienced sub-standard medical care.”

The GPs did not respond to requests for comment.

The Kent and Medway Integrated Care Board - the NHS organisation that plans and buys healthcare services for the region - says it is “unable to comment on the case as it is a confidential matter” between the patient .