Prescription Addiction: Methadone Facts

Question: I need some advice on chronic diarrhea and prescription addiction, please?

(Posted by: on 2011-07-11 23:31:33)

I'm very concerned for my mother. I'll start at the beginning, so bare with me.... She hurt herself years back on the job, by breaking both of her arms at the same time. This put her out of work for a long time, and she eventually got laid off anyway when her plant closed, so she has never worked since. This started the pain pill addiction, when she was given hydrocodine for the pain. This was at least 5 years ago. Since then, she has become completely useless. She doesn't even TRY anymore. She is CONSTANTLY going to the doctor for anything and everything that ails her. She probably has close to 20 prescriptions for everything from high blood pressure, to anti- depressants, to cholesterol pills, diabetes meds, other types of pain meds for headaches, backaches, knee pains, etc.... The list goes on! She also takes about 4 tylenols a day, different herbal supplements, vitamins maybe? No joke, in her daily pill divider, she probably takes about 13 pills in the morning and about 15 pills at night. She has absolutely given up on trying to do anything for herself. She barely takes showers or washes her hair. Doesn't do any housework. Just spends most of her time sleeping or sitting in front of the television all day. She's gone to many different doctors over the years. The ones that tell her to just lose weight or exercise more make her angry, so she'll just keeping going to different doctors until she finds the one that'll just give her pills instead. My mother is not even 50 yet and already has more "wrong " with her and takes more prescriptions than all of my grandparents put together!! Recently, about three week back, she's started having chronic diarrhea. It comes on involuntarily and she usually doesn't make it to the bathroom in time. She's already had lab tests run and been to her regular doctor twice, because the first round of meds he gave her didn't do anything. She's been on the new meds since last Friday and is still sick. She can't even leave the house for fear of not being near the bathroom. She hasn't had any solid food in these 3 weeks, just water, broth, and recently Activia yogurt, he told her to try. Anything else goes right back through her extremely fast. At the last visit, her doctor told her if these meds didn't fix it, she'd have to go see a specialist, because there was nothing more he could do for her. She's getting extremely thin, super fast. Her face is getting sunk in and she's looking very gaunt. We're about to have to take her to a specialist and see what they say. When she goes to this specialist, should I make her take a list of EVERYTHING she is and has taken recently as well? All of her meds have GOT to be having an effect on her and weakening her immune system. I try to make her see this, but she just absolutely does not want to hear it. Is there anybody I could go to that could talk to her about her meds and convince her that she DOES have a problem? She won't listen to me anymore or my Dad. She thinks we're just picking at her, but we really mean it! Also, is there anything I can get for her to try to keep nutrients in her body for now? LIke pediasure or something? Would that upset her system more, or at least help her from looking so gaunt? Any advice is welcome, and I do thank you in advance! I'm just really worried about her and I don't know what to do for her anymore.....

Posted by: Billy on 2011-07-11, 23:44:56

I work in a pharmacy and see lots of people like your mother. She is not alone so hopefully that may give you some comfort. A lot of times what people with pain killer addictions do is they will go see one doctor and tell them that they have pain, and so then that doctor will prescribe them pain medication. Then they go to another doctor and say the same thing and so then that doctor will prescribe them pain medication too. Then usually they go to different pharmacies and have it filled so watch out for this. I've also had the lovely experience of living with an alcoholic mother so I kind of understand the addiction thing you are going through. There is nobody your mom is gonna talk to that will convince her she is addicted to pain meds. Your mom knows this, she just doesn't care enough to fix it. What happened with my mom is that it took her getting arrested for a DUI and being put in jail and doing community service and tons of fines to finally get her to rethink her life. Your mom is going to have to hit what they call "rock bottom " which is an event in her life that will cause her to realize that the life she lives now is s***. Until then there is little you can do. It's a sad situation. I've seen the pharmacist that I work with tell patients that they are addicted to these pain meds and that we wont fill them for them. All they do is get mad and go to another pharmacy. As for the diarrhea pedialite is always something that is recommended a lot, but you know, i'm not a doctor or anything. you could certainly try it. it's not going to hurt her. It sounds like she really needs to put on weight and i think fear of going to the bathroom is causing her to eat poorly. Lilke you said, she eats soup or whatever...thats not going to put on any weight. In my personal opinion I think you should do two things. 1. Go see that specialist. and 2. Check into a rehab clinic. Things can get better if everyone is supportive and tries. good luck! :)