My mom and vicodin!?

Question

My mom suffers from arthritis and fribomyalgia and she has terrible pain all around her body, she takes 6-8 vicodins a day. I am really scared for her because is to much, she has been taking them for about 3-4 years. I think she is addicted. What do you recomend for the pain to go away, she cries a lot, and she gets depressed really often?

Answer 1

I believe her biggest problem may be the vicodins,, that is to much to take in a day, you need to have a heart to heart talk with her,that's why she cries and is depressed, the side affects of the pills. Good luck, as far as a quick relief for either of those, there is none, that I'm aware of, every one is different, what may work for me may not for her.

Answer 2

Well, you mom has a serious problem all right. I have osteoarthritis in the severe degenerative form, seven surgeries in three years and now my hands, both of them. I take three Vicodin when needed for pain and sweetheart, I have pain. I'm allergic to morphine and codeine, they've tried patches and injections to no avail. I know what she's going through.
I met a woman the was to the Mayo clinic in Southern Minn. they started her on injections for about the same thing your mom has with good results. You have to keep looking for new drugs to help.
6 to 8 a day is tearing up her system, all the way. Her doctor should be seeing this. I have blood tests every 6 weeks, does she? does she even see her doctor anymore. Maybe you should step in and ask her to see another doctor a good Neurologist. Start over, see what happens. I don't know how she can cope. Don't be too hard on her, you don't know what she's going through, I have a good idea. Be kind. God Bless you Honey.

Answer 3

I work in the medical field and have seen a lot of things like this. Your mother is more than likely addicted to the pain killer, but at the same time she is in a tremendous amount of pain. I would suggest a few things; 1) tell your mother your worried about her and see if she would be willing to try some more holistic approaches to her pain management (massage, acupuncture, hypnosis)(Please don't discount these methods due to their holistic nature these methodologies have been around for more than 3000 years and proven by the American Medical Association to work). 2)Be supportive no matter what path she chooses, but most importantly is 3) Educate yourself on her disease so that you can best help her to choose the right path for her and your family. I wish you the best of luck in this matter. Please understand that she is in a lot of pain and is probably depressed about her situation too. Support is key in a situation like this. She needs all the love she can get, especially from her family. Good luck.

Answer 4

It IS addiction. There are pain clinics that can administer only a certain amount of pills for a week or so. That way she can't take too much. The damage to her liver and stomach will get worse if she continues down this path. Express your concern. She will say she does not have a problem, she is in pain, these are prescribed to me and so on...Ask her to mention the amount she is taking to her doc. There are lots of other alternatives. If she does get off them, let me fore-warn you, the withdrawl is a *****! It's best to be done in a hospital/rehab clinic or hospital. If she won't talk to the doc and you has access to her med. info, call the doc. Good luck!

Answer 5

Oh, your poor mom. I can only imagine what she has to deal with.

I have osteoarthritis in my knees, and bursitis in both shoulders and one hip (due to bad genetic luck, and having been very active all my life). I have annual steroid injections, which sometimes help.

There is much popular concern over the addictive properties of drugs that actually work, so my doctor has limited me to anti-inflammatories, and exhortations to "exercise".

If your mom gives up her prescription to Vicodin, she'll never get it back. She'll be like me, with nothing but aspirin, voo-doo, Natural Birch Bark plasters, and good wishes to keep her from hurting.

Do I wish her to be addicted...? No, of course not. But, I can't imagine how horrendous her life would be without painkillers, and only hypnosis, green tea extract or ice packs to rely on.

Please give her my very best wishes, and the same to you, also.

Answer 6

Your mom is addicted sweety, no doubt it. She
needs to see her doctor about the way she is taking her meds. He can refer her to groups with
people that hav the same problems. Also they
have neurosurgeons to help and all different kinds
of doctors today.

I wish her the best. May a 28-day rehab may help or drug agencies who get together with out-patient
drug agencies may help. I'll be praying for you and her because it effects all family members.

GOD Bless.

Answer 7

Contact your doctor and let him know. I've had back pain for 6 yrs and I refuse to take any type of pain killer because it becomes addicting. I take Aleve every once in awhile. Ask your pharmacist also.

Answer 8

Hon, I am in the same situation - I have different illnesses but the result is the same. Incredible overall body pain that there is rarely any relief from. There is no cure...
For some people there are things that work but for many of us nothing will make it go away. Controlling the pain is the only humane thing to do.
I find it odd that you say she is in terrible total body pain - but feel she should not take anything for it? Why is that? Is your mom an alcoholic or something?
I'm making an assumption here that our situations are similar - as most Drs. will not perscribe even the modest amount of pain med's you mentioned if they have not exaughsted all other options. Please, understand - what your mother is taking IS NOT A HIGH DOSE OR A STRONG MED FOR TREATING CHRONIC PAIN! Really...

The amount of pain med's she is taking IS NOT TOO MUCH for a person with Chronic pain and the illnesses you mentioned! .

1st - Vicodin IS NOT a medication for the treatment of Chronic/ constant Pain - but there are so many Dr. with little or no experience treating it, they are so afraid of lawsuits and the like, they find it safer to just allow people to suffer through with little to no quality of life. But that's another issue...

Vicodin is a 4 hr medication - meant for acute pain... i.e. tooth pulled, or minor surgery (recovery) you take it, it takes aprox 30-45 mins to work - it peaks at 2 hours then decreases until there is no effect at the 4 hr mark. So of course your mother is crying - in that scenario a person would be in agonizing pain 1.5-2hrs of every 4 hr period - 24 hrs a day.

1 Vicodin every 4 hours for you, or for someone who is routinely pain free would have a pronounced effect - and could very well lead to addiction - for a person who's pain level is high - or likely out of control 1 Vicodin every 4 hours would be the equivilant of a fireman just spitting mouthfuls of water on a housefire!

For some that treatment can work - for many others it does not. This is your mother. So before you make her feel uncomfortable having her daughter judging her re: a situation you have no 1st hand experience with - imagine living a week in her shoes. For those that actualy have Fibromyalgia IT'S A CONSTANT AND NEVER ENDING NIGHTMARE!!! (it is somewhat over diagnosed) it's said to be far more painful than Arthritis. A study done in Oregon (I can find it for you) showed that FM patients EVERYDAY FOR YEARS on end had the equivilant pain levels of Cancer and AIDs patients 2-3 days before their death. THAT DOES NOT SOUND FUN!

Addiction is a weird thing. If your mom is out on the street trying to "score" pills... if she spends her days in a drug induced haze and has stopped caring for you and for herself - is unable to work, is obviously high all the time - there is no food in your cupboards cus mom spent it all on pills - then you have something to worry about.

If her pain isn't properly managed - OF COURSE SHE IS CRYING and depressed. If she knows you have the concerns you do - she may feel humiliated - depending on the level of support from others in her life - she may very well feel no one understands or cares about her condition.

Simply put - an addict withdraws from life. They (for the most part) want to get high and be left alone. They don't work - do very little but try to get more drugs.
Someone that is even possibly "dependant" & with Chronic Pain that gets the meds they nd for actual relief; they REJOIN LIFE! They start working again - cleaning the house, caring for themselves, etc. They will interact more not less.

THIS IS WHEN ADEQUATELY CONTROLLED - based on what you sd I'm not at all sure she has her pain managed - so keep in mind a person in a lot of pain does get very depressed and withdraws - they are just not high.

I would be happy to send you some information for family members dealing with a chronic pain patient.
This is just my opinion and from my own experiences. I do not know your mom or her situation - but before you judge her too harshly I encourage you to really educate yourself on ALL the details and circumstances of her situation.

One thing to remember - People who ARE IN PAIN - honest to god pain - if they take their medication responsibly addiction is not generally a problem. Pain med's metabolize dif with people who have pain vrs those who don't. We all have pain receptors - when you are in pain there is not enough dopamine and the like in your own body to fill those sites thus you feel pain (this is a REAL BASIC EXPLANATION!: ) You take medication and the med is directed and it fills those sites - giving reflief. A person with NO PAIN takes the same med - their pain rcptrs are not lacking - causing a misfire/overflow - that is what get's a person high. Someone in pain will rarely ever feel the effects that someone without pain will from the same meds.

I know this was long winded - but still a very brief and non-descript explanation. As a single mother dealing with my own health issues for the past 10 yrs. I have gathered A LOT of knowledge in this area - when they told me the only thing they could do for me was to "drug me" I was terrified and felt so hopeless. I was so afriad of addiction - so I saw other Drs. - homeopaths, acupunturists, massage therapists, hypnotheripast, you name it I tried everything. I was unable to hold a job because I was sick so much I'd been fired from 3 - I was at the end of my rope.

My Dr now is wonderful - very helpful. I now understand med is there for exactly the purpose I use it for. Since we got my pain level controlled - my medication dosage has not increased in over 6 yrs. I work full time - my weight is back under control, I'm no longer depressed.

Knowing you have an illness that no one can get rid of - when you have suicidal levels of pain is a very scary place to be.

I would really encourage you to do some more research - if you email me I'll be happy to put you onto some sites and orginizations that you can get a lot of information - 1 thing I encourage you to look up - is Addiction vrs Dependance. People are dependant on insulin and no one bats an eye - Addiction is a very diff thing than dependance. I can send you some reading, suggest some books that both advocate opiate therapy as well as those that don't - after you really understand her situation - you really KNOW your mom's illness and all her symptoms - what she is living with. (keep in mind most all moms try to put on a brave face for their kids - if she's in such a state that she cries in front of you from the pain - I imagine she is hurting pretty bad) when you really understand ALL of what she is coping with - THEN DECIDE if you think she is addicted and over medicated OR maybe she is undermedicated. I have no idea I don't know her... Once you have all the information you will be in the best place to help her.

1 last thing - if she is overmedicated it's not hard to miss - she will behave like she's drunk basically - slurring, dizzy, nodding off, if you know what a person is like high - if she is over medicated (THAT DOES NOT MEAN ADDICTED) it would be noticable -

Answer 9

she would need to go to rehab and let them give out her medicines

Answer 10

try heating pads!