Can a person die from taking prescription pain-killers? Like 4 a day... for a couple of years?

Question

Just want to see if someone i know could be killing themself. they are on painkillers for pain, obviously. but taking like 4 a day over the course of 4 years + what kind of problems will they run into? She said that sometimes she hears a rapid thumping (light) on left side of her chest below the lung. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP

Answer 1

well my brother was in a drinking and driving accident 10yrs ago and he takes methadone 100 mg a day and he has been taking that for 7 yrs and he also takes other narcotics b/c he has chronic pain he is a quad with neuropathic pain but he doesnt have any serious problems except when he runs out of the medication then he goes through serious withdrawls but everyones body reacts different to medicine. Personally i am worried sick about him but he says he needs them for his pain so i cant really do much about it he is 31 yrs old so i cant tell him what to do i have tried i think that if he doesnt stop he will ruin his liver and could possibly die from liver cancer or some kind disease of the liver and the longer they take it the harder it it is to come off of it. So tell your friend that what she is doing to her body is ruining her liver the longer she takes the painkillers. Good luck

Answer 2

even for very strong painkillers, 4 a day is not excessive. Most have limits of 8 a day. A big problem they could run into is high levels of acetaminophen which can cause liver damage. I don't know what she is taking, but I would not worry about 4 a day of really any pain reliever. I do think she should see a different doctor and try to fix the problem though. All pain relievers do is mask the pain.

Answer 3

I don't know what pain killers you are taking. 4 years seems like a long time, and they may not be too effective after awhile. You build up a tolerance to some of this drugs and they stop working. Check with you Doctor.

Answer 4

without knowing what type of pain killers and what condition they are being taken for it is hard to give more of an answer..
but rest assured your friend can't die from taking that many, trust me people are prescribed lots more!!
as many others have said there is a risk of liver damage, but again i would think it unlikely from such a low dose..

however some painkillers are addictive and all of them do affect your body in other ways..

i was on a high dose anti inflammatory (as treatment for sciatica) for over 18months and when i stopped taking them regularly EVERYTHING ached for a few weeks, BUT i couldn't have got through that time without them because i was in so much pain i couldn't function!

Answer 5

She may need to have her prescription changed. You don't say why she's been on them for so long. If she and her doctor don't know why she's been in pain for so long I would recommend finding another doctor. It's better to try and fix the problem than to cover it up. Being on pain pills for so long can cause problems such as liver & kidney damage it can also cause bleeding stomach ulcers.

Answer 6

After 4 years I doubt they are having any effect on the pain as the body gets used to the drug, so the effect is milder.

Is it normal for a Doctor to proscribe a course of pain-killers for 4 years or is this abuse?

Answer 7

If her Dr. finds nothing wrong with her blood work, & her blood pressure, she must be ok. I have taken a high dosage of painkillers for 20yr. & I am in perfect health. Except for the pain of a disease 'Dystonia' that I have & is incurable. Just keep getting check up's.

Answer 8

ok im pretty young but do things like games together have family talks. give them complements tell them you love them. do counseling it helps trust me. go to church or do something holy. have a party with all there friends or family.there going through a ruff time i know how they feel. my mom kicked me out my dad just died and im pregnant trying to fight an addiction to cutting my self. so there going to feel crappy for a while but if you show them all your love they will love you back. go to a Hollywood connections or the amusment park. if they have a bf just make sure there being safe. as for the boy just tell him if we didn't adopt you your sister would as lonly as hell. your a family and no matter what you guys can always be able to goto each other for anything

Answer 9

I have to take more that that a day..you could run into liver problem, but with such a low dose i really doubt it..If your concerned then have your friend go get her liver checked out. Good luck~

Answer 10

Well I used to be hooked on those for many years. Yes they do major damage to your arteries and your cardiovascular system. It all depends on what kind of pain killer and what strength. If they are narcotics then its definitely bad for you. Try to look for other ways of pain relief.