My boyfriends Mother moved in and she is on several meds that I can't see go together. What is happening?

I meant to say disable a person.

Windyridge is right read post on many subject so you know what your getting into. I had a thought while i was shopping. I dont want to scare you but it is possible mum is addicted to pain meds and anxiety meds. If she is they can often enable a person, they sleep alot because they like the feeling they get from meds and laying down can intensify the effect. I know because i watched the father of a good friend become almost bedridden while on narcotic pain meds. Does she ever fret about running out of percocet or razapan? If so that is a sure sign of addiction. Narcotic pain meds require an office visit at least every three months now with the tighter regulations. Also regulations require a hand delivered script to pharmacy can just be called in anymore so I dont understand how she is getting meds. Something is not right.

I don't want to make assumptions but if you're new to this caregiver scene it can be a highway to hell if you don't take care of your life first. I hope the BF is stepping up to the plate since it is his mom. You stated that she's in bed and not able to function. This will take a high level of care. Make sure you're up to this.

Almost every medication can cause either constipation or diarrhea. I agree with the advice others have given, i would only add one important note. Your boyfriend should print off a Durable Power of Attorney also know as a DPAH and have mom appoint him her patient advocate in case of emergency and he needs to talk to doctors. With out this doctors may refuse to talk to him regarding his mom. You can just explain that every adult over 18 needs to have this in their files, never know when emergency will happen to anyone of us. She may have one but if not this is very important if she is going to be in your care. The form is easy to find on internet and does not require notery only witnesses to her signature like you or a neighbor, friend etc... And as others have said pharmasist know more about meds than docs, should find out what that other med is for full picture.

Under federal law, people have to see their doctors once or twice a year to continue having their medications refilled. If your BF's mother is getting the medication without seeing her doctor at least that much, then her doctor is prescribing illegally. He could use this as a reason to get her up and out to see the doctor. From what you describe, she could use a good checkup to see why she feels so bad. 70 is young. Many people here on the group are near that age or older.

If you're planning to have this woman in your home and to take care of her, you might want to consider establishing some rules right now, as her attitude toward medical care is at some point going to affect your ability to care for her.

Doctors don't refill prescriptions indefinitely; at some point she'll have to see those who have scripted the meds for her.

Is she bed bound? If so, this is going to present a tremendous responsibility for you and your BF.

I guess I should mention she is 70 years old. I do not know what her levels of oxygen as she never goes to see the doctor her medications just get refilled. I would think that she should check in with her doctor occasionally to make sure things are going as they should but she is insistant that she doesn't need to go to see him. I feel like she doesn't want anyone asking questions.

Jessie's right on the money with her advice on night oxygen supplements. To the best of my knowledge, CPAPs (or an oxygen cannula from an oxygen concentrator if that's what you're referring to) are prescribed by doctors. I don't know if she could even get a CPAP without a prescription.

Assuming it's for a respiratory condition, it was likely determined by a pulmonologist that she needed one for night use, when respirations can momentarily stop or drop during sleep to dangerously low levels for someone with specific conditions.

Based on Medicare criteria, there are different standards for oxygen supplementation at night vs. during the day. It wouldn't hurt for your BF to buy a pulse oximeter from one of the drug stores and monitor her saturation rate during the day, if this woman is going to be living with you on a more or less permanent basis.

The mix does not sound unusual. Prozac for depression, lorazapam for anxiety, percocet for pain. Some antidepressants can cause diarrhea. I don't know about Prozac. None of the medications mentioned should cause a normal person to be bed-bound if they were given at reasonable dosages. There must be something else going on, or maybe the medications are not working. The CPAP machine used at night is for sleep apnea or other low-oxygen condition. People with low oxygen can feel very tired during their waking hours. How is her blood oxygen?

Someone needs to review the meds with her doc. You could also call most any pharmacy and they will give you the info sheets on each drug listing interaction warnings. I went through this with my Mom, overlapping scrips, no communication between rehab and doc etc. she was having drunken stupor reactions to drug combos.