So, my grandmother lives with me in my home. As of today, whe started having nose bleeds, a recurrent problem for her that she blames on hypertension. She's hesitant to take her medicine to begin with (claiming she's "doing good" for only taking one med at 75 (though she's been prescribed more and refuses to seek treatment for other issues.))
Anyway, she is supposed to take one pill if her weight is below 140Lbs and two if her weight is above 140. She just had me weigh her (because she can't see the dial) and her weight is 145. I suggested she just start taking two all the time. Her weight is going to fluctuate a few pounds day to day depending on how much she eats or drinks and I find it highly unlikely that the 5Lbs difference between one and two pills would cause an overdose (though, I'm not a doctor.)
This wouldn't bother me so much if she'd just shut up about her nose bleeds. She clearly isn't bleeding out and they are not even making a mess. I guess what's really driving me crazy is her attitude that age makes her right. It's currently my opinion (a second year engineering student with first aid/CPR/AED and search and rescue training) vs. her (8th grade drop out) "facts."
Anyway, without me knowing the exact medicine, should she be safe just taking two?
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Because I don’t know of any medication that would go by weight I’m afraid I can only say that I would not give her the (2) pills until you speak with her doctor or if you see the script on the bottle you can call that pharmacy and ask to speak with the pharmacist and they can help give you a clear definition of what the script says. Pharmacist are excellent at being able to help in these situations - I have spoken to many on regard to my moms when I was unsure.
I can see your overwhelmed with trying to help your grandmother as it is overwhelming and hard - so breathe - and if you cannot get her doctor please reach out to the pharmacist (you can also ask them about nosebleeds to see if there are any side effects or warnings for her meds as maybe it’s a common side effects of that medication ) they will gladly check for you and maybe it will even bring your gm peace of mind.
Depending on grandma's age and mental clarity maybe her pills should be placed in a pill sorter each week by you. The elderly often get confused about prescriptions.
All other bottles of medication should be kept out of reach. Ask the pharmacy for child proof caps also.
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But if you're not:
Her nosebleeds could be from different causes, but she says they're from her hypertension, and she's also not taking her hypertension med consistently.
Tonight I would make sure that she has taken her medication as prescribed. Then you or another responsible adult should call her doctor's office tomorrow and tell them about the nosebleeds, the 5 lb weight gain, and her medication non-compliance.
It's not that the pills in question would cause an 'overdose' in the way you seem to mean it. The dosing appears to be titrated to balance her water intake and output. Once she gets back to her target weight then she should be taking her usual dose.
Because it's a prescription expressly for your grandmother's problem.
Written by a doctor.
With at least 7 years of post graduate education.
And a Board Certification.
Take medical advice only from doctors who have the training to answer these questions properly.