How do I get my mom to stop overdosing on her medication?

I’m really sorry that you are dealing with all of this.

I don’t think you understand how addiction works. You say that your mom has had a substance abuse problem all her life and that you want to help her stop abusing meds.

You have no power whatsoever to control your mother’s behavior. Not only that, your mom has serious concerns and needs someone who will oversee her care. Are you willing to be her advocate? That is the first step in helping your mom.

May I suggest that you attend a few NarAnon or ALAnon meetings to be around others who have dealt with similar issues. Or spend some time discussing addiction issues with a counselor who specializes in addiction.

Best wishes to you and your mom.

Absolutely nothing you can do about this but speak to her doctor about her abuse of medications, how many she is on from him/her and other MDs. If they don't address the abuse there is certainly little you can do.

If you go to Al-Anon usually affiliated with Narc-anon you will learn that you have only the ability to decide whether you wish to be around a drug and alcohol abuser or you wish to LEAVE them. You certainly can do ZERO to change them. And your being "at them" gives them the excuse of YOU are making them "whatever" and YOU are the problem.

She will soon enough be injured by "going down" behind this abuse. Once in care medications can be managed. From sad first hand experience I can tell you that abusers will find a way to abuse, even if it means drinking gallons of Listerine. There is a reason that stuff is on the ends of the aisles along with the potato chips. And it ISN'T bad breath.

Get help for yourself. She is beyond help from you.

According to your profile, your mother suffers from Alzheimer's/dementia and lives in her own home? She needs to be supervised at ALL TIMES, not live alone ( if she is doing so), and have her medications doled out to her. You can't reason with her.....her ability to use logic is no longer present. As a certified care aide, do you have experience with dementia patients?

If you are talking about Subutex, this is the brand name for buprenorphine. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist that works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, thus preventing withdrawal symptoms from occurring. It does not produce a high like other opioids when taken in higher doses, as it only partially activates those receptors. Subutex is not available in the USA as of 2011.

If your mom lives alone and refuses managed care or to be supervised in any way, you can call APS and report a demented elder with drug problems living alone. If she lives with you or you with her, can you apply for Medicaid and get her placed, if you are her POA?

My mother had neuropathy and that is why she could not walk. She finally went into a wheelchair fulltime for the last 3 years of her life, with dementia as well. Nothing really helps neuropathy because it's nerve pain which opioids do not touch.

I'm sorry you're going thru such a thing with your mother. I wish you good luck and Godspeed figuring out what to do.

Your Mom should not be living on her own. She needs her medications to be managed.

There are pill boxes you can buy that only will release the appropriate medicines. Adult day care couple days a week would get her in other activities. Needs PA or assisted living if you don't want be bothered.

By hooks or crooks, you have to take over the dispensation of her meds. Overdose is dangerous. It will not be easy to do but you have to try different techniques and alternatives. Maybe a doctor's order, preferably written, can help.

Your mom has addiction issues, you cant fix them. I'm so sorry, anyone going through addiction, effects the whole family.
Find away out of trying to help your mom, and get yourself mentally grounded, if not for you do it for your children

How to report to a doctor when not immediate family. First try to call as a person of concern or send a letter. You need the date of birth to continue by voice or by mail. Mention who you are and your concern. If not on the patient privacy list, you will not hear back but the message will be forwarded.

Some doctors offices are good at calling the patient back ahead of the next appointment but not all. Abuse of pain medications should be a big concern to all prescribers because of a CDC best practices guide from a couple of years ago. It was a wake up call that had an immediate response on how doctors severely limited their prescriptions...for the good.

See if you can get a locked, alarmed pillbox (know they can be pricy) with internet alerts on attempted dispenses. This can work if you are not there at med time. But know that addiction will do everything it can to find a way to get the needed fix. It might take true intervention via rehab or respite care to break the addiction. And that may not work either, if your LO doesn't really want it to.
Good luck.

Addiction is a huge problem in this age group (more than the previous and subsequent generations) and their Doctors don't seem to be managing this age group appropriately.