I had a post recently about my mother and her struggle through a recent right knee replacement surgery. Prior to this surgery, she was taking daily Percocet prescribed by a pain clinic she goes to once a week (for general pain, not specific like the knee) but during the 2 months after this surgery she wasn't able to go or get a prescription for Percocet for obvious reasons. However, now that she is off the temporary painkiller prescription post-surgery, she is back to visiting the pain clinic and returned to her Percocet prescription. This medication has been a source of problems in the past for the family where we cannot even have a conversation about it without her getting defensive and it’s still the case today.
It’s only been 5 days that she has been back on it and it’s already been a problem. She hasn't really been abusing it that much; the prescription is take as needed up to 4 tablets a day and they dispense enough to last for a month if you take 4 a day. From Saturday to the end of today she has taken 5 a day from what I counted of what's left. The real problem is that she is just passes out most of the day, I have to force her to do some exercises and do some walking but because she just lays either in bed or in her chair for 3-4 hours at a time, she ends up stiff and in more pain than she otherwise would be if she was awake. When she is awake she forgets that she was asleep or pretends to be awake when someone comes by. Talking with her goes nowhere because she will do the signature "I'm too high right now" move where she stops mid-sentence with her mouth open, eyes closed and forget that she was just in a conversation with you.
I've already taken ownership of handling all her other medications and taken charge of keeping track of doctors appointments and the like. I want her to have at least some agency on the things going on, but I also don't like being around her when she is basically just high all day. Anyone have experience dealing with this and was there a compromise that you found worked for you?
I took all of her medications away and told the doctors not to prescribe any more. It worked because she doesn’t have enough of her faculties to doctor shop anymore. Since she got off the drugs she walks a lot more and has been so much healthier. It has even helped her dementia to get that blood flowing and not have drugs affecting her brain.
Imagine how stupid young people act when drunk. Now add dementia to the mix. It wasn’t a good thing and it didn’t take much convincing for the doctors to pull the prescriptions.
I would talk to the prescribing physician about your concerns. Mom will be very upset. Oh well.
What other "general pain" is she taking Percocet for? Unless it's something chronic and extremely painful, she can probably be taking Tylenol. My MIL broke her back in 2009, and is in LTC with chronic back pain. She gets only Tylenol and it works fine for her (fyi she became addicted to oxy after her back surgery).
Have you checked to make sure the Percocet isn't interacting with any other meds?
Is she getting any in-home PT? Is she doing any of it? If she doesn't progress her doctor will stop ordering it for her. I would have a conversation with the doc who is prescribing the Percocet for "general pain". See if her network has a pain clinic and seek alternatives. Don't tell your Mom because her Addiction Monkey will be very angry about it and will start flinging poo.
I'm still not fully recovered from my knee replacment on Aug 8th, but I was able to get off the Dilaudid 2 days post-op. Tylenol was enough (a lot of Tylenol). Icing her knee. Movement. It DOES hurt. A lot. And for a few months.
You are doing yeoman's work managing her care but (respectfully) you are projecting your expectations for her recovery and life onto someone who is clearly not able or willing, and probably never was, never will be. You will exhaust yourself doing this.
I wish you all the best as you work to help your Mom while keeping healthy expectations and boundaries for yourself.
"It contains an opioid pain reliever (oxycodone) and a non-opioid pain relieve"
Optoids should not be given out willy nilly. There have been campaigns trying to get dr. from prescribing these meds. You need to contact the doctor who is precribing this med and tell him Moms reaction to it. It was developed for terminal patients. It should never have been used for the general population.
And I think, they do not really help pain, I think they cause the feeling you have pain. Or something like that.
Feel free to discuss with your Mom's doctors your own concerns; let her know you are doing so. Don't expect the doctor to speak with you about this as even if you are POA, if your mom is competent enough to request the doctor not discuss with you, then the doctor will not do so.
Again, this is the face of addiction. I forget, Klaus, if your Mom lives with you or alone. I dearly hope it is the latter. Addiction is miserable to deal with.