I think my elderly MIL is addicted to Rx drugs

[Anonymous]

We're moving her into an assisted living facility.

Spouse and I were going through her medicines. There were 8 of them, including 2 for pain and Xanax.

It didn't make sense why she would have two for pain that she taxes regularly, and she says she takes Xanax for sleep. When we suggested we revisit the med schedule with her new doctor, she got very agitated and angry -- over the pain meds and the Xanax.

I joked to spouse later that she was talking like a drug addict. And then I realized that she actually was.

Anyone BTDT?

For the record, the doctor kept her on the Xanax -- says older people undergoing lots of changes often have anxiety. I get that. Although I can't imagine taking so much of it is helping her memory issues that are causing us to put her in this facility.

But I noticed he has cut the pain meds to one, and failed to actually call it into the pharmacy.

[Anonymous]

How old is elderly, like 66 or 85? Does it really hurt anything for her to take them? If her quality of life affected? I'd say if she is over 70 and the answers to other questions are no, just let her be.

I plan on drinking like a fish when I'm old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How old is elderly, like 66 or 85? Does it really hurt anything for her to take them? If her quality of life affected? I'd say if she is over 70 and the answers to other questions are no, just let her be.

I plan on drinking like a fish when I'm old.

She is 78. And I kind of agree. It was just startling. She was very protective of her pain meds.

My chief concern is she is masking knee pain to avoid using a walker. Which is understandable, but also risky: If she falls and breaks a hip because she's not using a walker, that will cause all of us a great deal of anguish.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes older people also lose track of what medicines they're taking.

If she's moving into an assisted living they should be tracking her medicines as well as getting her on some sort of strength training. Maybe swimming. It sounds as though her GP was over-medicating her with Xanax.

[Anonymous]

Moving into assisted living does not guarantee they monitor meds. Two elderly relative manage their own meds in AL.