How can I tell if my mom is addicted to pain pills?
March 15th, 2010
My mom is 50 and has a bad back and some other problems that cause her pain. She has started seeing a pain specialist for these problems even.
I’m afraid she may become, or might be already addicted to the pain pills she is getting.
How can I tell for sure if she is addicted?
As long as your Mom is just taking them the way the Dr. wrote the script for, she will not become addicted. If she is going to a pain specialist then I would think that her meds are under control. You might ask yourself why you are so worried about this. She is 50 years old and a grown woman. Unless she has had problems before with her pills, then most likely you are worrying about this for nothing.
Wishing you both good luck with this
just keep an eye on her see if shes carrying pills in her purse, how many pills (if theres a lot or a little), how many times she takes them, and watch to see how many shes taking in a day er week (u can see how many she should b taking on the container)
First of all there is a big difference in being addicted and abusing,,, if your Mom needs pain medication that have been given to her by her doctor then you have to understand he knows what he is doing.
I’m addicted to pain meds,, I have been for several years,, but that’s just a medical condition,,, I don’t take more than directed and I haven’t had any problems once I understood the difference,,,, now people that abuse them do have life changing problems,,, if she is abusing them she will be trying to pick up her Rx early all the time,, that’s the easiest way you would have to know.
Being addicted doesn’t mean anything as long as it’s under a doctors care,, the same doctor that gets you addicted can safely get you off them when the time is right and you no longer need pain medication for pain management. For people like me that will never happen,, some people have to take them to just try to function in a somewhat normal fashion.
My problem was I was in an accident with a drunk driver,, I’m disabled because of it,,, worry more about Mom if she starts drinking,, let the doctor deal with her possible addiction
BTW,, yes the weather does make a big difference for some pain patients,, low pressure systems increase my pain by 20% or so,, and it has been proven that the weather does effect certain condition
Does she call the pharmacy to get them refilled to early. Is she really moody and irritable. Don’t be fooled by the amount she is taking. That really has little to do with weather or not she is abusing them. She may be taking her whole days worth at once. Does she go to different doctors trying to get them?