How Can I Talk My Dad Out of Taking Pain Pills?
Question by Kenneth M: How can I talk my dad out of Taking Pain Pills?
I am trying to give my dad a good “Talk” about pain pills. Because he has pretty much become addicted. He’s a senior citizen & he takes Tramadol, he actually takes the MAXIMUM! amount the Laws will allow him to take. Even more some times. He takes more than 10 a day, maybe 12 or something. And has been taking them for about 9 years.
I am very concerned about his health. What are a bunch of facts, & just information that I can Relay to my father to get him to think about this, & hopefully reconsider this.
Thankyou!
Best answer:
Answer by khole12
Don’t go to your father. Go to the doc who’s been prescribing him all these pain pills and express your concern. A # of medication causes symptoms that mimic senility. Even if he is a senior citizen, he’s to young for these symptoms to be the real thing of senility and you are his son. If anyone has a reason to feel concern, you do. He/she will give you more than adequate info. The doctor may also take him off of these pills and provide alternatives like-simple stretching. He’s addicted and he’s over medicated. When the doctor monitors the medication, he will begin to feel better.
I get the impression that by a little exercise ex. a nightly walk, he will feel better. Walking is good for everyone.
Answer by Mathieu
Tramadol is a synthetic pseudo-opioid which has some properties of opioids (like morphine and heroin) but Tramadol is also technically an antidepressant and has effects like a SNRI class antidepressant. It also has some unique anti-inflammatory properties.
The maximum dose of oral Tramadol is 100 mg at any one time and 400 mg/day. Pills containing only Tramadol (no acetaminophen) are 50 mg tablets. Thus it is safe to take 2 at one time or 8 daily.
And there is no legal maximum for just about any medication. The 400 mg/day is the official figure used by most governments including the FDA in America. But doctors have the right to prescribe medications “off label.” What that means is that a doctor, at his discretion, can prescribe a medication for a problem the drug is not technically approved for or a medication can be prescribe at a higher dose. It is a very common and important part of medicine. However Tramadol is one of only a handful of medications were the maximum daily dose is set in stone. There is no reason to prescribe more due to the risk of seizure (and many other things). If a person really was in enough pain requiring more than 400 mg of Tramadol a different medication should be used.
And Tramadol is not a controlled substance under international law or national laws but a few US states have placed it under schedule IV control (like Valium, Darvocet, Ambien).
Tramadol can cause abuse/dependence and addiction but this is very rare.
Tramadol abuse is more risky than abuse of other opioids. Due to some of Tramadol’s unique properties it can lower the seizure threshold and the risk of seizure is high at a dose above 400 mg/day. So abuse often results is very serious seizures which are often very hard to stop. Other opioids don’t have the high risk of seizure like Tramadol has.
What makes you think he is addicted (I am not trying to disagree but most people have a different definition of addiction). Aside from taking more medications does he behave oddly? Does he sleep a lot or become energetic after taking Tramadol? Some people can have almost amphetamine like reactions to Tramadol and become very stimulated. Have you noticed his heath deteriorate directly from Tramadol?
The reason I ask is that is technical criteria for the diagnosis of substance abuse (addiction is not technically a medical word) is that the use of a substance is causing problems with family, friends, the law, health, financially, or other aspects of life. And despite the consequences the person continues to use. But because Tramadol has more risks when taken over the normal dose compared to other opioids it can be said that he is putting himself at major risk yet will not stop.
Have you talked with him about his use of medications? Do you ever go with your dad to the doctor? If you do (or he would allow you to) you can bring up your concerns with the doctor. There is also an option of using a long acting drug with Tramadol in it taken once a day. But some people crush it and take it all at once which is very dangerous. And there is the drug Ultracet which is a combination of 37.5 mg Tramadol and 325 mg acetaminophen. Since it has less Tramadol and it has acetaminophen he would not be able to take as much without overusing acetaminophen (but he might not care). Those are just possible things that might reduce his risks. And if you happen to live with him you could ask him if you could hold on to the medication and give it to him when he needs it.
If you want you can email me and I can give you other information, answer an questions, give you links, even scan information and send it to you, and other things that might help.
I have worked with people with addiction to Tramadol, pseudo-addiction to Tramadol, and addiction to many other drugs and I have studied Tramadol extensively. And I have chronic pain (I’m 23) and although I have never abused a drug in my life I have taken Tramadol many times so I have many views on the medication and a fairly unique perceptive on pain.
If you are interested my email is [email protected]