liver disease and drugs

Why would a physician give Lorazapam and Oxycodone to a patient who has severe liver damage and also has a history as a youth to drug addiction, and recent serious alcohol addiction that caused the liver damage in the first place??

[Ella789]

I honestly do not know.  Perhaps the Lorazapam if anxiety is a problem,  but not the oxycodone,  is this person in alot of pain.???   Is the liver damage repairable ? or is it in serious stages ?

Ella

[mack2000]

She was to be set up for a liver transplant by the doctor in the hospital if she remained alcohol free for 6 months.  The pain is not that severe, but she probably tells the doctor it is severe.  The Lorazapam was given for sleep.  I think taking massive doses of both is a drug addiction.  She has gone through a bottle in two days.  This seems almost criminal that a doctor would do this without understanding.  She told them of her history of heroin abuse as a young person and alcohol of two bottles of wine a day before the liver failed.  It baffles me and I am not sure what to do?

[Buzzkillington]

Its totally insane how little doctors actually know about drug addiction.  Those are two very addicting and very abusable substances!  As an addict, I would refuse to take those medications for an extended period of time.  However, you make it sound like this person wanted to be medicated.  Even if it is her legal right to take her medications as prescribed, most addicts usually don't and any educated doctor would know this.  In my honest opinion its just another misinformed medical practitioner handing a patient a loaded gun, in this case a double barrel shotgun.

PS When a patient has drugs like that in his or her system it is much harder for them to stay alcohol free.

[mack2000]

She has been going down hill since the hospital, and I just found out why.  I want to put her rehab but I debate about the role I should play in decision making for a grown adult who knows she is killing herself.  I do not know how to proceed without her feeling more hopeless and deciding to just go back to the life she used to live and drain monies for what is left in out account, since I am financially providing for her now since she lost her job.  I want to head for the bank and prevent any monies from being withdrawn.  I want her put away while I do this, while I have to work fulltime 3 hours away from home four days a week just to keep being able to pay the bills.  I also think I need to write to the physcian.  I agree with you and education would seem beneficial here??

[febninthgirl]

U can call here doc. If she is abusing her meds they may not do the transplant. They are going to want to make sure this one is not going to get damaged. To me it sounds like she has been self med for years now. Getting to the bottom of why and getting her help for it will help sorry you r going though this but the bottom line is going to want to stop for anything to work

[notgoingdown]

I think your idea of getting the money out of her reach is a good one. You should do this asap.

[Buzzkillington]

Its hard to convince somebody that they have a problem with addiction even if its blatantly killing them.  I've struggled for a little while with hard headed people who think they have their use under control, or are so out of control that they don't know what to do.  I think talking to the doctor about the situation is the best idea.  I imagine that you've isolated yourself in this process and that this is your first real cry for help.  Many internet postings are.  What you need is more people in your life.  More people to know this story coming from your mouth.  Starting but not ending with the MD.  Get honest.  Sort out the advise of others, and do what's best for you, and I will help you any way I can as well.

[avisg]

OK are you in pain did you need pain meds. oxycontin is not what damages Your liver. It the drugs they mix the Oxycontin or hyddrocodone with Tylenol or as I call it apap.I think they are taking alot of the the drugs with the apap of the market .Did you tell him to not give you the scripts that you will not take them and why?

[mack2000]

Thanks for your advice,  I went to bed thinking this was not going to work either, but awoke this morning to help..  This is good.  I have been getting honest.  In fact, I just left a message for her doctor before I got on line.  I also realize the liver transplant will probably not happen,  This makes me angry and sad at the same time.  She has given up, but claims otherwise.  I work to keep solvent, but need to get off to perhaps get her into a treatment center.  How do you do this easily without her rebelling?  I thought I would start with the doctor using his leverage, perhaps, but then it might also be her death sentence if they were going to do a transplant.  I will go to the bank this morning and see what I can do regarding her going under and start the street drug thing which she know all about from her earlier years.  I am so naive to the dishonesty of it all and, yet, you are right, I am lying myself and have been for years to cover for her.  She had been in the Navy and always trying to save her career--for this--how stupid it that.

[mack2000]

By the way, what do the hours mean in the responses?  I have to get used to this site, but it seems to be quite helpful if I am patient.

[mack2000]

The meds the doctor gave her was oxycod/apap and Lorazapam.  It seems to me like the doctor is trying to damage the liver further.  This is not clear.  And the specialist is in the dark because there seems to be some ego involvement with the doctor prescribing the meds to hold her from seeing the specialist frequently.  The specialist is the one who was going to put her on the transplant list.  I think she is avoiding the specialist because of the preferred provider who gives her the drugs that are killing her. Hence, in the middle of politics between the docs in a field that really scares me if they are just pill pushers instead of diagnosticians.

[Buzzkillington]

Honesty can sometimes produce good results, at other times everything ends up going to hell in a handbasket no matter what you say or do.  The point is that right now, you are taking action to save the life of somebody you love.  If being honest is the only way for you to take action, then honesty is the only way to go.  An addict would destroy a new liver in no time, the disease of addiction has proven itself in countless others to be stronger than organ transplants.

[avisg]

YES DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING WITH APAP IN IT I would come right out and ask why would they right your a script for something that is knowen to cause liver damage exspecailly when they can give you the same med with apap if you are suffering . I am going to pm you there are some thing I would like to ask but not on the forum

[kiylen]

I know it's severe and drastic, but sometimes a patient, if proven, like with the bottles being empty after two days and her history of abuse and liver condition, can be declared incompetent to care for themselves and forced into medical treatment.  If you can find the right doctor, maybe her specialist, it can be done very quickly before more damage is done.  Something you might can check into by speaking to the specialist...  I feel bad you're caught in the middle but I know it's your friend.  Love can only do so much though.

[mack2000]

I faxed a letter with list of major concerns and he did not get back to me and said I could attend her next appointment in mid December.  Mid December?  I discussed Wernecke/Korkasoff as some growing concerns, even though she has stopped drinking.  I discussed the falling down and the bruises and blood marks all over her body speak volumes.  He knows about her history.  He is the specialist, but there is a conflict between the specialist and the preferred provider.  The PP gave the drugs.  I suggested the medication choices were seemingly hazardous.  I do not want to jeopardize her treatment in the middle of busy, and, frankly, not caring physicians.   They have to see the weight loss has been monumental since the hospital stay just three months ago.  She has lost at least 30 pounds and she is short.  She sleeps two thirds of the day and cannot carrying on much of a conversation.  Her mind is going and this is very sad because she cannot make good decisions and gets very irritated when I suggest paths to help.  I wish she would fall enough to hurt herself and have to go back to the hospital, but I am not sure she would survive a fall of that nature.  I cannot get her to listen and, believe it or not, I am the only one she might listen to, but she listens to the PP over the specialist, who she knows is very intelligent and knew what he was talking about.  I think her specialist is probably trying not to intrude on her PP.  If she were to go back to the hospital, I would have leverage to get her into treatment, but treatment is not that easy to get someone into nowadays in our state.

[mr.lucky66]

Did she get pure oxycodone without tylenol? Maybe she was in severe pain and needed it. I know it hard to understand but addicts sometimes need strong pain meds too. It easy to speculate without all the facts.Oxycodone is not harmful to the liver in it's pure form, the attivan isn't too bad in low doses.

[mack2000]

It is oxycod/apap, is all I know.  I agree pain is a possibility, but first it was 57 Lorazapam in four days, then 12 oxys in less than two days,  and continuous three pills every few hours of benedryl, plus an inhaler and cigarettes.   I am no doctor, but this cannot be good for the liver, severely damaged.  It sounds like suicide to me, but she claim otherwise.  I must admit I check her stash often nowadays because I do feel I might have to do something more drastic since I think someone must be responsible for her safety.  I have her Power of Attorney for health and finances and worry about having to take drastic steps.  I am worn out just from the severe alcoholism she hid from me for multiple years.      I have trouble with being angry one minute and then grief stricken the next.  

[mr.lucky66]

57 attivan is 4 days is a very heavy dose! the oxy w/apap is tylenol or generic percocete. If this person has severe liver disaese (disease), than it is irresposible for this doctor to give her liver killing tylenol. If this is the case then he is a quack.