lethargy

My wife, 83 yrs. 146 lbs, takes oxycontin for sacro-iliac pain.
About 5 months ago her dose was increasd from 30mg ( PO ) to 60mg daily. For the last few months she has no energy and sleeps a lot, falling asleep even while reading, watching TV, etc.
Could the increased dose of oxycontin have any causal effect for her lassitude? Our family doctor seems unconcerned and uninterested.

[Forum-M.D.-DT]

Thank you for visiting the Family Practice Forum.

I suspect you are right on the money here. Elderly people are much more succeptible to toxic effects of medications. There are several factors behind this fact. Firstly, as one gets older, the body's ability to clear these medications from the system deminishes, therefore, the medication, or the substances they are broken down into stay in the body longer. Secondly, the actual blood volume of an elderly person is somewhat less than that of a younger person, therefore a medication in an older person will reach a higher CONCENTRATION in the blood stream.
Finally, when one takes a higher dose of medication and becomes lethargic, one may drink less fluids and become dehydrated, which further causes problems.

I would approach your doctor again and talk to him/her about lowering the oxycontin dose and possibly considering other medications which are less likely to cause drowsiness. (i.e. Motrin, Tylenol)