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End-Stage Liver Disease physical pain
My mother has end-stage liver disease. My question is how much pain goes along with it? Enough to need a prescription of methadone? The reason I ask is b/c my mother has a history of drug addiction & while her liver specialist isn't prescribing the methadone to her, another physician is. She recently spent 3 weeks with me and was absolutely fine, which means her ammonia levels were normal, she was sleeping throughout the night, up most of the day, even went shopping a couple of times, - BUT, the minute she went back home and got her prescription filled (she was without methadone the entire time she was with me b/c she forgot to bring her prescription with her) the ammonia level went back up, she's been acting clumsy, slurring her words, foggy state of mind, etc..., etc... So in my mind, this is all related to the methadone. While she was staying with me, she complained about some pain; however, she wasn't moaning & groaning, and certainly didn't seem to need anything as strong as methadone. Also, she wasn't going through withdrawals from anything else, so I know she isn't taking the methadone to treat another addiction. What's your opinion?
said 'Meth' is not the same as methadone.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
said 'Meth' is not the same as methadone.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
said 'Meth' is not the same as methadone.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
said 'Meth' is not the same as methadone.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
I don't think she is smoking "meth" I believe she is TAKING meth as in methadone which DOES work as a painkiller.
Give me a break. Why don't you stop being belligerant.
If he said she was doing speed I wouldn't assume she was driving fast.
He's talking about METHADONE. A doctor isn't going to prescribe CRANK for anybody. It's illegal and not prescriptionable.
Get REAL.
Hi Joe - I know this is tearing your family up. It would me too. The site is not working right so pardon if I am asking questions you've answered.
Do you know if her ammonia levels have ever been elevated to the point of confusion and disorientation? Do you know what other meds she is on besides meth and ambien? Who presribed the ambien? It can cause some bizarre symptoms in some cases, but I don't think it's the culprit of her total disorientation (but it might be.)
If she has had elevated ammonia on account of ESLD and has been disoriented before, most GI docs will put the patient on the Lactulose (it's usually in a great big bottle - like syrup). She would have most likely had this with her when she visited you.
You have to come to a decision - you have to decide, for one, and I think the most pressing is to decide if you think your mom is in danger from the disorientation (no matter what it might be from.) If you think she is, and you want to help her, tell her. Tell her you think someone needs to be involved with her care (or -- that you are afraid she is in trouble with something.) She may well be in severe pain and need the meth. But if her liver is not functioning good, the meth could be sitting around in her blood stream, and she could overdose on the stuff (pretty damn easy.)
If she is not agreeable, then there probably isn't much you can do unless there comes the time you think she is a danger to herself (and she can get that way with ESLD, on meth and ambien, and living alone.) I hope she'll be OK. Best of luck to you.
Do you know if her ammonia levels have ever been elevated to the point of confusion and disorientation? Do you know what other meds she is on besides meth and ambien? Who presribed the ambien? It can cause some bizarre symptoms in some cases, but I don't think it's the culprit of her total disorientation (but it might be.)
If she has had elevated ammonia on account of ESLD and has been disoriented before, most GI docs will put the patient on the Lactulose (it's usually in a great big bottle - like syrup). She would have most likely had this with her when she visited you.
You have to come to a decision - you have to decide, for one, and I think the most pressing is to decide if you think your mom is in danger from the disorientation (no matter what it might be from.) If you think she is, and you want to help her, tell her. Tell her you think someone needs to be involved with her care (or -- that you are afraid she is in trouble with something.) She may well be in severe pain and need the meth. But if her liver is not functioning good, the meth could be sitting around in her blood stream, and she could overdose on the stuff (pretty damn easy.)
If she is not agreeable, then there probably isn't much you can do unless there comes the time you think she is a danger to herself (and she can get that way with ESLD, on meth and ambien, and living alone.) I hope she'll be OK. Best of luck to you.
It seems that way but that is NOT how they do it, my liver doc does not prescribe pain killers either but refers me to my PCP for that, this is common practice and not something your Mom is
"trying to pull" at all.
she should be on laculose from what I understand, talk to her and have her speak to her liver doctor about it. Maybe you could go with her and discuss your concerns about her relocating with the liver specialist. I would imagine changing traansplant facilities could get very complicated. I can not comment on switching transplant facilities, but possibly someone here can offer some input on that.
Id work with her all the way, going to her PCP for pain meds is not uncommon.
I do think the Ambien could be contributing to her issues, check a quick google for Ambien side effects and you will see why I say that!
Good luck to you, it is hard dealing with a family member with ESLD but to have to deal with it long distance is even harder.
If you do try to go behind her back and try to change her medical care or drug regimen, that could make her feel betrayed or distrustful. She is going through a tremendous amount, you all are, but she is the one dealing with all of this happening to her and I think she should be included in conversations about her and her situation as much as possible.
"trying to pull" at all.
she should be on laculose from what I understand, talk to her and have her speak to her liver doctor about it. Maybe you could go with her and discuss your concerns about her relocating with the liver specialist. I would imagine changing traansplant facilities could get very complicated. I can not comment on switching transplant facilities, but possibly someone here can offer some input on that.
Id work with her all the way, going to her PCP for pain meds is not uncommon.
I do think the Ambien could be contributing to her issues, check a quick google for Ambien side effects and you will see why I say that!
Good luck to you, it is hard dealing with a family member with ESLD but to have to deal with it long distance is even harder.
If you do try to go behind her back and try to change her medical care or drug regimen, that could make her feel betrayed or distrustful. She is going through a tremendous amount, you all are, but she is the one dealing with all of this happening to her and I think she should be included in conversations about her and her situation as much as possible.
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