Medication for pain

[bbd222]

Hi,
I have concerns regarding my mom. In 2008, she began to be treated for chronic pain medically. She is now 75 years old and we are very concerned. She does not get off the couch much.  She has dropped 15 pounds this last year and quite frankly she is only 5 1 and maybe weigh 120.  I feel she has been over medicated (reason why she is always resting on the couch). Besides her heart medications and vitamins, she has been taking on a daily basis:
1. Neurontin
2. Muscle Relaxer (not sure of brand0
3. Ativan
4. Oxycodone
I understand that a mixture of these meds are necessary to treat severe pain, however my mom doesn't feel much of anything. She was recently admitted to the hospital for rapid heartbeat.  We found out it was brought on by a bladder infection which can be very painful. She didn't  know she had one. She couldn't feel it. Please advice. I know just by her actions, this is not right. I just wonder if some doctors just pacify senior citizens.
Her muscle tone is gone and for her to go any flight of stairs or get into a tub is an extreme struggle. I have begged her to just walk a few steps a day (besides her shuffles to the kitchen, bathroom, etc in the house). I am at my wits end.  

[Weathergirl21]

The best thing you can do is actually go with your mom to the next Drs. appt. and find out why she is on each med as well as the dosages...

The medications unto themselves are definitely for someone who has chronic pain both muscular and nerve pain..

As mentioned, if taken all at the same time and not spread out properly it can cause sedation so that would be good to make sure that they are all done at the prescribed times of the day.

They may all "sound" scary to you but it all depends on how much pain someone is in, how long they have been in that pain, and if they are being monitored by their Dr. properly...After you find out those things then you can be more comfortable about the medications and your mom on them:)

But to deny someone, especially at her age if she is in a lot of pain, the proper pain meds would also be not good....

You can only do so much as she is an adult and does not sound like she has a condition like Alzheimers to where she should not be left alone or would have issues taking meds (possible overdose of forgetting they took them)....

So...hopefully you can attend a Drs. appt. and learn more...

[trixy71]

Is she taking them all at the same time? If she is, this could be the issue. Maybe have her space them out a little more. What is the ativan for?