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Adding info to a ? asked
Hope this goes to your inbox I am not that familar with this site quite yet. But I was wanting to give you a little more info on the question that I had asked about the possiblity to having more than one prescription for a drug at other pharmacy's.
The reason that I expect abuse is because a few weeks ago the family member was experiencing hallucinations because of not sleeping for multiple days. Which resulted in an 48 hr committment to the local mental hospital. Done by the social worker there and the physican, not the family. Then this week and last week she was able to purchase Klonidine at two different pharmacy's both for 120 pills. Her prescribed amount is 4 times per day. This is her blood pressure meds but I suspect she is using it to come down and help her to sleep after taking large amounts of Floricet and Lortabs, which turned out to be what was found in her system by the hospital. I just find it strange that she has medications at four different pharmacy's so far that I have found out about. Here is a little more info about it but I look forward to getting the full story to u and hopefully a little advice about what to do. I can tell you this she is in major denial of what harm she is causing her body and family.
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It did go to my inbox. Thank you for giving me more information, but I still have more questions for you. Do you have a screen name on AIM/would you be comfortable chatting with me on there? If not, it's okay. This'll just take a little longer. :)
Have you talked to her about this previously? Is that why you know she's in denial?
If you've approached her about this and she's gotten defensive, that's a good indication that she might have a problem.
She was able to purchase the medication at two different pharmacies for the same amount within a week...That is strange; however, the research I've done doesn't speak much to clonidine being a habit-forming substance, meaning it isn't controlled. The pharmacy, then, maybe wasn't being as cautious regarding the dates. When it's prescribed at my office, it's prescribed as a sleep aid, or sort of a "come-down" aid for kids with ADHD. So your family member using it to sleep, yes, is off-label, doesn't necessarily mean she's abusing it.
Fioricet and Lortabs, however, are both definitely risky meds as far as abuse and addiction are concerned.
Know, though, that those two are completely different classes (barbituate and opiate, respectively), and usually they don't negatively interact, but a large amount isn't ever okay to take...that's a good way to damage your liver, and possibly other parts of your body and brain.
So, from her side of the story (I'm speculating here, but this is what I think she might say if you were to ask her to explain herself): She had a bout of really bad insomnia. Five days without sleep is AWFUL (The longest I've ever gone, I think, was three days, and whoa, was I in terrible shape). Not thinking clearly and probably scared, she tried to put herself to sleep with what drugs she had access to (I'm guessing she didn't have access to a sleep aid). A cocktail of Lortab and Fioricet would definitely knock you out. It's interesting that she (theoretically) tried to be smart about it. She didn't just take a handful of Lortab or Fioricet; she took two different things - I don't think she was trying to overdose. Perhaps in her hallucinating, foggy state, she forgot what she had taken because it wasn't working, so she took more. Anyway, I'm guessing something like that is why those two were in her system.
My question is, why did she have access to those? Does she have a pain problem as well? That would keep someone up. How old is this person?
I can understand being afraid of the insomnia and using the Clonidine to help her sleep, but I wonder if she's doing that on her own, or if her doctor suggested it. She should really have some kind of sleep medication to help her with her insomnia instead. Has she ever tried anything like that? Ambien/Ambien CR, Lunesta, even Melatonin - anything?
Did these issues just suddenly appear, or is the insomnia common for her? Has she overdosed before/does she have a history of drug abuse?
I know I'm prying for a lot of information. I'm just trying to help you figure out the reasoning, and maybe the best way to approach this whole thing, if it even needs to be approached. The questions you send to my inbox will only show up on my column, if that helps.
Thanks for responding. I look forward to hearing more from you.
Siren
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