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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
My sister has severe anxiety and a bit of depression. She sees a pdoc who has prescriberd her Effexor and Xanax and Ambien - but instead of taking the Effexor and Xanax - she takes a lot of Ambien. It's gotten to the point where she buys it off the internet. She takes like 80 mg every night. She admist she's addicted and needs help but won't do anything even tho I have told here who to call, etc.
She wrote me an email asking for help and advice and I offered her everything I ahve in regards to where to go for treatment, phone #'s etc.
She's also taking 120 Vicodin/week for chronic pain but runs out early many times (she sees a pain specialist and I do not believe she is abusing the pain meds as she is the Ambien).
I just don't know what to do. I'm barely hanging on and my parents won't do anything. No one in my family will do anything.
I can barely take care of myself with my recent med changes and sevre depression. This is all tearing me apart. What do I do?
Help
Jerry
Posted by Phillipa on April 30, 2007, at 10:48:52
In reply to Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
Jerry sounds like you've done all you can. Now take care of you. Love Phillipa
Posted by crenshaw387 on April 30, 2007, at 15:00:20
In reply to Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
120 vicodin a week is insanity... she needs to be put on a much lower dose of a stronger analgesic. thats about 17 pills a day.... not good.... i think maybe she should get a second opipion for another pain specialist and then maybe she wont need so much sleeping meds... seems most likely that she is using them to sleep when the vicodin isnt working enough...
Posted by Honore on April 30, 2007, at 15:41:49
In reply to Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
Jerry, I really empathize with your desire to help your sister. But you've done all you can. She has to take the next, very difficult steps herself.
Meanwhile, you have-- and I really mean have-- to take care of yourself first. When you're feeling more stable, you can be there for her in a more sustained, involved way. But right now, you can't let her crisis eat away at your beginning to feel better, and your struggle to find an equilibrium where you're all right. It's a temptation that I understand, but it's important not to give in to it.
It doesn't mean you aren't there for her or don't care-- You do. But the best thing you can do for her, in the long run, is not let her suffering undermine your own progress and peace of mind. That's a cliche-- I know-- but sometimes it really is true.
You have too much to deal with right now to become emotionally torn up about her. You've done the right thing-- again-- it really is up to her to take the next step. Then maybe you can do more for her.
Honore
Posted by Honore on April 30, 2007, at 15:44:33
In reply to Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
I wanted to add that I'm speaking from my own experience with a relative who was addicted to several meds, including a pain med (he also had chronic pain, as well as a separate, but interrelated, addiction problem).
There is only so much you can do that's constructive sometimes-- but you can throw yourself into turmoil over your powerlessness to help. That happened to me enough times that I started to realize that I wasn't any good for my relative and it was definitely endangering my state of mind.
It's a really difficult thing, I know.
Honore
Posted by kaleidoscope on May 1, 2007, at 15:33:08
In reply to Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by JerryPharmStudent on April 30, 2007, at 2:45:13
I am sorry to hear this Jerry. Stopping high dose Ambien can cause severe withdrawal symptoms.
Ed
Posted by JerryPharmStudent on May 1, 2007, at 18:40:17
In reply to Re: Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do, posted by kaleidoscope on May 1, 2007, at 15:33:08
> I am sorry to hear this Jerry. Stopping high dose Ambien can cause severe withdrawal symptoms.
>
> EdYeah she needs to wean off it slowly.....she's on way to much...plus the pain meds....I just cant fix it all.
Posted by med_empowered on May 2, 2007, at 2:16:51
In reply to Re: Sister is in crisis - don't know what to do » kaleidoscope, posted by JerryPharmStudent on May 1, 2007, at 18:40:17
I imagine high-dose ambien would be kind of like using a benzo drug. Does her vicodin cause insomnia? I agree that maybe a higher-potency pain med would do the trick, or at least adding in something. For instance: instead of the effexor, maybe try ultram (the mix can cause serotonin syndrome). That would probably also help the anxiety.
Anyway, 80mgs/night of ambien is ridiculous; I say, figure out what's causing her to pop so much ambien (is it somehow euphoric? Is she just **that** unable to sleep? Is it the pain meds?) and address it, while also trying something else for sleep. Maybe a straight up BZD drug, like ativan?
Anyway, good luck with all this.
Posted by JerryPharmStudent on May 2, 2007, at 6:14:38
In reply to high-dose ambien..., posted by med_empowered on May 2, 2007, at 2:16:51
> I imagine high-dose ambien would be kind of like using a benzo drug. Does her vicodin cause insomnia? I agree that maybe a higher-potency pain med would do the trick, or at least adding in something. For instance: instead of the effexor, maybe try ultram (the mix can cause serotonin syndrome). That would probably also help the anxiety.
>
> Anyway, 80mgs/night of ambien is ridiculous; I say, figure out what's causing her to pop so much ambien (is it somehow euphoric? Is she just **that** unable to sleep? Is it the pain meds?) and address it, while also trying something else for sleep. Maybe a straight up BZD drug, like ativan?
>
> Anyway, good luck with all this.It gives her euphoria and melts her anxieties and depression away. I compare it to using alchol to self-medicate and so does she. She does see a very good Pain Clinic who is WANTING to put her on a higher dose/stronger opiate for pain instaead of the pain. However, I know she uses the Vicodin for her depression and anxiety. It does not make her sleepy or "drunk" or whatever - but she runs out of the 120 Vidocodin she gets/week a lot. She spends $400-500/mo on Ambien from the internet and can't pay her bills.
I've told her to get hooked up with a therapist at our Clinic here - who to call, what to say, etc., and she always says she'll do it but then never does. I cannot call for her because they don't work like that. SHE needs to call. BUt I've told her that I am here for her always.
I dunno what else to do. She wants someone else to call for her.
This is the end of the thread.
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