My father was addicted to antiaxiety drugs.

**jinx** · 11-27-2006, 09:18 AM

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my dad was in the hospital. Thanks for all those who sent prayers. Let me give an update, because I cant believe this happened.
My father has many problems, including copd,(he has oxygen full time) type 2 diabetes, and a chronic form of Leukemia, which is currently in remission. My father age 76 was admitted to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, dehydration. They thought it was a blockage, 2 days and many tests later, they figured out it wasnt a blockage. That medication ( he was taking up to 15 pills per day.) was slowing down his system. Now my dad while in the hospital began to suffer some anxiety and nervousness. He wanted out, they didnt want to release him, my mother and I tried to convince him, but he signed himself out against medical advice. The doctor who released him sent him home with perscription for the anxiety, and told him to stop taking the other antianxiety, drug he was currently taking. At home the anxiety increased, he was crying, he wasnt sleeping and eating, he just walked back and forth.
We called his primary care and took him back to the hospital. All during this time, I thought the symtoms he was having were signs of drug withdrawal. I went over his current med. list and could not believe, what I saw. He was prescribed not just one antianxiety med, but 2 and a antidepressant. He had been taking them for a period of years, to treat anxiety that began when he was first diagnosed with the leukemia. during the first time he was in the hospital, the doctors stopped all of them at once and started a new one. I know that a person should be weaned off those drugs. That explains the anxiety, nervousness, and other symptoms he was suffering. My gut feeling was right. He was suffering from withdrawal, my poor father was addicted to these drugs.
While he was in the hospital, I took all his meds in a bag and in the hospital room with my father, had a sit down with the 2 doctors he sees the most, his primary care and pulminologist. Long story short, they cut down his pills to only 9 per day, adjusted the dosage of some others and instructed my father to call either one of them if any another of his doctors prescribes anything new.
I am also aware of what exactly my dad takes and the dosages. I now follow up any appointment he goes to with a phone call to speak to the doctor myself. A social worker at the hospital told me that the elderly can easiily become dependant of these sort of drugs as well as painkillers. due to the fact that many elderly see more than one doctor, often times one doctor doesnt know what the other one is doing.
He is now back to his oldself. Driving my mother crazy, he likes to cook, going to the grocery store, and playing cards with his old cronies.

**Jayne** · 11-27-2006, 09:32 AM

I am so happy for your dad and your family....You are a great daughter stepping in and getting something done..Bless you!

**MarshHen** · 11-27-2006, 10:15 AM

jinx,

Thanks for posting this. My hubby and I went through the same thing with his dad years ago, and if we had not stepped in when we did, I truly believe his life would have been shortened by at least four years. He had four different doctors and each one had prescribed at least 3 -4 different scripts without consulting each other. It was insane! I'm so glad all is now well with your dad and he is back to his old self.

Please! If you have an elderly family member who is taking several meds, do them a favor and check out what they are taking to make sure they are not over medicating themselves. Check with their doctors and make sure each one knows what the others have prescribed. You would be surprised to know how often this happens.

**pkellyc** · 11-27-2006, 11:47 AM

It's so sad that we have to monitor our own meds.

Years ago my mother was addicted to cough syrup with codeine in it.
She took it for years before her doctors office caught on. The poor woman couldn't sleep without it after a while and when she did come off it she walked the floors at night for a couple of months.

My mother inlaw who is 77 has been taking hormones since she was 50. It wasn't discovered until she recently changed doctors and he went over all her meds. He couldn't believe that she was still taking them along with a few other meds that were no longer needed.

**Nantahala** · 11-27-2006, 12:07 PM

I am a social worker in a hospial and I agree, please, please, please monitor what your loved one is taking at home and what they are getting in the hospital. Take a notebook and write it all down. It's correct that with so many doctors, often specialists with their own practices and resident teams, there are duplications of medications or extraneous medications all together.

Benzos are the typical anti-anxiety drug prescribed, most often Ativan (lorezapam) in the hospital and Xanex at home. One can become physically dependent upon them and a person taking them should be monitored regularly. SSRI and their newer components are not addictive in the same way that benzos are, but one can experience symptoms when going off them quickly.

**Amanda W** · 11-27-2006, 12:19 PM

I'm so glad your father is doing better now. He's very lucky to have a daughter that cares as much as you obviously do!

**kabin63** · 11-27-2006, 03:20 PM

Awesome that you figured it out. I was addicted to Xanax, very low dose, when I got pregnant with my daughter. It took me months to get off of them, but I did it and I will never take them again, no matter how anxious I feel. It wasn't until I was actually pregnant, and trying to get off of them that someone told me how addictive they are. The doctor said they are one of the most addictive.
I applaud you for listening to your intuition. That must have been hard for your dad, but good that you now watch like a hawk....