Annie’s Mailbox: Doctors ignore opioid addiction

Dear Annie: I am livid about my 72-year-old mother’s physicians. Over the past few years, they kept writing her more prescriptions for opioid pain medication, despite our expressions of concern. When she ran out of pills before she could get another prescription, she experienced full-blown psychosis.

We have spent uncountable hours over Mom’s opioid addiction. Last year, we were forced to hospitalize Mom involuntarily. In the interim, despite our communications, a psychiatrist wrote another prescription for one of the drugs. We thought having it written on all her charts was enough. It wasn’t. Needless to say, we changed all of her doctors.

I know my mother is equally at fault, but she could not have gotten the prescriptions without a doctor. Mom now lives in an assisted living facility, where the staff understands our concerns. She is not pain-free, but she manages her pain with simple over-the-counter pain medication, heat, ice and rest.

Why don’t doctors tell their patients to come in if they have trouble discontinuing their meds? Shouldn’t asking for higher doses indicate a problem?

We were fortunate the physicians in the second psychiatric setting worked with us to address Mom’s medical needs. I want to shout from the rooftops: Doctors! Listen to your patients’ families! – Exhausted and Healing in Florida

Dear Florida: When taken as directed, opioids can be effective in dealing with chronic pain, even though the patient can develop a tolerance. But when you cannot function without it, it is a full-blown addiction. Millions in the U.S. suffer from substance use disorders related to opioids. We appreciate your warning and hope doctors are paying attention. For more, readers can go to samhsa.gov.