MIL taking medication when she doesn't need it

I think these can be addictive but not sure of the quantity you need to take.
Like you I rarely take anything and if I do need to I find a much smaller dose than the packet says.

Unfortunately your MIL will continue with her pain which will be caused by the very thing she's taking to stop it. After all this time of taking such a painkiller it's going to do more harm than good as paracetamol also damages the kidneys. I'm surprised this is happening and I would definitely go to the surgery if I were her and get this reviewed.

I don’t think paracetamol is addictive. I do take it fairly often, but not automatically or regularly. Once when I s suffering from pain in my legs my doctor told me to take them every day. I said surely it wasn’t right to take them all the time for an unspecified length of time. He said it was perfectly all right.

When I was in a rehab unit after being in hospital recently paracetamol was handed out automatically with every meal.

I doubt if the medication is causing her symptoms - at least, without scientific tests we have no way of knowing whether it is or not.

Its a difficult one. Advice to me was to take it regularly, better to keep the pain under control as much as possible than manage flare ups which needed stronger medication. Having said the I do manage some days without as I tend to see how the first couple of hours goes before taking the first tablets. Perhaps a trip to see the GP for a checkover would help you to stop worrying padyann and also find a reason for her symptoms. Could be anything really.

I've known her for almost 45 years an dthis is the first time I've heard about arthritis .I know her mother had it badly in her hands and that it caused a lot of pain but MIL has always been fit as a flea she knits and crochets which I doubt she'd be able to do with arthritis .I'm really concerned about this ,her GP has also been giving her laxatives for years ,she says 30 years ....surely that cant be right ? I only discovered them when I looked into her medicine cabinet and there are boxes and boxes of them

I'd say it depends on which joints are affected, her hands may be fine but her knees could be agony although I doubt paracetamol would be much use for really bad arthritis I take over 300mg of Morphine twice a day for my knees and I'm still in pain. She shouldn't have multiple boxes of them because if she took them all it would be fatal.

I have arthritis in my knees and am told to take paracetamol regularly along with my prescribed anti inflammatory meds although I can take 6-8 some days I don't find they help much so try not to. I've been told that long term use is fine but in my experience they don't do much for arthritis.

Sounds like a need for a medication review as your mother in law is so accepting and not questioning, would she let you go with her?

I've been taking painkillers for arthritis for 37 years. I'm not addicted. I think you need to have suffered long term chronic pain yourself before you conclude that someone else doesn't need the painkillers they take. I think chronic pain, even relatively mild chronic pain, is far more debilitating and than most people realise.

My GP reviews my meds annually, btw.

Sounds like a lazy GP and bad systems at the surgery. DH doesn't take pain killers or laxatives, but gets called in every year to review his medications for high blood pressure.

Taking laxatives for 30 years without a check certainly sound odd.

“ Healthcare professionals should consider offering paracetamol for pain relief in addition to core treatments (see recommendation 1.2.5); regular dosing may be required. Paracetamol and/or topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be considered ahead of oral NSAIDs, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors or opioids. [2008]

1.5.2 If paracetamol or topical NSAIDs are insufficient for pain relief for people with osteoarthritis, then the addition of opioid analgesics should be considere. Risks and benefits should be considered, particularly in older people. [2008]“

From the NICE guidance on the management of osteoarthritis.
Basically paracetamol is not as effective as was once thought, but the alternatives carry risks in long-term use.

Paddyann provided your MiL is competent to make her own healthcare decisions, really it’s none of your business.
If you’re concerned you could suggest to her that she might ask for a medicines review.
She comes from the generation noted for its stoicism and just because she’s never mentioned her arthritis to you, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t been suffering from it or that she doesn’t need pain management.

I've tried to talk her into cutting them down …

Why would you do that without informed knowledge of her needs? Paracetamol is a very effective, non-addictive, treatment for arthritic pain.

If she really hasn't had a medication review in 10 years that's a different matter.

she really hasn't had a review though and she is constantly complaining about feeling tired etc/My daughter has fibro so I know about chronic pain and also that too many painkillers can give you brain fog .I just think its wrong that she is given repeat prescriptions year on year with no doctor actually seeing of she needs them .I did suggest a reviw ,she says it would be a waste of time the doctor would tell her its just her age and do nothing .I am very close to her ,closer than her own daughter and she tells me things she tells no one else thats why the arthritis thing bothers me .Why would she hide something like that. I've known about much more intimate issues and health problems .

Sounds as though she was just chatting to you about it, not wanting you to rush in and change anything, you don’t mention her age, but that may be a factor in her tiredness.

Can you persuade her to go to her GP and go in with her? If not then I’m afraid there is nothing you can do.

But be careful how you disagree with her and try to change things as she might clam up and not talk to you about any problems she has. We can’t always fix things for our nearest and dearest.

Arthritis can be a much misunderstood and minimised health problem. Someone at my pilates class told me this week she'd no idea I have arthritis. (I do, inflammatory and osteo). The link from janeainsworth above is helpful in giving the guidelines on prescribing painkillers, rather than having us speculate. It's unusual not to have an annual review of medication by one of the practice nurses, if not by a GP. It may be that your mother in law has seen her GP in the last 12 months and the review was done, without it being called one. As others have said, treat carefully because its easy to sound judgemental when that isn't meant.

Thanks for your advice ladies,I'll back off and just keep an eye on her from a distance .She wont let anyone go in with her at the surgery and then she complains she's not heard.She hasn't been eating properly for months and I did say she should tell the GP that as she might be lacking in iron or vitamins resulting in the tiredness.She says some days she has a bag of crisps for dinner because she cant be bothered cooking/heating something I've cooked or left in her fridge .Its a worry .

I would be more worried about having a GP who apparently does not review medications regularly. However, we have no way of knowing whether this is true or not.

It might be worth mentioning to her that she should take the Paracetomol with food and probably a packet of crisps isn’t the best ‘meal’ to have.

My MIL ignores everything we try to tell her, but if it’s written down on the leaflet in the packet of pills, she follows the details to the letter and if her GP tells her something then to her it’s the Gospel truth, this led to some confusion when she misheard him recently and then couldn’t remember if he told her she had Asthma or Angina, turned out it was Arthritis which explained the tube of cream that he advised her to buy!

Someone else might have said this but paracetamol on prescription costs far more than just buying the generic version in Boots/Superdrug/supermarket!!! If you read the packaging of all the branded versions the drug content is exactly the same. Perhaps point out to her what she's costing the NHS by needlessly having a common painkiller on prescription

My mother is the same! She takes them for all the pains she has (which seem to be all over). I question why she takes them every day and advise her to see her GP to check, but everything is too much bother.

I have given up now.

I don't know whether you could ring her surgery and explain your concerns , although they wouldn't be able to discuss anything about her they might be able to call her in for a blood test .

Personally I would write a letter to her GP voicing your concerns re the ongoing and unchecked meds. MIL does not need to know you are doing it, it’s done out of your concern for her, not that you are interfering. Even if all is in order, at least your mind is at rest and you have peace of mind.

Why would her GP keep prescribing these tablets - particularly as they can be purchased so cheaply now. However, unless you are her registered carer I don't think the GP would discuss it with you.