MIL taking medication when she doesn't need it

I take Tramadol as well as paracetamol for pain,I have problems with my bones where they are moving out of place,my knee is st the side of my leg now for example. I would rather be hooked on the painkillers than suffer the affects of stopping taking them.
I have blood pressure tablets as well and had a bad cough for years that just wouldn’t go,couldn’t talk long without setting it off. My chemist used to do a medication review and he heard the cough and immediately said it was due to the ramapril I took for it,apparently a well known side effect,I also used to cry with pains in my arms,that I found was due to simvastatin so always worth getting things checked out. Once I was on different tablets both the cough and the pain went after a couple of weeks

You are very caring. It is a delicate area, so tread with kid-socks!

I reluctantly take the same dose of paracetamol, in soluble form. I also take morphine every day. I would like to stop both, but get too much pain and have been rushed into hospital even on this dose, trying not to scream through the acute agony, so I would do anything to prevent that kind of flare-up.

Paracetamol at this dose will not harm her although I understand it is not good for the liver to take it too much and there are side effects associated with long-term use. These can include kidney, heart and intestinal problems.

We do not know if she needs it or not, because it may be working on reducing her pain. There is evidence that repeated use of pain-killers gives headaches. see
www.nhs.uk/news/medication/painkillers-may-be-making-a-million-headaches-worse/

Research suggests, in both osteo and rheumatoid arthritis that paracetamol is ineffective regardless of dosage.. There are many references if you google it. for osteo try:
health.spectator.co.uk/paracetamol-wont-ease-the-pain-of-arthritis/

Only her Doctor can advise concerning whether she should consider stopping, reducing, or changing to another medicine.

Could you persuade her to go to her GP for an "M.O.T."? Tell her, everyone who is on a repeat prescription has to check in and discuss it every so often to make sure all is well and that there have been no advances or changes in medical knowledge. Explain that research is always ongoing and bringing up to date what is known in medical science.

If you are close, would she let you go with her?

Good luck, and meanwhile try not to worry. My un-medical feeling is that she is surviving ok, so nothing terrible will happen suddenly.

I am 'prescribed' paracetamol for mild arthritis too. I take it when the pain demands it and it can be anything from 4 a day to 8 a day. It isn't addictive and is recommended as a good all-round painkiller with few drawbacks. I get very stiff and achy if I don't take it, and then life closes in somewhat ...

The latest thinking on chronic pain is that paracetamol doesn’t really help it. GPs in my area are being told to prescribe NSAIDs and reduce opioids. As my GP said that’s all well and good if the patient (me) is able to take them! She continues to prescribe what is helping in conjunction with my pain consultant. It does seem odd that she’s not having regular reviews although I once had a client who was taking a cocktail of drugs including two benzodiazepines and two opiates when her main condition was borderline PD.

This sounds eerily like my sister 5 years ago. If a doctor or professional told her something, it was religiously followed without question. She would also be a frequent visitor to the surgery about a stomach upset, or knee pain, or weight gain etc, all on separate occasions. She would leave with a cocktail of medicines, and a repeat visit
It wasn't until she got married, 5 years ago, and her doctor retired, that she was given a full medical review.

A doctor can only treat the symptoms/problems, that are presented to them on the 5 minute visit. They don't have the time for an in depth review of individual patients unless that is requested when the appointment is booked.
It is quite poßible that you MIL slips through the net and it might be worth you informing her doctor of your concerns, either by letter, email or a personal visit, whilst being aware that they won't be able or willing to discuss her care with you directly.

I'm surprised she gets them on prescription. Some doctors will just ask you to buy them...it's so cheap.
Taking too many analgesics can't be good. But really, quality if life is better than quantity, and if it's keeping her pain free, I wouldn't worry too much.
Btw, you are a good daughterinlaw, to be concerned .

As a PS I think regularly easy exercise really helps pain and fitness.

Lots of different opinions in this thread. You don’t need to take them with food - that’s ibuprofen. If you have a lot of pain, taking pain killers regularly helps stop it. I do agree with reviewing prescriptions annually. Is she fully compos mentis? If so get her to ask her own doctor. I’d be seriously annoyed if my children thought they had the right to contact my doctor.

Dr Michael Mosley recently did a test on some 40 people who had back pain and were on long term medication, some prescribed and some self medicated. All were dosed up to the hilt and some could barely walk, only walk with aids or barely get out of bed. Onexwas in a wheelchair much of the time.
They were all put through rigorous health tests prior to the investigations and spent 4 days living away from home then a period of time at home with indicators attached to different parts of their bodies to assess their mental stimuli. Half were given placebos but no-one knew who had what as all the capsules looked the same.
Just under half said that their pain had disappeared completely, no walking aids needed, one had started at a gym.
It just shows that it's often a case of mind over matter.
If you anticipate pain, that's what you'll feel.

As far as I know, no pain-killers work as well is you take them continuously, as they do if you only take them when in actual pain. All have side effects if you take them all the time, some affect the stomach others the kidneys, they can also thin the blood.

To me, too, taking laxatives too often, is likely to ruin natural bowel function, so it becomes a vicious circle.

However, knowing this will do no manner of good, unless OP's MIL is willing to either go to her doctor and ask for her prescriptions to be reviewed, or change doctor.

Paracetamol is the only painkiller I can take, due to severe side effects from others. My Doctor, who is very particular about medication reviews, says it's ok to take up to 8 a day, however, they do lose their effectiveness if used at the maximum for a long time. Also I'm surprised the doctor is still prescribing them, our surgery will not, under governmental guidance I believe, prescribe anything that can be purchased over the counter, I buy my own paracetamol and antihistamines that I need to take regularly.

There was a notice in our local pharmacy yesterday saying that non-prescription drugs, like paracetamol, that can be bought cheaply over the counter, will no longer be prescribed or dispensed.
Maybe when she has to pay for them, she might not think it is such a good idea,

Your MiL needs a reality check if she thinks it's ok to take pills for 10 years without question.
Her doctor needs to be pued up about it too. We've just been discussing NHS costs on a recent thread and this is a tiny example of waste through ignorance (Op's MiL) and indifference (doctor)
You should have to pay for items which can be bought over the counter at pharmacies. They cost pennies compared to the exorbitant charges levied by pharma to the NHS.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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

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!

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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 .

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.