to be concerned about how many painkillers DH takes

[marygirling]

DH is a good dependable man & loving husband and father with a busy full time job. No money worries, no concerning behaviours and we can talk about anything. (Usually!)

My worry is that he takes painkillers at least daily. I know for sure he takes two when he wakes in the night as I hear the plastic wrapping being broken.

If I ask he just laughs and mocks the notion of 'being addicted' suggesting I'm over reacting.

And maybe I am? It's just over the counter stuff, not causing financial or health issues so does it even matter?

Today I needed painkillers and knew I had bought some but there were none in the medical box. I eventually found a whole stash by his side of the bed. About 12 packets in various states of use.

I'm not worried that he's stock piling. It's more like a habit he has of grabbing some on way to bed and adding them to his little pile!

Is this just a little security blanket thing or do I need to be worried? Does anyone have experience of this?

Just out of interest though, if I took a nightcap every evening, a slug of whiskey or whatever, would that be of concern too? Would that be more acceptable? Just musing, can't stand whiskey but just curious as to people's thoughts?

Oh well done 👍
To be fair, if you haven’t been tempted to take more in all this time, you’re likely to feel ok I guess? I find it very moreish and only take it for severe pain 😬
Your bowels might thank you as it’s known to cause constipation in some people !

I'd say talk to.any doctor and they'd absolutely say yes, that is a concern. Anything you're depending on sunstantially to get you to sleep is not.good. my doctor was v careful about giving me sleeping tablets for this reason. I'm saying this as someone who drinks a fair bit so not being precious etc.

GET HELP you’re an alcoholic now!

In seriousness though, @Chickenkeev is right.
It comes under the umbrella of “self medicating” which when attached to emotional issues, stress or whatever is causing your insomnia, can become a problem.

on the face of it though, your doctor is probably drinking a tot of whisky at night and probably wouldn’t feel alarmed.

@SmileyClare thank you. I did seek help/support from my GP and midwife who thankfully were wonderful (I was terrified baby would be taken off me). I cut down gradually until I was taking 8 a day and then decided to go cold turkey. Withdrawal symptoms were pretty grim but the worst part was the anxiety/on edge feeling. I literally felt so panicked all the time. But I'm so glad I did it and will never touch codeine again.

God @LlamaFace19 that can’t have been easy x
I think everyone is aware of addiction but has the mindset that it won’t happen to them, or has an idea of what an “addict” looks like and it’s not them.

I know codeine can be a very effective painkiller but I’m quite shocked how it’s thrown at patients by some doctors.
Dh after breaking his pelvis came home with huge boxes of codydramol and his gp happily prescribed more over the phone without question, and without asking about any history of drug or alcohol issues.

Sorry to be alarmist, and I hope this isn't the cause with your husband. My ex DP was an alcoholic, and would constantly take painkillers at rhe level and pattern you describe. It was to curb hangover symptoms. I did not know this. Might be worth checking this, especially if he is taking them at night.

Maybe suggest he switch to homeopathic painkillers?
If there’s nothing very much wrong, and it’s a habit that’s helping him go back to sleep (not for chemical reasons but for psychological ones) then a cheap harmless placebo might be just the thing?
You could also suggest tictacs, but homeopathy seems more medical and less obviously a placebo.

Funnily enough I have got a pack of sleeping tablets in my medicine box, dreadful things, made me feel grim. Took one and that was one too many, felt absolutely awful the next day .

I think it’s important to know why he’s taking them. People generally have a very anti drug approach - I’ve read threads on here where people feel conflicted about taking 2 paracetamol for a headache (!) - but honestly lots of people, like me, who have chronic pain issues take painkillers safely and consistently for many years, in some cases life long, and it’s okay as long as you use them within the safe limits.

What I take would probably horrify many people here….. I have lupus, Addisons, painful bladder syndrome, asthma and whatever else. I am on 22 different medications a day and I am in constant pain - I’ve had bladder biopsies which show I have inflammation in my bladder similar to someone who has a chronic serious urine infection. I have lupus which causes constant joint and back inflammation and pain. I take Tramadol and paracetamol as I need to, and amitriptyline at night to help me sleep. Sometimes if my ibs is bad I swap the Tramadol for Cocodamol 30/500 because the Codeine has a calming effect on my bowel. If you met me you would never imagine I’m on this many things. I am not doped up or unable to function. I look after my disabled child, I am able to drive (you can drive Codeine etc if they don’t affect you), I have a normal life. If I do not take my tablets I am unable to do these things. In all honesty perhaps I am addicted but I will never be able to come off them because I won’t be able to live otherwise. And that’s the reality for many in my situation. It’s not about finding other ways of managing the pain etc, there aren’t any and that’s why whole loads of people like me on the forums I’m in get prescribed these drugs on a regular, monthly basis.

If your dh is in chronic pain he needs to get to the root of it and there may be better, stronger pain relief he can have. I used to wake in the night taking paracetamol etc before I started amitriptyline, now I sleep through.

That sounds difficult to live with @Xrays I don’t think many people would criticise your prescribed medication which clearly you take in order to function. I’m sorry you have chronic pain.

I’m warning op of the pitfalls to her dh taking OTC drugs in an attempt to self medicate for sleep issues( understandable if his body clock is messed up from night shifts) but Iill advised if he’s not following correct guidance- properly spaced dosages at the correct level for starters.

It would be easy to wake at say 4am and pop a couple of paracetamol on auto pilot and then wake at 7am, take a couple more, take two on a morning tea break..and so on through the day A prolonged period doing that would result in accidental paracetamol overdose.

Its also ill advised to take daily ibuprofen for long periods without protecting your stomach with gastro resistant medication.

..Just respecting the safe guidelines really and acknowledging that most licensed drugs are dangerous if misused.

It might even be something which could be a fairly simple fix. Say for example a nagging toothache he’s keeping quiet about because he has a phobia of dentists.

Nope you could have just stopped with no undue side effects.

I'd double check if the nurofen is actually nurofen plus.

And the ibuprofen check if it has codeine in it.
My cousin developed an addition to OTC codeine. She would take heaps of the stuff and ended up with a stomach ulcer.
She used to buy the normal nurofen and paracetamol. And also buy the ones which has codeine in and put them in the normal paracetamol and nurofen boxes without codeine in them to hide them.

She had boxes and boxes and boxes of the stuff. Even with the stomach ulcer we still didn't know.

She eventually became really poorly, vomiting she her bowels shut down. Due to the amount of codeine she was taking and it wasn't until then (and a second ulcer) she came clean. All started from pain killers after an appendix removal 2 years prior.

We had absolutely no idea and neither did her parents and she was only 19.

This was probably 5 maybe 6 years ago.
She's now addicted to benzodiazepines and alcohol. It's a slippery slope.

Your DH sounds like he has a psychological addiction to non-addictive pain killers, or id hazard a guess that he's got codeine in them.

Oh right, I was probably a bit too over cautious then 😳
I don’t trust myself really around addictive substances like that and have had an issue with cocaine in my youth, maybe that’s why my gp suggested the route of reducing gradually as soon as I could. I probably took it a bit too seriously 🤣

@weststreet I’m sorry to hear about your cousin’s addiction issues. She’s so young too. It’s so common for codeine addiction to start from just taking it as prescribed after an injury or illness isn’t it 😞

One dose of cocodamol will not cause any harm. If however she was taking the maximum dose within a 24hr period then that would be a serious cause for concern.

I take two doses most days of cocodamol (30/500) for hip pain (osteoarthritis). I don't take four doses within a 24hr period as I don't feel I need it.

OP's DH should seek help if he is taking painkillers for no apparent reason.

There's a big difference between paracetamol and Nurofen Plus.

I take 2 paracetamol when I can't sleep and it works 95% of the time!

But we are talking maybe once every 3 weeks.

🤣

Does paracetamol have a sedative effect? Interested to know as my ex said they made him tired too. It's never done that to me though.

Hmm a quick Google indicates some report a side effect of drowsiness with paracetamol.

NHS website indicates there are no common side effects if taken correctly- side effects are rare enough to be negligible.

It’s probably psychological or, if pain is preventing sleep, then it’s the reduction of pain that allows sleep?

They definitely make me drowsy. But there’s also a thing that if you’re in pain just being pain free can be relaxing and make you feel sleepy in itself.

No paracetamol don't make don't make me drowsy at all.
I think they might just be dampening down some minor irritated nerve endings or something that aids sleep. Can't explain it really!

A sugar tablet could make someone feel sleepy if that's what they expect to feel.

@Starlightisenthralling don't listen to the people sending you down to the nearest drug rehab for your 8mg in 24 hours 'habit'.
You've taken the same dose for 25 years and are fine. It's when it leads to people increasing the dose to dangerous levels it's a problem.
(Just for clarity im an HCP, I take 8 x 30/500 cocodamol every day, I have for 15 years) my dr is aware and my rheumatologist.

The opS husband is hiding his otc drugs which makes me think there's a problem.
I hope they get sorted