Should I tell nurse about medication

[shouldisay03]

Hi, I've NCed for this post. I have an appointment with a mental health nurse today as a first step to getting help with anxiety which I have put off for many years. I'm wondering whether I should tell the nurse I've been taking propranolol.

It was prescribed to a friend but it did nothing for her so she gave them to me and they help so much. I take one as and when I feel like anxiety is spiralling and it helps immediately. I've run out and have felt a lot worse without them and have had a couple of panic attacks.

I know you're not supposed to take prescription medication that's not yours of course. But I have and I know that it helped. Should I tell the nurse, or keep it a secret? Will my friend get in trouble?

I wouldn’t. They’ll be reluctant to give you anything if they think you’re at risk of taking medications without them knowing.

Just say a friend has mentioned how much propanalol helps them and that you’re keen to try it.

Yes definitely say this. They may tell you it's unsafe and wrong on many levels but that's their duty to you. You have found something that helps and that needs to be considered. I think the system would benefit from everyone being totally truthful with medical staff.

Although @BuffetTheDietSlayer makes sense and would maybe achieve the same outcome.

If there is a chance she will be prescribing medication for you then yes, she needs to know what you are currently taking in case of drug interactions. You shouldn’t take meds which haven’t been prescribed for you - you may have counter indications or risk factors that mean you shouldn’t be taking it.

No. Don't say you've taken something not prescribed to you. Say you heard great things about it, did some research and you're keen to give it a try.

Though obviously she's a nurse so can't prescribe anything. So you could just save that conversation for a prescribing doctor.

If you say you take other people's meds they could assume you might also be inclined to drug seek or take illicit drugs. They can be quite prejudiced about people with any kind of drug history so I'd keep quiet about it.

Of course you should tell her. It’s really important that medics have an understanding of what is happening, and in this context, what has helped you (even if you shouldn’t really have taken it). I think mental health nurses are the least likely to judge you!

Part of a consultation, particularly for mental health, is honesty

I think honesty is the best policy with medical staff. I’ve always been very matter of fact with my doctors about medication, and in my experience, it’s been beneficial to me. I got prescription for Zolpidem after confiding that I had used a couple of my friend’s pills.
It’s also wise to be completely honest about what meds you are taking, as that way HCP can make sure you aren’t taking any drugs that might interact badly.

Such mixed opinions, I don't know what to do! Maybe I'll wait until I meet her and she how she seems

I work for a MH team.

Please do tell them. You wont be the first person taking medication not prescribed for them (I can think of more than a dozen women I've worked with and I've not been in the team that long!!).

By knowing, then it tells the nurse two things - firstly, what might work for you, and secondly, what support you might need to take medication that helps you, safely.

We have worked with people before to access the same medication safely and legally, to swap to a new, safer medication with a safe transfer across, or to withdraw safely if appropriate. The NHS has staff dedicated to addiction to medication, prescribed, unprescribed an illegal. They can help you. But only if they know. So please do tell them. X

Many nurses can indeed prescribe.

Nurses can definitely prescribe things! Not all of them, granted, but many can.

Thank you for your professional perspective, I will tell her. Though I will say I'm not worried about it being an addiction, I took maybe 2 or 3 in a bad weeks, many weeks where I didnt take it at all. But when the anxiety is bad it does help

Of course you should tell her! How can she treat you appropriately if she doesn't have the full story? Don't waste her time, if you're not going to be honest.

Honestly Propanalol is not a drug of abuse. If you had said you had taken a few Diazepam or Pregabalin, I would be worried. Up to up whether you tell her, but if you have found something that helps push for it whether you tell the truth or say you have read on the Internet it can be helpful.

As a beta blocker (class of drug) it wont raise any addiction/substance misuse concerns. As people have said it may not be wise to admit to taking prescription medication not for you. I would be inclined to stay quiet. Just stick with the read on the internet/ friend takes it

You make it sound like OP is popping Valium and needs addiction support.

Shes taken a couple of beta blockers over a few weeks, she doesn’t need support in the way your posts suggest.

All op has to do is simply say she’s heard about it and thinks it might be something she’d like to try. Medics are usually more than happy to throw beta blockers at people, shouldn’t be an issue for the op to get them.

I'm a nurse. Please tell us. We genuinely couldn't give a shit that it wasn't prescribed for you, beyond needing to remind you that it's not sensible to be taking others prescription medications.

We need to know what you are taking, and how often, so that we can factor it in to our care/assessment of you/your observations for example. And if it's something you could be prescribed it's useful to know that it was effective.

Nobody will ask which friend, and you won't get anyone in to trouble, they really honestly won't care. We don't even try and track down where people got illegal drugs, we literally just want to treat you appropriately for what may be in your system.

Yes of course sorry. Some can. I just assumed they wouldn't get to a prescriber on their first appointment. Knowing what NHS MH services are like. I think a psychiatrist is usually involved in prescribing but not always.

In my neck of the woods you see a senior MH nurse who is usually a prescriber. You don't necessarily see a psychiatrist in secondary care.

That's definitely not usual - I've been prescribed medication for MH issues multiple times over the years and have never once seen or met a psychiatrist.

It's not usual for a psychiatrist to be involved in someone's MH treatment? Maybe not for certain things.

I guess it depends on the severity. And the symptoms/illness the person is having.

I just assumed if she was having a meeting as a first port of call with an MH nurse, then up the chain in that service somewhere would be a psychiatrist. Who may be the ultimate decision maker on her treatment.

Many things could be dealt with by a GP if the person responds well to medicines prescribed by them. And if they can get talking therapy as well that can be helpful. I've also had dozens of MH meds prescribed by a GP.

Either way I hope you and OP can get/are getting the support you need x

No, it's not normal unless you end up committed or referred for further treatment.

The vast, vast majority of people with MH issues are treated by their practise nurse or a GP.

Absolutely tell her. Even if it is your friends. You don’t have to tell her who your friend is so there’s no chance that she would get in trouble. Propranolol isn’t a good medication to take anyway, there are far better options. You’d be as well seeing your own GP. Also if you’re taking other medications, there may be undesirable interactions.

What do you feel is the problem with propranolol?

You can say you’ve had it before. They don’t have access to every medication you’ve ever been prescribed to know that you got it from a mate. NHS doesn’t have any access to any private scripts you’ve had.

Just say you’ve had it before and it really helped and you’d like to explore using it again. They have 0 idea if it was prescribed or not. They’re not the gestapo.