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Original poster

Funny question - do you wash your hands after taking drugs before you touch your children?

52 replies

doggus · 13/09/2009 19:06

I have OCD and am going throgh a bad patch at the moment which centres around my taking painkillers. I have to take strong codeine drugs four times a day and am literally washing my hands hundreds of times after taking them in case I poison my two year old.

My psych said it might help me to know what NORMAL people do in this case. So mums that have to take heavy drugs - what do you do? Wash your hands once? Or not at all? You can see I have lost sight of what is 'reasonable'!

OP posts:
blueshoes · 13/09/2009 23:17

Never occurred to me to wash my hands. But then, I am grimy.

littleducks · 13/09/2009 23:22

Same as blueshoes

blueshoes · 13/09/2009 23:35

littleducks,

PortAndLemon · 13/09/2009 23:54

Not at all; would never have occurred to me.

AnAuntieNotAMum · 14/09/2009 01:37

I am very aware of hygiene as I often have to take pills that compromise my immune system but it would never occur to me that tiny traces from a tablet would get onto my hands and I would not wash them before touching others, however little. Having said that, if it was a purely soluble tablet that I had cut in half, I might wash them once as soluble tablets do crush easily and it's not good to ingest tablets directly that should be dissolved in water.

If I find myself getting a bit OTT about hygiene, I think personally I say to myself, this is not "necessary", rather than this is not normal.

When I read this title, I had visions of someone doing lines of coke and wondering if they should wash their hands before putting the kiddies to bed

Original poster
doggus · 14/09/2009 14:12

An auntie - that did make me laugh, thank you, the idea of me racking up lines of coke and wondering whether to wash up or not has cheered me up. Things could be worse!

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MatNanPlus · 14/09/2009 14:18

I don't wash my hands after popping my meds (3 pain, 1 anti spasm), never gave it a thought.

I wash after changing baby's nappy, after wc visit and if played with the pets at MIL.

Hope that helps Doggus.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 14/09/2009 16:26

I don't wash my hands after taking meds either and thinking about it, I figure if my little guinea pigs are fine when I handle them after taking meds then there's probably nothing to worry about.

MaryAnnSingleton · 14/09/2009 16:40

hi doggus - fellow ocd person here - and it's interesting you mention this as this morning I was putting ds's breakfast out for him and took my own tamoxifen tablet out to take and the thought of washing my hands did occur to me, but I rationalised that there'd only be the tiniest,if that,bit of dust from my medication on my hands and not harmful to ds - so I didn't- I think if you can bear to not give in to the urge this would be reasonable - it's not as if you are crushing or cutting your tablets.

Original poster
doggus · 15/09/2009 22:09

Thank you everyone and Maryann sorry you have OCD, it's a bloody nightmare sometimes.

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LeonieSoSleepy · 15/09/2009 22:16

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Original poster
doggus · 16/09/2009 14:03

You have also all made me feel better about the AMOUNT of medication I take - I have never met any other mums who have to take strong drugs to get out of bed in the morning so it is nice to know there are some out there.

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LeonieSoSleepy · 16/09/2009 14:16

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MatNanPlus · 16/09/2009 21:31

Glad your feeling better Doggus.

Yes without meds i would be unable to roll over let alone get out of bed in the morning / any time of day.

crokky · 16/09/2009 21:40

doggus - I am prone to a bit of OCD and anxiety myself...but anyway...

After taking a parecetamol or whatever, I would probably rinse my finger tips quickly, where I had touched the pill (have 3yo and 1yo). I would not do a full handwash with soap/anything like that.

If you are having problems with your skin being bad from handwashing, you coudl try babysoap - you can wash your hands quite frequently and they shoudl be fine. (Not that I am suggesting any more handwashing!).

norksinmywaistband · 16/09/2009 21:49

I would never consider washing my hands before( unless they needed a wash anyway, ie after food prep or visually grubby) or after taking medication, But would wash my hands ONCE after using my steroid cream.

lavenderkate · 16/09/2009 21:54

I would probably rinse them under a running tap.

and Doggus; I just want to say I think you're great to ask these questions and brave too.

Original poster
doggus · 16/09/2009 22:40

Thank you very much lavenderkate, what a lovely thing to say. OCD really is more terrible because no-one talks about it. I have now told all my friends and family so they can help and it is so good to unburden myself. Quite a few friends have it to a lesser extent, which is surprising.

Leonie and MatNan - I had to take painkillers and ADs all the way through my pg with ds and he was born with withdrawal symptoms. They were minor, he didn't need special care, but oh my God THE GUILT. Since having him my pain has trebled, probably because of stress and picking him up.

Crokky - thank you, I actually use aqueous cream after my hands started to bleed and they are much better now.

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lavenderkate · 16/09/2009 23:28

Aww doggus, your hands would bleed?
What if you painted your nails a really pretty colour? I know I am more careful about wearing washing up gloves etc when my nails are nice.

I have quite a few friends with it actually and they're really open about it. Good that you are too xx

LeonieSoSleepy · 17/09/2009 08:31

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Original poster
doggus · 17/09/2009 15:31

Leonie and Lavender thank you both so much for the sympathy. Leonie I have heard from a GP I was very unlucky as the doses I took were not high ones. Poor ds was in such a state though. His breathing was too quick and he was in a terrible temper for a month.

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MatNanPlus · 17/09/2009 21:28

That was bad luck Doggus but i am glad your DS is ok now.

I do believe it is just bad luck tho and hope that your family and friends knowing is a help to you and them.

MatNanPlus · 17/09/2009 21:31

To add, am on 150mg Diclofenic, 90mg Codeine and 100mg Tramodol and 10mg Diazepam and was told i could still try to make a baby, which contradicts the info leaflets but my doctor said that we could 'tinker' with them if i got pregnant (minimal chance due to pcos, endo, ovary cysts)

Original poster
doggus · 17/09/2009 22:11

Hi MatNan - I really found doctors' reactions varied hugely when they heard what meds I took when pregnant (150 mg dihydrocodeine and 75 mg clomipramine). Most were absolutely fine about it (like your doc) but some were really shocked and asked me to stop taking everything. For me it would have been impossible to be pregnant and NOT take the painkillers and ADs. My dh agreed - he said 'this child can come into the world with slight withdrawal symptoms or it can not come into the world at all - which do you think it would choose?'. That made me feel a lot better.

I do think ds will be an only child, though, like you I have bad endo, cysts and so on as well as being 41!

Can I ask you off topic question - how do you find tramodol? I thought it was fantastic but can't take much as it gives me insomnia - do you ever get that?

OP posts:
MatNanPlus · 17/09/2009 22:28

I was worried re the Tramodol as 2 friends/friends of friends had bad reactions (hallucinations) so i took 1 tab when DH was around and then took 2 tabs next dose.

No problems, i use it and the codeine for pain, the diclo is more for the anti inflam properties but i find the Tramodol only lasts for 3.5hrs so glad it is only for top up relief to be honest.

Not had any issues with it but find i am very meds compatible, don't eat before any of them, drink cola to swill them down etc.

Even upping to max doses of Tram and Cod still leaves some pain but i like to have the option of extra meds if i need them so can function on bad days.

Only downside to the cocktail is the I need regular high doses of Movicol/laxidoo! as a side effect of over 22yrs on meds have left the bowel peristatic action both hyper and hypo in different areas.