Multiple Sclerosis and Addiction Posted: 04-21-08 14:37pm
My mother is 41 and was diagnosed 2 years
ago. She says that her legs "burn" and
ache very badly. She has been taking pain
medication since being diagnosed. Doc
tried different meds with her for a year
or so. But now she is prescribed
Oxycontin. I don't know as much as I would
like to about MS, but I would like some
advice and knowledge. But I know that my
mother is a different person since
prescribed Oxycontin. She sleeps alot but
isn't really asleep. She sleep "walks".
She stands up and tries to walk " asleep".
When she does this, I try to lay her back
on the couch and she refuses physically.
She takes 80 mgs and 40 mgs. I know that
youre not supposed to cut these pills and
she does. She cuts them in half and lies
about it and says someone else did it. My
older sister had her daughter the week of
Halloween 07. My mom came down (we liver
in fl, she in al) and on the last day of
sis in haspital, my mom was acting
strange. She was asleep at ten in the
morning and slept in the hospital room for
about 2 hours. when it got time to leave,
we tried to wake her and she was breathing
lightly and thats about it. She would not
respond to anything. A nurse had to wheel
her to my car. Went home and she slept
until 11 that night. But while she was
asleep, she would try to get up . But once
she gets up , she sways back and forth. I
love my mother very much. I think that she
may be taking too much meds or not taking
them right. But Im not sure what from the
meds and what is truly part of the MS.
Please someone help me understand. Thank
you
MS can be manifested with various
neurological symptoms including neuralgia
and sleeping disorder because
demyelinisation process can affect any
part of the brain. That burning sensation
and ache in the legs are probably due to
neuropathy caused by MS.
Oxycontin is an opiate painkiller that can
cause sleepiness as a side effect.
Can you tell me the names of all the
medications your mother takes?
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sheffac
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Posts: 2
Posted: 04-24-08 13:16pm
I am not sure. But i do know that she
takes ambien, oxycontin, zoloft and some
muscle relaxers and something to help her
stay awake.
All those medications can cause sleeping
disorders (either sleepiness or insomnia).
Ambien is used for treating insomnia so I
don't see the reason why you are giving
her Ambien when she sleeps so much. Zoloft
(sertaline) is antidepressant drug and can
cause both sleepiness or insomnia as a
side effect.
