Daughter's Meth reaction???

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

I'm just not sure where to post this. It's been a heck of a week. My husband and I learned last week that our daughter has been taking meth for 2-3 weeks!!!! :scrying: We are still in shock. She's 25 yrs old, estranged from her husband, doesn't have much contact with her kids and has had a lot of problems over the past 8 yrs since losing her first child (who was 3.5 yrs old to bacterial meningitis). She went to a rehab center for a couple of days but since she feels she has no problem, she didn't want to be there. During the stay she was transferred to ER twice for severe headaches, violent shaking/tremoring, hyperventilating. A day after getting out or so she decided to take a bottle containing 17 Ativan(each being 2mgs) to "get rid of the headaches". My other daughter(her twin) was present when she did this, called 911 and she was taken to ER, given charcoal, NS and MORE Ativan (2 mgs IV), counselled, went to a crisis center, then stayed in some overnight home then back to the crisis center for "reevaluation" which never occurred then discharged "home" to us as "she's ok"(per the crisis center people). She came home with us as she has no real home due to problems with her husband. My main concern is with the violent tremoring she does at times---it may be 2-4 times a day; no real pattern to it----at times seems provoked by anxiety-producing situations though sometimes it doesn't. At times it's total body tremors, at times it's more one-sided. Of the 3 days she was with us, she slept about 2 of them, would at times continue to c/o blurred/double vision, extreme tiredness(possibly from Ativan, possibly from coming off Meth????) even after knowing that the UA was clear at one point of any Meth in her system. Anyone familiar with Meth patients, effects, etc? :confused: Anyone see pts who react this way when the UA/drug levels are clear of the Meth? She promises to never do it again; she's been educated that it is highly addictive,etc. Doc says it's very individual---these effects could resolve in weeks, months or years. We've been on a rollercoaster of emotions this past week---any help would be appreciated.

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Sorry to hear about her misfortune, I'm not a doctor or a nurse(yet) but they tremors may be from withdrawals of some sort or the meth maybe temporally messed with her CNS as i think it is a CNS stimulant. She should be fine though, she/you have caught this problem just in time. What you want to do for her is give her support(which I'm sure you already are) and introduce her to some sort of Narcotics anonymous meeting. She may not want to do it at first but once she accepts it it will help her for life.

My prayers are with you, your daughter and your family

Andy

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I'm so sorry you're going through this. Unfortunately your daughter can't be helped until she's willing to accept help, and she won't do that until she admits she has a problem. You and your husband, though, can go to Al-Anon meetings and learn what you can do to help her when she's ready for it.

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Specializes in ER, NICU, NSY and some other stuff.

This a good link that I found. Hope it helps.

Sorry for what you all are going through.

http://www.kci.org/meth_info/faq_meth.htm

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

We cannot give medical advice on this website, and your best bet is to speak to an NP/MD that is a specialist in substance abuse matters.

One thing to keep in mind. How is it that you know how long she has been taking the drug and what she has been taking? If your information is from the person w/the problem, there is a good possibility that she may be understating the problem. No matter how much we want to believe our loved ones in these matters, we need to take what they say at times w/a grain of salt. There is always the possibility that she is detoxing from more than the meth/was taking it longer or in greater amounts than admitted. And meth makers are also not know for their honesty and integrity, nor their quality production standards. There may have been other chemicals in the product (drugs/contaminants) that have varying effects on the body during use and during withdrawal.

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I attended a conference today on addiction of the brain and how drugs change physiologically (or hijack the brain) and that it is very difficult to overcome on your own.

Meth is a particularly difficult drug - please try to get her into a rehab program. Hazelden has some great therapies and may have resources to give you more ideas.

One other thing, this is not your fault. Addiction is a disease of the brain. People start out by voluntarily taking a substance but then the substance takes over their brain, their reward center and life gets very tough after that.

Get some support from experts on this.

I wish you the best.

steph

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I'm sorry to hear about that. Good luck.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

Thank you all so VERY MUCH for the feedback. I had to do a lot of research to refresh my memory on what Meth was and recall it is a powerful CNS stimulant. These Meth stories are all over the news lately; never did I imagine it would personally affect OUR family, you know????

To babynurselsa---- thanks so much for the link to the meth site; it answered so many questions--very informative!

To Caroladybelle---yes, I am aware that members can't give medical advice on this forum and I wasn't asking for advice; I was asking if anyone else here has experienced witnessing these behaviors we are witnessing; i.e., tremors, hyperventilation, etc. I also have taken what my dau says with a grain of salt--her story changed from having taken it "for 3 wks" to "one week". We suspect (as do other family members) that it's been much longer, perhaps even for a yr or so!).She's also admitted to having taken cocaine at the first of the year.

To Stevielynn----oh I do realize it's not our fault---we raised her better than this; educated her and her twin well on drugs, etc, the importance of avoiding them, etc. It's all just very saddening and disappointing to us.

To TazziRN----oh yes we also are aware that until she admits there is a problem, then accepts help, the problem will not be resolved; we've discussed this in great depth with her. She was almost rude to the social workers who spoke with her and us, saying "I don't want to keep talking about this--I am not thinking about it--it's not like I ever think about it! But the more we do talk about it, the more I'm going to think about it and then maybe want it." or something to that effect.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

some resources for you:

education: methamphetamine - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

support: crystal meth anonymous

http://www.crystalrecovery.com/pages/faq.html

hoping that you find the resouces you need to help your daughter and family.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

okay, well I worked for a long time in elderly care, so I am very new to meth pts, but now that I am working agency for a local hospital I just recently got my first meth addict patient...so here is what I saw as far as signs and symptoms which were all new to me! No advice, just what I saw in my patient.

First thing I noticed was she was skin and bones, and looked more than 10 years older than what she was! Her skin looked like it had no tone, lots of scars, but more like an anorexic than some of the pictures I have seen of meth addicts (no scabs or anything like that on this one).

She was a smoker and had permission to go down twice daily for a smoke. When she would her BP would of course raise up, or if she was upset it would too and that is when I would see these symptoms!

Tremors, pretty notable and ranged from just hands to full body! She would have stroke like symptoms ranging from facial paralysis, slurred speach, difficulty with finding words, motor skill deficits big time, and if it was particularly bad she would have left sided weakness and paralysis to extremities. Her main complaint was head aches that she described as "my head hurts so bad it is going to explode..I can feel it!". She would just cry and cry and cry...and it was so very sad to witness!

Now this lady said that she had quit cold turkey 3 years before this, but I honestly doubt it...not with these acute symptoms (hitting her after 3 years of not doing the drug?). I think she proably did quit, but started up again...but didn't want us to know because of the stereotype/bias that she has experienced in the past trying to get help (she had many stories of how horrid MD's and RN's were to her because "she did this to herself"). So lots of anxiety and powerlessness there!

She was happy to follow orders about going to a rehabilitation center (more medical type than drug addiction) for a few months, then a treatment center for meth abusers. I know that after all this she really wanted to never see meth again! And I hope she is doing okay...I really got to know her, and I hope the best for her. She was 46 but looked like 60.

So those are the signs and symptoms I saw working with my first meth addict. Sadly the population near where I live is well known for meth, and is a serious probelm in the area. I am sure I will be seeing much much more of this!

Good luck to you, and very sorry about you and your daughters situation. My best wishes to you for a speedy and healthy recovery for her!

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I am very sorry for what you are going thru. My exhusband is a meth user. He hid it form me for about a year brfore I found out. All the the termors and not being able to sleep are normal. Be supportive as possible and really push to get into a rehab program, however she will only stop using if she really wants to. Unfournutaly my ex wasnt able to overcome his addiction he tried a rehab program but wasnt able to stick with it, and I had two small boys that I didnt want them to be wittnesses to their fathers self destruction, so he left and I havent seen him in about four years, the last time I saw him he had lost about 40lbs and he was complaning that his teeth hurt , he had the first signs of meth mouth and had also aged about 15 years. I feel for your situation.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.

Thank you, NRSKaren, for the resources you included in your post--very helpful!

To TriageRN---thank you for sharing the experiences you witnessed with your meth patient---so many similarities were seen to that demonstrated by our daughter.

To Ivana---so sorry that you had to endure a similar situation with your husband---and thanks for sharing your story.

Our daughter stayed with us a few days (slept most of the time)and then one night when she didn't come home, we placed her things out on the front step. In the morning we learned she'd gone to stay at her sister's because she figured we'd be upset when she came home at 1AM(well she got THAT right!). When she later called to apologize, we told her she HAS to get help, get into a rehab center, etc, but that we cannot feel imprisoned in our own house, wondering where she is, if she's bringing home drug buddies, or taking our car, and we can't and won't babysit her!!!!She's 25 for Heaven's sakes!! She said she understood but is now back sponging off her sister. Guess all we cann do is pray about it because she really sees that she has no problem!:angryfire :(

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