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Long term opioids can reach some pretty impressive dosages, for sure. Luckily, the amount required to overdose rises with tolerance. Seems like your lady is doing well, so I would consider her practitioner pretty competent.
Personally, I think pain is actually under-treated in the elderly, especially those with advanced dementia. Add that to the haphazard way we assess pain and prescribe opioids as the only solution to the problem and I agree that there's issues that need addressing.
hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I
4 Articles; 5,212 Posts
I am seeing a number of elderly patients in assisted living situations who seem to take a lot of opiates. One patient who couldn't weigh more than 120 pounds was 85 and wearing a Fentanyl Patch - getting Morphine Sulphate 15 mg routine every 6 hours plus MS Contin every 12 hours routine wit Norco for breakthrough pain. She's perfectly delightful, alert and oriented and not driving anywhere but are Dr's really being responsible practitioners? I know pain management is a science but this just seems like a lot to me? What do you all think?