Prune Juice and Psych Patients???

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OK I know this is a very odd question but I figured I would throw it out and see if anyone has info about it. I work on a in patient chronic psych unit. We have a variety of juices that we use for our patients. All our juice is kept in the med room so that means that each time a pt wants juice they ask a nurse. Over the past month I have noticed that our pts are consuming a large amount of prune juice. Honestly, they drink so much that it makes me wonder if there is a connection between this type of juice and psych pts. I know their meds can lend to constipation but this juice thing is way beyond a cup or two for relief of constipation. I have informed the patients that there is a limit on the juice but of course I am only there a short time and I can't control what other staff does. I have worked in the substance abuse field a long time and as odd as it sounds these pts are displaying addictive type behaviors over prune juice. They continually approach the desk asking for it and if you say no they wait till another staff comes into the area and tries to secretly ask them for it. When they get it they rush off to various corners of the unit where they are out of site. Then soon as they consume it they are really back at the desk with in 30 mins asking for more. It's so intense that I just can't help but wonder if there is some type of connection here that I am just missing. I figured if grapefruit juice can mess with so many meds perhaps there is a connection with prune juice too??

I would love some feedback on this odd topic.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

Maybe it just tastes good and they have a craving for sweets?

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Specializes in Psychiatric, Medical, Residential.

Number one thing is they are "watering down" their medications by taking in so many fluids. Yes, fluids are important, but excess fluids wash out the meds. Prune juice in quantity can do the same thing.. wash out the medications. I have worked in psychaitric nursing for about 5 years +/-, and have noticed these "little things". I believe that the patients need to be monitored for their intake. Their medications do tend to interact with various things and they have been linked to causing obesity and diabetes. The extra sugar content in the prune juice is also not a good thing. Hope this information helps!

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My dh one time worked in the prison system and said that the prisoners had very elaborate set ups for fermenting concoctions. Can't imagine where these people would be hiding the brew or getting the required sugar, but you never know.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.

Related to constipation issues?

Many psych meds can be constipating.

Opiate based pain meds, especially for the chronic users (or abusers), can be very constipating.

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Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.
My dh one time worked in the prison system and said that the prisoners had very elaborate set ups for fermenting concoctions. Can't imagine where these people would be hiding the brew or getting the required sugar, but you never know.

That is exactly what first came to mind.

The prisoners actually call the concoction Prune-o.

It was hidden anywhere they could figure out a way to conceal it, often moving it from room to room, etc.

Where there's a will, there's a way, I guess!

Fermented fruits to booze.

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Specializes in psychiatric, rehab.

Sometimes an object or "privilege" just becomes a hot commodity among patients. We have a facility that also medically detoxes dual diagnosis patients and we stock Gatorade for those patients. But sometimes there is a run on the stuff from the psych patients and everyone suddenly seems to require it for any number of odd reasons. And then as patient population changes something else will gain popularity.

Truthfully, I think its just something that they decide, en masse and unconsciously, is valuable. They attach higher value to it because they really don't get that many valuable items or privileges in the institutions we work for. Almost like, by God, I am stuck in here and I can't smoke when I want to smoke, walk were I want to walk or do what I want to do when I want to do it but by God I can have prune juice!

Anyway, that's my take based on my experiences.

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Specializes in Psych, ER, Resp/Med, LTC, Education.

A little research online and yes I think callioter hit it right on the head! They are making into alcohol would be my biggest guess. Do you make them drink it in your presense? I would start doing that for all staff handing it out and see if this stops.....and do a complete room sweep-- all the patients in one place supervised while all rooms checked.

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OK we slowly started to implement the changes for the juice this past weekend. I make them drink small cups at the counter vs taking small or large cups. Room sweeps are a little harder to pull off but at least things are moving a little bit in a different direction. Thank you to everyone, as always the advice here is great.

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Wow, I did not know pts could make alcoholic beverages from prune juice! Thanks for telling us.

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OK we slowly started to implement the changes for the juice this past weekend. I make them drink small cups at the counter vs taking small or large cups. Room sweeps are a little harder to pull off but at least things are moving a little bit in a different direction. Thank you to everyone, as always the advice here is great.

This is very good advice. At my old job, we just poured them a can of prune juice into styrofoam cups in front of the pts and that was it. There were some pts who adamently requested prune juice every day and we never knew why.

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Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I have to throw this in... Back in the 30s, 40s, and 50s, prune juice was something people drank all the time to prevent constipation. My mom and grandma swore by it and saw that all the kids had their daily prune juice. With that said, if your patients are of those generations, possibly a prune is JUST a prune!

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