More mischief with meds

M1

My partner takes a fair amount of medication-blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, severe reflux because of scoliosis, long-and short-acting pain meds because of the same scoliosis. She hasn’t been able to manage her own meds for probably three years, so I keep all the bottles and a weekly medminder  in my bathroom (which she doesn’t use) and simply give her her pills twice a day. Two times before today she’s gone into my drawers when I wasn’t home and removed the bottles-couldn’t really tell me why. I can’t lock the room, therefore hid the bottles behind my towels. Came back from a pharmacy run today and caught her red handed doing it again-said “I just wanted to see what I was taking.” She recently lost $200 worth of Celebrex doing this, and of course the pain meds cannot be replaced if lost. Guess I’m going to have to get a lockbox of some sort. I don’t know why it’s such an obsession, I think it’s primarily a residual desire to be independent. I’m gonna have to get more sneaky too, and stop leaving her alone even for short periods.

ButterflyWings

Oh my, I’m glad you got home just in time. 

It never ceases to amaze me what DH can do and remember (stuff he shouldn’t!) compared to what he can’t manage that seems so simple.

We now have a small lockbox with a combination code. The meds are too expensive and also too dangerous given my LOs constant rummaging, hiding, and basically getting into stuff if not secured. I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t swallow a bunch of pills either. The child-proof containers aren’t too hard to open unfortunately.

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Stuck in the middle

When DS was about two, he pushed a chair against the kitchen cabinet, climbed onto the counter, and pulled DWs purse off the top of the refrigerator.  Then he gnawed the plastic "childproof" top off his older brother's Ritalin bottle and ate most of the contents.  DW returned to the kitchen at that point, and he got a ride to the ER for a course of Ipecac.  That's when I started keeping the meds in a locked steel box.  

I guess it's about time I resumed that habit.  Actually, a fireproof safe for the important papers, meds, etc. would be a good idea.  Thanks for the reminder.

sandwichone123

I think most people should be keeping meds in a safe--especially if they are on meds with any street value, like pain meds.

Joydean

I use a 7 day pill box and then put the bottles of meds in the safe. Our safe was where we kept guns but our son took them to his house. Now it’s just used for important papers and medication . The pill box is easier to hide than a lot of bottles.

Ed1937

M1, sorry you are dealing with yet another problem. Amazon has quite a few lock boxes, so there should be plenty of options. I like Victoria's suggestion of bolting it to the back of a drawer.

toolbeltexpert

M1 sorry to hear about your lo. I got a Fireproof box from from Walmart for around 20 I put that in our gun safe with all the papers.

Lynne D

I use the pill dispenser and give my HWD his pills twice per day. I have to watch him, or he will drop them, plop them into his drink, etc.

I keep the pill bottles in a “hidden” box in a store room. It is easy to hide things from him.

I retained the pharmacy papers that describe each drug and when he would ask what he was taking, I handed him the papers. 

Rescue mom

My DH found meds I thought were really well-hidden, especially since he doesn’t take any interest in them. But he does “rummage” and in the process found (and lost) meds and important paperwork I thought was well away from him. Earlier I hid them in easier places I thought he never went, or had forgotten about….until he did. I’m convinced you can’t hide stuff from them if they’re mobile. You just never know what they can do.

 I still don’t think he realized “what” he’d found, it was just something  he uncovered, and caught his eye long enough to lose. (Probably lots more gone I haven’t even noticed. So OK)

I got a lockbox. When he comes across that, he may “worry” with it a bit, but loses interest fast.

Stuck in the middle

There are worse things than losing a bottle of pain meds, like taking the whole bottle.  I'm not suggesting a suicide attempt, more like taking one or two every time she thinks about it and/or feels any discomfort.

M1

I ordered a box with a combination lock from Amazon last night. And yes Stuck, overdosing would be a concern, though she’s never been suicidal (yet) and I doubt the executive function to do it now-but she absolutely can’t remember when she’s taken things. She’s also on Plaquenil for her arthritis which could cause serious eye toxicity if overdosed.  So lots of reasons to control it. 

As for papers, I’ve hidden the original copies of her will (ruined a previous one by making undated handwritten changes) and the poa documents. They’re in a different firebox in an obscure place .

Pat6177

Just curious, do you folks lock up just prescription meds or also vitamins and over the counter meds?

M1

Good point! I haven't locked up the over the counter things yet as she doesnt go take random things, but that day could come. I am contemplating a lock for certain chemical supplies, we had an incident recently of her putting furniture polish in a dish soap dispenser.

harshedbuzz

I think basically, you baby-proof the house as you would for a toddler or pet. Anything with a potential to be toxic needs to be unavailable to them. Hidden isn't good enough if you have someone in the hunter gatherer stage. 

Dad was never one to mess with anything remotely related to housekeeping- the misogyny of women's work persisted well into the disease process. But he did futz with home and car repair items and once knocked me clear across the garage jumping a battery. I took the jumper cables out of their car, reversed the keyed handle on the garage door and signed them up for AAA. 

A friend had to hide small appliances, stove knobs, cleaning supplies and even had to stop bringing cut flowers into the house after her mom grabbed and ate them. She stored her stuff in the garage. Her garage was 4 steps down; mom took a spill and broke her arm so the knob was already reversed.

HB

Lynne D

I keep OTC meds hidden too. My husband once ate a half bottle of calcium gummies (the big jar from Costco). No negative repercussions, but still…they can see meds as something else and have not “full” meter.

Rescue mom

I lock up all OTC meds. My DH will take them, and forget in 2 minutes. Or, if it didn’t help immediately, he’d take another and swear it was the first one even though I saw him take 2 already. No concept of time, plus no memory. It’s a miracle he wasn’t hurt by an OD.

I also had to secure cleaning supplies. He tried to use them on the pets. 

Stuck in the middle

If you have to lock it up, lock up the OTCs as well.  OTC Tylenol (acetaminophen) stresses the liver, and a whole bottle is as deadly as rat poison.  It takes several days to kill, but there is no antidote.  A lot of cold medicines contain acetaminophen.  Just for an example.

JJAz

While all of these tips are helpful, I'd also encourage you to allow her to observe/participate in preparing her meds for as long as she is curious.  If she has unsatisfied curiosity, that can easily turn into paranoia and/or delusions which can lead to all sorts of other problems.  If she wants to know why they're locked up, tell her that the doctor requires it . . . he wants you to follow best practices and wants to avoid any chance of double-taking medication.

JJAz

Also, if you have a lockable tool box in the garage, you can keep the meds in the garage.

Iris L.

Cleaning compounds can be mistaken for beverages.

Iris