Hi, mum has 4 spinal fractures due to osteoporosis and has been given liquid morphine as and when needed. So far so good she has had it a couple of times but I give her some at about 4am and since them she has been very not herself. First it was confusion and then when I gave her breakfast she couldn’t use the fork and tried to eat with her hands. She’s also very cross and can’t seem to settle. In general not herself. Could this be the morphine? I checked her temp and it was ok. Any advice welcome.
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@Honeycatgirl, yes it is the morphine making her confused. Best advice is see how long the confusion last, make a note, also make sure you are keeping a note of when she has the morphine as it is a dangerous drug and too much is not good. If you are getting worried about the confusion either ring 111 or the GP for advice but if anything else happens apart from the confusion ring 999.
Hope it will help.
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Yes, morphine can cause confusion, My Mum was given a morphine pump after her first knee replacement operation and became very confused and delusional - she also had hallucinations and behaved very uncharacteristically - swearing at the nurses (she never even usually said “damn” let alone the words she was coming out with !
When she had the second knee done we spoke to the anaesthetist and he prescribed Fentanyl - but as that is also an opioid in the same class as morphine we had the same problems.
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Honeycatgirl, If I remember rightly you said mum was only about 5-6 stone? I’m wondering if whoever arranged the morphine took this into consideration? When I worked in a small hospital long ago, For some medication the patient had to be weighed before the dosage could be set. I would dial 111 for advice. How long has mum been home? Has mum’s 6 week free care been arranged? Care Plan? Carers Assessment for you?
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@bowlingbun Yes they were worried about her weight and she is on a very low does, this this the first we have had any significant confusion. The carers have started but she won’t engage with them yet. I am still off work for another week so I guess we will have to see if it changes when I go back to work. I know home isnt right for either her or me but she has capacity so can’t do anything about it.
@Michael_1910123 @susieq I’ll not be giving it to her again. Think we are in for a rough enough day now to see if it wears off. If not I will call the gp.
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@Honeycatgirl does she have alternative strong pain relief? If not ring 111 and see what else they can prescribe. In controlled pain can also cause delirium.
As an aside, has she o/b (had a pooh) recently? Opioids can cause terrible constipation.
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@Melly1 She has a lidocaine patch on her back, paracetamol 4x a day with the morphine as and when. Was on co-codamol but they took her off that.
Lots of laxative so poohed this morning but has the urge to go to the loo every 15-30mins so the last few days and nights have been tough. Mum has always gone to the loo a lot but not as much as this.
She is really unsettled and cross today.
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That’s is a lot of pain relief but with the laxatives should help but even that could be to much for her. Being consterpated can also cause confusion. I would request a review of the pain relief and how much laxatives she has as it could be to much for her in her state.
She must get used to the carers before you go back to work. The only way this will happen is when you are not there. I know it’s going to be awful, but you have to stand back so that by the end of the week carers and mum feel confident. Only you can arrange this. Mum is now totally self centred thinking only of herself. Not engaging with the carers will leave residential the only option left. You need your sleep to be fit to work, not be disturbed by mum going to the loo all the time. Was she doing this in hospital? Discussed with you?
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I know @bowlingbun I must go back no matter what. It’s just rough today. The hospital didn’t seem concerned about the frequency of the loo visits only annoyed that she was going so much. I am shattered no sleep is happening at all.
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I never thought about the constipation causes confusion but that would fit. Mum is wrung out today.
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It something that get meantion when mum is confused, has she open her bowels or a water infection.
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Sending cyber support, much harder to cope when sleep deprived.
If she is o/b’s a lot she will need to drink more or she’ll get dehydrated, which can also lead to confusion.
Are the constipation meds PRN?
Once the care workers know what needs doing, can you pop out and leave them to it, as a practice for next week?
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Thank you! The sleep deprivation is the worst. Just snapped at mum and she went on a rant at me, all fun and ganes today. Will endeavour to pull myself together.
She’s on Lactulose. I was planning to do that with the carers. She just tells them to go when they come in. We’ll see.
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Next time she has a go at you, can you record it on your phone?
She cannot stay home if she won’t accept carers.
Even if you were not working, you need sleep.
Things will only change if there is a crisis or you force it, I’m afraid.
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You are right, others have said that too. I am too soft with her and too scared. Will see how the rest of the day goes and if its the morphine hopefully it will wear off soon.
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Counselling when I was about 60 made me realise that I was letting mum treat me like an obedient little girl, always trying to please her, never saying no.
The counsellor encouraged me to behave differently. I did NOT have to do what mum wanted, it was my life and I should what was important to me!
Counselling was hugely helpful to me and my well being. I would urge you to consider investing in yourself before things get any worse.
For me, it was a huge relief when mum finally moved into a nursing home nearby. I could have quality time with mum without the endless jobs, knowing she had 24/7 care and the home could deal with whatever happened.
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I am definitely going to look into it. I think it would be very helpful. My situation isnt going to change anytime soon so I need the coping mechanisms. Plus sleep I really need sleep!
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