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WARNING!
Here's an alert to those who are dealing with prescription pain medication. Be alert to the problem of colon impaction when taking pain meds...especially Oxycontin. This is a common problem; taking prescription pain meds "relax" the intestines and make uptake of food harder. Literally. Constipation is common and then if bad; impacting might follow.
The above info is common knowledge. But this fact is not common knowledge, even with Hospice Nurses...
What will often be prescribed is a standard twice a day pain killer and nausea killer. Often that pain killer will be Oxycodone. Then another pain killer will be alternated for pain that is NOT the Oxycodone; it is normally Oxycontin (might be a "take as needed").
Here's the big problem: The Oxycontin will NOT dissolve and actually becomes a gummy, gooey hard "pea" sized lump in the intestines. IF the patient is having constipation problems (normal), then the use of Oxycontin will create MORE constipation problems as the gooey/hard core will add to the impacting in the intestine.
Well, the patient cannot eat with a blockage. So in a case where the patient is already in trouble, the use of Oxycontin will add to the problem...creating impacting of a hard gooey mass. If you have access to these two drugs just crush up an Oxycodone (easy to crush and dissolve in water) and then just try to do the same with the Oxycontin. Once you finally get it crushed, add some water...even something with an acidic base...and you will get a gooey hard core. That core will impact. Just use your finger to feel what I'm taking about; the lingering, pea shaped core will stick in a tacky goo to your fingers. Imagine that (say 20 in a five day period) in your intestines where there is already very little movement.
In some cases this situation could become life or death.
Solution is ... not to give Oxycontin to a patient with any sign of constipation. But it is an almost foregone conclusion that constipation WILL follow prescription pain meds.
I've tried using Essential Oils as a substitute...for instance, Lavender for pain. I put on wrists and then just tasting the Lavender gets the oils into the system.
