Physical maladies and addicton to prescription meds

[Think About It...]

My 34 y/o sis BPD has all sorts of "medical problems" migranies, torn rotator cuff, bad elbow from a break ten years ago, intermittent UTIs and bladder infections, terrible sinuses, weak ankles, you name it, she's got it.

I haven't read all of the posts here (no kidding) and I'm wondering how common hypochondria is with BPD. I do think she has some medical problems but to me, most of it feels like attention seeking behavior. If there is a .0000000009 chance of getting a side effect from a medication, she gets it etc etc...

Also she is addicted to pills, pain meds and sleeping meds she takes the sleeping meds because she has so much "stress", can't figure that one out and have quit trying.

So is this typical and how the heck does she get the doctors to keep prescibing her drugs?

Lhguz

[lhguz]

My 34 y/o sis BPD has all sorts of "medical problems" migranies, torn rotator cuff, bad elbow from a break ten years ago, intermittent UTIs and bladder infections, terrible sinuses, weak ankles, you name it, she's got it.

I haven't read all of the posts here (no kidding) and I'm wondering how common hypochondria is with BPD. I do think she has some medical problems but to me, most of it feels like attention seeking behavior. If there is a .0000000009 chance of getting a side effect from a medication, she gets it etc etc...

Also she is addicted to pills, pain meds and sleeping meds she takes the sleeping meds because she has so much "stress", can't figure that one out and have quit trying.

So is this typical and how the heck does she get the doctors to keep prescibing her drugs?

Lhguz

[JoannaK]

Hypochondria and/or real maladies (accident-prone) seems to be very common among those with BPD.  Many people have come through here and described a litany of physical and or imagined ailments.  I'm sure that those with BPD are seriously overrepresented in ER's.

About her addiction to pain meds:  Some of her erratic behavior could also be caused by various meds.  Most opiate pain meds, and any kind of tranquilizer or benzadaizipine are terribly addictive and cause mood and personality changes as they enter and leave the body and the body adjusts and readjusts to changing levels of the medication.  There are some in the mental health field who feel that a person shouldn't be diagnosed with a personality or mood disorder until the person has been free of these kinds of meds for six months or even more...  that's how long it can take someone to completely withdraw from these meds and for their own neurotransmitters to "bounce back".

Most with addictions to these kinds of meds are not open to the idea that they are addictive and that they can cause more problems than they solve.  The doctors won't prescribe her these meds if she doesn't ask for them.  If she wants off, she needs to talk to the doctor she is closest to and tell the doc that she suspects she is dependent (vs. addicted) on the meds and she wants to get off of them.  Depending on the medication, she will either need a plan to taper her use of them to minimize withdrawal, or to replace the med with something else that can help with side effects of withdrawal.  The problem with getting off of any pain med or any benzadaizepine (valium, xanax, clonodin, etc.) is that initially the symptoms, (pain, stress, anxiety, insomnia), that made the person take the drug to begin with get worse as you go through withdrawal.  It takes a tremendous amount of will not to run to Xanax when the anxiety or insomnia returns or not to run for vicodin when the old rotator cuff acts up.  Plus, as you noticed, she gets a tremendous amount of attention and sympathy for being ill all of the time... she probably doesn't have any reason to get off of these meds.

So...  I think you are stuck doing anything for her.  The only thing you can do is, when she complains about this or that physical ailment, is to mention that the drugs she is taking for whatever are addicted and they may be causing more problems than they are fixing.  Then don't listen that much.  She will think you are cold hearted and unsympathetic, but that's part of creating boundaries.

[StressedinCleveland]

My borderline wife has severe hyochondria and is addcited to traquilizers (clonipin) although thank goodness she hates opiates (pain meds). She also seems to have some real problems, although these often turn out to be false. For example, she always thought she had asthma and docs prescribed all sorts of meds and she even visited the ER frequently with asthma attacks. Turns out they were really panic attacks with hyperventillating. She is off all asthma meds. She has been the ER a number of times for "heart attacks" and even talked her way into the Coronary Intensive Care Unit. She was discharged within minutes of getting test results --her coronary arteries are clean as a whistle. Once again --panic attacks and hypochrondria.

I have been in the process is disengaging with my wife and we discussed divorce. She has been on her best behavior, and I have stopped being solicitious and helpful to her, and so has our son. We no longer do her chores or wait on her when she is "too ill" or "in too much pain". Remarkably, her health has improved tremendously. She no longer needs a cane to get around and she is talking about not renewing her handicapped sticker. She can get up and down stairs now that we no longer fetch things for her. Now that the two of us refuse to listen to her, she seems not be as troubled with constant pain all over her body. It's the awesome power of setting boundaries. Halleluah!

[JoannaK]

Oops... I meant "clonipin" not "clonodin" above.

[caggif]

My momster was a class act when it came to her various maladies.  I cannot remember any time in my life when she wasn't ill with something.  It even became a joke amongst us kids to "suggest" ailments in her company as in "Ooohh I have such a headache today" and sure enough 10 minutes later, she'd have developed a raging Migraine.  She was however totally non empathetic with anyone elses sickness. 

She feigned chronic asthma for years, and somehow managed to get her GP to prescribe antibiotic meds for her on a very, very regular basis.

She died just over 2 years ago from a pulminary embolism and a massive lung infection - untreatable due to her resistance to all known antibiotics.  Guess she cried wolf once too often .

Caggi xx

[jimfly]

This is a really interesting question to me.  I have wondered the same thing.  Since a big factor in BPD is having control and getting attention, it might make sense for a BPD to fake, or at least exaggerate, medical conditions.

It seems like a big part of the time when life is relatively stable around here, my wife is sick or something.  I don't think she is a hypochondriac, but I suspect that she might exaggerate her symptoms to get more attention.

To get some perspective on this, I have added a column in my Excel spreadsht to track days when my wife is sick.  This way I can see if there is some kind-of pattern to her being sick and NOT raging or something like that.  We'll see what I turn up after a few weeks.

JF

[StressedinCleveland]

Hypochondria is one of the symptoms of depression, so it is pretty common, at least in mild form. It is extreme for my wife, to the extent it may qualify as "somaticizing disorder" in the DSM-IV. The hypochondria ties into rages in several ways. If she feels others are not solicitous enough or sympathetic enough or not willing to do her favors and wait on her because of her illness, this will trigger a rage. During rages, the fact that I "don't care" about her many illnesses is always a big part of the rant.

[Mollyd]

SIC -

Hypochondria is a symptom of depression?  Can you clarify, as this is not information I am familiar with?  Are you saying it is linked to depression - or a symptom of depression?

Thanks

Mollyd

[StressedinCleveland]

From http://www.webmd.com/content/article/62/71507?z=1663_51207_29
Depression: Psychotic Depression

What Is Psychotic Depression?

Roughly 25% of people who are admitted to the hospital for depression suffer from what's called psychotic depression. In addition to the symptoms of depression, psychotic depression includes some features of psychosis -- like hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't really there) or delusions (irrational thoughts and fears).

How Is Psychotic Depression Different Than Other Mental Illness?

While people with other mental illness, like schizophrenia, also experience these symptoms, those with psychotic depression are usually aware that these thoughts aren't true. They may be ashamed or embarrassed and try to hide them, sometimes making this type of depression difficult to diagnose. Having an episode of psychotic depression increases your risk of bipolar depression, recurring episodes of psychotic depression, and suicide.

What Are the Symptoms of Psychotic Depression?

Symptoms that occur commonly in psychotically depressed patients include:

    * Anxiety
    * Agitation
    * Hypochondria
    * Insomnia
    * Physical immobility
    * Constipation
    * Intellectual impairment
    * Psychosis

How Is Psychotic Depression Treated?

Treatment for psychotic depression requires a longer hospital stay and close follow-up by a mental health professional. Combinations of antidepressants and antipsychotic medications have been most effective in easing symptoms. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may also be used to treat psychotic depression.

What Is the Outlook for People With Psychotic Depression?

Treatment is very effective for psychotic depression, and people are able to recover, usually within a year, but continual medical follow-up may be necessary. It is important, however, that a person experiencing these symptoms be properly diagnosed because treatment is different than for other major depressive illnesses and risk of suicide is greater.

[Gonefromhell]

My exBPDw has a long term addiction/dependence to opiates (Lortab, Oxycontin) as well as Ativan & Ambian. She also drank alcohol every day to potentiate (increase) the effects. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis which became her "ticket" for sympathy, manipulation of me & legal reason for all her drugs. She played the part of a worsening MS patient while her drug use went up. She recieved outpatient steroids for her MS, used a cane or scooter & always had more pain. When I tried to get her to rehab for the drugs/drinking & made the mistake of sharing my thoughts about BPD with her she got a lawyer. She got a settlement from me with alimony to keep her drugs flowing but at least I am out of her clutches! I know that Munchausen Syndrome as well as medical malingering are associated with BPD. Bottom line is she will never get off drugs/alcohol & is killing herself slowly on my money!

[StressedinCleveland]

I took a real chance refusing the enable my wife anymore and it might not have worked if my son had not formed a united front with me. The result has been a mircle cure. Suddenly she no longer needs a cane and gets around fine, and complaints of pain are much reduced. Stomoach related symptoms are also way down. All her friends have commented to me on how she suddenly seems so much healthier. Just call me the miracle worker! (I know, I know, it won't last!)

MS is a tricky one. The symptoms come and go and even people with really bad MS can wake up feeling completely fine on some days. There are few real objective tests for MS symptoms and you pretty much have to take the patient's word for it. A terrible thing for a hypochondriac to have.