Missing OxyContin,a family member stole - Pain Management Message Board

mike j · 01-02-2006, 12:29 AM

Last night for the new year I had my sister and nephew over for the new year.
I went to get my OxyContin this morning and it was gone!!!

I keep it in my kitchen cabinet. I took my last dose at 11 o'clock last night. When I get up this morning to get my medication it was all gone. I still have my breakthrough medication,Dilaudid.it was not bothered. Only the OxyContin 40 mg tablets. Two weeks supply worth.

I told my mother about the incident she told Me to take the police report and call my sister and let her know about the situation.
I cannot call the police. I'm quite sure that my nephew took the medication. My sister told me there's an epidemic in the high school .students are going through their families medicine chest in search of narcotics especially OxyContin.My nephew is currently on Ritalin

She told me she was very concerned about my nephew possibly abusing medication. She talked to the guidance counselor about the situation. as well as the school nurse. The school nurse had a very interesting observation about students who are taking Ritalin she has noticed that the kids who were on Ritalin seemed to have a high rate of abusing drugs especially prescription.I wonder if anybody else has heard of this???

I do not want to call the police and take a report. I can make it by on my breakthrough medication. This will be very difficult but I can manage.

I know to keep the medication under lock and key. I would never think my nephew would do this. I do not want to call the police. I am very afraid about the dose of medication that could kill him.are his friends.

I called his cell phone and left a message about the medication and the danger involved. I told him if I get the medication back by tomorrow I would not call the police. I also told him I would not tell a sister about the situation.

I hope and pray that he gives the medication back to me. I cannot tell my sister this would kill her. I am so confused what to do with the situation.I will wait till noon tomorrow and then make a decision. I know my mom is correct. I wish I did not have to deal with this. Does anybody have any suggestions please let me know.

Thank you for your time and suggestions

MizLiz · 01-02-2006, 01:57 AM

oh my. First of all I am glad that you have your breakthrough meds to get by. Unfortunately I think that tough love may be the most responsible route for several reasons. The most loving thing you can do for your nephew is to follow through. Report him if necessary, call the school counselor, talk to your sister, whatever it takes. Both him and his mother may be terribly upset but think of the possibilities if you dont turn him in. If your nephew has a drug problem you could be enabling him and denying him the opportunity to get help before it gets out of control. Another thought is that if you dont turn him in his behavior could escalate. If he is dealing then he will continue to seek out the drugs for money. If he's stealing from family members how long before he steals from strangers? a pharmacy? other drug users? He could be headed to dangerous situations and you might be the person to help him before its too late. Of course he will not see it this way. Teenagers often make choices without forethought of the consequences. He has to learn that this is not ok and he cant get away with it. For his safety and for the other students. As a parent of 2 teenagers I feel that adults need to help guide these young adults. They will make mistakes, yes. But adults need to step in when their safety is at risk. You know the saying..."It takes a village...blah blah blah" But really as parents we cant always know what our teens are up to. We rely on other caring adults to inform us.
You did the right thing by confronting him. Now please follow through. Also, if my child had stolen medications I would want to know. Be brave and please tell your sister. I understand how very hard that will be but it is absolutely necessary.
I hope I didnt come across as too strong but this is something I feel passionate about because I am a parent. I am so sorry you were put in this predicament but remember it is not your fault. Your nephew needs to know that HIS actions caused all this, not yours. Good luck. I am sure you will get lots of advice here, good luck with your decision. Keep the faith. Liz

MizLiz · 01-02-2006, 02:14 AM

p.s.
as far as kids who use Ritilin often abusing drugs... IMO and from speaking to several other parents, and being a parent of a child with ADD Yes it is true. But not because of the Ritilin. Children/teens/adults who have to deal with the symptoms of ADD many times will self medicate either through alcohol or drugs to help calm their difficult lives. I have seen many many families dealing with the issue. Sometimes their medications no longer are effective or inappropriate or they get better relief from other means. If your nephew is one of the statistics maybe you can help him. Again, good luck. Liz

feelbad · 01-02-2006, 08:24 AM

Good answer liz,i totally agree here.this child quite obviously has a huge problem that needs swift and direct attention.You DO need to speak with his mother regardless of how she will take the news.this IS a very dangerous med that you need to get back.Hopefully he will heed your warning and do the right thing.You also HAVE to keep your meds under lock and key and give no one any access to your meds,regardless of who you think you can trust.You just never know who will decide they need your meds more than you do.this child needs help.i wish you luck with this situation.please let us know how things are going.hope your pain stays on the low end til you can at least get your next fill.I am truely sorry for what you are having to endure.Marcia

Fabrashamx · 01-02-2006, 10:19 AM

Mike, I am so sorry this happened to you. I would like to point out that even if you don't have a lock box for you meds, it would help a LOT not to store them in a room where guests can be by themselves without comment, like the kitchen or the bathroom. Especially the bathroom, they can go in there and lock the door and snoop at leisure. It would be much much more difficult for a casual visitor to say, go into your bedroom and start going through drawers and closets. I keep my meds in a box on my closet shelf, and the door sticks a little. I have 2 teenagers and they are great kids, but they have lots of friends and you never know. I strongly agree that the reason kids on ritalin are more likely to abuse medications are that they are self medicating because they have mental and emotional problems. My husband is bi-polar and he self medicated for years before he was diagnosed and treated. Your plan to confront your nephew seems to be a good one, But I would think long and hard about maybe reporting him. If someone O.D.'s and it comes out it came from you, however unwillingly, you could be in danger of losing your pain management, and that would be grossly unfair. I know you don't want to get your nephew in trouble, but if he is willing to steal his uncles badly needed pain meds, He's already in trouble, IMHO. good luck and let us know how it works out. Your Friend, Fabby