Dad's going crazy on Christmas Day.

December 25, 2008 10:03 AM

My dad let his prescription for Ativan run out, and now he's out of his mind and beginning to hallucinate. It's obviously Christmas Day and everything is closed; his doctors are not reachable so far. What should we do?

My mom and grandmother are worried to death, and so am I. We're about 20 minutes away, so we're getting ready to go see if there's anything we can do, but I don't know what to do. My grandmother has a Xanax, but Dad refuses to take it or eat or drink anything because it's not his Ativan.

Anyone ever experienced this type of issue before? If so, please help. Thank you.

posted by susiepie to health & fitness (19 comments total)

here in Ontario, we have something called Telehealth, where you can phone a toll-free number and speak to a registered nurse. they can provide suggestions and advice, and will tell you whether or not you should see a doctor immediately (i.e. go to the ER). a few years ago on Christmas, my mom had severe chest pain, and we called Telehealth. do you have anything like that in your state?

if you don't have any services like that, i would go to the ER. he's in need of medical attention. i've run out of medication before, and i know it can be hell.
posted by gursky at 10:18 AM on December 25, 2008

Have you called the closest ER or consulting nurse at a hospital? They can likely advise you. ERs are open on XMas.
posted by tristeza at 10:19 AM on December 25, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

IANAD. If your dad's doctors don't respond soon, urge him to visit the ER, where he can be evaluated and prescribed/administered proper medication. Don't let him drive.

If your dad's doctors do respond and you live near a Walgreens or CVS which has pharmacy hours on Christmas (some do), the docs may be able to call in a prescription refill for your dad.
posted by terranova at 10:29 AM on December 25, 2008

I'm going to suggest heading to the ER. Benzo withdrawal is not something to take lightly.
posted by kellyblah at 10:37 AM on December 25, 2008

Emergency room. It's not unreasonable for your dad's doctor to be unavailable for anything short of fire, death, or blood on Christmas (presuming the doctor celebrates). Visit the ER, let them know the issue--bring empty pill bottles and/or copies of past scrips just in case.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:40 AM on December 25, 2008

There are also Crisis Response Centers or CRCs, which are psychiatric emergency rooms. Without knowing exactly where you are it's impossible to tell you where the nearest one is, though.
posted by The Straightener at 10:46 AM on December 25, 2008

1. Call 911
2. Don't take anyone else's advice on the internet unless it's "Call 911."

Your father may die. Benzodiazepine withdrawal may cause this and many other similarly unpleasant effects.
posted by herrdoktor at 10:50 AM on December 25, 2008 [10 favorites has favorites]

herrdoktor is right. Benzo withdrawal can kill you.
posted by Jairus at 10:52 AM on December 25, 2008

Many urgent care centers may be open today as well. Might be a cheaper option than the ER.
posted by Octoparrot at 11:22 AM on December 25, 2008

Benzo withdrawal is not cool. Seizures and death can follow. Go to an ER, say "I think I'm having a heart attack" or "I'm having a panic attack". Either way they'll rush you back quickly, do a quick EKG, and then give you Ativan. For me, 2mg IV, followed by another 2mg IV (if needed) takes care of it.

Fuck the cost. Get offline. Call 911. Now.
posted by quarantine at 12:17 PM on December 25, 2008

quarantine: "Go to an ER, say "I think I'm having a heart attack" or "I'm having a panic attack"."

An ER is not a place to lie. Just tell them what's going on.

I recommend calling 911, since the hallucinations could be a problem during the drive. An ambulance will be better set up to get him safely to the hospital.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:07 PM on December 25, 2008

If he's taken to an ER in an ambulance, he'll be cared for immediately. If he walks in, he may spend hours in the waiting room.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:31 PM on December 25, 2008

ERs are stocked with Ativan (my mom's a lifetime ER nurse, I just asked her about it). They will help your dad.
posted by xmutex at 2:38 PM on December 25, 2008

911
posted by Cohiba4009 at 3:04 PM on December 25, 2008

Thanks, everyone. We just got back from taking my Dad to the ER, and I think he'll be alright. They were able to get approval from his regular doctor for a shot of Ativan and a prescription to last him until Monday (when I will be marching him straight to the doc for a check up and new prescription!). It was getting pretty scary there for a while - Dad was saying totally jacked up stuff like my mom was in cahoots with the devil.

Anyway, thanks again, and Merry Christmas!
posted by susiepie at 3:44 PM on December 25, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

quarantine: "Go to an ER, say "I think I'm having a heart attack" or "I'm having a panic attack"

The corpse in the library : "An ER is not a place to lie. Just tell them what's going on."

It's moot now, but to clarify, I wasn't advocating lying -- I was just overgeneralizing. When I run out of Ativan, it actually does feel like a heart attack, although experience has told me that it is probably a panic attack. I (foolishly) assumed the OP's dad was having similar experiences -- not paranoia. My apologies.

And yes, susiepie, I'm glad he's OK.
posted by quarantine at 9:42 PM on December 25, 2008

If he's taken to an ER in an ambulance, he'll be cared for immediately. If he walks in, he may spend hours in the waiting room.

Not true. You will be triaged immediately. If there's someone sicker than you who walked in, they go first.
posted by gramcracker at 2:46 AM on December 26, 2008

okay, i know it's not christmas so theoretically your question has already been answered, but i wanted to voice a small warning about ativan, even when taken as prescribed. my mom became addicted to ativan, spiralling downward as she used it to blot out emotional stress, only able to recover after forced rehab. i'm not saying your dad will react the same way, but thought you'd like to know that too much use for too long can result in more than just hallucinations including anorexia, stroke, and extensive memory loss. my mom forgot who she was and where she had been for the last 4 years.

so, just be careful. i know it's scary, just keep an eye on him and i hope everything is okay in the end.
posted by big open mouth at 7:35 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

i wanted to voice a small warning about ativan, even when taken as prescribed

Seconded.

Among benzodiazepines, Ativan is especially treacherous. It is fast-acting, very cheap, has a short half-life, is very "clean" (no side effects and no hangover), helps with all sorts of stuff such as minor stress and minor insomnia, and one quickly becomes acclimated to higher dosages.

Ativan users find it so useful that they sometimes will have multiple doctors prescribing it for them, unknown to one another.

Consumption can increase, which then greatly increases the risk of seizure and stroke if stopped cold turkey.

Keep an eye on him, OK?
posted by quarantine at 8:14 PM on December 26, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]