MIL taking medication when she doesn't need it

“ Healthcare professionals should consider offering paracetamol for pain relief in addition to core treatments (see recommendation 1.2.5); regular dosing may be required. Paracetamol and/or topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) should be considered ahead of oral NSAIDs, cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors or opioids. [2008]

1.5.2 If paracetamol or topical NSAIDs are insufficient for pain relief for people with osteoarthritis, then the addition of opioid analgesics should be considere. Risks and benefits should be considered, particularly in older people. [2008]“

From the NICE guidance on the management of osteoarthritis.
Basically paracetamol is not as effective as was once thought, but the alternatives carry risks in long-term use.

Paddyann provided your MiL is competent to make her own healthcare decisions, really it’s none of your business.
If you’re concerned you could suggest to her that she might ask for a medicines review.
She comes from the generation noted for its stoicism and just because she’s never mentioned her arthritis to you, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t been suffering from it or that she doesn’t need pain management.

Sounds like a lazy GP and bad systems at the surgery. DH doesn't take pain killers or laxatives, but gets called in every year to review his medications for high blood pressure.

Taking laxatives for 30 years without a check certainly sound odd.

My GP reviews my meds annually, btw.

I've been taking painkillers for arthritis for 37 years. I'm not addicted. I think you need to have suffered long term chronic pain yourself before you conclude that someone else doesn't need the painkillers they take. I think chronic pain, even relatively mild chronic pain, is far more debilitating and than most people realise.

Sounds like a need for a medication review as your mother in law is so accepting and not questioning, would she let you go with her?

I have arthritis in my knees and am told to take paracetamol regularly along with my prescribed anti inflammatory meds although I can take 6-8 some days I don't find they help much so try not to. I've been told that long term use is fine but in my experience they don't do much for arthritis.

I'd say it depends on which joints are affected, her hands may be fine but her knees could be agony although I doubt paracetamol would be much use for really bad arthritis I take over 300mg of Morphine twice a day for my knees and I'm still in pain. She shouldn't have multiple boxes of them because if she took them all it would be fatal.

I've known her for almost 45 years an dthis is the first time I've heard about arthritis .I know her mother had it badly in her hands and that it caused a lot of pain but MIL has always been fit as a flea she knits and crochets which I doubt she'd be able to do with arthritis .I'm really concerned about this ,her GP has also been giving her laxatives for years ,she says 30 years ....surely that cant be right ? I only discovered them when I looked into her medicine cabinet and there are boxes and boxes of them

Its a difficult one. Advice to me was to take it regularly, better to keep the pain under control as much as possible than manage flare ups which needed stronger medication. Having said the I do manage some days without as I tend to see how the first couple of hours goes before taking the first tablets. Perhaps a trip to see the GP for a checkover would help you to stop worrying padyann and also find a reason for her symptoms. Could be anything really.

I don’t think paracetamol is addictive. I do take it fairly often, but not automatically or regularly. Once when I s suffering from pain in my legs my doctor told me to take them every day. I said surely it wasn’t right to take them all the time for an unspecified length of time. He said it was perfectly all right.

When I was in a rehab unit after being in hospital recently paracetamol was handed out automatically with every meal.

I doubt if the medication is causing her symptoms - at least, without scientific tests we have no way of knowing whether it is or not.

Unfortunately your MIL will continue with her pain which will be caused by the very thing she's taking to stop it. After all this time of taking such a painkiller it's going to do more harm than good as paracetamol also damages the kidneys. I'm surprised this is happening and I would definitely go to the surgery if I were her and get this reviewed.

I think these can be addictive but not sure of the quantity you need to take.
Like you I rarely take anything and if I do need to I find a much smaller dose than the packet says.