Your hospice nurse and your attending physician can explain the protocol for adjusting the medication if you have questions about respiratory depression. In addition, if the patient's breathing becomes too slow, the dosage is usually reduced or even held completely, until the patient gets used to the medication. Lethargy or profound sleepiness may be a common side-effect of narcotics. These drinks are stimulants which can help the patient become more alert. Of course, you must consult your hospice nurse and physician about what should be done in your particular case, if the patient is too lethargic.
Many patients begin to sleep more as they come closer to actually dying.
Constipation is a common side-effect of narcotic medications. When constipation occurs in the terminally ill patient, it can cause abdominal pain which is unrelated to the pain resulting from the disease. Impaction of the large intestine is a medical emergency and can result in death. It must be carefully managed and treated to remove the blockage, if the patient is not already at the point of death. If the patient is not actively dying, your attending physician will order medications or treatments to relieve the constipation or impaction.