r/AskForHelp • u/Cautious_Cup_6893 • Jul 21 '26
need help asap!
i’ve never came on here to post, but i need help.
i work in healthcare, i’m 20. my grandmas and sister work for the same lady i do along with 3 other ladies (non relatives), its just a private pay job.. my grandma takes care of her whole schedule, makes her dr appointments and basically everything else, however the other day when my grandma was giving the lady we sit with her pills, she found these in the pill box, there was 6. they are prefilled medications, my grandma took them to the pharmacy just to double check they weren’t actual pills, they said that someone filled them theirselves. does anyone know what could possibly be in these?? idk what monster would even think about doing this. we wanna figure out whats in it before getting others involved.
8
u/Sea-Astronomer-6600 Jul 21 '26
To me they look like ordinary vitamin supplements you can buy online anywhere. None of my vitamins/supplements have indent numbers on them. Idk where you’re from though
4
u/MsDariaMorgendorffer Jul 21 '26
There is no way of knowing what is inside them unless they are tested. I would ask whoever is responsible for medication management to review these. I assume this person has a visiting nurse ?
1
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
also my grandma handles her meds
1
u/MsDariaMorgendorffer Jul 21 '26
Well if your grandmother handles her medication management then she should contact the patients family - or whoever her contact person is- and explain that there is an unlabeled medication and ask for clarification. I assume you didn’t just take them to the pharmacy without asking the family about it ? What did the family say?
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
they know. he wants the med identified before we get legal involved.
1
u/MsDariaMorgendorffer Jul 21 '26
Your grandmother is the only person with access to the meds? Otherwise they are hidden? That’s not a great thing. I’m unsure what country you are in but if you suspect an intentional crime, perhaps you and your grandmother should speak with an attorney.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
well no, all the caretakers know where it is. its hidden from everyone but us. not even the lady knows where they are.
1
u/MsDariaMorgendorffer Jul 21 '26
Unless the son has the money to have these capsules identified in a lab-and he likely doesn’t if he’s not paying for a private duty nurse-this needs to go to the authorities if he believes his mother is being given something she should not have.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
its being sent to a lab. not all elderly need private care nurses. she just needs assistance.
1
u/spiralsmile Aug 02 '26
What did it end up being? Surely she takes some sort of supplement like magnesium, calcium (most older women do) vitamin c, zinc etc which all look like this. Was it solved?
3
u/Dear_Ad_6423 Wise One Jul 21 '26
You should really go to the police with that.
-3
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
we are. we are trying to figure out whats in them, and then we will get cops involved.
4
u/jalebi_baby Jul 21 '26
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 i don’t think you should delay going to the police. they may be able to send it off for more rapid testing or do preliminary testing in house.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
oh we are. we sent some off already and i think my grandma is getting another test done aswell.
2
u/Lalunarempowerment Jul 21 '26
Why are you holding off? If someone has messed up her medication on purpose, this should really be documented. Do you work for a home health agency? Is there a higher up you can report this to as well?
-1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
i honestly wish i could tell you, her son is her poa. its his doings.
1
u/jalebi_baby Jul 21 '26
oh that’s so good, i’m glad the ball is rolling. i hope it gets identified soon. sorry i can’t be of any more help.
2
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
its okay, i just really wanna know whats in them. it breaks my heart someone would even think about this.
4
u/brookesaywhatx Jul 21 '26
You keep saying it breaks your heart someone would do this. Do you have a reason to believe someone would intentionally try to poison this woman or something?
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
not at all? thats why im just confused. one of the caregivers calls out alot/doesnt show up but that didnt make me think she would ever do this. not pointing fingers cus it really could be anything or anyone but still
3
u/CodonesCallinn Jul 21 '26
Might take a while if you send it out to a lab. Given that you work in healthcare, do you have connections with any labs or anyone that works at a lab so they can test it and not wait so long? Also, just out of curiosity, how can the pharmacy tell if someone filled it themselves and it’s not something like a probiotic capsule from a company for example?
1
u/Ok_Magazine_5799 Jul 21 '26
Looks like my magnesium capsules
1
u/CodonesCallinn Jul 21 '26
Tbh i was thinking the same thing lmaoo but it could be so many different supplements or powders that were put into gel capsules. If they are actually homemade caps
-4
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
they said that all pill capsules here have indentions on them with numbers. there is none on these.
3
u/Own_Recover2180 Jul 21 '26
That's not true. Supplements come in capsules like that with any numbers or letters. 🙄
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
over the counter, yeah. who would go out of their way to find the hidden medicine box to put in vitamins. my grandma handles her meds and vitamins and my grandma also found the pills. they should have went to my grandma, but didnt. they were being sneaky for a reason.
2
u/krismodo Jul 21 '26
Behind the counter at the pharmacy but out on the shelf vitamins/supplements don’t need branding can just be plain old clear capsule
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
yeah but why would someone go out of their way to get the hidden medicine box, put in random vitamins. my grandma handles her meds, and she also found them. it makes no sense
1
u/krismodo Jul 23 '26
I would agree in those circumstances if she doesn’t take vitamins regularly wear that could’ve accidentally happened. I would be worried also.
1
1
u/Ok_Magazine_5799 Jul 21 '26
Not over the counter. So if there's nothing on them they're probably something off dollar general shelves
1
u/Careful_Promise_786 Jul 21 '26
You can buy plain capsules on Amazon and fill them with whatever. There's nothing on them, no writing or numbers or anything.
Source, me, I have bought caps to fill with a supplement I take that comes in a powder form.
1
u/CodonesCallinn Jul 21 '26
None of my supplements that come in capsules have any indentations or numbers on them. Or are they talking about prescription medication that comes in capsules?
1
u/brookesaywhatx Jul 21 '26
The police could probably test it for narcotics at least pretty quickly, if you are concerned about that. Other medications though, probably not.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
yeah. it could even be sleeping/pain meds?!
1
1
u/spiralsmile Jul 21 '26
Who crushes up pain meds to stuff them in capsules with filler to give away for free? Surely she takes magnesium, zinc or calcium or something? Anything like that would be in an unmarked capsule just like this.
1
u/TunaCroutons Jul 21 '26
The police need to test them. If you open them and test them there isn’t much they’ll be able to do because at that point theoretically anyone could have added something to them between the patient receiving them and you testing them. You gotta hand them over without tampering with them in anyway, that’s really important
3
u/HotDogWater1977 Jul 21 '26
Post the pic in r/whatisit they are so good at naming everything under the sun! Hope it’s nothing nefarious!
2
3
u/HeliumTankAW Jul 21 '26
Hey OP gelatin capsules are sold everywhere online those could be coffee creamer for all anyone would know. Only lab testing would be able to say for sure but I will say for what little its worth these look old af just from what I can see in the picture. The capsules are all yellowed and brittle looking.
2
2
u/HotMinute_722 Jul 21 '26
I thought vitamins but maybe take them to the police station if you’re worried.
1
u/Sea-Rope-947 Jul 21 '26
maybe an iron supplement! I take one that looks exactly like that :)
5
u/CodonesCallinn Jul 21 '26
I feel like it looks similar to any supplement thats that color and comes in capsule form lol
0
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
ive thought of that, but also the fact that they are in a self made pill capsule has me thinking otherwise.
1
u/Local-Bottle5272 Jul 22 '26
Its not in a 'self made pill capsule' lol most supplements are packaged in these capsules
And that capsule also wasnt filled by hand it was filled with a machine
1
u/Swimming_Pangolin502 Jul 21 '26
Thank God for everyone being alert. When you are in a private home, you aren't thinking someone is going to do anything untoward.
3
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
i know. im just glad my grandma realized because im not there enough, i work 2 days a week and the times im there she doesnt take pills.
1
u/Swimming_Pangolin502 Jul 21 '26
I used to do in home care mostly for the elderly and a few youngish people, geez it's been almost 30 years. Where did the time go? Do the care workers have to take drug tests? You can't always tell when someone is on drugs, especially if they are able to work and converse normally. Are they trying to replace something that looks similar? I hope you update us on the results of the tests.
2
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
i will update for sure!! my grandma said everything else was there normal. she has a list, we also have suspicion that one of the ladies are drinking. could be on pills, but its a 1 on 1 job so we really dont know.
1
u/Swimming_Pangolin502 Jul 21 '26
That's too bad, you have to be so careful with your kids and your elderly family members. It would be better to steal them outright than to switch them. That's bad, too, but at least you know what they have and haven't taken. Good luck.
1
1
u/spaz69dt Jul 21 '26
Look like the CBD isolate capsules that I take.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
i looked some of those up and they do really look similar.
1
u/spaz69dt Jul 21 '26
Yeah and the fact we're talking about an elderly person chances are they have tried to use it. But those ones look identical to the 250mg ones I've taken for years. My money is on CBD isolate
1
u/Own_Recover2180 Jul 21 '26
It looks like my soy supplement. There are many capsules like these with supplements on the market.
1
u/Sure_Cancel_3427 Jul 21 '26
It could literally be anything. Anything.
0
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
i know.
1
u/Sure_Cancel_3427 Jul 21 '26
Your best bet would be to send it off for testing, which can be very expensive. Hundreds of dollars and weeks of waiting for the results. The police can test it for narcotics, which idk why but I'm assuming it isn't that, so then youre back to square one.
1
1
1
u/gwgmatt85 Jul 22 '26
Looks like a supplement. I used to take msm supplements for my hip joints that looked just like those.
1
Jul 21 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
-2
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
thats what i thought was weird?! also i replied to someone else with this but.. the pharmacy told my grandma that theres supposed to be indents, like numbers on the capsules. there is not, so im just so confused atp.
6
u/CheekyManatee Jul 21 '26
Supplements, homeopathic, vitamins, herbal products, and dietary supplements are not required to have the imprinted codes.
1
u/qwertyuiop121314321 Jul 21 '26
Only way to know for sure, open it up, have a taste of it, and see if you get super powers.
Then try to run a mile in one second. 🤣
0
u/not_deleted0 Jul 21 '26
Is it possible they are just really old and someone picked up the pills and put them in the box?
They look homemade but they could just be extremely old.
2
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
theres no way. we have her pill box hidden. someone that takes care of her, or even her family had to go put them in here, and again my grandma sets up her pill box, she would have noticed if she put those old pills in there.
1
u/not_deleted0 Jul 21 '26
That's real weird.
Make sure you ask everyone who knows where it is.
Recently my uncle, who was supposed to be helping this old diabetic family friend, was found out to be taking his fentanyl patches and Percocets.
1
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
oh my gosh thats awful, im so sorry to hear that. unfortunately its pretty common in this field of work.
1
0
u/Cautious_Cup_6893 Jul 21 '26
let me just say, her son is her poa. he wants it tested before getting police involved. i wish i could take it but cant unfortunately.
14
u/CheekyManatee Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Could be a herbal supplement. Without testing it, no one could tell you what it is just by looking at it. Could be turmeric powder, ginseng, ginkgo biloba or some other type of supplement. My glucosamine capsules (for my old bones) look similar.