(ABC 6 News) — An Albert Lea woman is speaking out after her sister overdosed on medication prescribed to her.

Hillary Schneider said she and her family went to see her sister, Heather Schneider, for her 39th birthday, and that’s when she saw her suffering from symptoms of an overdose.

“She was pale, but turning blue around the edges of her faces, her lips, she kept falling over right in front of me,” Hillary said.

Hillary, who is the co-founder of Bigger Impact Through Education, an organization that connects people struggling with addiction to education and resources, had Narcan on hand and was able to administer it and call an ambulance.

The overdose was caused by a 30 mg extended release dosage of morphine, which had been recently prescribed for her sister’s chronic pain, despite her sister’s addiction.

The medication releases slowly into someone’s body, and Hillary said her sister kept taking them thinking they were not having an effect.

“She just keeps piling them on. So four hours in, she’s feeling the effects off the first, and then the effect off the second, and then off the third and six hours in, you’re full blown overdose,” Hillary said.  

Heather was taken to the emergency room in Albert Lea and was moved on Wednesday to Lake City, Iowa for observation after her oxygen levels were getting too low.

Heather was a former addict who had abused her prescriptions in the past, according to Hillary, and should have never been prescribed morphine to treat her pain — which Hillary said her doctor at Mayo Clinic’s location in Wells was aware of.

Mayo Clinic was not available for comment on Wednesday.

Hillary said her sister has been seeing the same doctor for nearly a decade, and she doesn’t understand why her sister was given that high of a dosage of morphine.

“[The doctor] knew her story, she knew better. So I’m not understanding if this was a mistake, or if it was intentionally given to her in that amount, but if it was intentional we want to know why,” Hillary said.

Hillary said she wants people to be educated on the effects of drugs and look for alternative solutions to pain relief.

She said if someone you know has struggled with addiction, you should be aware of the potential side effects of any prescriptions and watch to see if they experience any of them.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration Hotline can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) at any time.