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Is sedation appropriate?

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Posted 2/24/2007 11:55 PM (GMT 0)
  Hello all...My 84 year old mother has Alzheimer's and we are attempting to care for her here at home as best we can...Normally she is ok but sometimes she starts having major delusions and won`t listen to any sort of reason and the situtaion can become quite frustrating for us..Is it wrong that we might consider some sort of sedative for her at these times?...We are trying to keep her at home as we have no finances to put her in a decent home and we are skeptical of the care she`d get at some sort of government public assistance place..Thanks in advance
Posted 2/25/2007 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and Welcome
No in my opinion you should have her seen by a doctor and have her given the medication needed for these outburts .........
Many of our loved ones are affected and do have these my mom did occasionally as well
I am glad to have you here and hope you continue to post and get support it is not easy being the caretaker and doing it without any support is worse
I hope I have helped
Take care and let us know what doc has to say ..........
Be well
Thoughts and prayers are with you
Lyn
Posted 2/25/2007 9:12 PM (GMT 0)
There is ONE sedation I do not think should be given to AD patients and I know plenty agree with me on this and oit is Ativan or another name for it is Lorazepam
Can and most likely will cause further emotionally charged instances
Just an opinion
Lyn

Also I do suggest checking resources at side in yellow and finding books on this

36 hour Day is a good one in my opinion it is very frustrating at times but I feel that you keeping her home is a GOOD thing...hard sometimes but worth it I looked after Mom ( passed away almost a yr ago) and now am looking after my step dad I worked in NH and had own Retiement homes and yes sometimes ( most) care is at the low end and the loved ones suffer more and progress faster I think anyways

Keep posting getting support and reading other posts and threads there are quite a few great ppl on here and very supportive ......Lyn

     :-)

Posted 2/26/2007 12:11 AM (GMT 0)
Haldol is another BAD medication.Any of the sedatives can keep her a mess.Trazadone os good low dose of course to start.75mg was fine for me but 150mg made me a zombie.Always start low does then you can work your way up late as needed.
Posted 2/26/2007 5:54 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Snowy I was hoping for your input
Lyn
How are you doing and Larry
Posted 3/1/2007 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sara
Just wondering if you have read the posts on here yet
How are things going with you and Mom
LYN
Posted 3/3/2007 1:32 AM (GMT 0)
Hello..Yes thank you all for the nice replies...My brother took my mother to the doctors yesterday afternoon and he perscribed a new medication for her (I`ll have to check the name of it) which he said may help calm her and cut back on her hallucinations....She seems to get worse later at night and I am thinking my brother and nephew contribute to her disorientation as they both have little patience and end up demanding answers from her or interrogating her if she starts to wander or get up..If I talk with her I always allow her the time to search for an answer herself even if it takes a minute or two and makes no sense..But they will keep rapidly asking for an answer and if she doesn`t answer right away they get more insistant.."What do you want?..WHAT do you want????"..I think sometimes she doesn`t really want anything but simply wants to wander from one room to another but they feel if she gets up and starts walking she has to want something and they are determined to find out what..Oy

Post Edited (SaraTG) : 3/3/2007 2:48:59 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/3/2007 9:50 PM (GMT 0)

Oh my..I think this pill is a reject...My mom has become 5 times worse since we started giving it to her and instead of calmer she seems way more agitated and restless..I`m beginning to think our family doctor who my brother insists on taking her to doesn`t really know what he`s doing in this area sad

Posted 3/3/2007 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
Sara what is the name if the med some will cause things to become worse '
If you get the chance please let me know
Email me as well if you want info under name
LYN
Posted 3/3/2007 11:47 PM (GMT 0)
>>>>>Sara what is the name if the med some will cause things to become worse ' If you get the chance please let me know ...<<<<

  OK I just checked..The new medication she is on is called Zyprexa and she takes 2.5 mg....She also takes Namenda...And she takes Femara, Warfarin and Digitek for breast cancer...She seems calmer now than she was earlier but it`s hard with all this tension wondering when she`ll have another episode

Posted 3/4/2007 12:33 AM (GMT 0)
Sarah,I agree the brother & nephew are adding to her stress.Tell them to lay off.

Posted 3/4/2007 7:01 AM (GMT 0)
If possible, you might try letting her wander a bit, much like a toddler. Don't intervene unless she is doing something that may harm herself or others. Sometimes, in the disorientation, they like to re-familiarize themselves with their environment, just to be sure that everything is where it should be. My daughter works daily with Alzheimer's patients and often finds that letting them go on about their business is better for them than trying to fit them back into our schedule and timing. She had been instructed to 'bring them back to the here and now and reality' and discovered that usually brought on tears and struggles. She has been able to engage them in conversation about what is going on in 'their' world and gently integrate it into the task at hand to get daily living activities accomplished. She gave me the example of one of her ladies who just doesn't like to wash her face in the morning... but she loves giving herself a 'facial' with the nice cloths that the 'spa' provides. My daughter figures that if this lady would like to be at a spa and be in a better mood there... Voila! That's today's topic of conversation and the day goes smoothly.

Sending prayers and good thoughts your way as you do your best for this lady you love. You are truly a good daughter.
Posted 3/4/2007 1:48 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the input Jeannie
we have often talked about going to " their world " it does keep them calmer most times and has them have less depression and outbursts
LYN
Posted 3/4/2007 1:52 PM (GMT 0)
Sara
The only med I see as a problem and this is MY opinion is the zyprexa
There have been tests and studies done about this med and the elderly with AD and most of it suggests NONE use ..........
Again my opinion
My thought are with you
Take care
Lyn
Posted 3/9/2007 1:52 AM (GMT 0)
Sara
Go to the Google up top and put in the med and you will find out what I did as well
I have a med book here that I used during my career
LYN
Posted 3/10/2007 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
Hello..Yes thank you I had done that already..It doesn`t sound as if it is very good for elderly people..I will pass all this info along with my concerns to my brother who is my mothers legal gardian and makes all the medical decisions for her
Posted 3/10/2007 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad you will be doing this please let us know how it goes
HOw are you doing hun and yer Mom

** I love the poem in your sig **
LYN
Posted 3/11/2007 5:15 PM (GMT 0)
I hope you will post and let us know what the doc says hun
Keeping you in thoughts always and your Mom
LYN
Posted 3/11/2007 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
>>>>I am glad you will be doing this please let us know how it goes. How are you doing hun and yer Mom ** I love the poem in your sig **<<<<

   I have a zillion other worries I deal with beside my mom so I`m doing fine..If all goes as planned I shall be on the cover of the local free paper this Wednesday so I get to be a small celebrity for a bit scool ..My niece is here now getting ready to give my mom her Sunday shower and my mom always HATES that so I expect some yelling..And my neice gets frustrated quickly and gets abrupt with her which doesn`t help..Usually after it drags on to long my mom will start yelling, "Let me out of here! God darnit! Somebody help me!"..And instead of hurrying and finishing the shower off at that point my neice actually seems to get slower or tries to reason with my mom telling her to wait just a minute or two..Then mom is extra disoriented and aggitated the whole rest of the night..Oy..Unfortunately I am but a guest in the house here so I have only so much input as to how they do things

 

   I need to change my sig lines...That`s actually from a song and I used that a coupple of years ago when I posted on the heart board here a lot

Posted 3/12/2007 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
There is a better way to do that and you are right no reasoning for her will help with the bathing
Some just DO not llike it sometimes their brain is telling them things are not right and this might be one of thenm I am sure she was a private woman who never showed herself( prolly not even to hubby and now has to deal with othrs seeing and bathing her......
I had special talks with mom while I bathed her and it was totally different now if anyone else had tried she would have done like your mom does .....

Perhaps you can post a link to your "stardom" in the paper here for us
What else is going on maybe I can be of some help 'Know I am here to listen and support hun
be well
LYN
Posted 3/13/2007 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
You CAN NOT reason with a person with Alzheimer's.Redirect her to something else,sheesh!
Posted 3/14/2007 9:45 PM (GMT 0)
SO true Snowy so true ......
It worked for me as I said as I told mom we would be having company or going out and then she was okay with it BUT not really long ones lol
THANKS for your input
Posted 3/16/2007 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
Sara
How is it going with your mom and the meds is she off the Zyprexna??
Thoughts and prayers are with you's
Posted 3/17/2007 12:30 AM (GMT 0)
She`s still on it for now untill her next doctor visit..She`s semed quieter the past few days except for when my nephew trys interrogating her about stuff or tries to teach her things so she remembers next time how to do them...She gets more confused and disoriented then....Here`s a link to the story I mentioned earlier in the local paper I am in..I am the one in the top left of the photo with the long blonde hair

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=13393
Posted 3/17/2007 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
I wrote it down as it not active link will check it out
You cannot honestly sit and try to reason with AD ppl and to try to MAKE them remember is actually really bad to do you are going to have more and more problems pop up if this doesnt stop
You need to ask Nephew not to do this it will make her worse and aggitated as well as disorientated
He has to accept that she has this horrid DD and that it is not going to go awayPLease do have him go to the doc's with you and have this explained to him
It is hard enough in "Their" world without this happening too u know
I am glad you posted was wondering how she was doing
Be well and put your foot down with him as to how she needs to be loved and accepted from all especially herself
She is no doubt in her own world hurting as she will know she is upsetting him
They have n uncanny ability to read ppls body and voices language
I wish you all the best hun
Post again and let us know how it goes with the doc
Some books are prolly a good idea for nephew too
The 36 hour Day ........is a good one explores all aspects and check out resources at side as well
Talk to you later
Stay strong
LYN
Email me if you want to okay
So sorry you are dealing with this all and I will have a look see at your news article and your fame
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