Medication side-effects and living

You need to have a good working rapport with your mother's doctor to find the right combination of drugs that will help your mother the best. Just be aware that all drugs have side effects and will affect her differently, so you may have to adjust the medications for quite awhile until you find the right one. In the beginning, for me, it took two months of changing medications until she woke up and did everything while I sat on the couch with my mouth open. That combination lasted for about 5 years. I'm now battling to find the right combination again because what she's doing is pacing every 5 minutes for 72 hours without sleeping, limited eating/drinking. She's overly agitated, crying, screaming at me and trying to get out of the house. I've changed the locks on all the doors to commercial deadbolts where you need a key to get out. I've managed to get the 72hrs of non-stop pacing to 32hrs now in about a two week period. Without the telephone assistance of her doctor, this would not be possible. Hope this helps. I'd be glad to talk about what I've done with my mother over the past eleven years with you. :)

Thanks very much, the extra 1/2 depakote usually calms her right down but she cant walk and speak well. I took her to the dr yesterday and he said I an play with that dosage of depakote because it can build up and then I can back off and then on again. I got the combination locks from gokeyless.com, or on amazon, they are fantastic!! I have them on almost every door now!

This makes the 3rd or 4th time I've heard about Depakote. Right now we're just adjusting my mom's other meds (mid-moderate dementia), to see if that makes any difference in the sleeplessness, ramped up anxiety, poor appetite, and escape attempts. So far not any big changes, but it's only been a few days. Her agression has been worse (hitting, pushing), swearing, and still trying to get out. If we walk in eggshells, things aren't bad, but don't tell her what to do! Whew. She sits in living room looking out the window and talking to herself all day...but at least she's eating some better. We check on her real often, but she mostly argues when you stay very long. Maybe her gerontologist will try dep. next if these med changes don't help soon! I guess we'll have to start the nursing home search, because even with help 24/7, it's just getting to be too much. :-/

Hi, as the alz association support group told me "the customer is always right" and thats how you treat your Mom, haha. I have been there, we agreed with everything she said and have chains on the tops of all the doors. If your Mom is on an antipsychotic like seraquel she could be worse, that stuff makes you crazy! I would ask for the depakote sprinkles asap! At first they sleep alot but then they are fine. I put it off and didnt sleep for a year and then when I found depakote from a neurologist, our lives changed. If you are thinking its hard for you, seriously, its just as hard for your Mom, she doesnt want to be aggitated either, she doesnt want to be how she is, its not her fault. You will ALL be happier once she gets on it. Best of luck!

Thank you luvmom, for your comments, love the "customer" remark! ;-) There are some positives just today: mom made her bed two days in a row (for the first time in over a month), ate better, and had periods of lucidity. The hard part for her then is having more realization of what she's lost: her husband of 70 years, all her siblings, and most of her friends. I know it's very tough for her to try to "focus" on the positives, when to her there aren't any. She's somewhat aware (again) that her memory and thinking is "off". IF she has some decent days, and feels up to it, I'll get her out for something, anything! Will def mention the Dep. to her doctor when we next connect, (said we may be able to cut down on Seroquel again too). Thanks! ♥

Thank you, I see where I wrote now Cajean, glad things are going well. Maybe try some music for your Mom or order the Lawrence Welk DVD, they LOVE it!
Hugs
luvmom