Mom is 73 with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. She has constant near death pain in chest, legs, stomach and temple. Before we took control she was eating extra strength Tylenol like candy. Do doctors prescribe placebo pills? She has had every test and seen cardiologists and gastro doctors and cat scans, no issues that are causing this constantly moving pain. If someone says they broke their ribs once, suddenly her ribs are causing extreme debilitating lay on the couch and cry anguish. Begs for pain pills. The AD is tough enough, but to have her wailing in pain despite all we do to try to get her to think about something else is wearing us out. And she fools new people who freak out, want to call the ambulance because she swears the pain is unbearable. They think we are cruel for not taking the pain seriously. comments suggestions are appreciated!
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In dementia, the brain is broken, often causing the mind to misperceive reality. Think of the phantom pains as delusions.
What a good geriatric psychiatrist can do is try medications to reduce her anxiety, agitation and other symptoms of the dementia. I think this is worth a try.
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As for the nitro, my mom does have a long history of heart disease so when she complained of chest pain she was prescribed a nitro patch, which she used for years. I've since realized she had gastric reflux (GERD) and since she hasn't complained of angina since being taken off the patch I wonder if her chest pain was not at least partially related to that.
I've just had a thought, if your mom is mostly psychologically dependent on her pain pills then perhaps using over the counter pain patches and creams might give her some relief.
Folks with dementia often have difficulty explaining pain. I would have her evaluated by a psychiatrist who may give you a more comprehensive answer than a placebo. This could be a manifestation of depression and anxiety and should be treated medically.
I wonder if eating Tylenol like candy causes withdrawal?