I think the last time I posted a question was back in July - mom was in rehab as a result of recurring falls related to low sodium. Unfortunately, the falls continued when she got back to ALF. At the end of the August, she fell on her face and head. Again, the issue was low sodium. She was in the hospital for about a week. We put her back in rehab. Within 24 hours, she started having seizures. To control the seizures, she was placed on keppra and zonesamide. It took about two or three days to get the seizures under control. So, she was back in the hospital (a different one) for another week. At that point, we, my family, decided that moving her back to ALF was not a good idea. We didn't know how well she would rebound. So, we transitioned her care into long-term care after rehab. Unfortunately, the rebound is quite different than what we have experienced. After now being in rehab/long-term care, she is now behaving in aggressive ways - hitting staff and cursing. She wanders the halls hollering and screaming. She is having a hard time with place/space and time. When she was experiencing seizures, she was experiencing aphasia. This seems to have gotten better but still having some trouble. Most importantly, her personality has changed quite a bit. The SNF has been trying very hard not to sedate her but when she gets aggressive, hitting people and swinging at people, they have to give her ativan. She's already on xanax. Does anyone have experience with loved ones and epilepsy medication? Does anyone have any experience with a loved one being diagnosed with temporal mesial sclerosis or experience with loved ones having seizures? I've searched several times online for different things, but I just wanted to see if there was someone who has experienced this and, if anything, if there was anything they did that helped? I do try to see her as often as I can - playing music, put up pictures on her wall, bring her treats, etc., but I feel like I'm starting to really run out of tools. Unfortunately, her follow-up appointment with neurology is not until the end of November because of being extremely booked up.
That said, IMHO getting with a board certified psychopharmacologist who specializes in epilepsy (seizure disorders) in older adults would be a good thing. Such MDs typicaly are both psychiatrists and neurologists and are expert at brain chemistry; expertise that is key when there is a mixture of things going on as it sounds is the case with your LO.
There is a national ranking of epilepsy centers and going to a "level 4-ranked center" would be optimal. Here is the list by state:
https://www.naec-epilepsy.org/about-epilepsy-centers/find-an-epilepsy-center/all-epilepsy-center-locations/
Good luck with this.
Are they managing her sodium levels? This would seem more appropriate than giving her heavy duty psych meds. She needs a doctor to look at her whole history and the big picture. I know it’s hard to find someone because (especially in the elderly) they tend to just treat the presenting symptom. I hope you can get some answers.
Nausea or vomiting.
Headache, confusion, or fatigue.
Low blood pressure.
Loss of energy.
Muscle weakness, twitching, or cramps.
Seizures or coma.
Restlessness or bad temper
I have read that low sodium is curable. Is the LTC doing what it should be to increase Moms sodium levels? By the time they have seizures, its pretty serious.
"Drinks that can help raise your sodium levels include sports drinks that contain electrolytes, like Gatorade. You can also drink broth or bouillon, which is high in sodium, or tomato juice, which is a good source of sodium."
I would wonder if Mom should go back to the hospital. You have the right to call 911 and have her transported.
He ended up on 2000 mg. of Depakote and Keppra, along with a lower dose of
Dilantin(don't recall that exact dosage)daily to try and keep them in check.
It didn't cause any aggressive behavior in him thankfully, though late in his life he did develop vascular dementia.
I can't help but wonder if your mom doesn't now have some form of dementia as her behavior sure indicates that she may very well have.
You may want to talk to her neurologist about that when she sees them in November.
I wish you and your mom well.