Is anyone familiar with this mild sedative?

[Toodlepipfornow]

Hello all,

My dad goes from being perfectly lucid and calm one day, to incoherent and maniacal the next.

This is all very new to us so it's frightening to see, particularly for my 90-year old Mum who has known Dad for over eighty years and cannot understand why his physical and mental strength are deserting him.

This morning, he was so agitated, we called our GP to ask if there was something he could be given to calm him. As a family, we would have preferred not to go down this route but Dad was SO agitated, we were concerned he may harm himself, or Mum, by lashing out. (He's in bed, by the way).

Long story short, the doctor has reluctantly prescribed a mild sedative called PROMETHAZIN HYDROCHLORIDE 25mg, which Dad has to take for seven days.

Does anyone have experience with this medication?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

 

[pipd]

This is something that can also be bought over the counter under the name of Phenergan (used as an aid to sleep) so as you say it is a mild drug. The doctors prescribed this for my mum to try to calm her as she got rather agitated during personal care. I'm not sure it had much effect on her though as they gave up and moved onto stronger meds. ( at this point she stared refusing all medication so that was no help either).

 

[LynneMcV]

My husband was taking this as pnr medication (ie just as and when needed) for about a year and I found that it worked very well.

I was, however, initially shocked at just how long the sleep state lasted after taking just 10mg - and I had to be on the alert for risk of falls.

As a way of handling bouts of extreme agitation and anger it worked very well, both for his peace of mind and for ours. It also has the bonus of being non-addictive. It was very rare that I had to give him a higher dose.

It worked quickly when it was needed - but as the disease progressed it was replaced by different medications and actually, today, I was told that it will no longer be used for him.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate in letting my husband take it if it was still effective for him.

 

[Toodlepipfornow]

This is something that can also be bought over the counter under the name of Phenergan (used as an aid to sleep) so as you say it is a mild drug. The doctors prescribed this for my mum to try to calm her as she got rather agitated during personal care. I'm not sure it had much effect on her though as they gave up and moved onto stronger meds. ( at this point she stared refusing all medication so that was no help either).

Thank you, pipd. We never got to see how effective it was for Dad because he was readmitted to hospital the day I put the original post on with an infection and dehydration. Ho hum.
At least he's comfortable now, even thought he's in hospital again.

 

[Toodlepipfornow]

My husband was taking this as pnr medication (ie just as and when needed) for about a year and I found that it worked very well.

I was, however, initially shocked at just how long the sleep state lasted after taking just 10mg - and I had to be on the alert for risk of falls.

As a way of handling bouts of extreme agitation and anger it worked very well, both for his peace of mind and for ours. It also has the bonus of being non-addictive. It was very rare that I had to give him a higher dose.

It worked quickly when it was needed - but as the disease progressed it was replaced by different medications and actually, today, I was told that it will no longer be used for him.

I certainly wouldn't hesitate in letting my husband take it if it was still effective for him.

Thanks, LynneMcV, Dad's been readmitted to hospital so when he comes out (God willing), I think we will definitely try the sedative again, if necessary. It's reassuring to know that your husband benefited from it. Thanks again.