Is mums distress something I should act on?

BRIDGETJ

Registered User
Dec 2, 2015
6
0
7 weeks ago my mum moved into a specialist care home for people with dementia. She went from hospital after having pneumonia. Prior to that she had lived with my 82 yr old dad for 60 years.
She has mixed dementia and can be quite agitated and aggressive at times which is why the professionals felt this move was required.
However whilst in hospital my mum was inadvertantly taken off her antidepressants of which she had for over 30 years. She was on them one day and not the next!unbeknown to us until she moved into care.
Since my mums mood has taken a nose dive. I know it could be the settling in period as were always being told but my fears are she needs these tablets back. Shes tearful lost morivation talking about killing herself not eating!
Noone seems to be listening to us as a family....what should I do. We are all so distressed
Sorry about the rant. I dont know who I can talk to. Ive tried home staff social worker mental health nurse and nurse practicioner.
 

Jessie107

Registered User
Aug 11, 2016
61
0
Brighton
Hello,
Sorry to hear that you're Mum is going through this, I find it quite unbelievable that she has been taking off of her antidepressants so suddenly! I am in the process of tapering off them myself, this is a long process to avoid the dreadful withdrawal symptoms, your poor mum must be feeling so ill.
I would speak to her doctor and if you have Health and Welfare power of attorney this will be easier for you, I would insist she is put back on them, and if there is a reason she needs to come off, it should be tapered very slowly, especially as she has been on them for so many years!
 

LynneMcV

Volunteer Moderator
May 9, 2012
6,116
0
south-east London
I agree with what others have said. I am shocked that the antidepressants were stopped so suddenly instead of being weaned off of them slowly in the first place.

As your mum is clearly suffering emotionally with all the upheaval and change on top of her antidepressants being removed, I would definitely be pushing for something to help relieve her obvious stress.

Definitely seek medical advice on this.
 

nita

Registered User
Dec 30, 2011
2,651
0
Essex
Tell the GP and the care home manager if she liaises with the GP, that the anti-depressants need to be reinstated straightaway. I have taken mine for 25 years and I dread to think what I would be like without them.
 

Tin

Registered User
May 18, 2014
4,820
0
UK
Inform her gp, ultimately their responsibility to prescribe, especially if she is now signed off from hospital and all the other 'bodies' would not necessarily inform the surgery immediately. Frightening that she would be cut off from a medication she has taken for so long.
 

BRIDGETJ

Registered User
Dec 2, 2015
6
0
Update on mums antidepressants

Thank you all for your replies. I had a meeting with home manager today and I stated I wanted antidepressants reinstated. I was told CPN will visit tomorrow and it will be discussed( again!). I informed mums social worker I would speak to her GP and get a 2nd opinion if they dont do this for my mum.
Yet again a visit from hell today.
Dad left in floods of tears and I stayed to help mum through her distress. Still wants to end her life . This is so stressful. I hate this illness ontop of mums dementia
 

BRIDGETJ

Registered User
Dec 2, 2015
6
0
Update

Also Ive put pen to paper to get an explaination on what happened at the hospital.
 

Plisnit

Registered User
Feb 1, 2017
32
0
Exactly the same happened with my mum when in hospital, and I didn't find out they had stopped them until she was discharged and the antidepressants were not on the drugs list. I finally managed to persuade the GP to prescribe them again as mum was either asking us to kill her every time we saw her, or in distress. I know it's really frustrating trying to fight a corner for somebody with dementia. Keep up the pressure, you'll get there in the end.
 

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