help

[littlebrownbird]

i havn't been here for ages as my husband doesn't like it when i am on the computer!
He has been getting steadily worse, more so since our g.p.stopped his anti depressants. He went walkabout in the middle of Saturday night after he got very agitate and I had to get the police out to look for him. They found him safe and sound thankfully and in a good humour.
He has been having massive mood swings ( he is either crying, laughing hysterically or very agitated and our social worker has suggested I get in touch with his consultant to see if we can get him admitted to get his medication sorted. I was told it would be for a couple of weeks. If he does go have you any advice how I can tell him about what is happening.

 

[Amy]

Sorry littlebrown bird...I cant offer any advice having never been in this situation...hopefully this will move your post back up the board a bit.
I am sure someone will be able to offer some advice.
Amy

 

[Sox]

Hello little brown bird - I was so sorry to read your post, I am not sure what to say about how to explain to him about an admission to hospital perhaps just keep it very simple and say the doctor wants to check his tablets. My husband started to wander a few months ago and although I never leave him on his own I bought a personal GPS tracker which I put in his jacket pocket just in case I forget to lock a door etcand he gets out. Not sure if this would help you but thought I would post just in case it might. Hope someone else will come up with some ideas for you. Take care. Sox

 

[littlebrownbird]

thank you. We are going to see the consultant tomorrow and if there is a bed he will be admitted. The trouble is that he isn't always so confused and he is generally like my shadow. Although he has never wandered before he does have a tracker but as it was night time it was plugged in getting charged. SODS LAW.

 

[DeborahBlythe]

thank you. We are going to see the consultant tomorrow and if there is a bed he will be admitted. The trouble is that he isn't always so confused and he is generally like my shadow. Although he has never wandered before he does have a tracker but as it was night time it was plugged in getting charged. SODS LAW.

Good luck with the consultant today, littlebrownbird. Please let us know how you get on. Kind regards

 

[Sox]

Yes that's the only problem with the tracker isn't it, I have to charge it every night. I keep all the doors locked - even when I go to the loo!! Hope you got on OK today. Thinking of you. Sox

 

[dancer84]

Hello littlebrownbird, I dont know whether you want to read this or not as it is a depressing story and I hope this doesn't happen to you. I had exactly the same situation last November. My husband was becoming increasingly agitated and quite aggressive but in an unpredictable way and the consultant prescribed Trazodone to calm him down but as it didn't seem to be working she admitted him for assessment to the local specialist unit for 2 weeks. She also prescribed Ebixa which takes 4 weeks to get to the maximum dose. After 2 weeks in the unit John started to react very aggressively and they decided to keep him in for longer to monitor him and decide what to do about his medication as they felt that the Ebixa may not be working and might have to take him off it which had to be done slowly.
In the end they did take him off Ebixa and used Larazapan to calm him down when they couldn't calm him themselves. To cut a long story short things got worse and i was told that i wouldn't be able to cope with him at home anymore and that he should go into care. It has been an absolute nightmare and I feel very guilty but I know that I couldn't really cope with him now and he has recently gone to an EMI Nursing Home and we were given CHC funding to be reviewed in 3 months. His behaviour is still very unpredictable and he has lashed out at a number of staff and is quite aggressive to other residents at times.
I do hope this doesn't happen to you. If you want to talk more please feel free to send me a private message.
Try to keep smiling.

 

[littlebrownbird]

We went to see the consultant today. He was really good and listened to what we had to say. It was our social worker who thought Dave should go into hospital to have his medication sorted out but the doctor said he believed that if he went in for the time it would take to sort everything out he would be so confused with all the change he would never come out again, especially as we are always going out because he hates being inside.I wish your doctor had warned you Dancer 85. It has now been decided that Dave will go back onto the tablets he had stopped taking (Citalopram) and we have been given a prescription for lorazapam for him to take when I think he needs it. We are also getting a CPN, hopefully soon. I had also noticed that Daves pupils are always like pinpricks so the doctor is asking our GP to arrange for him to see a neurologist.
We have been warned that as he has started to halosinate,HOW DO YOU SPELL THAT? he is into the severe stage and that it will only get worse. Hopefully a lot slower than in recent weeks!
Thank you everyone for your good wishes

 

[littlebrownbird]

Sorry Dancer 84, I have given you an extra waltz, or would you rather it was a tango!

 

[Biscuit]

Hello,
I am interested in your post as my husband seems to be deteriorating these lst few weeks.
Becomming more agitated at night. Sleeping for a couple of hours then waking. Sometimes shouting out and cursing or swearing at me, throwing the bed clothes around, throwing his walking frame at the floor. I am sure the neighbours can hear.
Contacted the memory nurse last week. She listened to me for a while and said she would speak to the consultant and CPN.

Not heard anything as yet.

He had his mirzatapine increased to 30 mg 2 months ago but isn't making any differeence.

 

[dancer84]

Thank you little brownbird. I am so pleased to hear what has happened and i think that it may have been different for John if they had given me use of Larazapan when i needed it.
I think the problem with John was the unpredictability of his behaviour, especially during the night. the behaviour that biscuit talks about is very familiar to me, he also used to grab hold of me and shake me.
When John now indicates that he wants to go home (and he can't articulate anything clearly) I tell him that he needs looking after and that "these people look after you".
I hope things settle down for you. Good luck
Anne

 

[littlebrownbird]

It really sounds as if you are talking about Dave especially the bit about the sudden aggression.Our GP had given me Larazapam for when he was agitated but by then it was too late, he can get into a mood so quickly. He even thought I was trying to poison him at one time.
Last night, at bedtime, he was wanting to go to his (childhood) home so I gave him a tablet and I think we both had the best nights sleep for ages! I think that consultant is wonderful.

 

[Biscuit]

Hello Littlebrownbird,

Sounds like the larazapan is working for your husband.

I spoke to my GP on this morning and explained about the restlessness and aggression at night and he has given my husband some clomethiazole to try for a week. Has anyone had experience of this?

He has just had one this evening, was tired and wanted to go to bed at 7.30.

He is sleeping now, will see how we go.

We are due to see the consultant in 3 weeks so can discuss it with her then.

Sometimes this agression appears suddenly, I used to associate it with tiredness or being hungry, but he has a poor appetite and pushing him to eat gets him annoyed and he digs his heals in further saying his weight and appetite are fine ( he is under weight).

He uses a walking frame that I have to steer and guide for him. When he is aggitated he can shake this about and sometimes if I am too close to him he has tried to head butt me. And yes dancer he has grabbed and shaken me and said he has wanted to put his hands round my neck and throtle me. When he has always been very mild mannered and courteous to me.

It is strange how the disease makes monsters out of easy going mild tempered people.

 

[Logan]

Hello Ladies, May I come into your conversation please.
I have tried to highlight all my concerns to my hubby's medics but they will not listen to me. Hubby is so plausible. He has now changed GP and I have gone onto same GP's list. I do not want to rock the boat with new GP but something has got to give. I am experiencing a lot of aggressiveness and abuse - as you have - It seems that I am having to wait and watch for deterioration before medics will really do anything. I hope that you all get some help which you need for your partners. This is really an uphill struggle, isn't itLx

 

[Grannie G]

Reading these posts show just how difficult it is to get the medication right as different people have such different reactions.

It was trial and error which enabled my husband`s mood swings to be managed and I know how much you will have appreciated that good night`s sleep, littlebrownbird. I hope you have many more good nights.

 

[littlebrownbird]

Hi Logan, Our consultant is new, and young. He gave us as much info as he could and if he didn't know he said so, which I find is quite unusual and comforting in it's own way. He gave us options and then let us decide what we thought was best for us and what we could actually cope with. By us I mean the family because my hubby just ignored everything that was going on around him. I hope your new GP is as understanding and sympathetic. GOOD LUCK.