Hi, my dad was recently rushed to hospital with pneumonia, he was very unwell and was off all his medication as they tried to improve his condition. For the first time is over a year I could communicate with dad. He was talking and it made sense. He was even able to make jokes. Yesterday the medics put him back on his long list of medication and I have lost him again. He is fearful, hostile and unable to communicate. Does anyone else have any experience of this and is he better off without meds??
Better communication without medication for dementia
- Thread starter Gra26
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In the early part of last year, my husband suffered a seizure in his nursing home and was taken to hospital. There, he had another major seizure in the Resuss room whilst I was with him and was admitted it the Acute Medical unit.
Next day I visited him and couldn't believe how alert he was. He returned to the home that evening and I visited him there next day where he was so alert, communicative - though not particularly aware, and cheerful I couldn't believe it.
LIke you, I wondered if it was the lack of his usual amount of medication but I was told it could also be the after-effects of the seizures. He was given added medication to prevent further seizures. When I visited the following day, things were more or less back to the normal sleepiness and garbled speech when he spoke at all.
I do wonder though...............
Next day I visited him and couldn't believe how alert he was. He returned to the home that evening and I visited him there next day where he was so alert, communicative - though not particularly aware, and cheerful I couldn't believe it.
LIke you, I wondered if it was the lack of his usual amount of medication but I was told it could also be the after-effects of the seizures. He was given added medication to prevent further seizures. When I visited the following day, things were more or less back to the normal sleepiness and garbled speech when he spoke at all.
I do wonder though...............
My brother has Alzheimer's and is in a Care Home. My sister in law has raised the issue about the amount of medication he is on because it makes him so docile and sleepy. The Home has said they need to medicate him because otherwise they would be unable to look after his personal care needs. It must be so difficult to get the balance right with levels of medication that are needed, rather than being routinely prescribed on a regular basis. I think all we can ever do is try to get our loved ones on the minimum dose of medication and maybe that can only be done by closely monitoring dose and effect. But I agree it is horrible to be depriving ourselves of quality time with our loved ones unnecessarily.
After a period of acute confusion and aggressive behaviour my mum was put on pericycline which knocked her out old and she slept for 24 hrs. The dose was reduced and she remained on it for many years. She was calm but sleepy. As she was so manageable I asked the Dr if we could stop it. At first he was't keen but then agreed to reduce the dose gradually and eventually stop it. It was a good thing to do, mums tremor disappeared and she was much more alert. Her appetite increased and she talked more ( mainly nonsense) and she seemed to join in with the family more. I feel stopping the medicine had a good positive effect and made her last few years a bit brighter for her. The message I'm trying to get across is that all medication should be regularly reviewed by the medical team and that when prescribed for a new condition doesn't always mean they should stay on it for life.
