Delusions and Medication

[abz2005]

Hello All,

I hope you are all well, it's been a while since I've posted on here and it only seems that I come here when I have a problem, which I am very sorry about, but the way I'm dealing with things I would be the last person to give advice.

In December I genuinely thought my dad had advanced further on his Dementia journey, wanting to go out at midnight almost daily, saying we have changed the pattern of the sun, wearing his going out clothes over his pyjamas, etc. It wasn't a UTI I had him checked out. Anyway this has now stopped, he still goes out daily by himself, he used to get lost alot but now finds his way back ok. The problem is he thinks he has another house in the next town, he does have another house but it's in a different country, and this is the house he is going out looking for daily. He's looking for the relative that looks after this other house and his sisters that occasionally stop there, all these people are in the other country and have never been here.

Previously if he spoke to anyone outside of the home you would be convinced he is absolutely fine he would talk to them absolutely normally, which would drive me mad because it would look like I was lying about him. Lately he's been mentioning this other house to people he knows when they see him out and about so now they know, I've tried to correct him (I know you shouldn't), the other people have tried to tell him you don't have a house here it's in a different country but he's not convinced.

I put his home address and my contact details in his buss pass, yesterday a taxi driver brought him home after he showed him the address expecting to go to the "other house" and now hes just asked me to write down the address of the other house in the next town I just told him I don't know it and walked off as it would end in another argument.

The other problem is he's convinced my mother is stealing his money and even saying that to people he meets while he's out and about, my mother waits on him hand and foot he wants for nothing and all she gets in return is abuse. She doesn't touch anything in his room other than change the bed sheets and put his clean clothes away. If he has lost money it's because he's hidden it in his room and can't remember where.

I don't mind if he has a go at me, it's when he starts on my mother that drives me wild and even though I shouldn't I feel alot and I mean alot of resentment towards him and wish this dementia would just progress we seem to be stuck at this confused/delusional stage for the last 3 years.

The stories about the dentist, the urologist and the out patients department can wait for another day this post is already long enough lol

Anyway now my question, finally I hear you say lol, could his GP prescribe something to help with the delusions?

 

[marionq]

Does he have a consultant psychiatrist at the Memory clinic? They usually have access to a greater range of medication than the GP. It is worth a phone call if you are able to contact the psychiatrist but if not then talk to the GP.

 

[abz2005]

Hi Marionq

Thank you for your fast response, no he doesn't have a consultant psychiatrist we went to the geriatric clinic back in October/November where they confirmed he had dementia, we've had no other contact since. The GP also knows of his dementia again nothing has been done there either, my only contact is the GP.

 

[PianoMike]

Abz2005

It's common that they believe those loved ones around are stealing.

I had this a few years ago and it makes you panic that others will buy into the idea. I was even scared to tell his GP incase the GP believed I could be doing that.

It doesn't surprise me at all that the NHS aren't doing much through Psychiatry. From what I can make out, the drugs can have side effects and at times worsen situations but the fact that no reviews take place annoys me. When I take a step back I suppose there's nothing to review - they will just get worse, but it's that feeling of medical rejection, no real body that can (or will) do anything, that can leave you feeling isolated.


Best Wishes

 

[abz2005]

Thank you Pianomike to be honest I don't know what I'm expecting the professionals to do a magic pill that will make home better, a sedative but is that even ethical, happy pills, who knows.

Something that has frustrated me a little I changed my dad's gp in January, I've just been on the Surgerys website and have discovered they have an in house Dr that specialises in Dementia this was never mentioned to me, they have never requested that this Dr see my dad, I suppose I should do my home work a little better, I'll be in touch with the surgery tomorrow and make an appointment with this Dr.

 

[Jo Sutton]

Hi Abz

The symptoms you describe are very common with Alzheimers and Dementia. My mother is constantly talking about "her other properties". One is a house she lived in 45 years ago; another looks exactly like this house, even down to the furniture and decorations - that's how she knows it's hers - but it's not the same house because in THAT one, she's always on her own.

She also keeps losing things, and someone has always taken / hidden / stolen them, depending on how insecure she is feeling at the time. I don't know about other types, but with Vascular dementia, the PWD goes down in steps: stabilises for a while, and then goes down again, suddenly. It sounds as though this is what your Dad is doing, and that he has just taken another sudden step downwards.

It's really difficult to deal with, I know, because if you don't contradict, then you have to admit to and justify the delusion. Neither of those are good options. I still haven't learned to deal with the stealing accusations yet.

Mum's GP has offered anti-psychotics to address them, but I'm still weighing that one up, so can't add to that debate.

Sending you big hugs

Hugs

Jo xx

 

[Risa]

Hi Marionq

Thank you for your fast response, no he doesn't have a consultant psychiatrist we went to the geriatric clinic back in October/November where they confirmed he had dementia, we've had no other contact since. The GP also knows of his dementia again nothing has been done there either, my only contact is the GP.

Hi Abz

There is nothing to stop you calling the clinic and asking them to see your Dad again. Whenever I have a concern about Mum's behaviour changing and want to review her meds, I go straight to the Memory Clinic where she can see a psychiatrist. Hopefully your GP who is a Dementia specialist will be helpful though

Getting suitable meds is a bit trial and error - my Mum is doing better on high doses of anti-anxiety meds. She did try an anti-psychotic drug but it was too powerful and she was knocked out all the time. I found it helpful to put in writing some of the behaviours Mum was displaying and what we wanted meds to help with i.e. stop her from getting so anxious that she was hyperventilating, shadowing Dad everywhere etc. I think it made it easier for the psychiatrist to understand the situation as it wasn't easy to have a discussion with Mum present in the room.

Good luck with the appointment.

 

[abz2005]

Hello all

Thank you so much for your responses, well today has been another terrible day from this morning, so much so I bought a packet of cigarettes I haven't smoked since January. Hope you're all sitting nicely it's another one of my long posts.

Anyway this morning starts with the accusations my mother has taken money from his room, we find the money in a book in his room but he's still convinced she steals off him. Then he goes out back to the town where he thinks his house is, a friend's daughter sees him picks him up he says take me home so she does, when they get home he says no not this house my other house, so she takes him to her parents house. He stays a little then says he wants to go home so the friend's son offers him a lift as the weather is bad he brings him home, he starts to shout at this guy saying no not this house my other house, the guy doesn't know what to do, my wife sees this from the window and convinces my dad to come in where he proceeds to rant and rave about the friend's son. He stays a little while now he's gone out again no doubt back to the other town.

In the mean time I'm sick to the back teeth of him accusing my mom and genuinely feel he's not far from acting on his aggression so I went to the Dr, I have permission to speak on his behalf I explained the situation, the Dr says has he seen a psychiatrist which I say no so then she says she will refer him. What happens in the mean time I ask as I really do feel something will give either today or in the next couple of days so she prescribed respiridone 500mg once a day to try and relieve some of the anxiety.

Now my new question is if the tablets do have an affect how soon would we see this we're all at out wits end here

Sorry again to go on and on