Hello to anyone reading this.
I have been a talking point member for a few years as my father had vascular dementia. It was a very difficult time and my mum really struggled to care for him and he could be pretty nasty towards her.
Now, three and a half years later my family and I are facing the fact that she may have this terrible condition as well.
About a year ago she started to feel 'flat'. She didn't enjoy her usual pastimes or going out with her friends. After a while she took herself off to GP who prescribed anti depressants, specifically Sertraline. After a few weeks there was a little improvement. Then slump again. The dose was increased. Improvement, then slump. The GP did a memory test and Mum had a referral to a memory clinic, which took weeks to sort out.
To cut a long story short, she had a ct scan in the summer, saw 2 different specialists, and it was decided she didn't have dementia and was discharged. She was thrilled as all along she's been convinced she has it.
However, it's now October and she's really gone downhill.
She suffers terrible anxiety, she is convinced that her house is 'dirty', (it's not), she has no clothes, she can't decide what to wear,. She is walking around the house in scruffy baggy clothes, she has lost an awful lot of weight. She won't go out with her friends, or she makes herself, but there is much hand wringing before and afterwards as she thinks she is stupid. Money is another issue as she thinks every day there is none left.
She has terrible feelings of 'doom' and thinks something terrible is going to happen (every day!). She cannot cope with cooking or operating the washing machine. She is tense all the time and also exhausted.
Twice we have been back to GP, who is sympathetic and has done memory test again. She has been referred again and we are waiting for an appointment BUT, she is in a living hell, day in, day out.
Does anyone recognise these symptoms from their own relatives? Is there a drug out there which would help her with her crippling anxiety and paranoia? Is it early dementia?
Should I make a fuss with GP?.
Any advice I'm grateful for.
I have been a talking point member for a few years as my father had vascular dementia. It was a very difficult time and my mum really struggled to care for him and he could be pretty nasty towards her.
Now, three and a half years later my family and I are facing the fact that she may have this terrible condition as well.
About a year ago she started to feel 'flat'. She didn't enjoy her usual pastimes or going out with her friends. After a while she took herself off to GP who prescribed anti depressants, specifically Sertraline. After a few weeks there was a little improvement. Then slump again. The dose was increased. Improvement, then slump. The GP did a memory test and Mum had a referral to a memory clinic, which took weeks to sort out.
To cut a long story short, she had a ct scan in the summer, saw 2 different specialists, and it was decided she didn't have dementia and was discharged. She was thrilled as all along she's been convinced she has it.
However, it's now October and she's really gone downhill.
She suffers terrible anxiety, she is convinced that her house is 'dirty', (it's not), she has no clothes, she can't decide what to wear,. She is walking around the house in scruffy baggy clothes, she has lost an awful lot of weight. She won't go out with her friends, or she makes herself, but there is much hand wringing before and afterwards as she thinks she is stupid. Money is another issue as she thinks every day there is none left.
She has terrible feelings of 'doom' and thinks something terrible is going to happen (every day!). She cannot cope with cooking or operating the washing machine. She is tense all the time and also exhausted.
Twice we have been back to GP, who is sympathetic and has done memory test again. She has been referred again and we are waiting for an appointment BUT, she is in a living hell, day in, day out.
Does anyone recognise these symptoms from their own relatives? Is there a drug out there which would help her with her crippling anxiety and paranoia? Is it early dementia?
Should I make a fuss with GP?.
Any advice I'm grateful for.