Lavender oil
- Thread starter MReader
- Start date
I wouldn't dismiss it. I know an aromatherapist who used lavender oil to get back a patients smell.
I would mix with some sweet allmond carrier oil and rub on upper chest as well as putting a few drops on the pillow.The warmth will help the vapour to be absorbed by the body.
I mix Nivea with lavender and frankincense oils and use that as my moisturiser and I have the skin of a 21 year old. Joke.mi might have done if I'd been using it since I was 21 lol!
I love the oils.geranium is a good one for lifting a depressive mood. A few drops on some gauze on a radiator smells lovely.
When I worked in a hospital and went to talk to the patients I would rub a lavender and geranium mix onto my wrists so they would get the benefits while we chatted.
Unlike some, these oils are relatively inexpensive.
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If your husband has anosmia then he can still get many of the benefits as they do not all rely on the sense of smell. This article gives an outline but if you Google essential oils or aromatherapy and anosmia then there are quite a few references to the benefits still obtainable. You may get a specific article about Lavender oil as its such a widely used one but I hope this outline helps
http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/aromatherapy-anosmia-loss-sense-of-smell.asp
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http://www.aromaweb.com/articles/aromatherapy-anosmia-loss-sense-of-smell.asp
Sent from my GT-I8160 using Talking Point mobile app
Make sure you test a tiny amount first. Essential oils are very concentrated and if your husband happens to be even mildly allergic to lavender (neithe rof you may be aware of it at the moment) then breathing it in all night could provoke a very unpleasant reaction.
My mum found out the hard way that she is allergic to Tea Tree products, my dad was a big fan of them, one day she spilt some Tea Tree oil and became so wheezy and breathless had to be given several doses of my asthma inhaler (at the advice of the NHS Helpline, who would otherwise have recommended summoning an ambulance)
It should always be remembered that "natural" products can contain very powerful, active ingredients just as synthetic products. Because something is "natural" does not equate to it being "safe". Many drugs are in fact highly purified and concentrated natural extracts. Lavender oil should be fine, but people should beware of "natural remedies" in general, espescially as they are not subject to the same strict controls as medicines, particularly those which are classified as "supplements"
My mum found out the hard way that she is allergic to Tea Tree products, my dad was a big fan of them, one day she spilt some Tea Tree oil and became so wheezy and breathless had to be given several doses of my asthma inhaler (at the advice of the NHS Helpline, who would otherwise have recommended summoning an ambulance)
It should always be remembered that "natural" products can contain very powerful, active ingredients just as synthetic products. Because something is "natural" does not equate to it being "safe". Many drugs are in fact highly purified and concentrated natural extracts. Lavender oil should be fine, but people should beware of "natural remedies" in general, espescially as they are not subject to the same strict controls as medicines, particularly those which are classified as "supplements"
I second Nebiroth's warnings to be careful with essential oils. They can make you breathless and nauseous. Before trying an oil with anyone, get them to sniff it. If they feel sick or dizzy, the oil won't agree with them. Lavender can cause hallucinations in someone who is over-sensitive to its effects, or who is getting too high an exposure. 
This link shows the benefits of lavender, what it contains, and also explains contraindications and toxicity: http://www.botanical-online.com/english/lavender.htm
Carers used to put a sachet of lavender on my mum's bed and one on the bedside table. One carer started spraying my mum's pillow with lavender essential oil spray. The idea was to calm her because she was often frightened by the people and animals she saw in her room. The spray made things worse - she must had entered the 'toxicity' range of exposure. I checked the Internet and found that that lavender could cause hallucinations. We have now taken all lavender away, including the sachets, and she sleeps much better.
This link shows the benefits of lavender, what it contains, and also explains contraindications and toxicity: http://www.botanical-online.com/english/lavender.htm
Carers used to put a sachet of lavender on my mum's bed and one on the bedside table. One carer started spraying my mum's pillow with lavender essential oil spray. The idea was to calm her because she was often frightened by the people and animals she saw in her room. The spray made things worse - she must had entered the 'toxicity' range of exposure. I checked the Internet and found that that lavender could cause hallucinations. We have now taken all lavender away, including the sachets, and she sleeps much better.
MReader - have you tried music played softly, even just outside the room to aid sleep/relaxation? I used a "New Age" meditation CD for Mum and it certainly relaxed her. We found that when we started to play it, she would begin to relax much more quickly, and there were specific tracks that were more effective than others.
I tried classical music but with mixed results. When my father was dying with a brain tumour, I had tried jazz because that was what he loved - but was forewarned that it was too taxing for the brain to listen to. Mum enjoyed music from her era during the day when she was listening, and to sing to, but for relaxation I found she was better with birdsong (during the day); and a CD that combined natural sounds with music at night. CDs that had only sounds of nature other than birdsong (eg. whalesong, rainfall, ocean waves) were less effective.
I tried classical music but with mixed results. When my father was dying with a brain tumour, I had tried jazz because that was what he loved - but was forewarned that it was too taxing for the brain to listen to. Mum enjoyed music from her era during the day when she was listening, and to sing to, but for relaxation I found she was better with birdsong (during the day); and a CD that combined natural sounds with music at night. CDs that had only sounds of nature other than birdsong (eg. whalesong, rainfall, ocean waves) were less effective.
I have found oils to be very beneficial, I always put Lavender and Peppermint in the diffuser, It has helped calm my mother so much, and a dash of lavender on the inside of her pillow. I need oils so much that I now get them auto-shipped to me!
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I tried lavender oil for dementia dad and non dementia me...unfortunately didn't work for either of us. I suppose though that is consistent with some medications not working so well for some.
I find lavender oil a bit hit and miss in that it can work for a couple of nights and then seems to lose efficacy. As such, I save it for those desperate occasions where it gets used on top of everything else I've tried for a peaceful night.
When my children were small and got over-excited I used to use a mixture of lavender oil and ceder wood oil to get them calmed down and to go to sleep. I found the ceder wood to be quite soporific. Ive not tried of anyone with dementia, though.
