mood swings drugs?

[Lucy O]

My mother has had vascular dementia for over 7 years and having just been through a very content period is now beginning to get days when she is obviously fed up and nobody can do anything right - sometimes this lasts all day, sometimes just a few hours. At other times she is very smiley. I presume this is the mood swings that I have heard of that tend to effect people with dementia. I asked her GP if there were any pills she could have to help - having thought that there were, and he just suggested taking anti depressants for 3 months. I don't really think they would help the problem. I'm sure lots of you out there must have had these problems and would be really grateful for advice. She has been taking resperidone for the last 5 years.
Thank you

 

[Margarita]

Hi can't offer any Personal experience but this link my be of help( My mum got AD )

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Workin...nd_management_in_primary_care/medication.html

 

[Kayla]

Dear Lucy,
My mother was prescribed Citalopram pills which are an anti-depressant and they seemed to help for a time. She has vascular dementia and is now in a nursing home, after falling and breaking her hip, so I don't know what she takes now. She has taken a long time to settle down and she seemed to cry most of the time but is happier now. Mum does vary a lot from day to day and I think the medication must help her.
Kayla

 

[Lucy O]

Thanks

Thank you Kayla and Margarita. I guess it is a case of try and see what works - I have just seen another thread about aggression etc, which I guess I should have noticed before - although my mother seems too weak to be aggressive now, that's is something to be thankful for - she just gives aggressive looks when she's in a bad mood!
If I hit upon something marvellous I will update you all!
Lucy

 

[oonaghw]

Hi Lucy

My mum had VD too. It presented really after my fathers death. She was perscribed an anti-depressant to start and from our experience (her families) it did little to help. She had her good day and her bad ones - she smiled and she cried. Based on my experience of my mothers drug treatment - I am not sure what difference anything made. That aside reading others experiences obviously they work for some people. My mothers drugs were rarely reviewed, until such time as she became prone to agressive outbursts at which stage the dosage of the sedative was up'ed - that had the effect of leaving her spaced out. Which is better - who knows. I suppose it goes back to the fact that we are all different - one thing I would suggest is to keep note of the effect of the drugs on your mum and feedback to the GP making sure they are reviewed often.


Love and hugs Oonagh

 

[Grannie G]

Mood Swings

Can anyone offer any advice on coping with the mood swings of an AD sufferer.
I am finding it so difficult to switch my emotions on and off to match those of my husband.
He can be going through a fairly good phase and we are companionable friends, then the `black cloud` comes down and he`s in the depths of despair. I`m sure you all know what I mean.
Suddenly, it`s all right again, for him, but not for me. I can`t change my own feelings quickly enough to adapt to his.
I know he can`t help it and I also know I should try not to be affected so much, but it`s easier said than done.
Grannie G

 

[Michael E]

For the last 6 months the mood swings and aggression of my wife became almost unbearable - very tiring and it all culminated in a dreadful weekend when she screamed, shouted, left the house and got lost twice in one day, threatened me with violence and was generally horrible... The doctor had prescribed TIAPRIDAL 100mg (proper name TIAPRIDE) and had told me to double the dose if things got difficult... I did just that and for the last 3 weeks Monique has been 'sweetness and light' - dreadfully confused - somewhat demanding of constant attention but the BIG mood swings have gone... Early days yet and perhaps it will all change again shortly - but that's my recent experience. No more anger and aggression and most of the hallucinations have gone - visits from non existent people no longer happening. It has worked very well indeed.


I truly think there is no sane way of 'coping' with mood swings other than the drug route... I tried very hard - did the jokes -- did the sympathy -- did the understanding - did the truth - did lies but in the end the 'bad humour' was pretty unbearable and was doing my head in... This TIAPRIDAL appears to be a good solution without any apparent side effects or new behaviour patterns...

Hope this helps

Michael

 

[mel]

Hi Grannie g
Can't be of too much help here but I know what you are going through.I've had spells when mum first moved in with us of mum being even violent towards me!later its completely forgotten and its hard for me to carry on as if nothing's happened! When she's in a mood I take myself off into another room or outside, or lock her in the house and take the dog for a walk for twenty minutes(I have to lock her in because otherwise she'll just wander off and get lost)..remember its not your husband...its the disease...don't take it personally(easier said than done)....
I'm getting quite good at turning my emotions on and off but some days are harder than others!......
Wendy

 

[Tender Face]

I am finding it so difficult to switch my emotions on and off to match those of my husband.

Hi Grannie G! I really do admire and respect those of you who are 24/7 carers for your partners/parents .... one of the times I feel I am a 'lucky' one - I do get to literally 'walk away' at times.....

I find mum's 'weepiness' one of her hardest moods to bear.... so desperately sad, but I feel I can't let her see me get 'weepy' too ... I probably come across as quite 'hard' - sometimes even 'leave her to it' - half an hour later she might be on the phone to me at home - she's animated about something or other and I'm trying to pretend I haven't been bawling my eyes out on the way home and since.....

Grannie G, your own emotions are exactly that - YOURS! I think there are times we have to hide them for the benefit of our loved ones, but if you are constantly trying to 'match' or 'adapt' then you are putting yourself under even more pressure than you are already under..... don't give yourself something else to fight ... caring for those we love takes enough out of us.....

My SIL is a 24/7 carer - she has a house rule that the kitchen is her ‘territory’ - when the going gets tough, door is shut, music is on (to suit HER mood) and she ‘comes out’ again when she has rallied her own ‘internal troops’ and is ready for the next battle…..

I guess that’s a pearl of wisdom I have gained from SIL - it really is like having a ‘battle plan’ - if you recognise you (as carer) are struggling ‘in the war‘…..have your own ‘plan of action’ to deal with the immediate conflict….. Your ‘army’ is a lot stronger for it!!!! For BOTH of you!!!!

Big hug, love, Karen, x

 

[Grannie G]

Mood Swings

Thanks for your replies.
My husband went walkabouts this morning and was out for nearly 3 hours. He came home exhausted, confused, hot and bothered. He`d gone because I didn`t talk to him.
I leave the room too, when his moods become unbearable but he feels I abandon him to his Demons.
This afternoon we saw a herbalist. He has great faith in Herbal Medicine, while I have yet to be convinced. Anyway we came home with 3 small bottles and he is happy.
I am going to try to agree with everything he says. He can`t argue with himself, can he.
I feel drained but sad. This year is the first year my husband has missed the Men`s Final at Wimbledon and he couldn`t have cared less. He has always been a fan and when he worked, would get home as early as he could, not to miss a stroke. Once he retired he loved the fact that he could see it all, and now he has hardly seen any. What a change.
Thanks for putting up with my ramblings, folks.
Grannie G

 

[Tender Face]

I am going to try to agree with everything he says.

Nice one! That's what I do with mum when I'm face to face!!!!! What I mutter under my breath elsewhere is my own business ......

Just sending a hug!!!!

Love Karen (TF), x

 

[Grannie G]

Mood Swings

Hi Michael E
I have just looked up Tiapride on the web and found it is the same as Trazodone which my husband has just started taking.
He was taking Maprotiline, which has ceased production, but it wasn`t very helpful anyway. Now he`s into his 3rd week on Trazodone but apparently he can get worse before he gets better, according to the `blurb`.
I think I`ll see our GP because he may want to adjust the dose. I know everyone is different but finding the correct drug level is torture.
Thanks Michael Grannie G

 

[Michael E]

GG hi,

If its any help Monique started on half a tablet 100mg = 50mg per day --- that changed after 5 months to 1 x 100mg and as I posted the morning and night 'dose' of a total of 200mg daily has changed her from a furious angry person to pleasant person again...

good luck with the GP

Michael

 

[Cate]

Hi All
Gosh I wish I had found this site 6 months ago. I can relate to all of your comments about the mood swings with my mum, and the aggression. I'm the one now on Citalopram!! Got so stessed out coupled with anxiety attacks now so bad I really struggle to go out these days, but mum bless her goes on regardless. I have started to ignore the bad behaviour, and react only to good behaviour, well, anything is worth a go. Will be mentioning to her GP about some medication for her mood swings, she is taking Aricept (when she remembers, or is not being too awkward to take it!).
Thanks to you all.
Love
Cate