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The visiting nurse suggested that I try an herb, valerian for my mother. I had tried melatonin which made her groggy the next day (but I have heard that it also helps with Alzheimers), L-Tryptophan and chamomile tea. The valerian seems to be working, but you never know when the night terrors will come on. it seems that they are worse when we are dealing with the UTI. Many nights I have just had to lay down by her and comfort her, although she is usually inconsolable. She often screams to the top of her lungs, sometimes whimpers and cries. Sometimes this bleeds over into the days, especially if she falls asleep on the chair or sofa. Doctors don't seem to have a cure for night terrors. They can happen to anybody at any age, but they seem to be worse with the elderly.
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Sleep meds often don't work on frail older people--my MIL during her last few months of lung cancer would lay awake at night and cry out that she wanted to die. The dr tried every sleeping pill in the book and nothing worked. He told us that what she could face during and day and what they were at 3am were totally different. We finally had family members take turns staying with her at night.
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I went back and red some posts. Ambien has some pretty bad side effects - like people doing things that they don't remember the next morning. I had a tenant that took it and she called me up in the middle of the night and blessed me out. Her husband told her about it. We had a good relationship, no problems she was horrified.
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In retrospect my mother's night terrors were caused by a UTI that was ongoing for over two years. She took flouriquinoline antibiotics and they ramped up to the crazy asylum type thing. Now she is good unless she gets a UTI. She should have that checked out. I just discovered some strips in the drug store that you can use to do it at home.
Maybe you should have a social worker do a welfare check on your mother.
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worryandsad, does your brother have Power of Attorney for Mom?

How does your brother feel about Mom moving in with you?

Has your mother said what she would like?
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I'm worry about my Mom, She live's with my brother, and his one of 14 sibling, his the 7th child..My Mother has Dementia, he keeps her away from all of her kids grand-kids and great-grand-kids, she had a cell phone, and he took it away, She does repeat her safe, she scare to sleep by her safe, and she want someone to be there with her..he live's her along, let her sleep until 4pm or more. I want to take her, home with me, I live along, My brother has his wife, and Daughter. Mom will be along, she fell's like she the only one home..please help..I want her..she's 86yrs.old
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If she has taken any fluoroquinolones antibiotics it can cause this for an extended period of time after the medication was completed. My mother has had these terrors more than 2 weeks after finishing levofloxacin 500. Check the black box warning you can find it on line, against giving elderly fluoroquinolones. I took my mother to the ER with hallucinations & screaming night terrors.
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There are specific medications for night terrors. See your neurologist for this.
Be very careful with all meds that affect the brain. Go with Melatonin for now until you receive a specific diagnosis.
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WE have started giving my mother, who has Alzheimer's, GABA 500mg at night. You can purchase it at most health food stores and even some pharmacys. GABA is natural to you body. She no longer is suffering from the nightly bad dreams and is not as iritated during the day. Take some for yourself as well. It just calms the brain and you don't feel like you have been medicated in the morning.
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my mother has mid stage of kidney failure , she has sever pain in her lower back and can not take pain meds . they gave her a low dose viciden and she sees awful things at night during the day she is fine but she remembers what she saw and its not pretty it is so real to her and very scary the meds take along time to get out of her system
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My 88 year old mother was taken to the ER for what was thought to be seizures. According to the neurologist, the EEG was negative for seizure activity. When she had this event, she was shaking uncontrollably and was conscious the entire time, begging for help. She was discharged from the hospital a few days later, and had a similar, more mild episode last night. She was able to be calmed by being held and reassured that no one was leaving her. Do you think these episodes could be night terrors?
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There is a fascinating and highly readable book (not too technical) by sleep expert Carlos H. Schenck, called "Sleep The Mysteries, the Problems, and the Solutions." It includes a chapter on SleepTerrors and also one on REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (in which sleepers act out violent dreams). In addition to being helpful it is just plain interesting!
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I have a resident with night terrors also. ( Alzheimers diagnosis.) Will try the Antacid. For sleeping disturbances you can try Lunesta if Ambien does not work
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nightlights noise like a tv or radio on low so not to scare them. The tv on low can be a nightlight and a little noise at the same time.
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I do think sometimes complete darkness is hard for those with dementia or alzheimers disease... Nightlights are wonderful!!!
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Here's what we did with my grandfather - no food 2 hours before bed time, ensure that he had good glass of water with supper, leave the bathroom light on or a small light on the table across the room. Tho he didn't complain of indigestion during this period, he suffered from it all his life so Mom suspected it was a problem for him. He would often wake up a time or two, go to the bathroom but when the light was on he was generally okay.
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I find the regular Ambien works better than the Ambien CR. Yes, both of you need to sleep. Talk with her doctor.
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If she has Alz's it could be sundowners. They get worse when the sun goes down. Ask your doc. for something to help her sleep. And calm her down. It is not good for her or you to be up all night.
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I would encourage you to get a medication for your Mom to help her rest!!! I am not a big advocate of "snowing" people... however she does need to rest and so do you!!! God bless, J
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I'm not sure if this is the same as a child's night terror. My grandson has night terrors, they last from 20 min to 45 min. While talking to a friend who's 2 sons have had night terrors all their lives she found a research article that linked stomach problems to this event. They started taking OTC antiacid meds such as Prilosec and it controls the problem, won't hurt to try - check with any interaction with any other meds that the person is taking first and possibly with the dr.
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If the meds are not working, the physician should be informed. Different medication for her to sleep should be administered.
p.s. Ambien may have just the opposite effect, I've been told.
May not help one to sleep at all !
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my mother 93years old,has lived with my family for 39 yrs. My husband is a saint! Now, its just the 3 of us. recently, she broke her hip & had partial hip replacement surgery.She was in rehab/nursing home for 21 days. She has been home a couple of days and is afraid to go to sleep,cries out in fear and talks almost all night. I try to comfort her. The dr. gave her meds to sleep which is not working. do you think this will pass when she gets more familiar with beeing home again? also, she has dementia/alzheimers.
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Does she ever tell you what she's screaming about? I mean, is it a dream she's having or what? Does leaving a light on in her room help? This would get old really fast being woken up at 3am.
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