Mother , 75 has diagnosed depression, anxiety, insomnia, , plus undiagnosed cluster B personality disorder. (My LPC brother identified this). Status post major neck fusion surgery on May10. She has delerium in the hospital, but it cleared after 5 days. She was on Seroquel in hospital for agitation at bedtime. Sent home back in normal sleep med, zaleplon.
Insomnia is bad. Psych NP tried her on mirtazipine last week. Didn’t work. Yesterday gave her Seroquel. We had full discussion that it was anti psychotic but also used for insomnia, and that she’d had it in the hospital.
She left me a very angry voice mail at 4 pm because she could not find a soup in her pantry. I missed the call and called her back at 10 pm when I saw the voice mail.
She was super angry about being changed to Seroquel, said she’d not heard that she was being given that. In the visit she said “I don’t care if it is anti psychotic as long as it helps me sleep.”
On phone last night was was so mad that she’d been given that. Said she was mad at her surgeon, mad at psych NP.
Today, she was calm. A whole different person. The stuff she was mad about didn’t seem to register today.
Could this be sundowning?
There is a great variety of drugs to help with mood and sleep (says this 58 y.o. chronic insomniac with well-managed depression!). Trazodone is quite frequently used, or the "Z" drugs, like zopiclone, eszopiclone, zaleplon and zolpidem. And the antipsychotics--I think Geodon (ziprasidone) is notoriously sedating, though I don't know if it's used with seniors?
I can only say: research, research, research. Pubmed.gov is the online repository for all published medical research, like a Google for medical articles. And there's always Google! Just make sure you're reading from a reliable source, like the Mayo Clinic, or a University. You are most familiar with the case, so you have to equip yourself with as much information as possible to come up with relevant ideas to treat. Make sure your healthcare professionals are mature enough to work cooperatively with you to find solutions, that their egos aren't so small and mean that they dismiss your contribution.
Best of luck!
P.S. My mother is disorganized and impulsive like yours with money. While I have PoA, I am filing for full Guardianship, because she throws away money we need for her care. I have to get those credit cards, and control of her accounts. She already gave away $75,000 to a fraud who called, claiming to be a rep from Publishers Clearing House. I still don't know why she gave away the money when he promised her millions. But I've taken away her phones. Fair warning--an elder's financial mismanagement can get very ugly.
Disclaimer: Definition is not my authoring.
With you description makes mom sound like she is confused and in denial which seems to me like dementia border ALZ. Just keep and eye on her and make sure she takes her Seroquel - according to your paragraph seems to have worked.
She is most likely fearful, grieving the changes in her life and,these emotions will drive a lot of her behavior also. Medications should be directed and supervised by her PCP. Also, if she is alone and responsible for taking her own meds,this could be a BIG part of the issues ( is she really taking correct prescribed meds on time??).....
10 year estrangement from your LO..... It's time to help out... A lot is now on your plate...that you may not have had time to absorb....
Sift through all articles, questions, concerns, and responses...
And get to know her doctors, issues, and her concerns... Sundowning is not always the "goto" diagnosis, as Kathleen pointed out.
You do need to get into her health life and take her to appointments etc to know what is going on....
Yup, I have sleep issues... started when I had to take care of my LO's and that is just so much fun for my family who has to deal with my sleep issues.... Tag... I'm getting down that road faster than time travel... maybe.. I suppose... It's not fun for my LOs....especially, sorry... to say... my beloved dog....
I hope this website helps you find clues or answers to your concerns... It has helped me over the years.
Maybe take your mom for walks, spend time with her, take her to lunch, go to a library.. botanical gardens, museum, or something close by and fun...
My FIL took our child to the local airport to watch the small cesnas land or take off... And they visited the local zoo, and other local attractions in our area... Perhaps you can take your mom to a local attraction for fun afternoon... Maybe she is bored?... Give her something to look forward to... A fun day !!! Some libraries will have current events listed for the month.
we just got a calendar for CONCERTS IN THE PARK! Listed 4 local parks with dates and bands so you can plan ... then someone said they just listed in another park... Shakespeare in the PARK... another fun free event to enjoy !!
things to think about doing with mom during the summer!!! Make it Fun!! Make it an adventure for all of you, who you invite to join you!!! why not? Make it fun for all of her LO's... invite the whole team, if you have one, to take part in a free adventure in the park with music or plays... !!! YAY !
AND THEN IT GETS TO THE POINT.. mom cannot go anywhere and I didn't have a supporting team to tag along with us... soooo.... the story goes.... tag... you're it, invite your friends to join you... Make sure, if you do go to a park, you get a chair she can get up and out of without too much effort...
In her case, I think it’s a bit of denial along with getting scared.
My MIL does have her days and nights completely mixed up and as she tells it, she doesn’t go to bed until around 4-6 am. Someone told me this is sorta sundowners but IDK.
I just wanted to let you know that I hear you and I can relate.
it’s probably everything, thst surgery.. is not fun… no surgery is really fun.. but neck fusion…that sounds like a pain in the neck..
how’s her carotid artery?
Still good blood flow to brain?
Hoping every day will be a bit better, with less pain more healing…
Quite honestly, one can guess, but this would be difficult to know in a case this complicated with the switching about of some very VERY powerful medications.