Follow
Share

About a month ago my mom started repeatedly shouting sentences “let’s go, let’s go” and one of my sibling's name nonstop–the only time she is not calling and shouting is when she is asleep at night. She has always been an active outdoor person, I typically walk her outside for 30 min every morning and take her on a 1 hour car ride every evening—all this to get her tired but nope. She is on lorazepam 1 mg a day but that doesn’t seem to be working. She is exhausted of the constant calling and shouting, and poor thing's throat and mouth dries up from it—is there a medication out there to keep her quiet and give me some rest from the constant calling?

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
Have her checked seriously for a UTI.

A change in behaviors (a month ago) should always be checked by a doctor.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

One of the side effects of Lorazepam is DRY MOUTH, and another side effect is drowsiness/sleepiness, so there’s probably no way to figure out whether her mouth is dry from the calling and shouting OR the medication that she’s taking to help her stop calling and shouting.

In general, many behavior modifying medications cause dry mouth. Have you told the prescribing physician that she’s had the problems with her mouth.

Unfortunately, you may have to wait this one out. The walks and rides and laundry folding and sorting activities are really good activities and certainly worth continuing.

Will she sing with you? If she’s willing to sing, maybe she’d try to match your voice as you sing softer.

If she’ll tolerate wearing ear muff style ear phones, you could try soft music going through them, in case she’s attempting to stimulate herself with her own noise, or even recordings of family voices reading stories.

Hope you find a solution.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Have you tried getting her involved in another task? Folding towels? Sorting socks?
If nothing seems to be working talk to the doctor there are other medications that can be used for anxiety. It might take a while and different doses.
If it helps, this is common with dementia. My Husband was not verbal but he did make a lot of noises some were quiet some very loud. But it was constant. I told myself at times when it was driving me crazy that someday I was going to miss that noise. And I do.
You can also try ear plugs, ear buds or headphones. As long as it is safe and you would be able to hear if there is a change in the noise or she were in trouble.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

There was a lady that lived across the hall from my mother in the nursing home who "sang" almost constantly when she was awake (I called it singing but it was really just a rhythmic, somewhat melodic vocalization), if there was something that could have stopped it I'm sure they would have given it to her - I often thought the poor soul's vocal chords must have been worn out.

My own mother used to call out also but it wasn't a constant thing and I could often figure out a way to stop it by going through a list of things that might be agitating her, I called it playing 20 questions - was she hungry? thirsty? needed repositioning? lonely? bored? in pain? needed changing?....??

For those times when nothing helps and it is getting on your nerves get yourself some earplugs. Seriously. Those foam ones from the drug store don't totally eliminate your ability to hear her but they will lower the volume, and sometimes that's enough to give you the ability to go calmly on with your day.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Does she stop shouting during the day if she's engaged in an activity? Just wondering if you find something that keeps her occupied? My aunt is 99 with advanced dementia. I wouldn't say she is shouting constantly but she talks incessantly and does punctuate it with shouts for her sister (with whom she lives). I started asking her if she would help me fold kitchen towels and she agrees and she folds a bit mountain of them and is quiet most of that time. I also ask her to help sort poker chips (3 different colors) and same result. Her sister was able to stop giving her Tylenol PM because she was very tired at bedtime and sleeps through the nights now. She gets hardly any physical exercise because she is very unsteady on her feet but the mental exercise tires her plenty. We also play a dvd movie (happy, musical, Disney) everyday for her with the captions on and she reads those as she watches. Again, mental energy burning. But each person is so different, just giving you some ideas and maybe one may be helpful to you. I hope you are able to find a solution!
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter