Re: not sleeping

February 20, 2007

Anytime I hear " dramatic turn " , I think " acute delirium " , and I think

" metabolic problem " not " dementia " . If this was a rapid decline over

a period of a few days or a week, I'd start thinking UTI before I

thought anything else. Cal was a raging $*$)@! when he got one, which

is unlike him. Behavioral interventions did not help one bit.

As an aside, the atypicals can make even the most aggressive butthead

quite pleasant. It's worth considering.

February 21, 2007

Kathy,

Melatonin at bed time seemed to help for a while, but for the last 3 or 4

years, day or night, my LBD mom didn't sleep more than 2 or 3 hours at a time.

At least that is how I remember it now.

My sleep patterns had to change to match. I did resort to giving her a

doctor prescribed sleepy pill, if mom had several horrible sleepless nights in a

row. Then it was like an intervention. Like an over-tired kid, there were times

when she just couldn't seem to rest at all, except for short naps: like someone

falling alseep at the wheel, she would snap awake with wild unrested eyes.

Those were times when the sleeping- sleepless cycle seemed to be out of

control.

The problem with the doctor prescribed sleepy pills for my LBD mom, was that

in low doses, it didn't do much, and at recommended doses, the drugs that did

keep her down most all night, had a carry over effect. She was zombied the

whole next day. We were afraid to give it to her a 2nd night in a row. When I

think of walking through nursing homes: seeing residents sitting in a stupor by

day, I suspect -after effects- of the night time meds.

I think towards the last months, my mom got some relief from a low level of

Zolof at bedtime, that helped her without making her into a zombie.

Dann

james candy wrote:

I recently e-mailed about my father not sleeping all night. He was

taking ambien and it worked for a day or two and then right back to not

sleeping. I read on here that someone was taking klonidine, and he is going to

try that tonight. How much did she/he take?

Is it normal to just take a turn for the worst and just be difficult and

grouchy. He bangs on my mothers door all night and won't let her sleep. Tells

her she is lazy and that she needs to get up and take care of him. I guess he

can get pretty mean verbally. It is like he is a small child wanting to get his

own way. Would handlling him like a 2 or 3 year old work on him(someone else not

my mom). Telling him to stop keeping her awake and to go to bed and leave her

alone. We are worried for her, not knowing exactly what he is capable of. You

hear so many stories about the caretakers safety. I don't think the doctors seem

to know what to do. We called about the klonidine and they were like sure try

that.

Really concerned for my mom

Kathy

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February 21, 2007

I think doctors just go along with whatever someone

suggests, as they have no idea what is going to work

on dementia patients. They know there is no cure, and

I really feel like the medical profession, or some of

them, are not that concerned about the care of

dementia patients. They just write them off; they

know they can't cure the illness.

--- james candy wrote:

> I recently e-mailed about my father not sleeping all

> night. He was taking ambien and it worked for a day

> or two and then right back to not sleeping. I read

> on here that someone was taking klonidine, and he is

> going to try that tonight. How much did she/he

> take?

>

> Is it normal to just take a turn for the worst and

> just be difficult and grouchy. He bangs on my

> mothers door all night and won't let her sleep.

> Tells her she is lazy and that she needs to get up

> and take care of him. I guess he can get pretty

> mean verbally. It is like he is a small child

> wanting to get his own way. Would handlling him

> like a 2 or 3 year old work on him(someone else not

> my mom). Telling him to stop keeping her awake and

> to go to bed and leave her alone. We are worried

> for her, not knowing exactly what he is capable of.

> You hear so many stories about the caretakers

> safety. I don't think the doctors seem to know what

> to do. We called about the klonidine and they were

> like sure try that.

>

> Really concerned for my mom

>

> Kathy

>

> ---------------------------------

> Bored stiff? Loosen up...

> Download and play hundreds of games for free on

> Yahoo! Games.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

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February 21, 2007

Kathy and June (and Dann),

I agree with all that has been said. Mom didn't sleep every other night. And

Dann is right, it has an effect on the LBD person.

Kathy, the GP I had ALWAYS has me bring Mom in for IUT test when Mom was having

a hard time. And as much as I knew that, I would forget. It is just a

necessary test when problems develop. And she usually had an infection.

Mom couldn't take meds at all. And of course, June, like you said many MDs just

don't know what to do and try anything and it is always a normal amount and is

always too much.

I finally gave Mom an anti-anxiety but I cut it in quarters and gave it to her

all day. It was enough to at least let her rest. Kept her even and even helped

with sleep. And I did use Melatonin with it. It at least let her rest most of

the night on the " every other night " that she didn't sleep.

Hope this helps.

Hugs,

Donna R

Caregave for Mom (after I brought her from WI to MI) for 3 years and 4th year in

a nh.

She was almost 89 when she died in '02. No dx other than mine.

Re: not sleeping

I think doctors just go along with whatever someone

suggests, as they have no idea what is going to work

on dementia patients. They know there is no cure, and

I really feel like the medical profession, or some of

them, are not that concerned about the care of

dementia patients. They just write them off; they

know they can't cure the illness.

--- james candy wrote:

> I recently e-mailed about my father not sleeping all

> night. He was taking ambien and it worked for a day

> or two and then right back to not sleeping. I read

> on here that someone was taking klonidine, and he is

> going to try that tonight. How much did she/he

> take?

>

> Is it normal to just take a turn for the worst and

> just be difficult and grouchy. He bangs on my

> mothers door all night and won't let her sleep.

> Tells her she is lazy and that she needs to get up

> and take care of him. I guess he can get pretty

> mean verbally. It is like he is a small child

> wanting to get his own way. Would handlling him

> like a 2 or 3 year old work on him(someone else not

> my mom). Telling him to stop keeping her awake and

> to go to bed and leave her alone. We are worried

> for her, not knowing exactly what he is capable of.

> You hear so many stories about the caretakers

> safety. I don't think the doctors seem to know what

> to do. We called about the klonidine and they were

> like sure try that.

>

> Really concerned for my mom

>

> Kathy

>

> ---------------------------------

> Bored stiff? Loosen up...

> Download and play hundreds of games for free on

> Yahoo! Games.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

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February 21, 2007

Kathy, you are right. LBD can turn nasty. And, you are right about your

mother's safety, and health.

Let us know when you have a solution.

Love a bunch,

Imogene

In a message dated 2/20/2007 11:55:23 PM Central Standard Time,

jkcandy2000@... writes:

Is it normal to just take a turn for the worst and just be difficult and

grouchy. He bangs on my mothers door all night and won't let her sleep. Tells

her she is lazy and that she needs to get up and take care of him. I guess

he can get pretty mean verbally. It is like he is a small child wanting to

get his own way. Would handlling him like a 2 or 3 year old work on

him(someone else not my mom). Telling him to stop keeping her awake and to go

to bed

and leave her alone. We are worried for her, not knowing exactly what he is

capable of. You hear so many stories about the caretakers safety. I don't

think the doctors seem to know what to do. We called about the klonidine and

they were like sure try that.

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February 21, 2007

How true, How true, June. We do have a good doctor now.

Imogene

In a message dated 2/21/2007 10:18:29 AM Central Standard Time,

jchristensen1953@... writes:

I think doctors just go along with whatever someone

suggests, as they have no idea what is going to work

on dementia patients. They know there is no cure, and

I really feel like the medical profession, or some of

them, are not that concerned about the care of

dementia patients. They just write them off; they

know they can't cure the illness.

************************************** AOL now offers free

email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at

http://www.aol.com.

February 21, 2007

Kathy,

The not sleeping thing is exhausting - for EVERYONE! - isn't it? We're in

another cycle that involves very little - if any - sleep for Mom. When she

was still living here with me - we went a period of time of 90 hours

STRAIGHT with not even the slightest delay of a blink of the eye. I was

total toast. We tried EVERYTHING. The doc eventually sent over some meds

via the hospice nurses and we got her doped up enough to get her to sleep a

little - two hours. It was the best nap I'd had in ages!

Have they tried Trazadone yet? Or some other bigger gun sleeping aid?

For my Mom - when sleep is more scarce - she will get downright - well - I

guess the best most adequate description would be something akin to a

toddler in a fit. She will pout. Stomp. Blame. Try to run away, etc.

It's so exhausting! I am SO THANKFUL that she's now in the Memory Care

facility now. I simply do not have the physical or emotional resources

left. I thank God daily for the sweet, kind, skilled care she is getting

there - and that there's someone to be with her through the night. It

leaves me the freedom to be her daughter - even though she often doesn't

recognize me as such - and not have to be at the end of my rope.

If it were me - I would be concerned for your Mom - if nothing else, just

from the point of view she's probably just about fried. One can only handle

so much, you know? Does she get help? Are there volunteers locally that

can at least give her a break? Is the doctor willing to order palliative

care for your Dad, so that some of those volunteer services are available to

your Mom? For me - the day they told me that Hospice offered a bathing

aide, I thought I'd sit down and cry tears of joy! What a blessing those

precious souls are!

Anyway - feeling for you - and your Mom!

Blessings,

Dina

Care Manager to Mom, aged 66

dx'd with LBD 10/2006

February 25, 2007

what is palliative care?

Dina wrote: Kathy,