Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 gladys, i would say it is a combinaton of things with lbd we really dont know how much they really do know/understand, i would think she understands that something is seriously wrong with her, she is scared, she is tired, she is confused, she is depressed etc. i would call her doctor and consider a antidepressant, dad did well on zoloft he started out at 50mg that helped with depression/aggression and dr jekyl/mr hyde issues. i hopethis helps hugs. sharon Gladys Stefany wrote: Mom has been having some major crying jags lately and we don't know what is causing them. Neither does she. It's heartbreaking. Has anyone else experienced this? Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Dear Gladys, Love your name - very unusual and poetic. Also my mom's name. My mom (LBD with Parkison's) has crying jags from time to time. Can cry for hours - sometimes very heavily, sometimes more just weepy and whimpery. It occurs for what seems to be no reason, but for her (and every person is different, of course) we usually figure out a cause. Sometimes sadness when she is " with it " to realize she can't walk anymore, doesn't see her son much, is failing, etc. Sometimes when intense they signal pain, discomfort or even infection (most often a UTI or respiratory) that she can't describe. Sometimes " just " the dementia which kicks off behaviors that can't be traced to anything else. Sometimes changes in environment, too much stimulation or over-exhaustion. When this happens, I try to determine what is new or different - meds, location, visitors, tiredness level, physical ailment, a cross word from someone, etc. If none of the above, and she is not too far gone, diversion can help. When that's impossible, and the crying continues for a long time, she may need help calming down, in which case the MD allows us to give a very small dose of Seroquel in addition to her regular dose. I do try to avoid that, as Seroquel is powerful, even in small amounts. Is there anything different, new or distressing in your mom's situation? Possible new physical concerns? Do the crying jags occur regularly, only occasionally, are they intense? I'll be keeping you and your mom in my prayers. Lin Gladys Stefany wrote: Mom has been having some major crying jags lately and we don't know what is causing them. Neither does she. It's heartbreaking. Has anyone else experienced this? Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks, Sharon She's been taking Zoloft before bed for about a year and a half. Perhaps we need to increase it. I just don't know what to do. Gladys -- Re: crying gladys, i would say it is a combinaton of things with lbd we really dont know how much they really do know/understand, i would think she understands that something is seriously wrong with her, she is scared, she is tired, she is confused, she is depressed etc. i would call her doctor and consider a antidepressant, dad did well on zoloft he started out at 50mg that helped with depression/aggression and dr jekyl/mr hyde issues. i hopethis helps hugs. sharon Gladys Stefany wrote: Mom has been having some major crying jags lately and we don't know what is causing them. Neither does she. It's heartbreaking. Has anyone else experienced this? Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 My Mom did well on Remeron for depression. It also helped her sleep. She no longer needs it. " Gladys Stefany " <agoramom@... > To Sent by: <LBDcaregivers > LBDcaregivers@yah cc oogroups.com Subject Re: crying 02/19/2008 04:07 PM Please respond to LBDcaregivers@yah oogroups.com Thanks, Sharon She's been taking Zoloft before bed for about a year and a half. Perhaps we need to increase it. I just don't know what to do. Gladys -- Re: crying gladys, i would say it is a combinaton of things with lbd we really dont know how much they really do know/understand, i would think she understands that something is seriously wrong with her, she is scared, she is tired, she is confused, she is depressed etc. i would call her doctor and consider a antidepressant, dad did well on zoloft he started out at 50mg that helped with depression/aggression and dr jekyl/mr hyde issues. i hopethis helps hugs. sharon Gladys Stefany wrote: Mom has been having some major crying jags lately and we don't know what is causing them. Neither does she. It's heartbreaking. Has anyone else experienced this? Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Yes -- my mom had this symptom as well... That was one of the first symptoms that made us finally realize something was wrong, in fact. Because she was always 'the strong one' -- so when she had these crying spells we became that much more concerned... It was a daily occurence for my mom to cry for almost her entire journey. Everytime I walked into the room she would start crying... We did find improvement when she was given Celexa (anti-depressent) -- the tears didn't go away entirely, but she was less weepy - just a bit teary. It's definitely a symptom of LBD IMO... In mom's early stages when she was able to communicate, I'd ask what was wrong and she would tell me that she didn't know. She didn't know why she was crying... Also, I'd imagine just knowing something was wrong and not able to know what it was must have been heart-wretching... but I believe it's more of a symptom rather than a reason for the crying... but that's just my opinion... Is your mom on an antidepressant? Which one? Did you notice a difference when she started? There was definitely an improvement w/ my mom - but again, it never entirely went away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Hi , I just posted to Ron and Gladys about our experience with anti-Ds. Lexapro really helped my mom for many years. Now it's hard to know . . . and given my concern about too many brain-affecting meds, I am seriously considering D/C it. Hope all is well at your end. Lin wrote: Yes -- my mom had this symptom as well... That was one of the first symptoms that made us finally realize something was wrong, in fact. Because she was always 'the strong one' -- so when she had these crying spells we became that much more concerned... It was a daily occurence for my mom to cry for almost her entire journey. Everytime I walked into the room she would start crying... We did find improvement when she was given Celexa (anti-depressent) -- the tears didn't go away entirely, but she was less weepy - just a bit teary. It's definitely a symptom of LBD IMO... In mom's early stages when she was able to communicate, I'd ask what was wrong and she would tell me that she didn't know. She didn't know why she was crying... Also, I'd imagine just knowing something was wrong and not able to know what it was must have been heart-wretching... but I believe it's more of a symptom rather than a reason for the crying... but that's just my opinion... Is your mom on an antidepressant? Which one? Did you notice a difference when she started? There was definitely an improvement w/ my mom - but again, it never entirely went away... Welcome to LBDcaregivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Hi Gladys - i can't seem to read my messages in the proper order, so my replies are disjointed. i did not realize your mom was already on an anti-D. While an increase in the Zoloft might be indicated, do consider causes for the crying other than depression and anxiety. And, if the crying has increased rather quickly, check physical status as well. I do believe in the value of anti-Ds, but also in eliminating other causes for this behavior. checking everything before increasing a med (except of course in an emergency) is a " rule of thumb " - in part because all these meds affect both mind and body, and because in many cases, as with anti-Ds, it may take weeks to note any effect, time that other causes - if they exist - could be addressed. Let us know what you decide. Prayers, Lin Gladys Stefany wrote: Thanks, Sharon She's been taking Zoloft before bed for about a year and a half. Perhaps we need to increase it. I just don't know what to do. Gladys -- Re: crying gladys, i would say it is a combinaton of things with lbd we really dont know how much they really do know/understand, i would think she understands that something is seriously wrong with her, she is scared, she is tired, she is confused, she is depressed etc. i would call her doctor and consider a antidepressant, dad did well on zoloft he started out at 50mg that helped with depression/aggression and dr jekyl/mr hyde issues. i hopethis helps hugs. sharon Gladys Stefany wrote: Mom has been having some major crying jags lately and we don't know what is causing them. Neither does she. It's heartbreaking. Has anyone else experienced this? Gladys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi all Just to clarify: even though the term " sundowning " seems explicit to time, that's not how the phrase is used clinically. It refers to certain increases in delusional thinking, emotional behavior, etc. that is regular and appears at approximately the same time daily - AM or PM. My mom " sundowned " just about every day for 4 months - at 11 AM. It does seem to occur more frequently to people at close of day and often related to the circadian rhythms, but there are lots of variations. Rest and diversion generally help. If they don't - or if the timing is all over the map, chances are the behavior is related to another problem. Lin Gladys Stefany wrote: No It's not " sundowners " . It happens around 2:00 every afternoon. Then she usually takes a nap and wakes up happy. Gladys -- Re: crying Yes -- my mom had this symptom as well... That was one of the first symptoms that made us finally realize something was wrong, in fact. Because she was always 'the strong one' -- so when she had these crying spells we became that much more concerned... It was a daily occurence for my mom to cry for almost her entire journey. Everytime I walked into the room she would start crying... We did find improvement when she was given Celexa (anti-depressent) -- the tears didn't go away entirely, but she was less weepy - just a bit teary. It's definitely a symptom of LBD IMO... In mom's early stages when she was able to communicate, I'd ask what was wrong and she would tell me that she didn't know. She didn't know why she was crying... Also, I'd imagine just knowing something was wrong and not able to know what it was must have been heart-wretching... but I believe it's more of a symptom rather than a reason for the crying... but that's just my opinion... Is your mom on an antidepressant? Which one? Did you notice a difference when she started? There was definitely an improvement w/ my mom - but again, it never entirely went away... Welcome to LBDcaregivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2008 Report Share Posted February 22, 2008 I always said my husband " sunupped. " Most of the time, his worst times were in the morning, and he often improved during the day. June --- l pratt wrote: > Hi all Just to clarify: even though the term > " sundowning " seems explicit to time, that's not how > the phrase is used clinically. It refers to certain > increases in delusional thinking, emotional > behavior, etc. that is regular and appears at > approximately the same time daily - AM or PM. My mom > " sundowned " just about every day for 4 months - at > 11 AM. It does seem to occur more frequently to > people at close of day and often related to the > circadian rhythms, but there are lots of variations. > Rest and diversion generally help. If they don't - > or if the timing is all over the map, chances are > the behavior is related to another problem. > Lin > > Gladys Stefany wrote: > No It's not " sundowners " . It happens around 2:00 > every afternoon. Then > she usually takes a nap and wakes up happy. > > Gladys > > -- Re: crying > > Yes -- my mom had this symptom as well... That was > one of the first > symptoms that made us finally realize something was > wrong, in fact. > Because she was always 'the strong one' -- so when > she had these crying > spells we became that much more concerned... It was > a daily occurence > for my mom to cry for almost her entire journey. > Everytime I walked > into the room she would start crying... We did find > improvement when > she was given Celexa (anti-depressent) -- the tears > didn't go away > entirely, but she was less weepy - just a bit teary. > It's definitely a > symptom of LBD IMO... In mom's early stages when she > was able to > communicate, I'd ask what was wrong and she would > tell me that she > didn't know. She didn't know why she was crying... > Also, I'd imagine > just knowing something was wrong and not able to > know what it was must > have been heart-wretching... but I believe it's more > of a symptom > rather than a reason for the crying... but that's > just my opinion... Is > your mom on an antidepressant? Which one? Did you > notice a difference > when she started? There was definitely an > improvement w/ my mom - but > again, it never entirely went away... > > > > Welcome to LBDcaregivers. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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