Guest guest Posted February 10, 2004 Report Share Posted February 10, 2004 Elaine, We put dad on this med about 2 weeks ago. Since that time he has seemed to be more alert than previously. He has also seemed to be more aware of his own inabilities and more frustrated. Dad is in a wheelchair and cannot speak (due to other ailments) so it is difficult to gauge the success of the drug. He may have an increase in the hallucinations, but possibly it is just a reaction to them where he was previously unable to react. He is less cooperative with the requests necessary to move him, bathe him and attend to him. We have attributed this to frustration and better awareness of his situation. In this case, we are torn as to whether to continue the memantine which appears to improve his cognition causing frustration, agitation and better awareness of his helpless situation or discontinue the drug and allow him the respite of being less aware of his situation and somewhat easier to manage. If he could communicate with us, the decision would surely be easier, but he has no words. We have decided for the time being to continue this med for the next 2 weeks (until the prescription runs out) and then make a decision. Any input any of you have will be appreciated. Lynn > Good Morning Everyone, > I have not post lately but I'm looking to see if anyone has their LO > on Namenda. And if so, what results you may be seeing. > > My mom's MD put her on it 2 1/2 weeks ago. She was in the " sleep > state " since the holidays and had an infection from her catheter > which contributes to this. But on Sunday my sister went to visit > and she was wide awake, alert, knew her and her husband. She said > it was wonderful. Is it to early to tell if it's Namenda, yes, I'm > sure. The MD told us we should see some change in about 4 weeks. > > Of course we've encountered the set backs to often and don't want to > get our hopes up; so if anyone has had any experiences with Namenda > I'd apprecriate hearing about it. > > Elaine FL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 20, 2004 Report Share Posted April 20, 2004 My replies are scattered throughout your post, Jayn. <waves at Jayn> > I am so sorry not to remember!!!! OK I am a caregiver for LBD. Does that > make it ok to forget??? Jayn, what was your question again? (Sorry, I've already forgotten. <G>) > What I don't remember is if I have posted about how my sister is doing on the > namenda. > I can't tell any difference and she has been on it 2 months now. The > neurolgist (sp) said it would not help the disease get better just slow it down, but I > know I have read here where others have had good results. Not her. > I am going to ask about her coming off of it when she gets thru this months > meds. I just can't see paying 120.00 a month for something that doesn't help > and I am not to sure if it is having a negative effect, she seems to be sleeping > more lately than in the past. Doesn't want to do anything except sit. My mother isn't on any sort of dementia meds, and this is all she wants to do: sleep, look at catalogs, order stuff she thinks she needs, but doesn't, and eat dessert. Sitting isn't high on her list...except to eat her dessert. > While I am addressing the whole group, I have some questions. > Do any of you have problems getting your lo to eat healthy? Heh. Do donkeys have big ears? All Ruth wants is > potatoes and meat, and I just know she needs more. Jayn, I really feel your pain. Mother is mildly interested in her food, but she really justs picks until the ice cream or the banana split pie comes out. Then, she turns into a chowhound. > Doesn't want to get dressed most of the time, is this normal for our los' Oh, yeah. It's normal for mine, even though she's still ordering " outfits " like there's no tomorrow. Dad is going to have to rent a storage unit, before too much longer. :-/ > I guess we have the bathing thing taken care of for now, only eating right > and dressing when she gets up are the only problems we are having, or course > besides no short term memory!!! Those may not sound too bad, by comparison, but it's plain that you're distressed by them. > And they sound so petty I hesitate to even ask, so many of you are going thru > soooooo much more than we are for right now. It makes me feel quilty to > complain. Don't you dare, Jayn! Never feel guilty, here. And don't hesitate to voice your concerns, here, either. > All of you take care and just know I am praying for all of us. Ditto, from SC. > > Jayn Love and prayers, Deborah > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2004 Report Share Posted April 21, 2004 I don't have any experience with Namenda (yet) but I know that with the reminyl I got to a point where I questioned whether it was doing mom any good as everything seemed to be worsening...the day that her prescription ran out on a Sunday and she went ONE DAY without it, ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE. She was hallucinating all over the place, not making sense in anything she said etc. and I was not able to get her reminyl until noon on the Monday. Let me tell you that even though the pharmacy told me that missing one day wouldn't make a difference, it surely did with mom. Would the same thing happen with Namenda with your mom? Who knows? As with everything with this disease, it is trial and error... As far as not wanting to do anything, that sounds like mom, but she alternates with not wanting to do anything to accusing the caregivers as not wanting to do anything. She will want to go out and when they say okay we will go out after you eat lunch etc. then she will say that she is too tired. They will wait until later that day or the next day to ask her again, and then she will refuse again. When I come in to check on her she tells me they don't want to take her... She doesn't sit much but is rather like a kid with ADD. She is constantly running to the front door to look out. She sorts things into bags/boxes and collects them in her dining room. After a while, she will say that she needs to sort that " mess " that is there. She doesn't know where it came from. Mom eat healthy? Ha, that's a laugh. She has never eaten healthy, but will complain about " feeling tired, constipated " etc. I tell her that if she is constipated she should eat whole wheat bread. This usually results in her making a face. She doesn't eat fruit unless it is out of a can with lots of sugary syrup. She LOVES chocolate and dessert. Sometimes she doesn't eat anything at all. I have bought her some Ensure to try and keep the weight on. If I ate like her I would gain 30 lbs. but she just maintains or loses it. I don't worry too much about WHAT she eats as long as she eats. At this point, I figure it really doesn't matter. If she wants to eat cake, ice cream and chocolate and is HAPPY, that is what is important. I have wayyyy more important things to fight with her about. She wears some pretty strange combinations of things when she dresses. Last week when I took her to the doctor she had put on two pairs of underwear that day. She dresses in layers and will often have a tank shirt under a t-shirt under a sweater and then a button up sweater on top. Then there is the coat and the hat that she wants to wear even if it is not cold out and she is only going to my house next door. Then she needs her purse, but she has to " check " it for some item or another. Then she needs to know where her keys are, even though I tell her I have mine and the caregiver will be there...it takes forever and a day to do anything. Please don't feel bad about asking as it is good to relate to others as we struggle with the day to day stuff. I say try not to worry too much about it and roll with it as we do everything else. As far as the drug goes, you can always stop it and see and then re-introduce if things go haywire... Take care Jayn and thanks for the reply on the POA. I feel like I am being pulled in 3 different directions. We are going to pick up my son in Windsor on Friday to bring him home. His room is now painted as is the desk and dresser. I bought him a new bed yesterday and they delivered it but it wouldn't fit up the stairs. My husband and his friend and my other son had to lift it up to the top of the porch and bring it in the sliding glass doors, but it is in the room now. I have to buy some sheets and finish painting the cupboard. At work I have to organize my information in order to present tonight to the President of the Board what I feel we should recieve in wage increases as well as why. I am procrastinating on this one and I need to get going on it as I am fast running out of time. The POA will have to be dealt with after that as I don't want my personal life affecting the rest of my staff because I was not organized enough to get them the raises they deserve. I hope everyone out there has a good day with their loved one. Kath namenda > I am so sorry not to remember!!!! OK I am a caregiver for LBD. Does that > make it ok to forget??? > What I don't remember is if I have posted about how my sister is doing on the > namenda. > I can't tell any difference and she has been on it 2 months now. The > neurolgist (sp) said it would not help the disease get better just slow it down, but I > know I have read here where others have had good results. Not her. > I am going to ask about her coming off of it when she gets thru this months > meds. I just can't see paying 120.00 a month for something that doesn't help > and I am not to sure if it is having a negative effect, she seems to be sleeping > more lately than in the past. Doesn't want to do anything except sit. > While I am addressing the whole group, I have some questions. > Do any of you have problems getting your lo to eat healthy? All Ruth wants is > potatoes and meat, and I just know she needs more. > Doesn't want to get dressed most of the time, is this normal for our los' > I guess we have the bathing thing taken care of for now, only eating right > and dressing when she gets up are the only problems we are having, or course > besides no short term memory!!! > And they sound so petty I hesitate to even ask, so many of you are going thru > soooooo much more than we are for right now. It makes me feel quilty to > complain. > All of you take care and just know I am praying for all of us. > > Jayn > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 21, 2004 Report Share Posted April 21, 2004 Jayn, Know that I am keeping you close to my heart, also. Food is one thing that each person has some control over and losing control late in life must make one focus more on something that gives them a choice in their life. Everything else, dignity included, is stripped away. They are left with little to enjoy. Regardless of what I know, my passions do not always run toward the nutritionally sound. I can only imagine how I will be when I (if I) reach 80. All I ask for is lots of chocolate! Sending you a warm spring, out-of-hibernation bear hug, Betty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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