Over the past week Mom has been complaining that, "I'm not right in the head!" and that she was feeling "goofy". Her blood pressure had gone up just prior to her recent hospitalization so she was prescribed some new meds.
"I'm telling you, this stuff makes me feel like I'm in another world."
Then, at the hospital they prescribed a second blood pressure medication. By the time she got back to Edgewater she was not the same.
Early this week we had a care staff meeting and we talked over several items from her anxiety to her inability to concentrate. She said, "Look, I don't know what this stuff is but I am now starting to hallucinate. Just this morning I was talking to my family of 40 years ago and I was wide awake."
Besides that Mom was very upset that she was taking eleven pills at a time, "I am not a pill-taker and I'm always careful with what interacts with what."
Within twenty-four hours of discontinuing several drugs Mom was...back.
When we visited about this yesterday she said, "See, I told you I was wacky. I'm glad they finally listened."
Word to those of you with elderly family members. You must stay intimately involved in the day-to-day care of your loved ones. Do not fail to question what is going on and build a solid relationship with the licensed caregivers. It makes a huge difference.
And...so it goes
Your Mother is one smart Mom. I suspect 90% of patients, especially the elderly are on too much medicine. Seems doctors just want to add a pill instead of listening to patients.
Posted by: MissDazey | 08/02/2013 at 12:23 PM
Can I come to your mom for medical advise too. ?
Posted by: les | 08/02/2013 at 02:00 PM
The same exact thing happened to my mom when they prescribed those same medications. We got involved when my mom said the same thing as your mom said about hallucinations and not feeling like herself. Her kidney doctor finally got her medications straightened out.
The kidneys don't function as well when people age. Medications stay in a person's system longer because of that. Therefore,some medications are too strong or not well tolerated.
My mom will celebrate her 95th birthday in September. She spends a lot of time reading, and is doing well since they got her medications regulated. She is living with my sister.
Posted by: Carol Rivas | 08/02/2013 at 06:07 PM