Sundowning

[BB8911]

My Mom has been having trouble sleeping, and they put her on antidepressant, which now has made her depressed
and not herself.  I am having them take her off the pill, and I am wondering if she will be back to her old self once off.
She has been on the antidepressant for 3 months.  I guess alot of these places try to make their job more easier, and being drugged she won't cause any problems.

[rumpled]

I am glad you spoke up. These meds also take time to build up - as in they don't work the next day you take them. They also take time to work out of the body so the previous med is still there for a while so don't judge yet. The meds don't help the dementia along (even though it does seem like it!!!) but can impair even a well person if they don't get the right one. So it pays to be vigilant and get the right one or a cocktail as need be.

If they allow, bring in a small player and get her some music. The place where my FIL was last at played various types of music during meals. It was rather nice. I donated many CDs  (some 40's big band, some opera, some jazz etc) and the social director there was thrilled and I was also happy that she knew that X loved this music and Y loved this and Z loved this, so if the place is good, they are aware of the power of music and who responds to what. I plan to give them more, as well as a mix of holiday favorites even though I don't have a relative there anymore.

[havincinco]

Sorry you are having to go through it with her like this.  Its kind of a chicken or the egg thing (like which came first, the depression, or the side effect of the drug) sometimes, at least I've noticed with my own mom. She was a concert pianist and singer and when she was still able to communicate the frustration, she would throw a fit at a piano, or not want to hear music. Now she just enjoys it on her own, to her own beat and occasionally hums and snaps. But it is heartwrenching to see something that was at one time so enjoyable become something unrecognizable to them.

[BB8911]

I talked to the head nurse and her doctor (which is the in house doctor) and had her taken off the drug.  They put her on a different one, not as strong, and I am now waiting to see if she comes out of her depression,  all she says now is  I hate everything, and I can't stand this. Her words seem to be more jumbled also.   It has really changed her mood from someone who would sing, to someone who won't even try to sing anymore.
It's just so heart breaking to watch.  It's bad enough she has dementia, they didn't have to help it along!  Just venting a little.  Thanks for the replies.

[rumpled]

As you get older, it seems strange, you react differently to medication. So (and it is the same for all of us!) it may be trial and error to get to the right one. They start with a popular one and hope it works and you are correct to have her taken off. But you can ask, I hope, for a specialist or her doctor to try another class and see if that helps.

My MIL kept flipping night and day and was so anxious that we consulted a geriatric psych and he had her put in the hospital for a short time so he could cycle her through medications until he found the right set, at the right times, so she could sleep and my FIL could sleep too while she was home (which was up to a month before she passed).

Some places may just routinely want calm patients - in which case you should speak to the head nurse and find out if they are doing the best for your mom or for them. You can also ask to be present at the next exam by the doctor and ask questions.

[havincinco]

The sleep cycle gets so thrown out of whack during the progression that sometimes its a trial and error to solve and find what will work. My mom was put on Ambien because she just refused to sleep longer than 2 hours. It was ok, but only lasted 4-5 hours and because she had the need to constantly walk, she would wake from it in a drunken stupor.  She's now in a home where they can watch her 24 hrs and encourage her to take lots of naps, which has seemed to help.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

yes once its out of her body she will be herself again, my mom went threw that to and lots of the pills changed her but once she came off of them she was my mom again;
but also this Disease changes them a lot to . mom would be so sweet than she would become very mean, I knew that was not my mom so I just dealt with her moods because I knew my sweet mom was in that body.

they have other pills ya can try to help her sleep, my mom took Ativan for her anxiety and it helped her sleep.

prayers are with your mom as she goes threw this very scarey time, prayers for you as you go threw it with her. its not easy but we must love them threw this as they loved us to Birth