It is always amazing what a little pill can do (or can’t do!)
I asked the doctor, about a year ago, if we could put miriam on an anti depressant to control her anger a bit.
Miriam has always been the most easy going woman imaginable, but with AD, that sometimes changes.
So Doc gave us a prescription.
It was “dad’s blood pressure medicine, that mom takes,” as my daughters said.
Miriam took them for about a year and it made her a lot easier to live with. But there were some wild side affects.
So when I saw the Doc a month ago I asked about changing her to the same version of anti depressant that I take. I said that since I take one pill twice a day, I sometimes forgot the 2nd pill, so I had some extras.
That was fine, so we did just that. The side affect that bothered me went away away and we were doing pretty well.
So last week I called to get her a new prescription.
I asked the nurse to raise the dosage from 100 to 150 whatever. The nurse was really skeptical that I would dare make such a request, but I assured her that I had talked about it with the doc and we were on the same page.
So, I went to get the new pills. But there was a difference. I take 100 twice a day, and they gave her 150 to take once.
Miriam does not know what she is taking. I tell her it is a blood pressure medicine, but it is like the one I take, and she knows I take an anti depressant.
But right away I noticed a lot more anger. I would say something and very uncharacteristic she would shout back.
Then I decided to give her another 100 at night, making her osage 250 for the day. I called the Doc again and talked to her skeptical nurse, who had to ask the doc of 200 a day was ok. I told her we had miriam on 200 for the last month and it worked fine, and that a change upwards in dosage was from my conversation with the doctor.
It will be straightened out, but I am still in awe of how little it takes to change our attitudes. I was feeling really down and blue a while back, so I checked and I had missed several times of taking my pill. So I took it and feel good again.
Miriam does not know what she is taking, I tell her it is part of her blood pressure medicine.
Still the whole thing of a tiny pill changing us so much amazes and frightens me a bit.
I am so thankful for a good doctor and some pills that do what needs to be does.
Gratitude #83 - Sweet Biddies!
11 years ago
4 comments:
Dave, I'm glad you have a dr. who is willing to work with you on medication. Some will not because they simply don't understand what a caregiver/Ad patient goes through.
We had my mom on antidepressants. Dad told her they were her disposition pills. She would get a goofy look on her face, ask him if she was that hard to get along with and throw them down the hatch. Made life a lot easier for her and us.
It amazes me as well what a difference a tiny pill can make. I take a hormone replacement pill and if I didn't take it, I wouldn't be fit to live with!
I've got to tell you that anti depressants scare the hell out of me. I was on them for a short period and felt like my head was going to explode. Although I'm sure they are a godsend when they work.
Dave,
I can understand what you are saying. Momma had a reaction to some meds that she was on and it is amazing that she has been on this medicine for 8 months and the doc increases the dosage and she did not even know that she was in the world for 7 days. Please take care and I hope that Ms. Miriam is feeling better.
I can remember days when Nonna sat around the house shaking and frightened. I would come and sit next to her and ask what was wrong. She was so disoriented she did not know who I was or what was going on, and she was scared like a little child who had been dropped and left in a strange house. She would look at me in a way I will never forget. She would cry and ask for her husband. Once when this happened I told my mom and she checked her pills and the nurse forgot to give them to her that day. It took another day to get her back to a more stable state. It is a scary thing, but I am very grateful that these pills gave my grandmother some kind of peace. It may not have been able to cure her but anything is better then that state she sometimes found herself in.
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