Dear Sharon----
>Thank you so very much to your reply-it is so helpful to hear that our
>family is not alone -or the only ones- in dealing with this.
>My sister is on antipsychotic meds (Seraquel) as well as Sinemet, amantadine
>and Mirapex.
I have to wonder if other anti-psychotics have been tried? (
e.g.Clozaril, Haldol, Ativan ?)
Also,I gather her ex-husband live in the same home with her and the children?
>We all strongly feel-and so does her neurologist-on of the best-
>that she take a "drug holiday" in a hospitalized setting to titrate off all
>meds-and then work back in a medical regimen that might be less "toxic" to
>her and improve overall symptonatology ettc. HOWEVER, my sister is FLATLY
>REFUSING this option much to our great distress.
Perhaps she will need to stop taking her meds and get really
incapable before things can get better--I know that sounds awful, but
somehow she must be in compliance with her neuro's recommendaions.
> Part of the problem is that
>currently, she manages meds on her own and compliance on a daily basis is
>HIGHLY questionable. She is "on her own" with this since part of her
>psychological symptoms are extreme paranoia towards her husband-and she
>thinks, if he is in charge of overseeing medical compliance-that is is
>tainting or poisoning her meds and thus would refuse to take them all
>together!!!!!
What would happen if he did try to give them to her--would she really
stop them and would that be reason to hospitalize her? Just
wondering----
>I unfortunately live in Florida, and there is NO family on
>Portland-we are all on the east coast. My sister does have a caseworker who
>is a huge help, but she cannot oversee evry medicne my sister takes on a
>daily basis.
She sounds really psychotic. yet you say there is no evidence that
*legally* she is a danger to herself or others. I think she is a
real danger to her children--emotionally if not physically if they
are under the same roof ! This is a heart-wrenching situation--in
part because of her youth when diagnosed.
>My sister has also refused outside help in the form of hired
>nurse aids, etc. BECAUSE she is still considered competent, her decisions
>stand.
I don't know the law in Oregon, but this is pretty ridiculous, if
your description of her behavior is "competent" there. Can other
Oregonians respond / advise ?
> We have pleaded with the family to move here to the east coast, but
>the husband is an oral surgeon(the family's source of income) and his patient
>base as well as licensure to practice is for Oregon only.
>A tough, tough situation for all.
>Thank you for sharing your experience-Regards, Sharon
--
Camilla Flintermann, former CG for Peter 83/70/55
Oxford, Ohio
<[log in to unmask]>
on the web at http://www.geocities.com/camillahf/index.html
"Ask me about the CARE list for Caregivers of Parkinsonians ! "
And visit the CARE webring at http://www.pdcaregiver.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
