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Hugs to you too, Elaine. How wonderful that you are approaching your 50th anniversary. So many years of togetherness is definitely something to celebrate. We completed 35 years in May. Take care Moneesha On Sun, Mar 23, 2008 at 12:06 PM, Elaine Wirth <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Moneesha! > > I'm glad you found a good psychiatrist. Dick's is good, too. We go to > see him about every five weeks. He takes things slow and easy. I'm glad > Prem is doing better. Dick was knocked out by Mirtazapine. He is on > Cymbalta now and is more alert, but it is harder for him to sleep. > Hugs! > Elaine > > Moneesha Sharma <[log in to unmask]> wrote: Hullo Elaine, > > Thank you so much for taking the trouble to reply at such length. My > heart > goes out to you in the distress that you have had with your husband's > psychotic symptoms. I can empathise with you completely. > > In the meanwhile we have found a really nice psychiatrist for Prem, my > husband. He and the neurologist are working together. The psychiatrist > has > gradually increased the dosage of his psychiatric medications and already > after the first day my son and I have noticed a tremendous improvement. > Prem is calmer and sleeping through the nights; he is not voicing > suspicions > against our son and he is not as alarmed and delusional about the > hallucinations and 'presences' as he was a few days ago. Yesterday I even > heard him humming along with some music that I had on. I hope and pray > that > this medication works. > > I will certainly heed your advice about any drastic change in the > medication. In fact, the psychiatrist warned me about this too. And he > pointed out that it is very difficult to tell how much of the psychosis is > due to the PD medication and how much due to the PD itself. > > Thank you again. You sound like a really strong person and hearing from > you > about your experience gives me strength too. > > God Bless, > Moneesha > > > > On Sun, Mar 23, 2008 at 3:48 AM, Elaine Wirth wrote: > > > Hi Moneesha! > > > > My husband Dick went to the hospital last May because suddenly he was > > anxious, unable to feed himself, and falling and spinning. It happened > when > > my Mother had just been hospitalized for breaking a vertebral body in > her > > back. This took me away from him for many hours a day. I don't know if > > that had anything to do with this rapid change where he was relatively > > normal before. The hospital had no neurologist and refused to move him > to > > the hospital next door which had, I am told, a very good Parkinson > > specialist. The doctors took all his medications away from him > including > > his Carbo/Levodopa and Eldepryl. He was very mentally sick, not knowing > > anyone except me consistently. All his children came, and sometimes he > did > > not recognize them as his children. Other times, he did. He did not > eat > > for days. He was diagnosed with a psychosis including severe jealousy > of > > me, my friends, and events that I might attend without him. After a > couple > > of weeks, he was released to go > > home with me and my children because he kept begging to go home. He > was > > manic and could not stop moving. He was stumbling up and down stairs, > > walking like a drunk person and was completely different than before he > went > > to the hospital. He had an episode where he thought his son was a man > in > > love with me and threatened him with a knife. We had to call and > ambulance. > > Armed policemen are routinely sent with the ambulance in a situation > like > > this. I asked that they not be sent because Dick was just sitting > waiting > > to be taken to jail. My son had been a policemen and met them, asking > them > > please not to come in with guns, but they did, although they stayed in > the > > background. He spent several days in the hospital, the boys left and my > > daughter and I were left with him with no instructions of how to handle > him > > except not to be confrontational. He was very upset one night, > standing in > > the bedroom and hallucinating. I put my arms around him and comforted > him > > saying I > > would take care of him. all of a sudden, he pulled both fists back at > > the same time and was going to punch me. He hasn't a mean bone in his > body. > > I backed away quickly, slammed the door and braced it with my feet. I > told > > my daughter to take the dog and get out of the house with the car keys. > We > > drove around and slipped up to the window. He was going through the gun > > cabinet looking for ammunition, which had been removed. We left for > awhile > > and checked again. He had passed out on the bed completely spent. Then > I > > called the ambulance explaining that he had medicine and was out like a > > light so not to send armed policemen with the ambulance. My daughter > and I > > waited in the driveway so that they would not barge in if they brought > guns. > > They did. I talked to the officer in charge calmly about not bringing > in > > the guns and letting me go in first. At that point, one of the young > cops, > > who was standing about 8-10 feet from us raised his rifle or shotgun, > and > > pointed it > > directly at my head. I said to the man with the gun, " You put that > gun > > down right this minute." (in my very even-toned 'I mean it.' Mother > voice. > > Then I asked the officer in charge to get that young man under control. > He > > did. That night, I decided I would never call 911 again. I know that > > family situations can be dangerous for officers, but that was > ridiculous. > > This "in and out of the hospital" continued with my fighting with the > > hospital to keep Dick there. They finally found out he had a UTI > causing > > the hallucinations, but sent him home without any meds and kept changing > > them almost daily when they did prescribe one. He came home without > violent > > hallucinations. When I asked the psychiatrist if I were going to be > safe, > > she said, "Yes." I have been. Dick still has benign hallucinations > from > > time to time, but he ignores them. He has a wonderful psychiatrist > taking > > it very slowly with his meds and changes. Dick has never been right > since he > > was in the hospital. > > It is a roller coaster ride, but we are dealing with it. He still is > > afraid for me to go anywhere without him, which is difficult as he tires > so > > easily. After about six months, he has stayed with my sister and my > helper > > when I have had to leave for a few hours for business. Two weeks ago, > he > > began letting me go to physical therapy if I had an appointment and he > > didn't. I have had two partial days when he let me go to lunch and > shopping > > with a friend. I had to quit my job, and we spend most of our time at > > doctors and physical therapy. > > > > If the dr. ever wants to take your Mumbai off all meds at once, > especially > > the P.D. drugs, don't let them. Talk to one of the old-timers of this > > group. I think the doctors did real damage to Dick when they did that > three > > years ago and last May. > > > > I don't mean to be a downer for you, but since you are thinking he is > > over-medicated, I just want you to know how dangerous it might be if > some > > nitwit takes Mumbai off all his medicines at once. > > > > Good luck > > > > Moneesha Sharma wrote: Hullo Ronald, > > Thank you for taking the trouble to respond to my mail. Yes, Mumbai has > > always been streets ahead of other cities in India on many things. They > > have a Parkinson's Society there as well as several support groups. > > However, since we are based in Calcutta it is difficult for us to take > > advantage of all this. > > With best wishes, > > Moneesha > > > > On Thu, Mar 20, 2008 at 6:13 PM, Priscilla Rodrigues > > wrote: > > > > > Hello > > > Iam a parkinsons patient for the last 12years Iam 70 years old Ithink > > the > > > medication is a bit too much for him you should see a neurologist > > specialsed > > > in parkinsons Mirtaz is a good tablet for depression Iam surprised > that > > you > > > dont have a support group in calcutta > > > does he have muscle rigidty or tremors we have very good doctors in > > > Mumbai at the Bombay hospital and the HindujaI sugest you take a > another > > > opnion > > > Ronald > > > > Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:33:12 +0530> From: > > > [log in to unmask]> Subject: I am new to this forum> To: > > > [log in to unmask]> > Hullo,> > I have just joined this > > group. > > > I found it by googling for support for> Parkinson's patients and > > caregivers > > > since the city in which we live,> Calcutta, India, has no support > > groups.> > > > > My husband was diagnosed with PD in August 2001, though I think he > > probably> > > > had it for about 18 months before that. Now his doctor says he is in > > the> > > > third stage of the illness. Apart from his motor problems, what has > > been> > > > quite distressing of late is the psychosis that is bedevilling him -> > > > hallucinations, delusions and confusion. He is on> > - Syndopa 275 > > (levodopa > > > 250 mg+carbidopa IP 25 mg), 3 tablets a day> - Pramipex 1 (pramipexole > > > dihydrochloride monohydrate 1 mg), 3 tablets> a day> - Qutan 50 > > (quetiapine > > > fumarate equivalent to quetiapine 50 mg), 2> tablets a day> - Mirtaz > 7.5(mirtazapine), > > 1 tablet a day> - Modalert 200, 1 tablet a day> > I cannot > > > help feeling that he is on too much medication. The Syndopa dosage> > has > > > remained unchanged since the middle of 2006. The strength of Pramipex> > > was > > > increased from 0.75mg to 1 mg at the end of December. Subsequently > the> > > > doctor added Mirtaz 7.5 and increased Qutan from 75 mg to 100 mg at > the > > > end> of January. Hallucinations first made their appearance about a > year > > ago > > > and> the dreams have become even more vivid and real. He had the > first, > > > quite> disturbing, episode of confusion (about whether our house is an > > > office in> another city) in June. After this there were one or two > other > > > similar> episodes. However now hallucinations, dreams and delusions > are > > an > > > almost> daily occurrence and the onset has been quite rapid in the > last > > 4-5 > > > weeks.> The nights are particularly bad, giving him no rest. Today we > > have > > > an> appointment with a psychiatrist, at the suggestion of his > > neurologist, > > > but I> am concerned that he might just add more medication.> > I would > > > appreciate advice on this.> Thank you.> Moneesha> > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > > To > > > sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > > [log in to unmask]> > > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > > Post free property ads on Yello Classifieds now! www.yello.in > > > http://ss1.richmedia.in/recurl.asp?pid=219 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > > > [log in to unmask] > > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto: > > [log in to unmask] > > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > > > > > > > > --------------------------------- > > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! 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