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I was worried 'cos I live alone & there'll be no carer - now reading this forum I'm glad - I'd rather suicide than put a relative through that. Quoting Elaine Wirth <[log in to unmask]>: > 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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