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Lori Bauer wrote:> > I'm very concerned about her > medication at this point, she was having so much trouble with confusion > and hallucinations that they have cut her back to one Sinement CR 50/200 > at bedtime and a valium. Dear Lori, How long has your grandmother been taking Valium? If she is indeed doing better now, then no doubt her new medication regime is correct for her. However, many geriatricians do not consider Valium to be a good choice for older adults. Side effects include: confusion, depression, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, constipation, and tremors. Some older adults begin using powerful medications, then develop tremors, and are wrongly diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. If your grandmother began taking Valium before she was diagnosed with PD, this should be considered. > question - I know some of you have mentioned urinary frequency and I was > wondering if anybody has experienced repeated urinary infections? My > grandmother can no sooner get rid of one urinary infection than she's got > another one. Urinary tract infections are unfortunately rather common in older adults. If she will agree, a glass of cranberry juice daily may help prevent UTIs. Cranberry tablets are said to help in prevention also. It's also important to drink plenty of water -- water helps flush the bacteria out of the urinary tract. Many older adults experience decreased thirst sensation, and therefore don't drink enough water. This greatly increases risk for UTI. Best regards, Kathrynne -- Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD Editor-in-Chief, "Spotlight on Food--nutrition news for people 60-plus" http://www.fortnet.org/~fivstar and NUTRITION TOPICS copy-ready handouts http://www.dietetics.com/class/fivstar/ Tel: 970-493-6532 Fax: 970-493-6538