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Kathrynne Holden, MS,RD wrote: > 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. Kathrynne, My grandmother was diagnosed with PD approximately 7 years ago. She just began Valium last week. Over the last week she seems fatigued and lethargic. This whole fiasco began when I mentioned to the nurses at the nursing home that she was depressed. A psychiatrist was called in. He prescribed zyprexa (anti-psychotic), buspar (anti-anxiety) and remeron (anti-depressant). All of this resulted in a trip to the emergency room. She was so completely disoriented and hallucinating they didn't know what to do! In all fairness to the nurses at the nursing home, they did call this psychiatrist and tell him she was reacting poorly to the medication - he didn't call back for four days! In the meantime I told the nursing home not to give her anymore of these medications. The next thing I knew, the psychiatrist had called back and put her on the valium. I'm just trying to hang in there until next week when she goes to her first neuro appointment. I'm hoping he can take over most of the meds and get her straightened out. I think it would be better to have just one physician handling the medication if possible. Lori Bauer