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In message <[log in to unmask]> "Parkinson's Information Exchange" writes: > Chuck Mcdonald wrote... > > My mother-in-law underwent an hip replacement operation about 10 days > ago. My wife went to visit her yesterday and came home very depressed > because it is not the mother that she knows. Her mother was saying bad > things about the nurses, for example, which is completely out of > character. She was also hallucinating. Actually seeing things that did > not exist - such as a crown of forsythia in her daughter's hair. There > are other problems such as her lack of desire to do her exercises and > rehabilitate > herself but he most distressing part of the visit was the hallucinations > and her mental state. > > My dad had AWFUL reactions to morphine when he was in with his hip. > Couldn't take Demerol because he was then on Eldepryl, but the morphine > turned him from his normal charming Dr. Jekyl into a nasty uncooperative Mr. > Hyde. I'd suspect that drug interactions or intolerances could well be the > source of the problem. > And add one more to the list. Exactly the same thing happened with my mother when she had a near stroke. They also gave her morphine at one point. Then after being totally off Parkinsons medications for three days she started on full dose and that night had terrible hallucinations and personality change. It is clearly the related to medications--and it seems many doctors are not aware of the possibility. Surely there is some way to avoid it, and even if there isn't, it makes a big difference if you are prepared for it! I know our doctor had no idea this was a problem many parkinsons patients have. I only discovered later that it is not uncommon. The nurses tried to tell us it was because of her age, but I have read of young patients on parkinsons medications having the same reaction. It is so frightening to watch your loved ones experience these changes, but it is easier to maintain a balance if we understand it is the medications. My father kept trying to reason with my mother and then eded up angry and frustrated and blaming her, not realizing it was the medications that was changing her behavior. It took me a while to even realize she was having hallucinations. Everyone should be made aware of the possibility of this happening!! Jan