Benzodiazapines made mom wander off bat-butt crazy. The Seroquel was at 25mg for one month and has been at 50mg for three months and no calming effect. She was scared at her house, scared at my sister's house, and now calling me constantly from her assisted living apartment scared of everything and everyone there. She cries cries cries. She's been on 225mg effexor for 20 years.
I realize paranoia and fear are a symptom of various dementias, but my goodness, this seems so over the top. Have you ever known talk therapy to help a dementia patient? I listen and reassure and redirect until I'm blue in the face. My mother is suspicious of her psychologist, suspicious of nurses. She thinks they all hate her no matter how kind and soothing they are to her. How high can a senior go on Seroquel and would it even matter? Do you suppose she'll just die of terror some day?
I used to be on efflexor, paxil,sinnequin, and many others they all worked but only a short time. Our bodies get used to the meds then it is time to try something else.
She is on the maximum dose of Effexor.
Let the doctor know of any changes.
Finally, venlafaxine (Effexor) could possibly cause an increase in serotonin leading to a condition called serotonin syndrome. It is vital to inform a doctor about all medications being taken at the time of prescription. Serotonin syndrome can be recognized from the following symptoms:
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Hallucinations
Loss of coordination
Severe dizziness
Severe nausea/vomiting/diarrhea
Twitching muscles
Unexplained fever
Unusual agitation or restlessness
My thinking is the addition of other meds could have led to Seratonin Syndrome.
mom still has bouts of anger and paranoia and they have increased seroquel to twice a day. Sometimes you have to experiment until you find what works. If nothing works you know you did your best and it’s just a sad reality. Hope you both can get some relief.
I am so sorry. In the case of psychological problem and esp with chronic anxiety of and depression with complications of dementia it is often a matter of a good neuro-psyc doctor who tries varying dosages and varying drug combinations to bring relief. The problem is that with these drugs one must wait one to two weeks to know effect, and even when a good effect is found the patient often isn't helped over time and a working combo suddenly IS NOT working. It makes it terribly difficult, and often in nursing homes we see patients that are overly medicated into near stupor in order just to be able to deal with the day to day.
This is such a difficult situation for both patient and family. I couldn't be more sorry you are dealing with it, and other than good professional help I can't imagine how to guide you. I sure wish the best for you and for your Mom.
I know someone so riddled with anxiety that she says, “I am afraid to live but afraid to die.”
Severe anxiety is the worst. I suppose severe depression too.
Anyone can get through temporary situations. When it’s chronic it has to be almost unbearable.
Xanax or Valium are benzodiazepines.
Kind of have similar qualities, but work differently in the brain.
No, it's not OK for someone to be terrified all the time. Mom needs to see a geripsych doc. The Seroquel will make her sleepy, but then she's sleepy AND terrified.
Benzos will calm her and then maybe some talk therapy (you doing it) will be able to take the edge off her anxiety. Poor thing.
My brother even barricaded the area with chairs and she pushed her walker through it all! Scary!
That’s when she was put on Seroquel.
When she entered a hospice house they left her on it. She’s completely bed bound now.
Taking calls from her all day long and NOT being able to calm her down aren't helping either of you, either. You may want to decide how many calls per day you'll take from your mother, have a pat list of 'calming' suggestions for her, and leave it at that. I speak to my mother once a day at her Memory Care, and she asks me where her papa is, and lets me know she's getting dressed to take the bus to Brooklyn (3500 miles away) to see him. He's been gone since she was 16 years old. There's really no getting her to understand otherwise, either, but at least she's not frightened or too terribly distraught over things in general, thank God.
I'm sorry you have to go through this, and that your mom has to go through this too. I'd be talking to her doctor again to see what ideas s/he has for helping her out.
Best of luck!
My mom is on a low dose of Seroquel and it is working well to calm her anxiety. My mom has mild dementia and is 95 in hospice with Parkinson’s disease.
Are you pleased with her doctor? Do you feel that it would be beneficial to get a second opinion from another psychiatrist that specializes in elders?
Others will chime in with answers.
I hope that there is something that will help her.
Terrified that people are watching her.
Terrified of fire. Fire that would cause her condo, and now her MC to spontaneously combust. Fire from electrical cords.
Terrified of trees.
The list goes on and on.
She has moderate dementia.