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Have SIL (52) with cirrhosis among other illnesses on hospice now since the new year due to cirrhosis, she had a large hematoma taken care of dec 16. Since 3 weeks before the surgery until now she swings between extremely manic and up up up to comatose needing a diaper. On her up stages she is less herself each time sleeps less than 2 hrs at a time....becoming more childlike also. Has had episodes of psycosis of seeing people and animals who are not there. But with medication this seems to have gone away. Having to limit her from going outside and just to tell us if she's leaving her room seems mean but she can hurt herself if alone, she falls all the time. Does anyone have experience with cirrhosis? Is this how it is?

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I am in constant contact with hospice providers...espically about her behavior. They upped respidol to 1mg 2x a day...seems to help. I look up medications and side effects and interactions and nothing fits this pattern. Thankfully she seems to have calmed down. Last night she crashed and I couldn't wake her for meds, but this morning she woke up clearer than she's been in weeks and with pretty normal speech pattern. Been trying to set some rules eg. She can't knock baby gate down to let her dogs out, she has to call us and we will let her dogs out, she has 2 small dogs...they seem to calm her, she knows she's not in hospital when dogs are there. She's been in her room, which had been her normal routine, she has a small fridge which I keep snacks and drinks in for her so she has some independence between reg meals. She has to walk with walker, she has to have help when she's out of her room.It was absolutely becoming too much! But I'm hoping this improvement lasts...I know for certain if she went to a NH they would have to restrain her and keep her medicated, they had to in hospital! Trying very hard to keep her from NH because here it's 3 to a room and understaffed on what she could afford. Today she was lucid so I explaind all her medications and what we're trying to do for her IDK if it helps but it always has in the past. She's closer to herself, saying Thank You and stuff...I don't expect that from her, but it's the base person she's always been. It's very hard, she's been sick for over 3 years, and even with all the ER visits and constant health issues, she's been THERE, and lately it's like dealing with a little kid and personality gone. I don't want to take away her dignity and don't want to over medicate her and want to keep her in comfort with her dogs and people who care for her so I'm praying to God this new medication keeps working....idk how we could continue with her manic behavior, it took all of us and all of us stressed and on edge. With her liver, certain medications are very tricky...pain meds and lactose espically....dr keeps saying to do it as I do it because she's so quirky anything can upset the balance...good to know I'm doing a good job, but it's hard. Hospice has been amazing, before it was take her to ER always....12-15 hours and new Drs trying to fix the rubrics cube of her many illnesses. My SIL has been the hardest so far...with all four grandparents of mine and her mother it was old age and 1-2 underling causes of illnesses. With my step sister it was diabetes.....my dad it was a brain tumor....SIL it's cirrosis and breast cancer and psoriatic arthritis and CHF and fibro and the hematoma and now psycosis.
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I know you want to keep her at home with you but I think this is becoming way too much for you and your family to try and handle . Could she be admitted to hospital or a hospice facility just until they get her stabilized? If you haven't reached the end of your rope yet you soon will... talk to her hospice providers.
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Sounds very interesting and yes it is too late for this to be late onset of bipolar.

Rispodal as your probably already know is an anti-psychotic that is used to treat both schizophrenia and bipolar. Is she missing a dose here of there? I don't see where any of the possible side effects that I've looked up online apply. Have you contacted the doctor who gave her this medicine? They need to know about this.

I hope this works out. Let us know how it turns out.
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Yes same sister in law. And never before has she had any form of bi-polar or schizophrenia.....but she has a sister who suffers from both. Before all the illness about 5 years ago SIL went to psych dr (can't spell) and therapy and had no signs of either illness...she asked specifically because of her sister. IT DOES seem like bi polar and schizophrenia.....but isn't 52 too late of onset? She's on all the same meds she's been on for years, but they introduced Rispodal when she started having hallucinations.
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Is this the same SIL that you asked about in another thread who is 53, has breast cancer as well as end stage liver failure along with psoriatic arthritis, is under hospice care, and suffers from psychosis that was posted about 4 days ago?

https://www.agingcare.com/questions/worried-how-it-will-affect-family-176230.htm?cpage=2
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That does not sounds like cirrhosis.

Sounds to me like SIL has rapid cycling bipolar disorder with psychotic breaks with reality when in a very manic state which is true of some people with bipolar when manic.

What meds is she taking?

Is she on meds for bipolar disorder?

What other meds is she taking?
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