A dumb question????

LaneyG

I get bogged down with this one. Is it reasonable/realistic to hope that the right med regimen will end aggression and delusions? I’ve been assuming there will always be some? DH’s latest med changes have helped but the delusions are still there. I want to do whatever I can to stay on top of things and not wait til things get so bad that another hosp is needed. Thoughts?

midge333

The delusions may not go away but I think in most cases they should be able to stop aggressive behavior. I wish you the best.

M1

Laney I don't think that's a dumb question at all. If I remember, you were still concerned even the day you brought him home. Have you been in touch with any of the prescribers since that discharge? I was concerned even then that you might need to have him readmitted.

I don't know that you can completely get rid of the delusions, but I wouldn't tolerate any aggression, period, especially when you are a sole caretaker.

Please keep us posted. It's so hard to have to continually be the squeaky wheel to get what you need. Exhausting.

jfkoc

Is it possible that your husband has Lewy Body Dementia?

tetwoman

Our doctor prescribed an antipsychotic and we have adjusted the dose as needed, a few times. As he said ( and I have witnessed) , the meds don't stop the hallucinations and delusions altogether, but have made it possible to keep living in our home together.

Crushed

there are no dumb questions

ImMaggieMae

LaneyG, that isn’t a dumb question. In our case the answer is yes, as far as I can tell. My DH was never aggressive but he had extreme agitation in an early mid stage. He didn’t stop moving and repeatedly doing things like taking showers multiple times per day, brushing his teeth, cleaning his glasses, throwing things away, etc. He would be awake 36 hours at a time. An ER visit that got him admitted to the hospital for a week and some trial and error on meds, resulted in an antipsychotic medication that got rid of these behaviors. The dosage and timing have been adjusted over time. We have a prescription with a dosage high enough to cover changes, at least for the past couple years, and I can adjust it as needed. (Within certain parameters.) Sometimes it’s a challenge, increasing the dose a little when he’s feeling agitated or decreasing it if he starts to feel drowsy or sleeps too long a few mornings in a row. They have added another med as needed (not an antipsychotic) when sundowning started a year ago.

So while he had never been aggressive, the extreme agitation is under control as well as the delusions that I’m aware of. The key was having a good hospital psychiatrist initially, and then a later a good neurologist who each spent a lot of time discussing, making sure I understood the medications, and listening.