Mom with dementia went downhill after Lexapro antidepressant was stopped

kenmtb

Hello-

Mom has been in a NH for about a year due to dementia. They are doing a very good job but I had to fight to get her Lexapro antidepressant restarted after she went downhill very quickly a few months ago. She became very depressed and has not been eating or drinking much.

Before the stoppage, She would not eat a whole lot but was eating and drinking. She loved the sugar free cookies I sent very much.

My question is,
Will she regain appetite and strength after the Lexapro kicks in? Is there anything I can send her or door dash to help her eat better?

Thank you
Ken

H1235

Welcome. Antidepressants can take a while to take full effect. They are also usually started at a low dose and then increased after several weeks if the dose is not strong enough. Not knowing is so difficult. I hope things go well.

JulietteBee

As @H1235 said, an antidepressant begins to be therapeutic after 4-6 weeks. Unfortunately, you will have to wait and trust.

As far as things you could gift her, I would recommend smoothies, shakes, protein drinks, and even Ensure or Nutrament. All are tasty, nutritious, and satisfying.

All the best!🙏🏽

kenmtb

Thank you for the nice replies. I think she liked something called Boost. It is an energy milkshake. She was admitted to the ER yesterday for dehydration, electrolyte balance and high blood sugar. The main thing is to get her eating and drinking again then feeling more energetic. I was not happy about the staff stopping her antidepressants without notification. The loop will be tighter now.

kenmtb

Update: She seems to be doing a bit better after being released from the ER last week. I think her Lexapro will need some time to reach full effect. One thing I noticed lately is, even though she is sounding more upbeat, she seems to want to end the phone call within a few minutes. I am not sure if she does not want to talk or looses track of how long the conversation has been going.

Has anyone run into this?

Thanks.

kath1054

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/276135#Comment_276135

Amazing to me that med changes are done without POA approval! That happened to my DH in the ER. They reach for their go-to meds and drop others. Not ok. I now call the ER during transit, I ask for the ER charge nurse and tell him/her what DH meds he can’t miss and what he’s allergic to. So important. ER staff have seen lots of ALZ, but they’re not trained for it. The whole event can be so frightening. I think an ER trip does cause setback, unfamiliar faces and environment, not a pleasant one, staff typically are very loud. It’s jarring. So glad to hear she’s happier already! Give her time to settle back in.