Offered help for caregiver stress by PCP
Hello, everyone,
I am wondering if anyone has ever been in the position I am in now. Twice now, both in our old location and our new one, I've had to go to a PCP for routine visits and confessed to being stressed out by my responsibility caring for my DH, and the doc has asked if I wanted something to help with the stress. The first time, I refused with thanks. That was about a year ago in the old location. The second time was last Thursday, with a new PCP in our new location. This time, the doctor told me I didn't have to answer right away but I could think about it. I have been sleeping poorly and my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is pretty flared up. Should I accept/seek medication for this? I'm worried about becoming dependent upon it, thereby giving myself one more problem to tackle. Has anyone been offered this type of help from their physician? If so, did you accept it, and did it help? If you decided not to accept it, what did you/are you doing instead? As always, the wisdom of this group will be much appreciated.
Comments
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Yes! I am taking Zoloft for anxiety and Wellbutrin for depression. I have not had any side effects and you can go off it down the road if your situation changes. You would need to wean off them slowly but you won’t become addicted. This is a difficult journey and we all could use a little help❤️
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My mother was offered medication, to be taken as needed, to help with stress and depression while she cared for my Dad. It helped tremendously. I don't know the name.
You could try something "light" and see if that helps. Don't have to start out with the strong stuff.
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Yes, my HWD/Alz primary doctor recommended I talk to my primary doctor and then my primary doctor recommended the free counseling that is offered through a ministry offered in many areas and started me on a low dose Zoloft. Once I started on the Zoloft I was able to start taking necessary actions and feel confident to tackle what’s in front of me.
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I am taking Wellbutrin for depression and it has helped. One of the side effects is weight loss, which is a plus for me. It takes at least 3 weeks to be fully effective. I didn't want to either, but it is not something you can get addicted to.
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I fought taking an anti-depressant for almost 3 years before my PCP finally convinced me that it was necessary for my well being and allow me to continue being my hubby's caretaker. She started me on the lowest dose of Celexa, she called it a baby dose, lol. And last year I had her bump it up to the next smallest level. I noticed the difference pretty quickly, I don't get as stressed or tired, even though nothing has changed with our situation. Also, my fibromyalgia pain is lighter, which helps me sleep better, and that makes everything better. I did nothing different except the medication, so it must help.
Only you can decide with your PCP about medication, but if you don't want that, then please think about what you can do instead. Meditation, yoga, jogging, anything healthy to give you the strength to get thru your days.
Keep Sharing, remember to take a deep breath and love yourself!
tex2808
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I am devoted to help of any kind.
Of note; currently there is a medical shift here to the use of medical marijuana. I have neuropathy and am going to try some to help with sleep. I think it is safer than something like Ambien which my Dr does not like to use.
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PCPs now provide most mental health care in the US. I was an RN for PCPs before DH's dementia needs prevailed. Highly recommend meds for your IBS ASAP, they're benign, non-addictive, you'll feel much better. Various meds for insomnia, depression & anxiety vary greatly in effectiveness & side effects. If you need them there is no shame in taking them!! Insomnia meds are tricky, best to try 'sleep hygiene' 1st - like avoid caffeine & devices around (regular) bedtime. (If you can!). Hope this helps.
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Medication gets a resounding YES vote from me! Retired RN here with IBS, neuropathy and anxiety.. take the meds..
You cannot be effective in caregiving if you don’t take care of yourself.. big hugs, deep breaths ❤️
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There's an old saw around here that borrows from the airline safety briefing directing one to put on their own oxygen mask before assisting others.
Taking care of your health isn't only critical for you, it is critical for your DH's well-being. If you go down, who will do all that you're doing?
I would explore this with your PCP. Given your sleep and IBS flares, a more proactive approach with a daily medication like an SSRI or Wellbutrin would likely be a better option than an "as needed" option which is more likely be a benzo with the risks of building tolerance and dependence that SSRIs don't have.
Be aware that SSRIs need to be trialed at low doses and built up over time, so a therapeutic effect might not be seen for 4-6 weeks. For that reason, if you think you might need help, sooner is better than waiting until you're in crisis.
I've not seen a poll here of how many caregivers take something, but I would expect it to be a substantial percentage. I know I got my mom in with both a psychiatrist for meds and a therapist for talk therapy when she was struggling with the responsibility of dad's care. I didn't need anything during that time, but I did take an SSRI for about a year during the time my MIL was dying, my son was being diagnosed with autism and then ADHD/dyslexia and my home and everything in it was destroyed by the remnants of a hurricane. My sleep was really messed up; I was later given a PTSD diagnosis. When I no longer needed them, I was able to wean off under my PCP's direction with no issues. I'm doing more caregiving with my mom now and may revisit meds at my yearly check in October as I find I'm edgy and snappish which is just not me.
HB
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I think many people worry an SSRI (antidepressant) means committing to lifelong medication. Many people take these medications for a specific period of time and then wean carefully off them. Caregiving is a long term job, so you might think about how long you will need the help of medicine. But if it helps you cope, prevents less healthy coping methods like overeating, not eating, drinking too much, etc, then maybe worth considering. There’s certainly no shame in feeling better in a profoundly hard life situation by trying it.
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I'm on the max dose of Wellbutrin and have been taking it for a couple of years now without any side effects. I don't feel anything persay until I remember how I felt without it. It helps keep me a little more even keeled. I might talk to my doctor about Zoloft to.
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As always, your experience and caring comments have been most welcome. FWIW, I have a counselor whom I do meet with on a regular basis, but somehow things have gotten worse in the last couple of weeks. I think just the stress of moving/resettling was a bit over the top.
I decided to go ahead and see what this PCP had to offer, so I contacted her. It was not an easy decision to make, but as it was pointed out to me, if I can't get some help for myself, I surely cannot be a successful caregiver. So I'm adding this avenue of help.
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me. I feel much less alone with this question.
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Let us know how it works for you if you decide to give MM a try. I have thought about giving it a try.
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Add me to the group of Zoloft users. I think I would spend more time crying that I would being a caregiver if I wasn't taking it!
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