Re: Fwd: alcohol and sleep problems/ Imogene

[Guest guest]

Hi Imogene,

Thank you for your response. Honestly, I feel like I

am in a three ring circus act most of the time trying

to keep a fine balance on the line and juggling to

make everything work and keep it all going. I even

have to be a clown to get my husband to cooperate on

some days. My performance time is 24/7, but I'm soon

going to take my act on the road and cut down my

performance time when Jim goes into a nh.

Really, I have been fortunate that Jim has no other

complications. If it wasn't for his combativeness

with the toileting issues, uncooperative agitation and

attempting to walk without assistance, he would be a

whole lot easier to care for. He is only on four

medications; Sinemet, Seroquel, Vicodin and 1/2 of a

25mg Atenolol. The last two he only takes at bedtime.

You are a real trooper doing your three ring circus

act too with keeping Don's medications in balance and

watching over his well - being.

Take care and stay strong. Hugs, Jan

--- Iward27663@... wrote:

>

> Jan, if my husband was in your situation, I would

> give him all the wine he

> wanted. I don't know what the doctors would think of

> my attitude, but I sure

> wouldn't go their route on some things. Not when the

> patient is as bad off as

> yours, and they are only making a bad situation

> worse.

>

> I am talking about how people are said to be

> effected that are early into

> the disease. Nothing like your situation. I too, had

> to remove Risperdal from

> my husband because of his heart. I sure didn't want

> to kill the patient in

> order to stop the hallucinations, with medicatin

> that I clearly saw was bad for

> him. I got scolded plenty about it. But, I did what

> was right at the time.

>

> So, by all means, you know your man better than

> anyone else, and you know

> what is good, and what is not. Hang in there with

> your own good knowledge and

> instincts.

>

> You are a very brave woman, and an excellent wife

> that obviously loves her

> man,

> as I do mine.

>

> Imogene

> Caregiver for my True Texas Gentleman husband of 35

> years. He has AD and

> possibly LBD, is Taking Aricept.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> In a message dated 4/28/2006 11:29:39 AM Central

> Daylight Time,

> janetcolello@... writes:

>

> Hi Imogene,

> In regards to my husband, I am putting him in a

> nursing home this summer. He is combative and

> agitated

> many times. Nursing Homes are notorious for giving

> Haldol for combativeness or Ativan, many times even

> when it is requested not to as happened to Mr. B. My

> husband is a prime candidate for this happening to

> him. It scares the heck out of me, because I have

> already had the experience of him being given Haldol

> in the hospital, when it was in his medical charts

> listed as an alergy. The doctor said she saw he was

> on

> Seroquel and that is an antipsychotic, but when I

> said

> yes, but it is A-Typical she apologized, but Jim was

> in his room comatose and not responding to

> anything. I

> was very angry. When he recovered I demanded to

> bring

> him home that day and they said if his vitals were

> ok,

> which they were and I brought him home and the next

> day he had his first seizure, which in my opinion

> is

> due to the Haldol and he continues to have them one

> or

> two a month. If wine helps to calm him, I would

> much

> rather they give him something like wine, instead of

> Haldol. His mind is alrleady in a fog anyway, so I

> don't think the wine is going to do anymore to

> decrease his thinking ability. So my question was

> how

> harmful could a small glass of wine be in comparison

> to Haldol if it works to calm him? There are many

> alcohol questions in the posts now, but that was

> mine. Jan

>

>

>

> --- Iward27663@... wrote:

>

> >

> > I don't recall where I learned it, but alcohol

> > decreases the person's

> > thinking ability rapidly. They go down hill much

> > more rapidly. My husband wants to

> > hold onto what he has, so he may take a sip or two

> > of my wine, but other

> > wise he leaves it alone.

> > I do believe that takes strength, because we both

> > have enjoyed a glass of

> > wine in the evenings.

> >

> > Also, alcohol does not give a person good sleep.

> It

> > may help them fall

> > asleep quickly, but the REM sleep is disrupted,

> and

> > they do not sleep as well or

> > as long as one without alcohol.

> >

> > Just my uneducated thought that I have read

> > somewhere.

> > Imogene

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > In a message dated 4/28/2006 5:50:33 AM Central

> > Daylight Time,

> > rriddle@... writes:

> >

> > April,

> >

> > I know you (and apparently your MIL) have no

> control

> > over your FIL but I

> > would have to say it's ridiculous to let someone

> > with a neurological

> > disease consume a 16oz margarita. I'm sorry but I

> > have to say " what are

> > you (your MIL) thinking?! " And he's been

> diagnosed

> > with PD how long

> > ago...? Even when my dad was first diagnosed (he

>

> > weighed 220 lbs), he

> > would seem completely drunk on a glass of wine --

>

> > slurred speech,

> > difficulty standing and walking, and even slower

> > than " normal " thinking. I

> > pointed out to him that his thinking was already

> > unclear and the alcohol

> > was pushing him well beyond the edge. He's

> hardly

> > had anything to drink

> > since then. If we go out to a family dinner,

> he'll

> > split a glass of wine

> > with me and usually he's happy if I have most of

> > it. The neurologist put

> > it to us this way: " In general, people should

> > drink in

> > moderation. 'Moderation' for someone with a

> > neurological condition is

> > 'very little'. "

> >

> > As for your question about sleep disturbances, if

> > you go to lbda.org you

> > will see " Sleep REM Disorder " listed as a

> secondary

> > symptom. Did you

> > mention these sleep issues to the Emory

> > neurologist?

> >

> > Robin

> >

> >

> > >Message: 13 Digest Number

> 3005

> > > Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:37:04 -0000

> > > From: " aswest1021 "

>

> > >Subject: Sinemet and Seroquel

> > >

> > >I know that some of you have responded to me

> about

> > my question

> > >regarding meds reduction. Some say it was a

> good

> > thing for your LO

> > >to be taken off of Sinemet and Seroquel. Can

> you

> > go into more

> > >detail? If my FIL is taken completely off the

> > Sinemet, sounds like

> > >his confusion might improve, but what about his

> > freezing, rigidity,

> > >and falling episodes? Will he be able to get

> > around any better than

> > >he is now? Of course, as my MIL pointed out

> during

> > the drs. visit,

> > >she can't really tell a difference between his on

> > and off times.

> > >Would that indicate that the medication isn't

> doing

> > its thing?

> > >Someone also posted about how you should avoid

> > alchohol while on

> > >Seroquel. Well, my FIL drinks 7 or more

> alcoholic

>

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