Mum on ADs

[notaflyingmonkey]

Short backstory: elderly mum, has dementia, just come out of a prolonged hospital stay following a bleed on her brain. A couple of weeks ago when she was in hospital I noticed a change in her behaviour, as she had become almost manic. Being silly - for example, making really inapproriate comments to me about sex and my DCs.

Looking through the drugs that she has left hospital with, I can see that she has been put on ADs. I am pretty sure that accounts for the shift in behaviour.

Clearly, she is an adult who has the right to such things. However, she doesn't have mental capacity (dementia), and I feel pretty sure that the mother that I know wouldn't have agreed to taking them. But of course, i could be wrong.

I'm struggling with this. I don't know if I should raise it with her in a lucid period, or just leave it. But if the behaviour doesn't calm down, I might speak to her GP (it's like being with someone on amphetamines, but on a short repeat loop due to the dementia).

I'd check the medication with GP. I know that a certain dosage of one anti d shouldn't be given to the over 65's.

Thanks troys I think I'll give them a call later. I suspect that the hospital (understandably) pushed every available medication at her to get her 'well' enough to be discharged. They were pleased with how chatty she was. But it's clearly not a natural chatty - when I asked at the time if there was a medical reason for the change I was told they'd adjusted her pacemaker.

The GP should carry out an annual medication review, so you might ask for one, once things have settled down post-discharge.

In favour of ADs, we went through a stage where my mother, again with dementia, was still aware of what she had lost, and was naturally depressed about it to the extent that she refused to get out of bed for several days at a time.

ADs did the trick completely. Six months later the GP withdrew them to see what would happen and she remains cheerful and sociable. She seems to have forgotten more: where she used to live etc, so has less to make her depressed. That one bout of ADs added a lot to her quality of life.

That's interesting to know sleep. Now mum has settled a bit the manic stuff seems to have calmed down. I think that what I was struggling with was knowing that she wouldn't have consented to using them (doesn't 'believe' in them).