Posted by maryhelen on December 9, 2006, at 13:44:25
I hope that it is not inappropriate to ask about my mother and what is going on with her and the medication she has been prescribed. I certainly have enough problems with depression myself, and find pyschobabble invaluable, even if I do not post often I certainly read with amazament at the research and knowledge that babblers share.
My mother is 89 years old and will be 90 in January. She has raised 9 children and life has certainly not been easy (poverty being ever present). For some reason my mother has never been depressed, at least not obviously so to keep her down. A remarkable vital women, who bowls, plays euchre, is always out walking or having coffee with her friends. She had a bad fall down a set of wooden steps, (about 15 of them) almost four months ago. She was at my sister's cottage and passed out for 5 minutes. My sister and niece thought she was dead. As they were calling 911 my mother woke up and told them that she will not go to hospital 'up north' so far away from home and that she was fine to get home. They ended up driving her home, and finally she agreed that she needed to be in hospital. She had a large laceration at the base of her skull, five broken ribs, a broken shoulder and various cuts and bruises, black an blue all over her body. Unfortunalety, all of the injuries could not be treated, even the shoulder could not be set. My mom is only about 95 pounds. They helped her with pain management and then moved her to a reabilitation centre after three weeks. She was there a few weeks and they sent her home. She did seem to recover quite well from her injuries, and again this very vital women surprised all of us by resuming her life..... bowling, bridge, euchre, walks, etc.
I am sorry for running on and thank you for your patience. Then out of the blue, she became depressed. No energy, no appetite, not sleeping, no interests, no reading or going out ..... well we all know how it takes a hold on us. She is so unused to feeling this way that I also think that she is in a bit of shock. Her blood pressure was going up and down alarmingly and she had to be taken to hospital a number of times, but was always sent home.
Her family physician decided that she needed to be put on an antidepressant and has prescribed her to take 10 mg. of cipralex at which time now, she has taken for about 2 weeks. We all know that these pills take time. I, myself, have been on so many antidressants, including cipralex and have become treatment resistant. How do the doctors pick and choose what med to try? Is it different depending how old one is? Does a women her age have special needs towards the type of drugs she takes? Unfortunaley, her women family physician is very short, unpleasant, and seemingly not greatly interested. She has always had one of my brothers or sisters with her at the time to witness this. One of my brothers called my cousin who is a nurse, to see if she could find a well respected geriatic practicioner, which she has. Her appointment is not until mid January.
This is so breaking my heart. In particular that I have gone through this depression for so many years and I cannot bear my mother going through this.
Does anyone have an opinion as to the cipralex, her age, and what more we can do to be proactive in her care, besides the obvious. She lives alone in her own apartment and has always been very independent and greatly admired by all of her children and friends. Of course there is enough of us to take turns being with her.
She is not in pain from her injuries and had recovered remarkably well from them. I wonder after 4 months why this has happened to her.
Any suggestions would be more than appreciated and I am sorry for making this so long.
maryhelen
poster:maryhelen
thread:711892
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20061206/msgs/711892.html