We brought her to live with us in January when she became bedridden and under hospice. It has been difficult, but much worse since she quit sleeping and rambles all night long, often yelling for help. This awakens the entire household including my young children making it hard to go to work and school. The NP keeps adding more variety of pills when I report her lack of sleep but it seems there would just be a better pill as opposed to adding more and more pills that don't work. After several days, she crashes from exhaustion for 1-2 days. At bedtime, she takes trazodone, haloperidol, methadone, senna and newly added seroquel. Please help as we are committed to care for her in our home.
Have you checked Mom’s bed, pillow, etc.? Maybe one of those white noise machines would help. I agree—she certainly is on a pharmacy of meds. What about just Ambien? And, my husband is bedridden and sleeps all afternoon. He’s up most of the night too.
I agree with the turkey and warm milk (may be a hot toddy)
I, personally, have not tried Melatonin but if it works........... then go for it.
Sounds like her meds are a right mix? Would an emergency department in a hospital sort them for her/you? (Just a thought)
Can you get 'respite care' may be once, or twice a week, so you can all get some sleep?
I wish you luck and peace. hugs
As for medication I'm a science based, clinical trail and FDA approved kind of guy. Those a tend to smirk at supplements that have no evidence that they work. Having said that, try melatonin. I was a non-believer. My mom's psychiatrist warned against using it on the elderly. I reviewed some studies and it was inconclusive at best with concerns about use in the elderly. But my mom had a episode that was not explainable and in the hospital they gave her melatonin to help her sleep. Under a new neurologist we have continued to give it to her. The results have been remarkable. She is better now than she has been in a long time. All her FDA drugs for mood and memory, at best, just took the edge off a little. Since starting melatonin, she has had a much better appetite and memory. Weight loss was a major problem because she wouldn't eat. Some things she hasn't been able to do on her own in years, like work the seat belt are easy for her again. I think it's the better sleep that accounts for all this.
She is already on a slew of medications.
Warm milk before bed? A hot toddy? My BF’s grandmother was from Scotland & had the family make her a hot toddy every night before bed and it worked. She lived to be 93.
Good luck!
I personally abhor just adding another medicine w/o further investigation and specific need. I would have a heart to heart discussion with the hospice NP and discuss this mass of meds.
Also ask her or the hospice doctor about herbal teas, or melatonin. If they don't interfere with the NECESSARY existing meds, consider these. My nurse sister recommended melatonin; I found it very helpful for me, with absolutely no after effects like some of the more powerful and less natural meds create.
Is she able to eat, and if so, consider turkey for an evening meal. The tryptophan is sleep inducing; but don't get the pills, get the real turkey meat.
I would also discuss whether this is to be expected given whatever other medical conditions she has, and if it's a stage in the dying process.