Help...physicians.....I think my aunt is going nuts and we need help...

[gocolts 300]

We live in Indiana. In the last 4-5 years, my aunt has been telling me this guy named Marco has been breaking into her place and stealing shtt. Everything from money to ice cream to pills.

I believed it too. That is, until she moved for the third time and now this guy is back breaking into her house everyday again. No freaking way this guy knows where she lives now. She is losing it. Not sure if dementia or what.

 

Last month, she called and told me her husband Mike just showed up at the door. Mike actually died about 15 years ago.

 

Today, I was suppose to meet her for lunch. I went to the place we agreed on and it was closed. So I call her and she says she does not know how, but everything got messed up. So I go back home and start making phone calls.

So I call one of my cousins to see if she knows anything. My cousin said she was suppose to come too. So, I call one of my other aunts, her sister, to see if she knows anything.

Turns out that today would have been amazing, but my aunt got so confused, she canceled it and told everyone but ME. She was having damn near all of my cousins and aunts and uncles to come for this lunch. Would have been a blast.

Now that everyone knows that I know what she had planned, everyone is feeling bad over it.

 

She is taking tons of pills, all prescribed by her doctors. I think she has 17 scripts she is currently taking daily.

 

Her sisters have tried to get her into some type of facility to see what the hell is wrong. However, in Indiana, you have to commit yourself unless you are a danger to yourself or others.

I am hoping someone here has an idea or two we can try since she refuses to commit herself. TIA

[lickin_starfish 1,478]

Can size?

[gocolts 300]

Can size?

They are just as nuts as she is, I am going to say about 46LONG

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

My mom ended up breaking her shoulder self medicating. We went through the house and found her stash of my dads oxy from his hip replacement. He had passed a year earlier. She had vicodin... oxy.. whata mess.

 

She may need to rehab off the meds and the confusion may dissapear. My mom seemed like an alzheimers patient till we got her medications fixed and monitored. Back to her old self.

 

Need to call those doctors and run the list by them and see wtf they are thinking.

[gocolts 300]

My mom ended up breaking her shoulder self medicating. We went through the house and found her stash of my dads oxy from his hip replacement. He had passed a year earlier. She had vicodin... oxy.. whata mess.

 

She may need to rehab off the meds and the confusion may dissapear. My mom seemed like an alzheimers patient till we got her medications fixed and monitored. Back to her old self.

 

Need to call those doctors and run the list by them and see wtf they are thinking.

One of my aunts goes with her to all of them and is telling them. She is on 17 meds daily, which is nuts.

 

She has problems, but holy fock.

 

I know she is taking at least 2-3 narcotics. Hard telling what she is taking for anxiety and other shtt like that. I know she is taking multiple scripts from a shrink on top of at least 2, I think 3 actually, pain meds. She also takes some muscle relaxer all day everyday. That does not even count all the stuff for like high blood pressure, cholesterol, shtt like that. Just crazy and I bet something is clashing or just she stoned all the time.

[shotsup 831]

Can size?

I was going to take it one step further. There was a lot of cans in this post but no sizes

[Cloaca du jour 2,064]

One of my aunts goes with her to all of them and is telling them. She is on 17 meds daily, which is nuts.

 

She has problems, but holy fock.

 

I know she is taking at least 2-3 narcotics. Hard telling what she is taking for anxiety and other shtt like that. I know she is taking multiple scripts from a shrink on top of at least 2, I think 3 actually, pain meds. She also takes some muscle relaxer all day everyday. That does not even count all the stuff for like high blood pressure, cholesterol, shtt like that. Just crazy and I bet something is clashing or just she stoned all the time.

Heck yeah somethings clashing. She is going to try to drive and end up hurting herself or someone else.

 

Which one is her pcp? You might have to find a new pcp and get her evaluated and find out she should be only on 3 or 4 meds. The hard part will be the withdrawal. My mom was a bear!!

[tubby_mcgee 686]

Doctors/pharmacists etc are supposed to be paying attention.

But, I can tell you this from witnessing it: Too many meds/combinations/prescriptions can cause confusion and also loss of coordination.Yes, they test what "Med A and Med B" or "Med C and Med X" do, or if they interact. I'm not sure that they have a chart that says what "Med's A, B, L, X, T, M, W" do when combined.

You always assume "Well someone is watching and paying attention". Then someone else says "hey...lets eliminate some of these"...and when they do, most all of the confusion is gone, and coordination is much much improved.

[wiffleball 4,631]

You have to go legal wise. That's the bottom line. I wish I had better answers.

[penultimatestraw 473]

We live in Indiana. In the last 4-5 years, my aunt has been telling me this guy named Marco has been breaking into her place and stealing shtt. Everything from money to ice cream to pills.

 

I believed it too. That is, until she moved for the third time and now this guy is back breaking into her house everyday again. No freaking way this guy knows where she lives now. She is losing it. Not sure if dementia or what.

 

Last month, she called and told me her husband Mike just showed up at the door. Mike actually died about 15 years ago.

 

Today, I was suppose to meet her for lunch. I went to the place we agreed on and it was closed. So I call her and she says she does not know how, but everything got messed up. So I go back home and start making phone calls.

 

So I call one of my cousins to see if she knows anything. My cousin said she was suppose to come too. So, I call one of my other aunts, her sister, to see if she knows anything.

 

Turns out that today would have been amazing, but my aunt got so confused, she canceled it and told everyone but ME. She was having damn near all of my cousins and aunts and uncles to come for this lunch. Would have been a blast.

 

Now that everyone knows that I know what she had planned, everyone is feeling bad over it.

 

She is taking tons of pills, all prescribed by her doctors. I think she has 17 scripts she is currently taking daily.

 

Her sisters have tried to get her into some type of facility to see what the hell is wrong. However, in Indiana, you have to commit yourself unless you are a danger to yourself or others.

 

I am hoping someone here has an idea or two we can try since she refuses to commit herself. TIA

From what you said, she probably can't be involuntarily committed. I would start by trying to convince her to see her primary doctor, with a family member to communicate your concerns. If that doc doesn't do something, get a new one.

 

And the meds are a concern, but there are many other things that can make old people confused. Most of them are easy to test - a neurologic exam, some bloodwork and maybe a urinalysis.

[joneo 529]

I know of someone that was referred to the Mayo clinic for whatever reason and they refused to take her in because she was on too many medications. They referred her back to the original doctor to fix that issue first.

[Drizzay 644]

From what you said, she probably can't be involuntarily committed. I would start by trying to convince her to see her primary doctor, with a family member to communicate your concerns. If that doc doesn't do something, get a new one.

 

And the meds are a concern, but there are many other things that can make old people confused. Most of them are easy to test - a neurologic exam, some bloodworm and maybe a urinalysis.

Yea, she may have a UTI.

[Ken8080 6]

Poor Gary. Poor poor Gary. Yes Gary Indiana, we get it. Easier to remember huh Russ.

Gee you got a really screwed up family. Don't worry about your family. You can come back in a few weeks and tell us she died. Then you can get your next helping of poor Gary. Poor poor Gary.

[shotsup 831]

Poor Gary. Poor poor Gary. Yes Gary Indiana, we get it. Easier to remember huh Russ.

Gee you got a really screwed up family. Don't worry about your family. You can come back in a few weeks and tell us she died. Then you can get your next helping of poor Gary. Poor poor Gary.

Settle down Edger

[penultimatestraw 473]

I know of someone that was referred to the Mayo clinic for whatever reason and they refused to take her in because she was on too many medications. They referred her back to the original doctor to fix that issue first.

Having treated many Mayo Clinic patients, that story sounds unlikely. Most of them are on 10 meds minimum.

[wiffleball 4,631]

Went through this. Start with meds first. You could always use some of your internet time to look for side effects and do not mix with... warnings .

[wiffleball 4,631]

Btw, paranoia is pretty common in dementia.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Went through this. Start with meds first. You could always use some of your internet time to look for side effects and do not mix with... warnings .

Not terrible advice, but is it's hard to tell how frequent or severe side effects are just using the internet. Pretty much every side effect has been associated with every medicine; there are good programs/websites which cross reference multiple sources for the relative importance of a given SE and drug interaction. But these arent available to the general public.

[penultimatestraw 473]

Btw, paranoia is pretty common in dementia.

Truth.

[joneo 529]

Having treated many Mayo Clinic patients, that story sounds unlikely. Most of them are on 10 meds minimum.

100% true. I believe she was taking 25+ meds.

[Filthy Fernadez 2,696]

gocolts, your family is putting the fun in dysfunctional.

[gocolts 300]

******************************************UPDATED*********************************************

 

Boy, did this go crazy and fast.

 

So here is the update.

 

My aunt Fanny has lost it. She went to my aunt Goonie's(Everyone has funny nicknames) house to borrow 10 bucks for gas about a week ago. About an hour later, Fanny calls Goonie to tell her she is in the middle of the intersection and out of gas. Evidently, my aunt Fanny bought scratch off lottery tickets instead of gas. lol

 

So Goonie gets some gas and takes it to Fanny's car. The car is there, but they can't find Fanny. They have to call the police. The police ping her phone and the find her sleeping in some dudes car in the ER parking lot of a local hospital. Come to find out, my aunt Fanny even called her sister in Florida and asked her to bring her some gas. She even got pissed when she wouldn't do it, lol

 

THAT does it, my aunt was committed to a rehab type facility.

 

I have been calling down there to check on her and the nurse has permission to tell me everything they are doing and what they think is going on. It is not looking good. They took her off some of the meds and she still a little messed up. In fact, nurse told me tonight that she thinks she has schizophrenia.

[Gepetto 979]

A nurse cannot diagnose schizophrenia and she should not have told you that she thought that. First, it has to be determined what psychiatric symptoms she has, how they affect her life, then medications have to be ruled in or out as the cause first.

[gocolts 300]

A nurse cannot diagnose schizophrenia and she should not have told you that she thought that. First, it has to be determined what psychiatric symptoms she has, how they affect her life, then medications have to be ruled in or out as the cause first.

I explained a ton of my concerns as far as what my aunt Fanny was doing prior to coming to this place she is at now to this nurse while I was at the facility today.

 

Nurse did not really say she has it, that was my fault the way I worded that. She said it sounded like she was showing signs of it, and that she was still showing signs of it today. She did not actually say she had it, technically, if that matters. I think they already ruled out meds too.

[Gepetto 979]

OK, thanks for the clarification and the update. Good luck to you and your family and to all involved in getting her right.

[penultimatestraw 473]

******************************************UPDATED*********************************************

 

Boy, did this go crazy and fast.

 

So here is the update.

 

My aunt Fanny has lost it. She went to my aunt Goonie's(Everyone has funny nicknames) house to borrow 10 bucks for gas about a week ago. About an hour later, Fanny calls Goonie to tell her she is in the middle of the intersection and out of gas. Evidently, my aunt Fanny bought scratch off lottery tickets instead of gas. lol

 

So Goonie gets some gas and takes it to Fanny's car. The car is there, but they can't find Fanny. They have to call the police. The police ping her phone and the find her sleeping in some dudes car in the ER parking lot of a local hospital. Come to find out, my aunt Fanny even called her sister in Florida and asked her to bring her some gas. She even got pissed when she wouldn't do it, lol

 

THAT does it, my aunt was committed to a rehab type facility.

 

I have been calling down there to check on her and the nurse has permission to tell me everything they are doing and what they think is going on. It is not looking good. They took her off some of the meds and she still a little messed up. In fact, nurse told me tonight that she thinks she has schizophrenia.

How old is she? Schizophrenia usually is diagnosed as a young adult, and rarely after middle age. Dementia can have psychotic features, however, as can delirium due to all the causes I listed in my prior post.

[shotsup 831]

Fanny and Goonie. Can't make this sh1t up.

 

Good luck PoColts

[parrot 789]

Fanny and Goonie. Can't make this sh1t up.

 

Good luck PoColts

[Kanil 519]

No advice here but just wanted to say good luck. We've recently dealt with this type of thing with my father in law and it's terrible.

[NorthernVike 2,080]

Maybe she just need's her ass eaten?

[shotsup 831]

Maybe she just need's her ass eaten?

Who do you nominate to do the job.

[vuduchile 1,940]

Maybe she just need's her ass eaten?

They all need that.

[gocolts 300]

How old is she? Schizophrenia usually is diagnosed as a young adult, and rarely after middle age. Dementia can have psychotic features, however, as can delirium due to all the causes I listed in my prior post.

She is in her middle 50s.

 

I called down to check on her today and THEY FOCKING RELEASED HER.

 

I asked if she ran off or escaped. Nope, she just said she wanted to go home so they let her.

 

Focking insane. I am so focking pissed right now. After all of this and we finally starting to get a handle on it and they just let walk out the focking door. BEYOND BELIEF!!!

[patweisers44 697]

She is in her middle 50s.

 

I called down to check on her today and THEY FOCKING RELEASED HER.

 

I asked if she ran off or escaped. Nope, she just said she wanted to go home so they let her.

 

Focking insane. I am so focking pissed right now. After all of this and we finally starting to get a handle on it and they just let walk out the focking door. BEYOND BELIEF!!!

The state of mental health care in this country is shiot.