I'm pulling my hair out and it's Christmas!!!!!!!!!

[ToBeFreeToRoam]

Hi Sandyspen,

My dad takes Meclizine 3 x day. That is just how many his doctor told him to take. But, the pill holder he is using now, Only holds am and pm M-S. So, he is supposed to remember the 3rd dose by himself at lunch time. I would guess that it would be about one half the time, he forgets to take it! I does help, with the falling, but he still gets dizzy, sometimes. Some help is better that none.

Another thing that happens concerning dizziness: Whenever he eats big meals, he needs to go home and rest. Otherwise, he might would fall down. He has very low blood pressure and his doctor told him to salt all his food well! Sometimes he remembers and sometimes not.

I hope that her new medicine helps her dizzines...

Take care and come back.

Love, Wannabe

[Sandyspen]

Hi Wannabe,

I started mom with one in the morning and one at night. It says up to 3 a day, but I didn't know if that was the common dosage or what. Thanks for your input.

It seems to be working. She says it isn't completely gone, but she isn't dizzy enough to lose her balance.

Her regular check up is 1/11, so we'll see what her own doctor says. He may just leave her on that dose.

[ToBeFreeToRoam]

Hi Sandyspen,

I sometimes wonder, with my father, if part of him being dizzy is really part of his alzheimers. Like, being confused and off kilter and not himself (perhaps those feelings are making him think that he is more dizzy than he really is). I say this, because when he first said he was dizzy, he would not ever fall. He would just go lay down or sit down. Which he was doing an awful lot!!!

Then he started the falling and it was partially because of his low blood pressure. But, whatever it is, or whatever is causing the dizziness, the meclizine is helping for now!

My mom said that yesterday evening, he tripped on the edge of a rug, going to sit on the couch. He fell forward onto the couch, catching himself with his hands and just bruising his arms/possibly hip. He probably did this because he also has parkinsons and shuffles his feet instead of picking them up. She said he was really mad - probably at himself! He does get disgusted with himself, sometimes, when he cannot do what he used to!

Well, mainly just thinking outloud. You can tell me if your thoughts are different. I still have such a hard time with my parents. I was talking to my dad on the phone last night and my mom told him something to tell me. She is always talking in the background, even when she has already talked to me. Anyway, when she butted in, he gave her the phone and never came back to our conversation. And I was not done talking to him!!! But, I guess he was finished talking to me!!!!! :> He is sort of clear in his mind at certain times, right now. But, he has his moments of blankness too. My dad is going to his neurologist on the 8th. So, I will tell yall what his doctor says or does, if anything. And please tell us what your moms dr. says. Is her doctor a neurologist or a GP? My dad usually goes to his GP, but his Parkinsons seems to be worsening, so I thought he should see him.

Sorry for the book.

Take care.

Love, Wannabe

[Sandyspen]

Hi Wannabe,

At the hospital, the doctor did a really simple test. He told me ahead of time that he thought he knew what it was but would show me. He had Mom sit up in the bed, then put his arm behind her. He told her that he was going to dip her backwards quickly and for her to look up immediately when her head hit the pillow.

She moaned and grabbed his arm in a tight grip. It was obvious that she was dizzy when he did this. He explained that a stroke or something of that nature causes a light-headedness or faint feeling. The inner ear actually makes the entire room spin.

That was mom's description, "the room is spinning." She can also duplicate this by moving her head back and forth quickly. Now that she's on the medication, when she moves her head back n forth there is only slight dizziness. Without it, the whole room spins.

The doctor explained a way for her to keep her focus straight ahead, which eliminates most of the problem. But of course, mom doesn't remember anything he said.

Yes, Mom's doc is a gp.

Be sure to let us know what your dad's doc says at his appt. So many of their symptoms are the same. It's certainly helpful to compare.

[angel_bear]

Oh I had a doctor do that!! Under times of stress, my ear's go bonkers and my middle ear decides to go on strike. Other than being virtually unable to walk, the motion sickness is awful!!

It happened one morning, only mildly, and I managed to drive to work (at the hospital), my supervisor took one look at me, grabbed a wheelchair and took me to the ER, where a doctor took one look at me, said "ah HA" and got me onto a bed, he then explained he was going to tip me backwards really fast and I would probably want to throw up but I should be OK in 15'ish minutes ...

Well he did, I didn't and I was!! (he tipped me, I didn't throw up and I was ok 15 minutes later)

It has a name (can't remember) but it's where fluid in the ear canal crystalises .. by tipping you upside down (just about) and back up FAST breaks up the crystals ....

Scary for someone with good cognition, terrifying for someone with poor cognition I can imagine!!

Cheers
Sally