Serapax behaviour?

[angel_bear]

HI all !!

When I spoke to my Dr. last friday about MIL's agitated behaviour, he suggested we add another tablet to her regime. That being Serapax. Now this drug is the up dated version of the housewives tonic, Valium. Helps ease agitated behaviour. Used in conjunction with an anti-depressant.

She had her first tablet today ..... let me tell you what happened.

DH took kids to school, via a stop in downstairs to his Mum to say Hello & goodbye. She was confused that he wasn't going to take her 10 pin bowling. (something I do ALWAYS unless he's on holidays). When I got downstairs to her, she was wandering around the house (as she does, finding socks, keys etc) and she heard the budgies yelling. She went to take them outside, which gave me ample opportunity to see if she had taken her tablets. She hadn't. So I ducked around and said "I'll take the budgies out, you go and take your tablets" .. well, didn't that cause confusion. She had no idea what I wanted to do. However, I was handed the budges LOL. I took her into the kitchen, showed her the tablets. I pointed and said "you have to take these ones NOW" .. and she just looked stunned. "Today is Monday, 10 Pin Bowling day. These tablets are MOnday. Tablet day. You need to take your tablets sweetie" .. well she said "I don't know" and I just glossed over her. She managed to punch them out of the pack, and so I left the kitchen to do a 3 second job. When I turned around, she was walking out of the kitchen.

Too soon .. not enough time to swallow 5 tablets ....

Went and checked. The tablet pack was in the drawer, with the punched out tablets on top.

I pulled the punched out tablets, and called her back .. "you have to swallow these tablets now, before we go out". "Oh" she says. and starts to handle them. She didn't quite know what to do with them ... I gave her a glass of water. She wanted to put the tablets in. We went through the "put the tablets in your mouth and drink them down" she finally put 2 in and chewed them (icky, icky, icky) .. then she fussed over the other 3, and I kept saying "you have to put them in your mouth sweetie, in your mouth" it got to the point of touching her hand and her mouth !!! She FINALLY got the idea, but you could tell she thought I was wrong! She swallowed the final ones properly with the water, THEN pulled a face!! LOL

So .. off to 10 pin bowling she goes. BIL picks her up today and takes her to see FIL at hospital. They didn't get home until 12.30pm!! That's late! She INSISTS on being home by Noon exactly! Anyway, BIL pulls up, and says "How has Mum been this morning?" and I said "Bit fuzzy" and he almost had to pull her out of the car, and all but carried her upstairs! She could hardly walk! He got her to lay on the lounge, covered her up and she was asleep within seconds! Totally exhausted!! She was falling asleep at the hospital visit ... and VERY wobbly until the ACAT visit this afternoon when she seemed to perk up a bit. If it was the drug, I would think the symptoms would have lasted longer. ACAT think she might have exhausted herself bowling, it does tire her, but not EXHAUSTION.

What I'm asking, is would ONE tablet, have THAT effect so quickly? It's only a low dose (the Dr. promised) and it's only every other day (for now), I have the advantage of stopping it next week if I'm worried, or increasing it if necessary.

And .. of course, I'm rambling, which I'm very good at... LOL

Found this in a website search on the product:

Serapax lowers muscle tension and has a mood altering effect, giving some relief from anxiety without sedation

Hugs
Looking forward to opinions

Sally

[Martha H]

Seems like it may have reduced anxiety WITH sedation!

[Glenna]

Sally, I give my mom 1/8 mg of alprazolam (also a benzodiazepine) when she's having a really bad time. That's really a teeny-weeny dose but it calms her down pretty quickly and she's able to think a little better.

But within a half-hour she's yawning and will sometimes doze off for a bit. I have to follow her around to make sure she doesn't lose her balance in the meantime. But that small amount is enough to do a lot and is a lifesaver when she goes into panic and can't remember anything.

Listening to your MIL and the pills reminds me of my mom trying to swallow an Alka-Seltzer whole instead of putting it in water. And she has trouble swallowing regular pills, but I had told her to "take an Alka-Seltzer" and had no idea back then of the possibilities of what she might do with it.

I do so hope you are soon free to rest and heal. Amazing how much you have endured to help your inlaws, when I must admit there are times I don't know how I'll cope one more day for my own mother, and she is only one.

[angel_bear]

Isn't it strange .. it says no sedation .. but geez ... it all points to major doesn't it?

She has another tablet on Wednesday. If that affects her the same way, I'll get the Chemist to remove them. It's not worth having her so ZOMBIED.

ACAT think she might have worn herself out 10 pin bowling. Yes, it tires her, but not to the point of being unable to walk !!! Well, not before the tablet !!!

Eeek .. !!! But thanks for everybody's input .. I might get the serapax in the box and keep them with me to give to her if she's a bit funny. IF she accepts it of course.

In her eyes, there's no problem with her, it's the rest of the world that's gone insane.

**rolling eyes**

Hugs
Sally

[angel_bear]

I checked with the chemist today about reactions. He said it was EXTREME, but not unheard of.

We'll let her go tomorrow, see what happens. They will get the feedback from me and will 1/4 the dosage for next week and see how THAT goes.

Otherwise,today she was in a brilliant mood !! Even called me Dear!!

Hugs
Sally