I have to tell you about my dad. Well, about 3-6 mo. ago, he was feeling dizzy a lot of the time. Especially after he had eaten a big meal. We did not take him to the ER, my parents would not have stood for it. He did fall - not really fall, but his legs just sort of crumpled out from under him. Most of the time he was with one of us. And we would just grab him and set him down in the closest place! Then he would rest and after about 1 hour, it would go away again. He could have injured himself badly, but did not!
He is now taking a drug called Meclizine for dizziness and it helps a little. He still gets dizzy, but does not fall. He has a walker - not the nice kind. And 3 canes. He does not use the walker, does not see the need. But, sometimes he does use his canes.
Most of the time, he drags the cane behind him! :> A lot of help that is!!!
His doctor told him to stay off of the riding lawn mower and off of ladders. Well he just uses chairs to climb up, because they are not ladders! We are just so lucky that he has not hurt himself, yet! Their house in not wheelchair usable, is about 45 yr. old.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Our parents do not want to do what we tell them too. The caregivers and the patients either ones.
Hi Wannabe,
They gave Mom Meclizine, too, and her dizziness was better before we left the hospital. The doctor said we'd have to see how long the affect lasted to figure out how often to give it to her.
The problem was that she didn't remember being dizzy in the first place. When I finally calmed down, I started watching and checking her. I was just so afraid she'd fall before I knew to give her another doze.
She was about the same at bedtime, so I gave her another doze anyway. She always gets up during the night.
I'm gonna try one in the morning and one at night for now. He said you can't give more than 3 a day. I think I was over-concerned about not over-dozing her, yet fearful of her falling again.
How often does your dad need the meds.
Thanks so much to everyone who responded. I was just so frustrated yesterday. It seemed absolutely necessary to me that she use that walker! Sometimes it's so hard to accept that they can't remember!
Hopefully, the meds will help. Thank you all. Couldn't make it without you.
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...
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.
My dad would probably stiffen up if a doctor tried to do that to him! Of course, he has parkinsons too. He also would not like it and it would scare him and confuse him! But, it sounds like a good thing to do, if the dizziness is that kind.
I think that my dad has a different kind of dizziness. He has had it off and on for several years. I have asked him several times to describe his feeling dizzy, to me, when we were alone. It is not like your moms. His sounds like a more general dizziness, sort of like you are just standing there, or sitting and feel like you will fall down. No spinning. Part of his is his medicines, he takes quite a few. And part, I think is his reaction to his illnessess?! I really cannot say it quite the correct and precise way, but neither can he! And he is the one with the memory disease, which makes it even harder to explain to someone else!
I will tell you what his Neuro says, in about a week or so. It is just good that the meclizine is helping our two parents!!! :>
