Mom not sleeping/eating. What else can i do to help?

[Anonymous]

My mom is 75 and has some memory issues. Maybe from age or head injury. Maybe some side-effects from meds too, in that she's reversed her sleep schedule, and isn't hungry.

But we've been trying to help her/remind her for over a month, with no real results.

She doesn't always take her antidepressant in the morning. Doesn't always take melatonin at night (to counteract beta blocker melatonin depletion), both of which I wonder is giving her insomnia.

And then she gets busy and doesn't eat or doesn't eat much. And is happy with the fact she's losing weight, so she doesn't really remember (or care) about making herself eat.

We're seeing a neurologist soon to see just how bad her memory issues are. But I'm not sure what else we can do. We stop by/call, but it doesn't seem to help long term. We live too far away to do daily check ins. (And my mom gets really irritated by them too.)

[Anonymous]

Can she take vitamin D, B12 and go for a walk in the morning? Sometimes the memory issues are a product of poor absorption of key vitamins and creates a vicious cycle. The morning walk would help set her circadian rhythm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can she take vitamin D, B12 and go for a walk in the morning? Sometimes the memory issues are a product of poor absorption of key vitamins and creates a vicious cycle. The morning walk would help set her circadian rhythm

OP here. Thanks. She wakes up far too late to go for morning walk. But I can try for the vitamins and get her levels tested by dr.

[Anonymous]

Is she being prescribed the anti depressant by a geriatrician or psychiatrist? Or just a pcp? What is it called?

Maybe it’s the wrong med. My mom is on aricept and remeron and that combo makes her sleepy, not unable to sleep

[Anonymous]

She's on zoloft. Has been on it for years. Although her dose was just increased a couple of months ago. However, she's had insomnia for 1+ years (around the time the beta blocker was prescribed, maybe).

Pcp prescribed, and I agree it might not be the right med.

[Anonymous]

Thank you also for the geriatrician tip. I will try to check that out.

[Anonymous]

Both SSRIs and beta blockers can cause insomnia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both SSRIs and beta blockers can cause insomnia.

OP here. I guess my problem is my mom forgets to take SSRI in morning and melatonin at night. (Both to help med side effects.) And she forgets to eat.

My sister calls every day to remind her, but there are still issues.

Not sure if there is in home help for these smaller issues. Any other reminder systems. Not really sure what I'm looking for, as this is all new.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both SSRIs and beta blockers can cause insomnia.

This. I can’t take ssris- they make me feel worse because I sleep poorly.

She needs a psychiatrist to prescribe, not a pcp.

[Anonymous]

Reminder system - medminder

[Anonymous]

I think you or your sister need to take charge of this situation somehow. It doesn’t sound safe for your mom to live by herself and have memory issues, forgetting to eat and not sleeping. It’s only going to get worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both SSRIs and beta blockers can cause insomnia.

OP here. I guess my problem is my mom forgets to take SSRI in morning and melatonin at night. (Both to help med side effects.) And she forgets to eat.

My sister calls every day to remind her, but there are still issues.

Not sure if there is in home help for these smaller issues. Any other reminder systems. Not really sure what I'm looking for, as this is all new.

I would look at in home help. Someone to come in the morning and evening every day. Try that as a first step to something else. You can hire people by the hour for just about anything.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. We are in a similar situation. If she forgets to eat and take her meds you definitely need a neurologist and full testing, I suppose including MRI. This is not a beginning stage.

[Anonymous]

Second the vote for a psychiatrist .

My mom lost 35 lbs the year after my father died. We knew she was grieving but did not realize she was depressed.

Years later she admitted she was passively trying to end her life.

It sounds like your mom might need an aide or to move to a senior care setting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you or your sister need to take charge of this situation somehow. It doesn’t sound safe for your mom to live by herself and have memory issues, forgetting to eat and not sleeping. It’s only going to get worse.

This. My mother's health is declining one of the first things was she stopped eating when she was by herself. We could meals of wheels deliver, neighbors check in but the food would go untouched and she said she "wasn't hungry". If someone is there and sits with her she will eat. Same with her meds. It doesn't matter if they are in a pill organizer, she is not reliable in taking them. Sleep is the other issue - she sleep a lot during the day (bad health and her meds), at night she is up hourly. Many different approaches to try to get her on a regular schedule it just doesn't seem to work.