Recently, I saw an elderly old man who seemed to have Parkinson’s disease, and perhaps Lewy body dementia (see footnote). His family was having a terrible time coping with his behavior. Then, I noticed that he was taking two medications, Reglan (metoclopramide) and...
Recently, I corresponded with a woman who told me this story: “My husband was given Paxil and Nexium for stomach and stress problems about 15 years ago. The Paxil affected his libido and he said it also make him “feel stupid,” like his brain was fuzzy. Then, several...
Doctors are people too. And like all people, doctors find themselves attracted to the newest and shiniest things. This goes for medicines, too. We doctors like to use the latest drugs. However, in my geriatric house calls practice, I’ve found that the newest meds...
That is a challenging question. When an elder has a sore tooth, he may be yelling or lashing out at his caregivers. In a situation like this, it’s only human to want to give the patient whatever’s necessary to help relieve their pain and anxiety, not to mention their...
So what is agitation? The answer to that question can vary greatly. It depends on the observer, and the observer’s frame reference. It could be a person, sitting in the comfort of his own living room, asking again and again to “go home.” Or, it might be endlessly...
As I was preparing for a talk to nurses and discharge planners in Sacramento, I was reminded of a patient I had a few years ago. He was a Canadian diplomat. He spoke five languages but had really lost his ability to function. He couldn’t really communicate. but he had...
