Grandma needs help :(

[NRAI2001]

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I don't really know any psychiatrists or neurologists so maybe someone on this forum can help me or give me some more info or suggestions.

My grandma has gotten a lot sicker the last couple of weeks. She is about 65 years old. For the last 3 or 4 years she thinks that she is sick and she complains about pains when docs believe that she doesn't really have these. Docs have given her placebo and she feels ok for a while but then she catches on or some how she figures out that they are placebo and starts to complain of pain again.

She had undergo many psychiatric and neurological tests and doctors can't find anything medically wrong with her. But she continues to insist that she is in pain, mainly a burning sensation in her abdominal area, and she hasn't really left the house (she lives with my uncle, her youngest son). She rarely even leaves her room or her bed. It has gotten progressively worse the last couple of years and even more so in the last couple of weeks. She is starting to loose grasp with reality, seems to be disoriented a lot and is loosing her memory.

I am not a doctor or even a med student yet, but I believe it is from her lack of excercise, change in environment, and lack of any stimulus. I believe that if she got out and excercised, participated in events, took on some responsibilities....etc she would feel much better, sooner. We always ask her to come out with us (to church, relatives), but she never goes. All she eats is bread and milk, bc she says that anything else she eats hurts and burns her stomach. Perhaps we can force her to go with us? Take her in a wheel chair, even if she cries?

All the psychiatrists and neurologists that we have sent her to can't find a single medical thing wrong with her and said that all her problems are in her head. Is their any sicknesses or conditions that she may have? Any treatments? Anything that we can bring up as possibilities the next time we see her doc?

Thanks for reading this long post, any comments would be greatly appreciated.

 

[beachsaki101]

My mother is the same age and never wanted to go anywhere, do exercise or anything. I signed up a class for her. On the days I didn't have class, I prepared a snack box and drove to her home. I carried the snack box and my backpack into her home as if I was having class that day. I went into her room, got a shirt and jacket for her, and asked her to put them on. Then I said to her "let's go to class." I held her hand, walked her to my car and drove her to her class. I sat in the back of her class to read while she studied with other students.

I borrowed many books from the library and brought them to her. After each week, I asked her about the books, whether she liked them, and we had a little discussion about what she liked and didn't like. When it wasn't her class day, I came to her house also during my class break, dressed up in gym clothes. I said to her "would you like to work out with me? I have already made you a water bottle" or "I got you this cute T-shirt for working out..."

I praised her for everything positive thing she did and avoided nagging or complaining.

It was very time-consuming for me because I had to have everything ready to go when I stepped inside her house. After at least 2 weeks of consistency, my mother was walking to the gym by herself and really looked forward to going to class.

Spend a lot of time with your grandma, talk and read to her. Do things with her even though she doesn't respond. Don't give up. Be creative. She will get better if you don't give up on her.

 

[NRAI2001]

My mother is the same age and never wanted to go anywhere, do exercise or anything. I signed up a class for her. On the days I didn't have class, I prepared a snack box and drove to her home. I carried the snack box and my backpack into her home as if I was having class that day. I went into her room, got a shirt and jacket for her, and asked her to put them on. Then I said to her "let's go to class." I held her hand, walked her to my car and drove her to her class. I sat in the back of her class to read while she studied with other students.

I borrowed many books from the library and brought them to her. After each week, I asked her about the books, whether she liked them, and we had a little discussion about what she liked and didn't like. When it wasn't her class day, I came to her house also during my class break, dressed up in gym clothes. I said to her "would you like to work out with me? I have already made you a water bottle" or "I got you this cute T-shirt for working out..."

I praised her for everything positive thing she did and avoided nagging or complaining.

It was very time-consuming for me because I had to have everything ready to go when I stepped inside her house. After at least 2 weeks of consistency, my mother was walking to the gym by herself and really looked forward to going to class.

Spend a lot of time with your grandma, talk and read to her. Do things with her even though she doesn't respond. Don't give up. Be creative. She will get better if you don't give up on her.

Yea, those are good ideas. My grandma can't speak much english though, and whenever we try to get her to go out, she almost starts to cry.

My parents are both internests and she calls them everyday and tells them to bring her medicine and cries on the phone while shes asking. 🙁

 

[beachsaki101]

My mother's English is very limited too. Don't let that stop you and your family from helping your grandma. Trust me, there are LOTS OF HELP. Ask the librarian for books, audio tapes, and video tapes in your grandma's language. Sign her up for an ESL (English as Second Language) class.

Good luck!

 

[mdblue]

I don't really know any psychiatrists or neurologists so maybe someone on this forum can help me or give me some more info or suggestions.

My grandma has gotten a lot sicker the last couple of weeks. She is about 65 years old. For the last 3 or 4 years she thinks that she is sick and she complains about pains when docs believe that she doesn't really have these. Docs have given her placebo and she feels ok for a while but then she catches on or some how she figures out that they are placebo and starts to complain of pain again.

She had undergo many psychiatric and neurological tests and doctors can't find anything medically wrong with her. But she continues to insist that she is in pain, mainly a burning sensation in her abdominal area, and she hasn't really left the house (she lives with my uncle, her youngest son). She rarely even leaves her room or her bed. It has gotten progressively worse the last couple of years and even more so in the last couple of weeks. She is starting to loose grasp with reality, seems to be disoriented a lot and is loosing her memory.

I am not a doctor or even a med student yet, but I believe it is from her lack of excercise, change in environment, and lack of any stimulus. I believe that if she got out and excercised, participated in events, took on some responsibilities....etc she would feel much better, sooner. We always ask her to come out with us (to church, relatives), but she never goes. All she eats is bread and milk, bc she says that anything else she eats hurts and burns her stomach. Perhaps we can force her to go with us? Take her in a wheel chair, even if she cries?

All the psychiatrists and neurologists that we have sent her to can't find a single medical thing wrong with her and said that all her problems are in her head. Is their any sicknesses or conditions that she may have? Any treatments? Anything that we can bring up as possibilities the next time we see her doc?

Thanks for reading this long post, any comments would be greatly appreciated.

what about dementia? Any neuropsych testing yet?

 

[50960]

Advice on medical issues is or is not part of SDN?

😕

 

[NRAI2001]

what about dementia? Any neuropsych testing yet?

I don't know, she has only been to psychiatrists and FP docs so far and they can't find anything that should cause her pain.

Could it perhaps be a neurological disorder?

 

[NRAI2001]

Advice on medical issues is or is not part of SDN?

😕

Of course it doesn't replace a true real life docs diagnosis, but the docs can't find anything wrong. I was hoping maybe i could get some ideas or possibilities that i could bring up the next time we see her doc or if we should try a new specialist. This is the psychiatry threads.

 

[50960]

No problem at all. I totally understand your question and your concerns. My concern had to do with SDN policy, and not your question. My advice is to PM anasazi23 for some quality psych info. Good luck to you. 🙂

 

[50% GOD]

You see, you grandma might be in real danger. I don't want to alarm you, but she might have three main causes connected to what you described as the symptoms.

She might be suffering from a hidden ernia in an abdominal area, then she might have contracted a gastrointestinal infection that is connected with jandice or other icteric disfunction. It might all started from a simple food intoxication.

In this case she cannot have food or drinks, she is probably having a higher body temperature than usual, her eyes and body skin are yellow, and she cannot lie down being horizontal in the bed. She wouldneed some pollows to maintain a 45 degrees position in order to not worsten her physical conditions. I fthis is the case.

The mental symptoms that you described are ceonnected as a result of what I described above. I don't want to alarm you , but she might be in danger, I suggest you to bring her back for a second opinion and a deep check up to a gastroenterelogiost and a surgeon. If thbey toghether would not discover anything , only in this case it might be purely a mental disorder.

there were some case where senior citizzens died becouse of this and nobody was able to diagnose it properly.

 

[NRAI2001]

You see, you grandma might be in real danger. I don't want to alarm you, but she might have three main causes connected to what you described as the symptoms.

She might be suffering from a hidden ernia in an abdominal area, then she might have contracted a gastrointestinal infection that is connected with jandice or other icteric disfunction. It might all started from a simple food intoxication.

In this case she cannot have food or drinks, she is probably having a higher body temperature than usual, her eyes and body skin are yellow, and she cannot lie down being horizontal in the bed. She wouldneed some pollows to maintain a 45 degrees position in order to not worsten her physical conditions. I fthis is the case.

The mental symptoms that you described are ceonnected as a result of what I described above. I don't want to alarm you , but she might be in danger, I suggest you to bring her back for a second opinion and a deep check up to a gastroenterelogiost and a surgeon. If thbey toghether would not discover anything , only in this case it might be purely a mental disorder.

there were some case where senior citizzens died becouse of this and nobody was able to diagnose it properly.

She can lie perfectly horizontal, but is always complaining of pain. She has had the supposed pain for many years now. We have taken her to internists and some other docs and they ve run tests, and can't find anything.

 

[50% GOD]

She can lie perfectly horizontal, but is always complaining of pain. She has had the supposed pain for many years now. We have taken her to internists and some other docs and they ve run tests, and can't find anything.

All I can suggest is to see a gastrointereologist and a surgeon with what I have wrote. As I said, sometimes it is really hard ro discover this kind of disfunctions. You will need a doctor who allready had this case before.

 

[NRAI2001]

All I can suggest is to see a gastrointereologist and a surgeon with what I have wrote. As I said, sometimes it is really hard ro discover this kind of disfunctions. You will need a doctor who allready had this case before.

Thank you for ur suggestion, I will bring it up next time i see my parents.

 

[mdblue]

I don't know, she has only been to psychiatrists and FP docs so far and they can't find anything that should cause her pain.

Could it perhaps be a neurological disorder?

One of the differentials-yes.