My husband is not medicated when he sleeps. He fells face first going to the bathroom last night, hitting his forehead on tile. Suggestions please.
Fall: My husband is not medicated when he... - Cure Parkinson's
Fall
Written by
Seacrab
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33 Replies
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Carbidopa Levodopa and high dose thiamine hcl
Seacrab in reply to
Thank you, I will check his thiamine intake.
There are many different reasons for falling. What does he have to say about how it happened? Did he lose consciousness and wake up on the floor? Check him for orthostatic hypotension – loss of blood pressure upon standing. What medications is he taking?
He claims he was “half asleep.” He never lost consciousness, but I feel he is in denial as to how badly the fall could have been (just inches from hitting his head on the toilet on the way down). He does get light headed on occasion when standing and describes it as a “head rush.” We will mention orthostatic hypotension to the Doctor next visit.
Thank you
My wife has had several falls, breaking a wrist and cracked ribs, she has had to swallow her pride and use a Zimmer frame which is a great help, she hasn’t fallen since, she is also on 2x125mg slow release Madapar one at 9 am and another at 9 pm giving her some medication during the night. Hope that helps
in reply to tudorwood
what's a zimmer frame? thanks.
Has anyone suggested sinemet cr it might help
I take sinemet 25-100 every 4 hrs, even during the night. I set an alarm on my watch to wake me up to take my next dose.
I think that you are likely to fall backwards and on your back due to Parkinson’s. That is why they do the pull test.
A walker (for nighttime bathroom trips.)
Oh no! My husband has frequent falls. We have a bed rail, automatic lighting under bedroom furniture (no professional installation necessary), and hand rails on the bathroom walls and commode. With these aids falling is reduced dramatically.
Does your husband take hypertension medication? Sometimes this med makes people dizzy upon standing. If I am awake and D needs to use bathroom, I tell him to sit before standing up. Hope these tips work for you!
Best, Parkie wife
Thank you... we have not taken enough precautions.
He might have gotten up too quickly (POTS/OH) it has happened to me. But I knew what it was when it happened. It could also be a sign of cognitive decline/dementia, when the brain has difficulty processing complex tasks. The person doesn't know why they fell and can't connect it to anything specific. Is urinary urgency or incontinence an issue? This could be a sign that it is more than dysautonomia and he needs more support in daily activities. I would reach out to your care team about these concerns.
SE
Yes, many urinary accidents. Last night I misjudged and agreed to him driving for us. He missed a turn and needed to make a uturn, then proceeded to make a 360 into on coming traffic. His judgement is off sometimes. Last week, he fell victim to a computer scam and we’re out $2000. I’m not sure if it is denial or lack of awareness, but he does not attribute these things to PD.
If it were my husband, we would see a neuropsychologist for evaluation, and no more driving! You need to get your computer and finances secured. And you need to get safety equipment installed to prevent injury. I'm going to be honest with you here, the falls can't be entirely prevented and you need to decide what you will do when you can no longer care for your husband by yourself. To me it seems dementia is already established, you need to know what form it takes so that you can be prepared. Doctors aren't very good about coaching caregivers, in my experience. This makes it harder than it needs to be. I'm so sorry you're going through this, I saw it first hand with my parents and now my husband and I are living this hell. I've had some driving mishaps myself. We try to make the best of it.
Excellent response! We’ve been dealing with PD for 20 years (young onset). We have no children, I am sole caregiver. My husband can no longer drive and has accepted this graciously.
Every PD individual is different. I am very assertive when speaking to professionals. They do not walk your walk!!
True!
My husband is stubborn and very independent. He refuses to acknowledge that the mishaps are PD related. His physicians don’t bring up dementia or discuss preparation. I know dementia is creeping in and recently charged in on us. I will look into a neuropsychologist, I wasn’t aware they existed. Thank you for your clarity.
I brought my stepfather to see a neurologist, for "sleep apnea" after he fell, without an apparent reason and witnessing evidence of dementia myself. He fought me every step of the way, but I got him a neurological exam and was present to witness it. I couldn't get him to agree to a neuro psych eval, but was satisfied he has neurological problems. I alerted my sisters who are enablers and in deep denial.
You might have to be creative with him - vision tests, coordination testing, etc. Your neurologist can refer him for the neuropsych eval.
Has your husband always been stubborn, or is this a recent change in his personality?
You need help and support, but you have to ask for it. If I were in your situation, if he becomes unmanageable, or falls, I would call 911 (in the US, I don't know where you're at) and confront the situation. He's endangering you and the public when he drives. This is hard stuff, my prayers go out to you and everyone else here at HU.
SE
Such hard stuff, perhaps I’ve been in denial myself. My husband is exhibiting new behaviors and refuses to share them with our family. I need to be more proactive, I fear this will estrange us as a couple; but as you said, safety is of utmost concern. My prayers and gratitude to you as well.
We plugged in motion-detected lights that turn on to light the path from when I first put my feet on the floor all the way to the toilet and back. Makes a world of a difference.
Yes! We have lights as well and are very helpful. Thank you
I also suffer from loss of balance in the dark. We also fitted motion sensitive lights. No more falling.......up to now.
Since my husband has difficulty walking over thresh holds - at night he uses a urinal. He stands up does his thing and then gets back into bed. Only a pivot, no walking. Otherwise, I wake up to listen to his shuffles to make sure he's not having issues walking the 15 steps to bathroom and back and going over the thresh hold 2x.
Update - after hubby had uti for about 3 months - we purchased a urinal enabling him to stay in bed - he loves it - and I don't have to worry about him falling. In the morning, we simply empty the container and tubing. Inexpensive under $50 (saw a few for $20) - search for:
"Men's Urinal with Hand-held Portable Urine Cup 2000 ml Large Capacity Leak-Proof Male urinals for Older Men,Hospital beds,Wheelchair"
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