Excessive Sleepiness, almost comatose

[CarolineS]

I’m a carer for my 84 year old mother who has Parkinson’s and some cognitive impairment. Is it normal to spend so much time asleep? It can be such a struggle to wake her up even to have medication and drinks sometimes. Today it took 4 hours from 8am to get her to take her 8am meds and a small cup of tea. It’s almost like she is in some sort of coma, although she’s not. She fell back asleep so couldn’t have breakfast and has missed 2 more lots of medication. I don’t understand why it happens, as some days she is alert and you even question her cognitive impairment is real, whereas others she is semi comatose and deeply confused. Doctors checks for UTIs etc haven’t shown anything. She takes Stalevo, Rivastigmine and fludrocortisone. Does this excessive sleepiness happen to others with Parkinson’s? Can anyone offer any ideas that they found helped it? Would really appreciate any advice.

[park_bear]

Dramatic and excessive fatigue is a Parkinson's symptom. You will have to experiment with what can help. Amantadine is one possibility although it exacerbated my dry mouth unacceptably. Selegiline is another possibility. Perhaps others here can add ideas.

[Hikoi]

Both rivistigmine and fludrocortisone list extreme tiredness as a potential side effect. Add your mothers age so she will not be metabolising and excreting her meds as efficiently as a young person and if she isn't drinking adequately dehydration can be a very real problem (sometimes needing hospitalisation) What does her neuro or pd nurse say? Ask them if she really needs these meds.

Of course there could be some other problem but thats where i would start.

[parkie13 in reply to Hikoi]

Also a way smaller dosage? All the studies on drugs are done on men, not even old men. Her age and being a woman supports having a smaller dosage.

[M1tz1]

This happened to my 80-year-old husband when he was put onto Sinemet. He was diagnosed very late (in November last) because he'd had Alzheimer's (with some tremor) and an ultra-distance sports injury which impaired his walking. These masked the Parkinson's for a long time. A very low dose of Sinemet sent him into a deep sleep as if anesthetized and so did Madopar. Then he was put on a low dose of Carbilev, which was a bit better. Sorry I can't offer any suggestions except that her medication should be examined, perhaps. All I can do is tell you what happened. Sadly, he passed away in January.

[CarolineS in reply to M1tz1]

Sorry for your loss. I will get my mums medication reviewed again. It seems to be a choice between being able to move, or being awake 🙁

[CarolineS]

Thank you for your replies. I will have to get another medication review done I think. It just puzzles me how variable this sleepiness can be. Some days just as M1ttz1 said about her husband, it’s like she has been anaesthetised. Other days she is bright and alert, but the medication being given is the same.