Medication induced panic attacks and anxiety disorder

[ktjw]

Hi all,

first time here but have done a lot of helpful reading. So I'm hoping you can help me more. 

My mum is 72yo has a history of panic attacks following a care accident. This has been well controlled for some 15 plus years on AD. 

NOV 2014 she was admitted to hospital for a major stomach operation. While in hospital her usually well controlled high blood pressure, got way out of control. For this she was put on a beta blocker. Post discharge she developed high level anxiety and panic. It was decided by the dr that this was a side effect of the anti hypertensive. So she was weened off it. 

She was also put back on her normal AD meds that she hadn't been having. 

So that's the back ground. 

She has now lost 10kg from no appetite and complains of feeling full all the time with out eating. She has repetitive panic attacks and anxiety and panic attacks. 

I have had her to the emergency dept one night when she was in a frenzy. They did not admit or treat her. Her gap is monitoring her. 

My 74yo dad is caring for her and I do as much as I can.  Both of them refuse to let me cook for them or help. I'm the only child and beside myself. 

I slept over there last night to give dad a break. But he is heading for a breakdown himself. 

Mum is pushing everyone away, doesn't want to msg on ph or talk. She pushes away any form of affection. Just lays on bed in a dark room. She doesn't want to talk about anything. She only sleeps for a few hrs when she has taken her prescribed long term sleeping tablets. 

She acknowledges what is happening to her, but when suggestions are made she says she just can't. Eg eat, go to dr, or anything we feel may bring her some joy.

She says she feels like a good cry but isn't able too.

She doesn't like conversing as she says it's overwhelming.

I know she needs to see a professional in this field.

But I don't know how to get her to do anything. Every time I suggest she makes an excuse or just cuts dad and I off. Refusing to talk.

How on earth can I get her to do things , such as seeing the dr. I use a very soft supportive tone and don't push her in anyway. I don't want to make her worse.

Any advise gratefully accepted.

Thank you.   

[Neil_1]

Hi there ktjw

Firstly, welcome to Beyond Blue and thank you for coming here and providing this post.

Oh wow, this is a difficult one indeed.

If she’s basically refusing any kind of help, that must have been some ‘attack’ that she had when you had to take her to the Emergency Dept.   But also pretty disappointing to read that they neither admitted nor treated her – kind of makes you wonder.

Now her gp is monitoring her?   That has me a bit confused, because if she’s not into going anywhere or seeking any help, I’m interested to see just how often her gp is actually seeing her?

Now here is the difficult part for you – you can rightly see them for how they are and that they most probably do need professional assistance, however, the stubbornness of the ‘older person’ should never be underestimated.  They will fight to the enth degree to say they are fine and there’s no need to worry and most probably, if push comes to shove, they could very well become angry with you.   I realise that you are doing all the things that you possibly can and trying the ‘softly softly’ approach which is great, but this situation is so difficult.

Perhaps unless they’re at great harm to either of themselves, it might be better to leave things as they are – for at least the time being.

I guess this post hasn’t been overly helpful for you, but I hope there’s something that I’ve said that may have been of a little use.

Would love to hear back from you though.

Neil