My 80 year mother with PD is experiencing an increasing number of hallucinations which is causing her great distress. She feels like she is floating or falling and imagines people that arent there. She finds it really hard to be reassured that is not real. Her doctor is trying to improve things by very gradually reducing doses or mirapexin.
Does anyone have any advice on how to prevent these episodes please? thanks
It usually means Parkinson medication will have to be altered/reduced. Google "Parkinson's and hallucinations", this will give you a lot of information from reliable sources, look for ed or gov in the website address. It is commonly experienced in the later stages of the disease (older age plays a role too), where patients are on several drugs in ever increasing doses. The appearance of hallucinations means that the patient has gone beyond the for him or her tolerable max. dose. Visual hallucinations are most likely and a lot of patients know that these are not real. It is sometimes more distressing for the carer than the patient.
my dad experienced this a couple of years ago to the point he was scaring us because he locked every door/window, thought my mum was cheating on him, saw men jump out his window, etc. Very upsetting for him and to see. Turned out his medication was not on the correct level and had to be changed a little.
It is not unusual to experience these hallucinations with parkinsons meds, i'm dreading going on to new medication in case that happens with me, as I have not had any sign of them on my regular meds!! Scary!!
My advice on new meds is caution.I do pretty well on sinemet minus the jerky movements,ugh,I dont know where these site get their info on sideffects as while jerky movements are played down on some others say just the opposite.My movements started soon after I added CR sinemet,Doctors are still perplexed about them yet jerky movements are the number 1 sideeffect of CR sinemet,LOL
MY father had PD and I always remember him talking about his green lepricons.he was part irish,lol
To me Im sure I will get them but not fearful.I do have a quick immagination whether its PD or my nerves no matter.What I do is never react to what seems a harsh voice.If I ask to hear it again the impression felt is usuallynot harsh,do you understand this?