Thank you for the update. It is great to see that you are working with your doctor. Make sure you bring a copy of the depression test to your doctor on your next visit. This may help assess the situation better. Keep Strong, Josie ___________________________________ The Depression Center Support Team.

Hi all I am posting again to say how I am getting on, and the current position with my mother. Firstly my mother, whose memory problems have been investigated against a family history of Alzheimers. My mother has had a whole battery of tests including a CT brain scan. She has been to an appointment with a psychiatrist specialising in older people (my mother is 77). I went to the appointment as well, and the psychiatrist told us that the tests revealed that my mother had some mild changes to the blood supply to her heart and brain, and that this might be the cause of her memory problems. It was difficult to be certain but my mother did not appear to have Alzheimers. The psychiatrist tested my mother's memory again, and as before the result was considered "borderline". It was basically the same as when her GP tested it before. The psychiatrist will see her again in November for a review and I plan to accompany her again. My mother is now on medication for high blood pressure, and aspirin to protect against strokes etc. Her blood pressure, which was slightly raised, is now fine and the doctor hopes that this, together with my mother's relative fitness (she enjoys walking quite long distances) may help prevent this problem getting worse. So in a way the news was not as bad as it might have been, although the diagnosis is not certain at present. Moving on to me, I am struggling a bit at present. My doctor has increased the fluoxetine from 20 to 40 mg, and I have been on this increased dose for about 2 weeks. I feel rather "sluggish" at the moment, but I know that these changes in medication or dose can take some time to work. My doctor has asked to see me again after 1 month at the new dose, so I shall try to give it until then before concluding that further help may be needed. I do know that these low periods don't last forever, but of course they are not very pleasant at the time. I shall stop now to avoid rambling on but will post back again, probably after next seeing my doctor. Many thanks to everyone who posted about me and my mother, and best wishes to everyone in the Support Group. MRB :)

Hi kelly - thanks for your posting. I delayed replying a bit so that it would be after I went to my doctor again. I am feeling quite a bit better now, and hope that you are feeling OK as well. My doctor was pleased with my response to fluoxetine, and has asked me to book a telephone call with him in about a month's time. If necessary he would increase the dose, but wants to see how I am getting on first as the med has only just started kicking in. I think the fluoxetine is suiting me, and hopefully it will reach maximum effectiveness at the current dose in the next week or so. I also went with my mother to her doctor's on the same day - in fact her appointment first then on to my doctor after a snack. Both our doctor's practices are close to each other, and very near to where I live. She has been started on some new medications and today has received a letter from the hospital to say that her scan will be this coming Thursday afternoon. I shall go with her and know what is involved as I have had one myself a few years ago (although of a different type and for a minor complaint). They also sent her a leaflet explaining the procedure as they did for my scan. I am pleased that things are moving fairly quickly as the waiting is unpleasant for all concerned. It is unlikely that we will get any results Thursday as these are normally sent to the doctor that ordered the test. My mother will have to go back to that doctor for the result (and for the result of other tests) and I expect to accompany her. I anticipate this will be at least a week or so after the scan. I will post back about this after that appointment. Kind regards and once again many thanks for your caring concern about me and the situation with my mother. MRB :)

MRB, Just checking in to see how things are going. Hope things are OK. Kelly

Hi kelly and everyone else I just clicked the wrong button and lost my message so here goes again! Thanks for your posting. I really appreciate your interest in how I am doing. The forms my mother and I had are only now sent every few years, so we shouldn't have again for quite some time. They are to do with financial help with paying rent and council tax (a local tax for services such as schools, libraries, street cleaning etc) which is available for those on a low income. It is essentially a means tested, hence the forms, welfare payment. I apologise if I am insulting anyone's knowledge of such things, but I am not sure what is understood in other countries about this. Coincidentally I used to work in the department in my town that deals with these payments so I understand the forms a lot more than my mother and most others. This helps a lot with filling them out etc. I had a brilliant night out with my friend yesterday. We went to a real ale pub. It was packed, but we managed to get seats and there was a really good atmosphere. Real ale tends to be rather a male preserve here unfortunately, but there were a few nice girls there. This always makes me feel better unless I am really low to start with! We didn't drink to excess of course, and I am always particularly careful with alcohol when changing meds and at other times. I think the fluoxetine is starting to kick in now. I am now less tearful, more energetic, and am getting up earlier. I have had no really bad effects from withdrawing Efexor so don't expect any now. I'm cautiously optimistic that fluoxetine is going to help me and have now been on it 6 days. Efexor (one f only in the UK!) had been a brilliant med for me, but I had been on it for a couple of years and I think it was "wearing off" to some degree so that I needed increasingly higher doses. I hope that I won't need it again, but think it would work again for me if I needed it. I was pleased to read that you have several sibs so that you can share the tasks and emotional burden of looking after your mother. It was heartwarming to know that she still recognises you all and enjoys your visits. I am going to sign off now but will definitely post again as the weeks roll by. Best wishes to all. MRB :)

MRB, Thanks so much for keeping us posted. It's great that you have found a doctor with compassion. I hope things go well with your transition to Prozac/fluoxetine. I am from the US, are these forms something that come every once in a while? Is it for taxing purposes? I know how it is to help your parents fill out forms. My sisters and I took that over at least 5 years before we had to move my parents into an assisted living apartment. It can be a very interesting process! :) How did things go with your night out? Hope you had a good time. Kelly

Hi all I am posting back as promised following seeing my doctor. I saw him on Monday, but haven't been able to post back before. I was in tears when I told him about my mother's problem. He is a very caring person, but also maintains a professional approach which I very much approve of. He gave me the name and telephone number of an organisation in my town that supports the families of people with Alzheimer's. I may contact them if my mother turns out to have this, or something similar. He also gave me some information about Alzheimer's, eg some people deteriorate rapidly and die quite quickly, whereas some others may live for some 10 to 15 years after diagnosis and perhaps die of some other illness altogether. I was more or less aware of some of the information he gave me, but appreciated the compassionate way he spoke to me about such things. He changed my medication, at my own request really, as I was on the highest dose of Efexor XL normally prescribed in the UK. I am now on Prozac (actually generic fluoxetine) 20 mg. He explained that I would probably feel down for a week or so until it kicks in, and he asked me to return in about 2 weeks. I have felt "up and down" since going to my doctor, but hope that I am over the worst as far as coming off Efexor and starting Prozac is concerned. I know some people have quite bad withdrawal effects when coming off Efexor, but fortunately I haven't experienced anything really bad. Coincidentally, my mother and myself have both recently received forms to fill out to do with housing costs etc. I have been helping her to find the information needed to put on her form. I have now filled out her form but haven't even started mine yet! This will be no problem though. My mother in some ways is no more disorganised than me, and it remains to be seen whether she is actually ill at all. It is waiting for tests, and then for the results that in many ways is the worst thing of all. I will post back again some time. By the way there was no mention of referring me to a psychiatrist, and I didn't raise the issue. At the moment I don't want to change too many things at the same time if I can help it. I am feeling rather tired now, but pleased as I have got the form done. My mother comes tomorrow to s

Ms Puck and kelly (and again to Casey) Many thanks for your postings - they have really helped me. I am still hoping of course that the tests will prove negative, and my mother have no serious physical illness. The doctors did mention that her memory loss and poor concentration could be a symptom of her depression, rather than her having demenia. I did query with them as to whether the medications she is currently on could be the cause of her memory loss, but they seemed to discount this as the main cause. It is all a bit strange really as certain medications can cause memory loss etc, and even result in the person being thought of as having dementia. I have read a report about this today, and it apparently sometimes happens that someone is even treated with dementia medications when all along they were suffering from the side effects of the other medications! I am trying not to fool myself though, as really there is no way of knowing what the problem is until all the tests are complete. This as I mentioned is going to take a couple of months. As usual with such things it is the waiting that can be almost as bad as getting the result. Still there is no harm in hoping that the results will be negative whilst at the same time being prepared for the worst. As promised I will post back when I have any definite news about this, and will also post after I have been to my doctor on my own account next week. Once again many thanks, I really appreciate your help. MRB :)

MRB, I feel terrible for you and your situation right now. I am dealing with a parent with Alzheimer's and it is so hard to watch. I agree with MsPuck though, that you will benefit so much by staying involved and loving your mother through this time. My mother still remembers family members and loves to see us when we come to see her. I am lucky to have 3 other sisters and a brother close so we can take turns. That way she has someone to visit her every night, but because it so draining no one is expected to be there every day. My father died a year ago this month, and both of these situations spell disaster for my depression, but having this forum to post in has been a true blessing. Keep me posted on how you are doing, and make sure you know we are here for you. Kelly

It is just so difficult going through these years with beloved parents. The worry and inability to do reverse or control these things is so hard too. But there are small, and some even big, disguised blessings going thru these years. Both my parents died 4 years ago; both in their upper 80's and within 4 months of each other. It was a very hard 10 years leading up to the end, but I am so glad that I stayed involved, kept as close to them as I could, and loved them thru it. Keep focusing on the love that goes between you, and cherish that as best you can. And take one day at a time; even one hour at a time. So many words, and when you are in the middle of the pain, so hard to see any value to them. I'm thinking about you and wishing you lots of sunshine!!