My Sister

[Kath131]

Hi everybody, Just a quick outline of why I wanted to join this forum.  I am 63 have suffered depression in the past but nothing compared to my older sister 71 who is at this moment in a psychiatric hospital for assessment.  She usually is fit and very chatty but recently she has become withdrawn, tearful, wishing she would not wake up and is refusing to eat properly. She is being closely monitored but she has not been sectioned up to now.  She keeps saying her brain has switched off and she has no interest in anything even eating she says she cannot taste anything it just goes down but now she eats very little and sometimes refused drinks. I am sure they can cope with her in the hospital but me and her other family members are extremely concerned she is giving up and sometimes won't even speak.  Her husband is now himself on antidepressants and is doing his best to cope as are her son and daughter who are both married with their own families.

The hospital have not as yet tried her on other medication as they say her ECG showed a heart abnormality and until she has undergone further tests they can't start her on any drug. They are saying that they will try her on Lithium if the tests are OK. She has been taking Imipramine for over 20+ years and they have now stopped her taking this as apparently they don't usually prescribe this for over 60's as it can cause heart problems!!!

She has been in hospital 4 weeks now and is getting worse by the day she says they are not trying to help her and telling her lies. I know this is part and parcel of her condition.  Just needed to get it off my chest. Her hubby is not pc literate so that is why I've joined and I can pass on any information or at least share with him anything I learn on your forum.

Would appreciate any comments regarding Lithium. The psychiatrist said as a very last resort they would try ECT, which she has had many years ago and it did seem to help her recovery.

Thanks for listening, sorry it wasn't short (I lied) lol only kidding.
regards and best to all
Kath xx 

[MamaLou]

Hi,
I've been on Lithium for 4 years. For many it's a good mood stabilizer but for me, it has done very little. By that I mean, my condition has never really stabilised, but maybe the lithium is doing something in the background.

I know of many people who have found it really beneficial. I spose like anything it's trial and error.

I hope your sister really begins to improve.

MamaLou.

[SteveW]

I am sorry to hear about your sisters depression, it sounds quite severe. If she gives up eating and drinking completely the hospital will have the ability to treat her adequately.

Treating your sister with Lithium alone is a little unusual. When it comes to depression Lithium is usually combined with an anti-depressant. But Lithium monotherapy is a perfectly respectable treatment and I hope it works for her. If it didn't there are anti-depressants that have a minimal effect on the heart that she could try before ECT.

I am not sure about writing the next bit which is the negative effects of Lithium. In the very long term it can cause kidney problems such as kidney cysts. It can also cause the far more serious nephrogenic diabetes insipidus which can be more difficult to treat than normal diabetes mellitus. This isn't common except in people taking Lithium in the long term. Of people taking Lithium for 15 years the incidence is about 10%. A number of other kidney problems relate to Lithium, some pretty drastic. But this is only really relevant to people taking Lithium for Bipolar, what used to called manic depression. Many Lithium consumers won't be taking it for 15-20 years or more.

It also has an effect on thyroid functioning possibly more in women than in men and in the much shorter term. One study found that of women taking Lithium for 2 years 14% developed goitre. Treatable but not pleasant.

I wouldn't let negative effects put you off Lithium. If your sister took Lithium and it didn't lift her depression then there would be
no point in continuing to take it so long term effects would be irrelevant. If Lithium worked how long to take it would be a more complicated decision.

I hope the heart tests come out well. That would give your sister a far wider range of options.

[Amanda_George]

Welcome to the forum, Kath!  Just wondering if the medical bods have tested your sisters vitamin levels?  When my B12 was through the floor, the first injection made me feel better and more positive than I ever have in my life so it might be worth asking about?

[Kath131]

Hi Amanda I've read some of your posts. I wii mention this to her husband who will ask her psychiatrist.  Anything is worth  a try things are desperate for her (Sheila) but her husband as lost a stone in weight through worry. It's  true it has a knock on effect.

She us normally very chatty, but we barely get anything exact an odd yes or no from her at present.   I keep saying prayers as does her hubby but so far they haven't been answered.

Thank you for you reply.

Regards Kath

[Amanda_George]

I'll keep Sheila in my thoughts and hope that her Psychiatrist tests her B12 level... it really can make a lot of difference!  It seems to be something that isn't thought of by medical bods, unfortunately! 

[Pip]

Hi Kath,

A belated welcome from me.  I've become increasingly busy over the past three years with voluntary work which helps with my depression but on a down side I'm not getting on here so much.  We were visiting another member here, Stewart, last weekend so I'm in catching up mode.

With depression I think we are all aware that it's not just affecting the person but family as well regardless of whether another family member suffers with it or not.  It's not easy and even today depression still has a stigma.  A friend of ours who is a lovely, kind man thinks depression is just having low days even with us trying to educate him.  Rick, my husband, suffers with a major depressive disorder of the re-accuring type and I suffer with severe depression yet our friend just doesn't 'get it'.   

I hope the doctors can soon give your sister the right treatment.  It must be a worry not knowing if there is another reason for your sister not being well.

[Kath131]

Hi Kath,

A belated welcome from me.  I've become increasingly busy over the past three years with voluntary work which helps with my depression but on a down side I'm not getting on here so much.  We were visiting another member here, Stewart, last weekend so I'm in catching up mode.

With depression I think we are all aware that it's not just affecting the person but family as well regardless of whether another family member suffers with it or not.  It's not easy and even today depression still has a stigma.  A friend of ours who is a lovely, kind man thinks depression is just having low days even with us trying to educate him.  Rick, my husband, suffers with a major depressive disorder of the re-accuring type and I suffer with severe depression yet our friend just doesn't 'get it'.   

I hope the doctors can soon give your sister the right treatment.  It must be a worry not knowing if there is another reason for your sister not being well.

Hi Pip thank you for your welcome post. I actually answered your last post and hit the wrong key and lost all the typing which is so annoying! Just to say that I am so happy I found this forum, it has lots of really understanding and sympathetic people that know what your going through. I don't feel sorry for myself but my sister Sheila and her husband Eddie, he is really finding it hard to cope with seeing her like she is. His doctor has put him on a mild anti-depressant cos he was not sleeping or eating properly.

I only hope that the new drug they started her on last week will kick in and she shows some improvement. 

I will pop in now and then cos I will probably need a whinge, rant, at some point! 

Thanks for listening and all the best to you and your husband.
regards
Kath 

[Pip]

Oh it does help to get things off your chest