pamdemonium
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2010
- Messages
- 47
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Country
- US
- State
- NY
- City
- Albany
Hello
My father-in-law is in the advanced stages of PBP-onset ALS. He cannot talk or use his hands or feet at all. We are waiting for the arrival of an eye-max for him but in the meantime we are having a very difficult time communicating with him.
My mother-in-law takes care of him evenings and overnight. My brother-in-law takes care of him during the day while my mother-in-law goes to work. She is still working full time in addition to taking care of my FIL.
In the past few weeks, my FIL has not been able to sleep at all. They have tried several sleeping pills (ambien, lunesta and restoril). None of them are working and they seem to be having some terrible side effects (like extreme swelling of his hands and feet). He is literally not sleeping at all. He seems agitated but cannot tell us why. As a result of his inability to sleep, my MIL is not sleeping either.
They are both a mess. My mother-in-law seems like a woman on the verge of a breakdown. She is impatient with my FIL, which is understandable but still very disturbing. It cannot go on like this. My husband and I do not live close enough to help with the day-to-day care. We have encouraged her to bring on at least one additional person to help with his care. I am hoping she will do that soon. But that does not relieve his suffering at all.
Have any PALS struggled with this sort of hardcore insomnia that was not resolved with the normal sleeping pills?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Pam
My father-in-law is in the advanced stages of PBP-onset ALS. He cannot talk or use his hands or feet at all. We are waiting for the arrival of an eye-max for him but in the meantime we are having a very difficult time communicating with him.
My mother-in-law takes care of him evenings and overnight. My brother-in-law takes care of him during the day while my mother-in-law goes to work. She is still working full time in addition to taking care of my FIL.
In the past few weeks, my FIL has not been able to sleep at all. They have tried several sleeping pills (ambien, lunesta and restoril). None of them are working and they seem to be having some terrible side effects (like extreme swelling of his hands and feet). He is literally not sleeping at all. He seems agitated but cannot tell us why. As a result of his inability to sleep, my MIL is not sleeping either.
They are both a mess. My mother-in-law seems like a woman on the verge of a breakdown. She is impatient with my FIL, which is understandable but still very disturbing. It cannot go on like this. My husband and I do not live close enough to help with the day-to-day care. We have encouraged her to bring on at least one additional person to help with his care. I am hoping she will do that soon. But that does not relieve his suffering at all.
Have any PALS struggled with this sort of hardcore insomnia that was not resolved with the normal sleeping pills?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Pam
