Mary Ann has been noticeably weaker lately.  Of course, we have been trying to regain ground after what was lost in the three day hospital stay.  It seems as if the last few days have taken us the wrong direction.

The question is, what is the cause of this latest decline, albeit a comparatively small decline.  Is it the result of cutting back on the Midodrine and adding the Mestinon to her medication regimen a few days ago?  Check the last few posts on this blog for an explanation of what those meds do and why she is taking them.

One of the folks in the online Caregiver Spouses group mentioned weakness as a potential side effect of the Mestinon.  I am trying to get more information on that possibility.

Another side effect of the Mestinon is diarrhea.  There have been quite a number of trips to the bathroom that might be caused by the medicine.  The information sheet from the pharmacy suggests that this and other potential side effects may subside after a time.  I am hoping that her intestines will settle, so that she can continue the medicine.  It is not certain yet that the new medicine is having the sought for impact on the problem.

If we have simply lost ground in the battle against the Parkinson’s Disease itself, the Parkinson’s Disease Dementia (a Lewy Body Dementia) and the resulting Autonomic Nervous System dysfunctions, we will handle it and incorporate it into a new version of normal.  If, as the timing suggests, the medications are mostly the cause of the decline, we can do some more tweaking, adding, subtracting, or whatever has the potential of helping us regain lost ground.

For now, I’m tired. She seems to be sleeping.  I think I will try that out too.

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