Observation: Pharmaceuticals vs. Natural Remedies

Mom, waiting to be discharged from the hospital
She was impatient.

My mom had a rough week which began over a week ago this past Friday.  She had become non-responsive and wouldn't wake up.  She was hospitalized for 3 days.

In the hospital, I was allowed to give my mom the natural remedies that she had been taking at home.  Blood Pressure 200+/80+ last Saturday, I gave my mom the herbal drink to lower her pressure.  Within one hour, the nurses checked her readings and her pressure dropped to 138/70.  Mom sprang back.

Pneumonia was getting the best of her and by Sunday, she was non-responsive again with very high blood pressure.  I couldn't get her to open her mouth in order to take the drink.  I made the decision to give her pharmaceuticals to lower her pressure.

Clonidine seemed to work great for a few days, helping her cognition while lowering her pressure.  The drug lowered her pressure too much; 113/53.  Mom has a tendency to jump up fast to see her hallucinations, not a very good mix with dizziness caused by low blood pressure.

Mom, she couldn't walk unassisted.

She needed help doing everything, even eating.

Mom couldn't communicate very well.

Agitation, fright and combative behaviors replaced my mom's happy disposition.

How was I going to care for my mom while she was in this condition?

I spoke to her doctors and on Friday this past week, I spent the entire day calling and visiting nursing homes.  I was desperate for a bed to open for her.  No way could I care for her while on pharmaceutical drugs; they made her worse.  The condition that she was in, she needed 24 hour care; care that I could not provide.

I came up empty.  I refuse to put her in a substandard home, the only homes with beds available.  I had to do something.

Our next option was to put her back on the natural remedies and ween her off the pharmaceutical blood pressure medicine.  I began to do this on Friday night.

All day I checked Mom's blood pressure yesterday, it was staying steady at 160/60.  Mom ate very well, her appetite is returning now that she's back on her regular regime.  She's more steady on her feet and can walk by herself without falling over like a Weeble.

Mom slept through the night and was able to get up and use the toilet by herself; tucking herself back in bed.  Odd behaviors vanished as quickly as they came on when we stopped the pharma drug.

I made an observation with how pharmaceuticals and natural remedies stack up.  The natural remedies work better for my mom; they're more gentle on her system.  She appears to have better days using natural remedies with minimal agitation.