Stopping meds made Swedish woman's 'dementia' disappear

[joeblow]

Stopping meds made Swedish woman's 'dementia' disappear

http://www.thelocal.se/19554/20090520/

Published: 20 May 09 07:31 CET

An 86-year-old Swedish woman who had been ill for several years and was thought to be suffering from dementia made a rapid and unexpected recovery when doctors stopped her medication.

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A doctor at the clinic in Leksand in central Sweden where the woman was a patient abandoned hope for the woman's recovery and had decided to commence with end-of-life care.

But during an extra examination, it was discovered that the woman's blood had elevated levels of a medication to treat epilepsy.

When the doctor then decided to terminate the woman's medication, she became noticeably better, writes the Falu-Kuriren newspaper.

"She went from being totally unresponsive, where she could only swallow sometimes if food was put in her mouth, to being awake, and was able to eat and drink and engage in a conversation," said head doctor Sven-Axel Andersson, to the Expressen newspaper.

A further review of the woman's medical files revealed that eight years had passed since her dosage had last been checked.

The Leksand clinic has now reported the matter to health authorities as stipulated by Sweden's Lex Maria medical laws.

"What can I say? It's a regrettable situation, obviously," said clinic head Lena Törnfeldt to Falu-Kuriren.

TT/The Local (mailto:news@thelocal.se">news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)