Agitation medication towards end of life

My mum has had a reare cancer. Diagnosed terminal 2022. She’s been bed bound and barely eating mainly complan shakes for a year. She’s literally skin and bone. Last Thursday 10th April 2025 she was silent sleeping constantly no food no water for 3 days. The nurse checked her oxygen it was 79/80 her blood pressure was 40. They said she’s actively dying. She now has a seringe driver with agitation medication and pain relief. Unless she has the agitation medication she will scream out cry out grab her clothes trying to sit up ect. Then 2 days ago 17th April my mum started drinking water through a straw and complans and eating very little like teaspoons of ice cream. She hadn’t spoken when all this started but the last 3 days she’s saying bits and bobs. To me it seems like it’s not agitation or end of life. I feel like she’s not actively dying now? They won’t check her observations again. I don’t know what to think. Is this just a new stage of her illness and she’s going to be like this months and months? 

  • Hi there and thank you for your post

    I am sorry to hear about your mum, this must be such a difficult time for you.

    Without anyone here being involved in your mum's care it is difficult for us to be able to say much about what may or not be going on.

    Sometimes people at the end of life can seem to improve before suddenly taking a turn for the worse. It is best to speak to the doctor and nurses involved in your mum's care and get their thoughts about this.

    I hope that whatever your mum is kept comfortable.

    Take care, I appreciate this can't be easy.

    Naomi