Aa
my mum seems to be very confused all of a sudden and hallucinating.
hello,
my mother suffers from depression and anxiety. lately she has been hallucinating. she had some episodes last summer during away at our summer place but we didnt do anything as they stopped when we returned home. Actually she took antidepressants, Seropram and Xanax. but we stopped them after six months.Also she has very poor eyesight. so its easy to confuse shapes and shadows. She does not hear voices. Now the images have come back. she was seeing fires and waking me up to leave the flat or seeing people in the house. Her psychiatrist prescribed her now with Respidral for the hallucinations which does help a lot and Bespar for anxiety, both in very mild doses. It been about a month that she takes them and they help. but still she talks to poeple who arent there or me even tho im in another room. She dreams at night and wakes up but is in a total dream world state of mind. so she couldnt find the bathroom. and used the tub or the floor. also she suddenly bends a lot and walks in small steps. she never did that before. she dresses still and is ok in general but she does strange things and has very little energy. takes long to describe things sometimes they dont make sense and even she get tored to get her point across. she walked out of our flat in her underwear and the dog, said she left the door open cos she has trouble using the key so the door shut and she was left outside in the hall. she didnt go out of the building she thought better not. the neighbour helped as i was away for some hours. But now they think in the building she has alzheimers.
Last year we did a ct scan and there was nothing wrong apart form normal age depletion, could that have changed so fast towards dementia in one year? she also did blood tests a few weeks ago and they are all good. nothing there to worry about. but she is terribly absent minded specially as she gets tired throughout the day.
i am very worried about her and dont know if i should believe that this is dementia. i ask her if shes lost her mind and she says no. At first the doctor said it was depression with temporary psychotic effects. but now he told me it may well be the early satges of dementia. My mum was never a genius at following instructions they make her nervous, or anything to do with electrical appliances. shes quite cut off from practicalities as she is living in a foreign country from her native and chose not to learn the language very well. all this is due to personal experiences from withing her life. She is Australian but married a Greek and lives in Athens for over thirty years.
I dont know how to respond to all this. could it be something temporary? i hope so but maybe not.. any good advice anything that can help.
thank you
my mother suffers from depression and anxiety. lately she has been hallucinating. she had some episodes last summer during away at our summer place but we didnt do anything as they stopped when we returned home. Actually she took antidepressants, Seropram and Xanax. but we stopped them after six months.Also she has very poor eyesight. so its easy to confuse shapes and shadows. She does not hear voices. Now the images have come back. she was seeing fires and waking me up to leave the flat or seeing people in the house. Her psychiatrist prescribed her now with Respidral for the hallucinations which does help a lot and Bespar for anxiety, both in very mild doses. It been about a month that she takes them and they help. but still she talks to poeple who arent there or me even tho im in another room. She dreams at night and wakes up but is in a total dream world state of mind. so she couldnt find the bathroom. and used the tub or the floor. also she suddenly bends a lot and walks in small steps. she never did that before. she dresses still and is ok in general but she does strange things and has very little energy. takes long to describe things sometimes they dont make sense and even she get tored to get her point across. she walked out of our flat in her underwear and the dog, said she left the door open cos she has trouble using the key so the door shut and she was left outside in the hall. she didnt go out of the building she thought better not. the neighbour helped as i was away for some hours. But now they think in the building she has alzheimers.
Last year we did a ct scan and there was nothing wrong apart form normal age depletion, could that have changed so fast towards dementia in one year? she also did blood tests a few weeks ago and they are all good. nothing there to worry about. but she is terribly absent minded specially as she gets tired throughout the day.
i am very worried about her and dont know if i should believe that this is dementia. i ask her if shes lost her mind and she says no. At first the doctor said it was depression with temporary psychotic effects. but now he told me it may well be the early satges of dementia. My mum was never a genius at following instructions they make her nervous, or anything to do with electrical appliances. shes quite cut off from practicalities as she is living in a foreign country from her native and chose not to learn the language very well. all this is due to personal experiences from withing her life. She is Australian but married a Greek and lives in Athens for over thirty years.
I dont know how to respond to all this. could it be something temporary? i hope so but maybe not.. any good advice anything that can help.
thank you
Dear Tuck ,
Thanks for asking.. things are going difficult. in the recent days ive seen her have urinary incontinence at night and yesterday it was faecal. luckily i got her to the WC but i was shoked to see that - sorry for the detailing here - that she was stooling so much. not diarea. just the regular. it seemed the muscle couldnt keep the passage shut. Is this a common symptom?
She is very very weak. and i took her weight in kilos she is about 40 kgrm and 160cm hight.
Has she entered into a further stage? her behaviour has not changed much. she might say some things that are surreal but we communicate.
I would liek to know if she ismoving at a fast pace or is this standard and how long does each stage last.
What surprises me the most is the sudden come down within a month. Tho of course there were signs but her total lack of beleif and comprehension of her surroundings changed suddenly. Is this a typical way?
Thank again for asking..
best,
Isabelle
Thanks for asking.. things are going difficult. in the recent days ive seen her have urinary incontinence at night and yesterday it was faecal. luckily i got her to the WC but i was shoked to see that - sorry for the detailing here - that she was stooling so much. not diarea. just the regular. it seemed the muscle couldnt keep the passage shut. Is this a common symptom?
She is very very weak. and i took her weight in kilos she is about 40 kgrm and 160cm hight.
Has she entered into a further stage? her behaviour has not changed much. she might say some things that are surreal but we communicate.
I would liek to know if she ismoving at a fast pace or is this standard and how long does each stage last.
What surprises me the most is the sudden come down within a month. Tho of course there were signs but her total lack of beleif and comprehension of her surroundings changed suddenly. Is this a typical way?
Thank again for asking..
best,
Isabelle
Hi Isabelle,
Just checking in to see how you are your mom are doing.
My Best,
~Tuck
Just checking in to see how you are your mom are doing.
My Best,
~Tuck
Isabelle, I'm so sorry that I'm late with your answer as to the Risperdal. I don't have any direct knowledge of that medication as far as Alzheimer's and the elderly. When my Mom ahd Alzheimer's in the early 1990's there weren't many medications out there to help her. Unfortunately, we didn't have any medications to ease her suffering what-so-ever. We were all on our own at that time. :(
I do know from my Autistic Granddaughter having taken it and reading the literature that came with it, that, just as Tuck has stated, it is not recommended for anyone with Dementia!! If it were me, I'd do exactly what Tuck recommended that you do and contact a Doctor that specializes in Geriatric Medicine. We were fortunate enough to have a Geriatric Specialist otherwise known as a Geronotologist, that treated my Mother. I do hope that you will find such a Specialist, immediately, to help with your Mother's treatment. I hope that you will see a change in her after he/she begins to treat your Mother. At least I Pray that you will see a change quickly!!
Please know that I'm keeping you in my Thoughts and Prayers as you go through this journey with your Sweet Mother.
We will be here for you, always,,,,,,,,,,,,Sherry :)
I do know from my Autistic Granddaughter having taken it and reading the literature that came with it, that, just as Tuck has stated, it is not recommended for anyone with Dementia!! If it were me, I'd do exactly what Tuck recommended that you do and contact a Doctor that specializes in Geriatric Medicine. We were fortunate enough to have a Geriatric Specialist otherwise known as a Geronotologist, that treated my Mother. I do hope that you will find such a Specialist, immediately, to help with your Mother's treatment. I hope that you will see a change in her after he/she begins to treat your Mother. At least I Pray that you will see a change quickly!!
Please know that I'm keeping you in my Thoughts and Prayers as you go through this journey with your Sweet Mother.
We will be here for you, always,,,,,,,,,,,,Sherry :)
Sorry I am tardy with my response. I have been helping with the care of my mom. She had a Brain Scan the other day and she needed some groceries, etc.
Back to your first question regarding "Will I see awful things." Much depends on her diagnosis. Unless I missed it she doesn't have a true diagnosis as of yet. I really suggest that she have a Brain Scan so you know what you are dealing with and what lies ahead.
Sorry to say that Alzheimer's is a terrible Disease. Among other things it robs a person of their memories which bring many ppl comfort in their Senior Years. Initially they are aware that they are losing their cognitive abilities. I think that is sad. As time passes they are no longer aware of what they have lost and to a degree that is almost better in my opinion.
What to say to your mother? A great question and one that at this point I don't think you can truthfully answer. Be comforting, always be comforting. Maybe something like, "We don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.... but I will be here to help you through whatever lies ahead." I would not lie to her but I wouldn't tell her things like, "You'll lose your mind." She needs all the kindness and comfort she can get right now.
As far as the supplements, I would ask her physician and pharmacist to make sure that none of them will interfere with her medications. If they won't, anything that is safe is worth a try.
Risperdal does come with a warning not to be given to patients with Dementia. That is one of the reasons I have suggested a consult with a Gerontologist. They are the best at sorting out medications and treatments for Seniors.
Don't forget to take care of you. There are support groups and we even have an Alzheimer's Forum. You are going to need support as much as your mother needs it. We're here.
My Best to You,
~Tuck
Back to your first question regarding "Will I see awful things." Much depends on her diagnosis. Unless I missed it she doesn't have a true diagnosis as of yet. I really suggest that she have a Brain Scan so you know what you are dealing with and what lies ahead.
Sorry to say that Alzheimer's is a terrible Disease. Among other things it robs a person of their memories which bring many ppl comfort in their Senior Years. Initially they are aware that they are losing their cognitive abilities. I think that is sad. As time passes they are no longer aware of what they have lost and to a degree that is almost better in my opinion.
What to say to your mother? A great question and one that at this point I don't think you can truthfully answer. Be comforting, always be comforting. Maybe something like, "We don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.... but I will be here to help you through whatever lies ahead." I would not lie to her but I wouldn't tell her things like, "You'll lose your mind." She needs all the kindness and comfort she can get right now.
As far as the supplements, I would ask her physician and pharmacist to make sure that none of them will interfere with her medications. If they won't, anything that is safe is worth a try.
Risperdal does come with a warning not to be given to patients with Dementia. That is one of the reasons I have suggested a consult with a Gerontologist. They are the best at sorting out medications and treatments for Seniors.
Don't forget to take care of you. There are support groups and we even have an Alzheimer's Forum. You are going to need support as much as your mother needs it. We're here.
My Best to You,
~Tuck
thank you for the encouragement. it is nice to hear. it helps.
on a medical level please do you knwo to tell me about Risperidone. Risperdal otherwise.
when i give it to her she has tremors and feels very heavy i had to massage her around the neck as she gets stifness.
doctor insist i continue giving it to her. but on the directions of the med in the box it says not to be gven to patients with dementia. is that true? i have reduced it a little bit but hallucinaitons through dream are still there..
on a medical level please do you knwo to tell me about Risperidone. Risperdal otherwise.
when i give it to her she has tremors and feels very heavy i had to massage her around the neck as she gets stifness.
doctor insist i continue giving it to her. but on the directions of the med in the box it says not to be gven to patients with dementia. is that true? i have reduced it a little bit but hallucinaitons through dream are still there..
Hi Isabelle,
I'm sorry that you are having to go through this with your Sweet Mother!! I know, all too well, all of the fears and frustrations that you are facing at this time. There's nothing more frightening than what you are going through at the present time.
I lost both my Mother and Father in the summer of 1994 just 6 weeks apart. I lost my Dad to a broken hears 6 weeks after the loss of my Mom. My Dad and I went through several years of heartache with my Mom before she passed away from Cancer. She not only had Cancer but she also suffered from Moderate Alzheimer's!! I told you this so that you would understand that I, too, know the numerous challenges that come with being an, only Caregiver for your Mom. Even though it has been more than 17 years now, I still remember the numerous challenges that you face daily as you go through all that you are going through daily.
It was such a sad thing to watch my Mom, who was an extremely brilliant woman, have to suffer from this debilitating disease. As you are seeing, it's so sad to have them ask you when this will get better and when will they start to remember again. My Mom felt so helpless and in turn it made me feel so helpless when it came to helping her. There was nothing that I could do or say to her that would make everything alright for her again. All she wanted was for everything to go back to normal as it hd been before all of this started. I, too, would feel so helpless when it came to giving her the answers that she longed for. I didn't know what to say to her or how to answer any of her questions, no matter what they were. :(
As Tuck has told you, you must keep up your strength and try your hardest to keep some semblance of a normal life!!! There is nothing more important than that, so that you will keep your sanity about you!!!! You must not forget about YOU!!! You are the most important person here as it's up to you to take care of your Sweet Mother. If you lose yourself then you won't be of any help to your Sweet Mother. I know that you want to be there to help her but you need to come up with some way to get some breaks for yourself.
Have you contacted any of the Hospice's or any of the Alzheimer's Organization's around the area where you live?
When my Husband was dying in 1997, I was able to get help from the Hospice Organizations for some "Babysitting" so I could get out for some important Legal meetings or Grocery Shopping or just to get out for an hour or 2 every week. It literally saved my sanity!!
Now I realize that your Sweet Mother isn't terminal and hasn't even been diagnosed with Alzheimer's as of yet but as soon as you get a diagnosis, you definitely need to start searching for Organization's that can be of help to you, my Dear Isabelle!!! You need help for yourself as both Tuck and I have said. :( I can't even begin to tell you the times that I just wanted to climb into a hole and never come out again as it just seemed so over-whelming to me. I couldn't stand to see my Beautiful and vivacious Mother the way that she had become. It, literally, broke my heart to watch her!!! Please take care of yourself!!!
I definitely agree with Tuck the you do need to get another CT Scan or MRI done immediately!! Things most definitely could have changed in a year's time. You wan to get this diagnosed as early as possible as they have made some astounding improvements in the treatment of Alzheimer's or Dementia. You need to catch it on the ground floor so that you can start immediately with the medications so that your Sweet Mother can have the help that she needs and deserves as early as possible!! Please don't hesitate as this is crucial to your Sweet Mother's healthy outlook in life.
I wish you the very best and I hope that you will continue to keep us updated on your Mother's well-being as well as your own.
We will all be looking for your updates and look forward to seeing how you are doing. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and Prayers and just know that we are here for you.
I'm sending you ((((HUGS)))) form one Caregiver to another...........Sherry :)
I'm sorry that you are having to go through this with your Sweet Mother!! I know, all too well, all of the fears and frustrations that you are facing at this time. There's nothing more frightening than what you are going through at the present time.
I lost both my Mother and Father in the summer of 1994 just 6 weeks apart. I lost my Dad to a broken hears 6 weeks after the loss of my Mom. My Dad and I went through several years of heartache with my Mom before she passed away from Cancer. She not only had Cancer but she also suffered from Moderate Alzheimer's!! I told you this so that you would understand that I, too, know the numerous challenges that come with being an, only Caregiver for your Mom. Even though it has been more than 17 years now, I still remember the numerous challenges that you face daily as you go through all that you are going through daily.
It was such a sad thing to watch my Mom, who was an extremely brilliant woman, have to suffer from this debilitating disease. As you are seeing, it's so sad to have them ask you when this will get better and when will they start to remember again. My Mom felt so helpless and in turn it made me feel so helpless when it came to helping her. There was nothing that I could do or say to her that would make everything alright for her again. All she wanted was for everything to go back to normal as it hd been before all of this started. I, too, would feel so helpless when it came to giving her the answers that she longed for. I didn't know what to say to her or how to answer any of her questions, no matter what they were. :(
As Tuck has told you, you must keep up your strength and try your hardest to keep some semblance of a normal life!!! There is nothing more important than that, so that you will keep your sanity about you!!!! You must not forget about YOU!!! You are the most important person here as it's up to you to take care of your Sweet Mother. If you lose yourself then you won't be of any help to your Sweet Mother. I know that you want to be there to help her but you need to come up with some way to get some breaks for yourself.
Have you contacted any of the Hospice's or any of the Alzheimer's Organization's around the area where you live?
When my Husband was dying in 1997, I was able to get help from the Hospice Organizations for some "Babysitting" so I could get out for some important Legal meetings or Grocery Shopping or just to get out for an hour or 2 every week. It literally saved my sanity!!
Now I realize that your Sweet Mother isn't terminal and hasn't even been diagnosed with Alzheimer's as of yet but as soon as you get a diagnosis, you definitely need to start searching for Organization's that can be of help to you, my Dear Isabelle!!! You need help for yourself as both Tuck and I have said. :( I can't even begin to tell you the times that I just wanted to climb into a hole and never come out again as it just seemed so over-whelming to me. I couldn't stand to see my Beautiful and vivacious Mother the way that she had become. It, literally, broke my heart to watch her!!! Please take care of yourself!!!
I definitely agree with Tuck the you do need to get another CT Scan or MRI done immediately!! Things most definitely could have changed in a year's time. You wan to get this diagnosed as early as possible as they have made some astounding improvements in the treatment of Alzheimer's or Dementia. You need to catch it on the ground floor so that you can start immediately with the medications so that your Sweet Mother can have the help that she needs and deserves as early as possible!! Please don't hesitate as this is crucial to your Sweet Mother's healthy outlook in life.
I wish you the very best and I hope that you will continue to keep us updated on your Mother's well-being as well as your own.
We will all be looking for your updates and look forward to seeing how you are doing. I'm keeping you in my thoughts and Prayers and just know that we are here for you.
I'm sending you ((((HUGS)))) form one Caregiver to another...........Sherry :)
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