Brain keeps shutting down - high blood pressure

Dayperson

Registered User
Feb 18, 2015
278
0
I've noticed my mums mental health has deteriorated this year but I think she has dementia but I'm not sure. The simplest of tasks like making porridge is beyond her but it seems like her brain just shuts down, like a computer doing a reboot, only she has no back up.

A example is that the other day I gave her some clothes to put on to go out in, she half put them on and went into her room. I checked back 10 minutes later and she had taken them off and put her other ones on as though she was unaware we were meant to be going out.

There has been numerous other occasions of her doing out of character things such as going out in shoes without socks etc.

I'm guessing this is dementia and the doctor knows but won't help. She has high blood pressure and he says the two are related. I'm guessing her brain cuts off when her blood pressure is too high?

Anyone else had relatives with dementia linked to high blood pressure? Is there anything we can do to help her?
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
hi there
my mum had vascular dementia and would do similar things but there are lots of reasons and some people have mentioned confusion due to lack of some vitamins or similar in the body - someone will be along soon with more info.

It sounds as though further investigations might be helpful - and the way forward would be to ask the GP for a referral or second opinion on blood pressure and possibly the memory clinic?? It would set your mind at rest and would help sort out if there is any treatment - most importantly xxx
 

balloo

Registered User
Sep 21, 2013
227
0
northamptonshire
hi there
my mum had vascular dementia and would do similar things but there are lots of reasons and some people have mentioned confusion due to lack of some vitamins or similar in the body - someone will be along soon with more info.

It sounds as though further investigations might be helpful - and the way forward would be to ask the GP for a referral or second opinion on blood pressure and possibly the memory clinic?? It would set your mind at rest and would help sort out if there is any treatment - most importantly xxx

my MIl has suffered for 30 plus years with high blood pressure she was diagnosed 3 years ago with Vascular dementia , we could see problems 4 -5 years before this ringing us and saying she not spoke to us for weeks when we only rang the day before, complaining her heating would not come on at correct time ( thats because she kept messing about with the controls thats when the plumber rang us as he had had enough of being called 2-3 times a day sayig it was not working. the only meds she was given after being diagnosed was sitsatin and disbrine to try and stop her arteries clogging up any more . She now seams to black out when sitting in her chair or in bed .( she has lived with us for 3 years) takes about 1-2 hrs for her to come out of the semicontiousness , get them to GP the sooner you know what you dealing with the better
 

Dayperson

Registered User
Feb 18, 2015
278
0
Glad I'm not going mad

Thanks for your reply, I thought I wasn't going mad when I linked her high blood pressure to her recent behaviour. Do you notice any warning signs before she blanks out? I'm wondering if it just happens when her blood pressure gets too high?

Yesterday my dad was trying to fix my mums chest of draws and put her clean but not fresh smelling clothes on the bed. When they went to bed two hours ago, I heard some raised voices possibly due to the clothes. Then mum put the lights on and went downstairs for what seems like an eternity but in reality was probably an hour. I have no idea what she was doing, I suspect maybe she was having one of her episodes and couldn't think what to do. I am a very light sleeper so this kept me awake (as well as the facet she was up at 4am on Saturday morning). My dad tells me that when she wakes up in the night, it can take her over an hour to get back to bed and she will keep walking up and down the stairs at early hours and then go downstairs to a cold room before dad and I are awake.

Sorry for my rant but I'm hoping that by getting if off my chest I may be able to sleep.

As for diagnosis we are stuck until we can move house and to move house we need to get work sorted so disrupted nights sleep and disruptions during the day are having their toll on both dad and I and making a hard task even harder.