picking bits off clothing

[mickeyplum]

Is one of the symptoms of dementia an obsession with plucking 'bits' off clothing and cushions?

 

[karaokePete]

Obsessions are certainly a symptom of many types of dementia. They are many and varied.

Sometimes obsessive behaviour can be a symptom of anxiety so it's worth considering that as anxiety is a common bedfellow of dementia.

 

[Helly68]

Mummy picks stuff off her clothing all the time. She is monitored for drug therapy, mood etc, but like "pleating" the material of her clothes, this behaviour has been very prevalent for a while.

 

[Banjomansmate]

The Banjoman did this all the time for the most part of three years.

 

[jugglingmum]

My mum did this when she first had her crisis, although it lessened when we got her diagnosed and she started on donepezil.

She exhibited a lot of anxiety type behaviours which all lessened at this point.

It might be worth asking the GP for a meds review to see if an anti anxiety med can be added.

 

[Jale]

Mum once sat for about 30 minutes pulling the bobbly bits of wool off my jumper, she will also try and remove her name labels in her socks if she sees them, not much help to you I know but I think in a weird way it calms her

 

[RosettaT]

My OH often does this, mind you he always was particular about 'bits' on is clothing. He often will pick something up now and hand it me but there's nothing in his hands to hand over. No sure if misses the bits or drops them.

 

[Banjomansmate]

My OH often does this, mind you he always was particular about 'bits' on is clothing. He often will pick something up now and hand it me but there's nothing in his hands to hand over. No sure if misses the bits or drops them.

There was never anything for The Banjoman to pick up but he still gave them to me.
He never seemed anxious or distressed about it, I just put it down to Lewy Body hallucination.

 

[Justmary]

My husband used to do that. Now he spends a lot of time trying to pick the printed olives off the kitchen tablecloth.

 

[AztecCamera87]

Aye, my dad does this, I just assumed it was a comfort thing. He also won't let go of things hes picked up (like tissues, empty food packets etc, he will hold on with an iron grip. Just assumed it was a comfort thing.

Someone upthread said these sort of behaviours got better with Donepezil? It hasn't with dad, getting worse even. He's been on 5mg since diagnosis, I've been chasing memory clinic and GP for his meds to be reviewed, neither seems willing to do so, despite us being told it would be reviewed after 8 weeks!!!

 

[jenniferjean]

Someone upthread said these sort of behaviours got better with Donepezil? It hasn't with dad, getting worse even. He's been on 5mg since diagnosis, I've been chasing memory clinic and GP for his meds to be reviewed, neither seems willing to do so, despite us being told it would be reviewed after 8 weeks!!!

The whole point of Donepezil is to slow down Dementia, it certainly doesn't claim to make anything get better.
As to him being on 5mg of Donepezil and not having it reviewed when they said it would, I would make a song and dance about it if I were you. Keep on until someone listens.