Alzheimers and walking

Lurcherlass

Registered User
Feb 3, 2017
2
0
My husband was diagnosed by a SPEC scan last August - mild to moderate Alzheimers with speech loss was diagnosed. Since Christmas my husband has deteriorated extremely quickly losing a lot of his motor skills - he can no longer read or write and his walking has become really poor having to use a stick. He also thinks when he is standing up he is standing straight but he is actually leaning backwards. On Monday this week he took our dogs for a walk and was okay and then when he tried to get out of bed on Tuesday, his legs would not support him. All tests so far are negative. We now have a neurologist looking at him and arranging further tests.

Has anyone ever (a) known Alzheimers to progress extremely fast
(b) known anyone lose their walking ability

Thank you
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
Mum's ability to walk independently of help has gone now (though sometimes she does sneak off - and falls).

Mum leans backward and I think can no longer orient herself in space.
 

HillyBilly

Registered User
Dec 21, 2015
1,946
0
Ireland
Loss of mobility seems to be quite common. Would a Zimmer frame be better for your husband maybe? Do you have an OT you could refer to?
 

Kevinl

Registered User
Aug 24, 2013
6,064
0
Salford
Hi Lurcherlass, welcome to TP
There is no logic in it, today a walk from the dining room to the lounge took my wife 10 minutes with 2 near falls, yesterday we walked the length of the home twice perfectly, two weeks ago I used a wheelchair (for the first time) to get her round.
I daily see other residents go up and down in mobility, from one extreme to the next mobility is a bit of a yoyo thing, on the bright side if you have some lurchers he could always ride them home:)
K
 

Grannie G

Volunteer Moderator
Apr 3, 2006
81,447
0
Kent
I second Kevin`s experiences.

There is no rhyme or reason to the loss of mobility although my husband`s consultant did say certain medication, taken long term, can have a detrimental effect on mobility.
 

Angie1996

Registered User
May 15, 2016
515
0
Somerset
My dad was diagnosed Jan 16 and died Dec 16, although he definitely had it the year before, he was quite rapid.

Regarding walking, he walked fine, but from September 16 onwards, his walking started to deteriorate, when he got pneumonia his walking got far worse.

He used to say to me that his "legs wont work properly" he used to get very frustrated with it, I was pretty shocked to see this.

It was a combination of the infections and Alzheimer's.

When the infection cleared he walked better, but went downhill again each time he got another infection.
 

sajimjo

Registered User
Jun 18, 2013
130
0
Staffordshire
My partner's mobility has been up and down the last few days. Couldn't get him out of bed last night to go to the loo, tried several times. Tried a urinal, that didn't work, so in the morning he was very wet. His legs go like jelly and just give way, he has fallen once. Eventually I got him up, in the bath and down the stairs. In fact he has been up and down the stairs several times today.
We had a physiotherapist come to the house recently and was surprised at how well OH managed the stairs. He left us with a walking frame.
GP is doing checks on him now. He takes Tegretol for epileptic fits and I noticed his mobility and confusion got worse initially, but the fits were daily and incapacitating.
Wish I could wave a magic wand to help you all.
Sajimjo
 

KatieRich

Registered User
Jan 3, 2017
63
0
50
Derby
Hi Lurcherlass. (Great name I've had lurchers for almost 20years)
My dad has had a rapid decline. Was diagnosed a year ago but we know he had it long before then. From about oct/Nov onwards things got really bad. So unstable on his feet and falling every day.
Not only confusing for them when things decline fast, it is for us too. I look back from Xmas to now and cannot believe the difference.
I hope you are bearing up ok, take care of yourself x
 

Hornblower

Registered User
Jun 24, 2016
8
0
Cumbria
My wife suddenly lost her ability to walk. She could walk without any problems until she had a fall about three months ago. Scans showed nothing broken but she could not stand up or walk.

At first we thought the pain in her thigh was to blame but as time passed, she remained immobile. She tried to stand up a few times but lost her balance and fell so I tried to help her stay upright. She wouldn't lean forward to keep her balance and she kept falling back into her chair. She doesn't try to stand these days and can no longer bear her own weight.

We don't know if it was the initial fall, the loss of balance or the progression of her AD that is the cause. To complicate matters, this sudden immobility occurred when she was discharged from a secure assessment unit to an EMI care home. I arrived at the home minutes after she had been left there by the hospital staff to find her in much distress. Then I was told that her antipsychotic medicine was missing from the pack supplied by the hospital - there should have been two weeks supply of each of her meds. She fell the next morning.



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Loopylou7770

Registered User
May 4, 2013
10
0
Hertfordshire
My Dad lost his ability to walk last year and stopped eating, it was so sudden, he then had seizures and was rushed into hospital, I think this actually saved his life, his body wasn't copying with his medication he was on respirodone anti psychotic meds, the Doctor told us he was allergic to the meds. 4 days later after stopping he was up walking around again. I've heard from several people about different medication effecting their loved ones, the trouble with the medication it fixes one problem and replaces it with another, there was another man who couldn't lift his head up at all, meds were changed and his heads up, looking around. So I would check Medication and read up, ask them to be changed if you feel it maybe them. As the illness progresses they do lose the ability to walk, talk and eat,
And everyone at different stages, but if your gut feeling says it's not feeling right QUESTION it. X


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Lurcherlass

Registered User
Feb 3, 2017
2
0
Thanks

Thanks to you all for replying. At the moment my husband is still in hospital and the staff are doing MRI scans and EEG to make sure there is nothing else going on.

Yes Katie Rich I do have lurchers and have had for many, many years....don't know what I would do without them.