body Temperature

Bobbywec

Registered User
Nov 24, 2015
1
0
Cannock
My wife 82 has Alzheimer's, Over the past few months she has been experiencing changes of body temperature. Either very hot or very cold. Does anyone else have experience of this?
 

fizzie

Registered User
Jul 20, 2011
2,725
0
Has she got an infection or a virus? Usually body temp is a good indication that something is awry. Have you had GP do an MOT? I think it would be worth checking with your doctor x
 

sleepless

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
3,223
0
The Sweet North
Welcome to Talking Point.
I have no experience of this, but thought I would ask you --
Does your wife feel cold or hot to you?
Or is it just a mistaken perception she has, that she is cold or hot?
We often read on here of people who say they are cold when they clearly aren't, and this seems to be down to the brain not functioning properly regarding sensation of temperature, or sending the wrong messages.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
My wife with LBD lost complete control of body temperature.

It was explained to me as a result of disturbances in autonomic processes.
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
0
nitram could you give a bit more detail please?

My Mum's freezing cold to the touch sometimes on her arms and legs but isn't giving any signs that she's cold. We think she can't communicate .. so that may explain the lack of complaint. When she could communicate though she hated being cold (and it took a (minimum!) temperature of 80 degrees F for her to feel warm!).
 

sleepless

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
3,223
0
The Sweet North
My wife with LBD lost complete control of body temperature.

It was explained to me as a result of disturbances in autonomic processes.

Does this mean that her brain was failing to control her temperature via the usual mechanisms?
Did you then have to cover / uncover her accordingly?
 

joggyb

Registered User
Dec 1, 2014
119
0
nitram could you give a bit more detail please?

My Mum's freezing cold to the touch sometimes on her arms and legs but isn't giving any signs that she's cold. We think she can't communicate .. so that may explain the lack of complaint. When she could communicate though she hated being cold (and it took a (minimum!) temperature of 80 degrees F for her to feel warm!).

My Dad (diagnosed with just Alzheimer's, but we suspect now has mixed dementias) often seems to have no sense of temperature - either his own, or the external temperature. When I visited him on the hottest day of the year this year, he had 4 tops on, plus a winter puffer jacket...

I don't think it's uncommon. As another TPer has said, it's indicative of the brain's degeneration.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"...Did you then have to cover / uncover her accordingly?..."

Yes, and try to take excessive sweating into account in the fluid balance spreadsheet.
 

stanleypj

Registered User
Dec 8, 2011
10,712
0
North West
I don't think anyone's mentioned this but do the people they care actually have a high temperature when they feel hot and are sweating? I only ask because Sue sometimes gets hot and sweaty but her temp remains normal.
 

nitram

Registered User
Apr 6, 2011
30,081
0
Bury
"...do the people they care actually have a high temperature when they feel hot and are sweating?"

If they had a high temperature I would class it as fever ask for advice.

Sweating with a normal body temperature could be because the message from the brain saying 'sweat now' is sent erroneously.

Feeling the area sweating to gauge body temperature is not accurate, the skin will be cooled by the evaporation of the sweat.
 

Batsue

Registered User
Nov 4, 2014
4,893
0
Scotland
My mum has had what I would describe as hot flushes for the past year and they seem to be getting worse, they only appear to affect her head and neck, she has a formal diagnosis of Alzheimer's. Our GP has done various tests but has not found anything suspicious and thinks it is probably the part of her brain that senses temperature not working properly.