I wonder if anyone can please please help me answer whether Alzheimer's can very suddenly escalate? My Mum has suddenly over three weeks got so much worse, she cannot tell the time, she is acting psychotically and is manic and tenfold more anxious. I have got the dementia services coming out again tomorrow and am hoping they will now finally get some support in or that I can get mummy into a home so that she can have respite from her truly sad existence (and I can have some calm after 5/6 years). It is so painful to watch, I am broken. Please any answers so gladly received as I'm seeing services again at 11am tomorrow. Thank you, Sarah
Can Alzheimer's very suddenly escalate?
- Thread starter SarahL
- Start date
Sorry to read of your situation, make sure they check her for infection, if you can get a sample before they come do. I hope you get some help and your Mum some treatment that brings some relief.
Best wishes
Sue
Thank you. I'm desperate as been coping alone for so long. Have had the police out three times this week and Mum's telling them I've stolen her jewellery and keys; and I felt they were querying me over this. I have had neighbours turn against me over the years and that has all added insult to injury and I almost feel I will be sectioned first over all of this.
Sarah good evening!
The situation you have described it's just like mine - I can tell how you felt over those 5-6 year as I know - I am in the same position: on my own with my Mum and her illness. You asked whether the illness can suddenly get worth - yes it can! That's what happened to my Mum 3 moths ago - I was sad, furious and lost when saw my Mum in such bad condition. I had taken her to the doctors and Mums medications had been reviewed and some dose increased . It had worked - Mum is back to how she was before. Now I am waiting for the help from Social Services regarding a day centre and a respite care .
Take care, please get some help and look after yourself as well as you are doing just brilliant with your Mum!!!
Sent from my iPad using Talking Point
The situation you have described it's just like mine - I can tell how you felt over those 5-6 year as I know - I am in the same position: on my own with my Mum and her illness. You asked whether the illness can suddenly get worth - yes it can! That's what happened to my Mum 3 moths ago - I was sad, furious and lost when saw my Mum in such bad condition. I had taken her to the doctors and Mums medications had been reviewed and some dose increased . It had worked - Mum is back to how she was before. Now I am waiting for the help from Social Services regarding a day centre and a respite care .
Take care, please get some help and look after yourself as well as you are doing just brilliant with your Mum!!!
Sent from my iPad using Talking Point
Thank you. I'm desperate as been coping alone for so long. Have had the police out three times this week and Mum's telling them I've stolen her jewellery and keys; and I felt they were querying me over this. I have had neighbours turn against me over the years and that has all added insult to injury and I almost feel I will be sectioned first over all of this.
Hold on in there, its not you but your Mum's disease. Get her to drink as much as you can , you've been doing an amazing job. Tell them they MUST do something as you are at breaking point.
So sorry about the situation you're in.
The answer to your question is that it's possible but it also possible that any number of things can make dementia worse temporarily, from what I've read.
So (some of these obviously won't apply here):Hospitalisation, general anaesthesia, medication (side effects), medication (interaction), herpes outbreaks and other infections, constipation, urinary tract infection, vitamin deficiencies, undiagnosed pain and dehydration.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are, as you probably know, particularly nasty in their effect. Often, people are given broad-spectrum antibiotics which don't deal with the infection adequately. Proper urine testing needs to be done in order to decide which antibiotic is needed.
I hope you get somewhere tomorrow.
Take care
The answer to your question is that it's possible but it also possible that any number of things can make dementia worse temporarily, from what I've read.
So (some of these obviously won't apply here):Hospitalisation, general anaesthesia, medication (side effects), medication (interaction), herpes outbreaks and other infections, constipation, urinary tract infection, vitamin deficiencies, undiagnosed pain and dehydration.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are, as you probably know, particularly nasty in their effect. Often, people are given broad-spectrum antibiotics which don't deal with the infection adequately. Proper urine testing needs to be done in order to decide which antibiotic is needed.
I hope you get somewhere tomorrow.
Take care
My mother suffered a severe downturn when she suddenly had a vertebral lumbar fracture. It happened suddenly but I think it may have been triggered by a fall earlier in the year. She couldn't stand up and had pain in her lower back. At that time, all her mental symptoms got much worse.
I just wondered whether your mother had had any falls/accidents recently but I imagine you would have known about that.
I just wondered whether your mother had had any falls/accidents recently but I imagine you would have known about that.
I too hope you get somewhere tomorrow. I also hope the downturn is caused by a UTI and that once treated your mum returns to her previous self.
You do need more help. Maybe some respite care would be a good idea, this will give you some breathing space , Adult Social services may be able to help it depends on Mum's finances. you can contact them yourself.
Some types of Dementia are known to go down in steps Vascular Dementia for example,
Alzheimer's disease is usually a gradual decline.
Seeing Nita's post above, reminded me that Pain can cause a temporary worsening of symptoms. I should have thought of this before, as It turned out, some of my mum's Sundowning was caused by pain, mum was riddled with Arthritis . she was on a prescribed dose of Painkiller, which I assumed wrongly was controlling the pain. Fortunately for my mum , On the first visit of an Admiral Nurse, she took one look at mum and said she was in pain.
Once mums's pain relief was altered, her Sundowning improved greatly.
Please let us know how you get on.
Here is a link for Admiral Nurses , they are only available in the UK, sadly their are only a few of them and only a few area's are fortunate enough to have one but they do have a National helpline
We were lucky to have one here, she had more knowledge and understanding in her little finger than a lot of professionals including doctors had in their whole body.
http://www.dementiauk.org/information-support/admiral-nursing-direct/
You do need more help. Maybe some respite care would be a good idea, this will give you some breathing space , Adult Social services may be able to help it depends on Mum's finances. you can contact them yourself.
Some types of Dementia are known to go down in steps Vascular Dementia for example,
Alzheimer's disease is usually a gradual decline.
Seeing Nita's post above, reminded me that Pain can cause a temporary worsening of symptoms. I should have thought of this before, as It turned out, some of my mum's Sundowning was caused by pain, mum was riddled with Arthritis . she was on a prescribed dose of Painkiller, which I assumed wrongly was controlling the pain. Fortunately for my mum , On the first visit of an Admiral Nurse, she took one look at mum and said she was in pain.
Once mums's pain relief was altered, her Sundowning improved greatly.
Please let us know how you get on.
Here is a link for Admiral Nurses , they are only available in the UK, sadly their are only a few of them and only a few area's are fortunate enough to have one but they do have a National helpline
We were lucky to have one here, she had more knowledge and understanding in her little finger than a lot of professionals including doctors had in their whole body.
http://www.dementiauk.org/information-support/admiral-nursing-direct/
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