did my husband have vascular dementia as long as 4 years ago.

[nita]

Hallo pevensey, from what you say it sounds very much as if this change in behaviour is down to the reduction in medication. (It's memantine, I think.) Did he have very bad side effects with it? Is there any possibility he can go back on the full dose or try something else similar?

The doctor should talk to you privately about his case - in my case the doctors did about my mother. Perhaps he could see you first and then your husband. However, if he is now presenting as calmer again, he may decide to leave the medication as it is. It is hard to say what has caused it - it may just be a "blip" or it may be a pattern. I think you may have to give it some more time to see if he goes back to how he was again when he was better.

Loss of interest and apathy can be a symptom of the illness. It sounds like you did the right thing by taking him out for a walk and thus providing a distraction. Maybe you need to try things that divert him if he gets in this type of mood - I am sure you are trying very hard already. I sympathise with you about putting up with anger and aggression - it must be so difficult.

 

[pevensey]

Thankyou nita, it's all very confusing as don't know if the aggression is his normal behaviour like he was years ago or part of the disease. He has definatly changed over time though, sometimes happy then suddenly ignoring everything around him. They half ed his dose of medication because it was making him feeling drunk and loosing his balance. Will make app to chat to Dr this week, thankyou. Hope things stay settled for you

 

[Spamar]

Hi,
My father was always annoyed and angry a lot of the time when I was little. Eventually he got diagnosed with dementia but have no idea which type ( I lived nearly 400 miles away by then, and he had thrown me out anyway).
OH, who was diagnosed with mixed dementia ( vascular and Alzheimer's) had a problem finding his way in strange areas. This is one of the early signs of Alzheimer's, but this was 24 or so years before a diagnosis!
Later on, I think he knew something was wrong before I did. However we left diagnosis until we had moved house. No point in sorting things out in one area and moving 200 or more miles away! Although we only moved 20 miles, it was a different LA. However the move and subsequent building work certainly took its toll. He couldn't use anything electronic afterwards, even when labelled on/off, and he never laid or even lit a fire! The expert!
So, from my experience, there are signs around, we just have to be able to interpret them!
Good luck!