Effects of a stroke on Alzheimer's patient

[Shakey1961a]

Hi all.

Looking for some good advice here.

Mum had Alzheimers for a few years then she went into hospital because of an infection.

While there her catheter got blocked and she had a stroke.

What would the effect of that stroke have been on her and more importantly her Alzheimers?

She doesn't have a problem speaking or feeling with her hands but could it have had an effect on her understanding of things or made her more agitated or aggressive?

I'm in the dark about this one.

 

[Brucie]

Hi Shakey

Probably the only thing anyone here could say is that there is stroke induced dementia and there will be Alzheimer's Society fact sheets on that.

We're not medically trained here on TP and so anything I would say, for instance, would be pure guesswork, and as such, pretty useless. So on your specific question regarding stroke... no comment.

It is not a good thing to attempt to extrapolate from experiences that are in no way the same, and only someone who had been in exactly the same position could give their experiences. Even then, the circumstances might make them very different from yours.

What you are talking about - understanding, agitation, agression - these are all common with the progression of dementia. If you factor in a stroke as well..... who knows what the effect might be?

 

[Dotty]

reply to Thread - Effect of stroke on Alzheimer's patient

Hi,
My husband has had alzheimer's for 10 years. It would appear that any urinary
infection, in a person suffering from AD, has an immediate effect on them. They can become quickly disorientated and their actions are out of their normal everyday behaviour. The illness lowers the immune system, and it would seem that infections can cause TIA's which I believe are small strokes. They seem to be able in many cases to recover from them within a few days of rest, where they will sleep a lot, and need to have a lot of fluid intake. My husband had one around February and now his right leg sometimes forgets what it has to do, if he is walking and he slightly dribbles down the right side of his chin. On a good day he walks better and you would never know he had had a mini stroke.
He is in hospital at the moment, after having as yet an undiagnosed seizure. The result of the CAT scan as yet unread. He looks marvelous, and seems to be untouched by it. He has had 10 days of rest.
It is indeed an strange and as yet not totally understood illness.
Hope this might help - keep strong.

Dotty