Leaning to the right?

[totallyconfused]

My mother just started leaning to the right as she was walking. Its a little better now. No other symptoms, she's happier, more active than she usually is. She's had a number of big myoclonic jerks in recent days. They are always her left arm or left leg.Her movement has been slowing down a little, she walks slower, more clumsily, sometimes might trip.

She started olanzapine 1.23mg and trazodone 50mg about a week and a half ago.

 

[Amethyst59]

Have you contacted a Dr? I don’t want to be alarmist, but is it possible she had a mini stroke, if this is a new symptom?

 

[Shedrech]

hi @totallyconfused
my dad did this when constipated
but definitely worth having your mother checked over

 

[totallyconfused]

It sorted itself out quick enough and didn't want to make her go to a&e and wait hours to be seen, especially on a Saturday night with various drunks around. She seemed absolutely fine when it happened and after. She would sometimes lean when sitting down, we would give extra pillows.I hadn't seen her walk like this before. She was very tired tonight and went to bed early. I will keep an eye on it.

She does suffer constipation but today she said it was fine and that she could go today. The consultant gave her Laxose which seems to be helping. He said 25-50 mg as needed but it was up to us to fine the right dose as we go along. We stuck with 15mg twice a day for a few days and then stopped for the last couple days.

That's for the advice.Its scary being in charge and this ****** disease keeps us on our toes!

 

[LynneMcV]

I still recall the sheer panic I felt when out walking with my husband last year, to find him suddenly leaning to his right.

I was straight on the phone to the GP who said it could be an infection, but was more likely to be a typical progression of the disease as the person begins to lose their core strength.

He was well enough in himself, other than the tilt, and I soon found that it would only appear on longer walks which tired him more quickly. He was fine when we went for shorter walks.

Having said that, there were many occasions after that when he tilted to the left instead, including when he was sitting in his chair. In his case it seemed to be around bowel problems. He would go a week or more without having a bowel motion - but once he'd had one, his posture improved again.

Once the initial tilt first appeared his general mobility did start going downhill.

 

[Bunpoots]

My aunt sometimes used to lean to one side when she was walking. She was always aware of it and it used to come and go.

 

[Philbo]

My wife, aged 67 and 4+ years since diagnosis has tended to lean to her left when sitting. She's done this for a couple of years and I think this is mainly due to her dementia, although she has suffered most of out married life with severe back problems.

More recently, it also seems to be affecting her posture/mobility more, where she tends to stoop, even when standing. Her walking has become more shuffled and it is getting harder to get her to go up and down stairs. Going up, I tend to have to lead her by the hand and coming down, she seems to freeze, as though she is either worried or doesn't know what to do. Some days are better than others.

It's the same with getting in and out of cars - most of the cabs we take to get to and from the pub at weekends are very patient and understanding - it's just me that gets frustrated as I try and hurry her up with a queue of cars behind the cab!

 

[totallyconfused]

Would a walking stick be of any help as her walk/balance has been going a bit or am I getting ahead of myself?Would that be needed further down the line?

public nurse visiting for the first time tomorrow so she will notice anything. Not sure will she be entitled to mobility aids etc but will know more tomorrow.

 

[Kevinl]

Some of the residents in the nursing home lean sometimes and when I asked why I was told it was constipation, like it was common knowledge. One guy does it quite a lot but when I noticed my wife doing it I asked the nurse, she got some clear liquid, about 10ml I would guess and gave it to her, next day she was fine. According to her chart she'd had 3 bowel movements in the last 24 hours but none in the previous 3 days.
It seems like it's commonly attributed to constipation and it seems to be true when it's a sideways lean, I've no idea what the science behind it is but I've seen first hand that the explanation seems to be correct at least most of the time.
K

 

[totallyconfused]

Interesting. my mother suffers constipation and was given laxose 25mg-50mg. Public nurse was here today and said no matter what people say, drinking fluids is the only way to sort constipation. My other doesn't drink enough water and will say shes had a lot when in fact shes ha two small glasses. We are working on it. She referred her to physio so hopefully that will help.