Oh, my goodness I have just read through this thread and now feeling extremely guilty. In 2015 my husband at the age of 80rs was diagnosed Mild Cognitive Impairment, but no medication was prescribed or really any advice. We were told in three years it would progress to dementia, which is exactly what happened. We had a visit to The Mind Clinic and four visits to our home, two helpful, and two disastrous. He was prescribed Donepezil 5mg which progressed to 10mg a little later. He was also later prescribed Citalopram as he was depressed. He didn’t want to be here. He experienced terrible nightmares and would wakeup it a fearful state as he was always tangled in barbed wire or lost in a shopping mall, where he had become separated from me. I mentioned this to doctors, health visitors etc., but no one ever referred it to Donepezil being the probable reason. Not only am I feeling guilty but annoyed. He hasn’t suffered any nightmares for a short while now so I’m hoping they don’t return. He sleeps for England and would sleep all day if I allowed it, but he does have to eat drink and take meds. He wakes most nights but is still able to go downstairs on his own and make tea and eat cake!!!! He doesn’t eat too well these days which is sad as he has enjoyed his food and a challenge with my cooking. He depends on me 100% which is fine. Restricting but OK. He isn’t aggressive or angry just sits, not reading or watching much TV. It’s heart-breaking to see my husband like this as he always played golf three days a week and enjoyed socialising. I love him very much and after reading these wonderful posts from such brave people, it scares me of what the future may hold, and how this crippling devastating illness will affect us. I had never heard of these help agencies, hence my guilt, so it has educated me, and I will investigate. Thank you all so very much for sharing, I have learned a great deal and feel so much better for finding for forum. I don’t feel so alone.
My husband has Dementia
- Thread starter NaughtyNana
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Welcome @NaughtyNana
Donepezil didn`t agree with my husband either and he also suffered nightmares. I once found him in the front garden at 2am because he thought we were being burgled and they were taking our cabbages.
These drugs are wonderful when they agree with the person taking them and are widely prescribed. I suppose the medics have to try them, just in case.
Be careful about the midnight feasts. Tea and cake is fine but my husband wanted to make toast and I found cold tea on the worktop and toast still in the toaster. He had forgotten he had made it.
Toast got stuck in my mother`s toaster and it flared up and set fire to her kitchen curtains.
Keep posting. I`m sure it will help you.
Donepezil didn`t agree with my husband either and he also suffered nightmares. I once found him in the front garden at 2am because he thought we were being burgled and they were taking our cabbages.
These drugs are wonderful when they agree with the person taking them and are widely prescribed. I suppose the medics have to try them, just in case.
Be careful about the midnight feasts. Tea and cake is fine but my husband wanted to make toast and I found cold tea on the worktop and toast still in the toaster. He had forgotten he had made it.
Toast got stuck in my mother`s toaster and it flared up and set fire to her kitchen curtains.
Keep posting. I`m sure it will help you.
