Shivering inside

[Tillyvernillie]

Hi All,
I am new here and just wondered if anyone had experienced the people that they were caring for complaining of feeling cold inside? My sister and I have been caring for our mother who was diagnosed last year. We have had blood tests done and they are all fine, her temperature is normal and is eating and drinking normally and also toileting normally. If anybody can give me any feedback it would be very helpful.
It is my first time on here although my sister and I have both visited the site for information on this cruel disease.
Thanks Tillyvernillie

 

[DickG]

Hi Tillyvernillie

My wife has always been very tolerant to the cold for most of her life - that has changed with Alzheimers. Throughout the summer she would sit in the conservatory wth the temperature at 105 degrees F and say that the temperature was just comfortable whilst for me it was unbearable. Whether it is age (she is 70) or Alzheimers I don't know but I do know that this has only ocurred in the advanced stages of the disease.

Like you I looked into every possibility to find the cause with no success, my conclusion is just to keep her warm. It may be that the part of the brain that descriminates between cold and hot has been destroyed.

Keep in touch

Dick

 

[BeckyJan]

Hello Tillyvernillie:
My husband has also been tolerant of the cold pre Alz. But now he is very very cold all the time - I can hardly bear it and I myself have needed warmth always.

I am not sure from your post whether the 'shivering inside' is a symptom of just being cold, or a sort of panic, stress symptom. If I feel nervous or panicky I tend to feel 'shivery inside'- I wonder whether it is that or just feeling very cold. If it is the first then maybe some sort of 'calming' medication may help - that is if it persists. It can be hard to diagnose a dementia patient as they do seem more aware of normally quite insignificant health issues. (that is not putting them down but I think they are less tolerant). Anyway I find you cannot dismiss anything and if it continues then the GP is the best source for advice.

I am sure you will get further comments and advice from other folk on TP.
Best wishes Beckyjan

 

[Grannie G]

Hello Tillyvernillie. My husband feels the cold much more than he did. I wonder if it`s because he is less active than he was, slower and stiffer in his movements, older, or if it actually does have something to do with brain damage.

Also he seems to fluctuate between very cold and very hot, especially after food. He changes his clothes several times a day, sweater on, sweater off, vest on, vest off, socks on, socks off.

He was never like this before AZ.

 

[jenniferpa]

Here's another vote for used to be very heat intolerant, but now needs the heating on to impossible levels (for the rest of us). I think it is something to do with brain damage - my mother was the former, but as soon as she came out of hospital following her strokes it was obvious she had become the latter.

Jennifer

 

[alfjess]

Hi All
Both my parents need the thermostat to be at the highest it can, 30 deg. and then also have the electric fire on. Not cheap and we are melting. I think it must be the disease.
love
Alfjess

 

[MJK]

Hi,

I'd never thought about this being possibly linked to AD, but my Mum now constantly turns the thermostat as high as it will go. In the past it would just have been left on a "normal" sort of level but now she just doesn't leave it alone constantly turning it from one extreme to the other (most of the time on max).

Interesting if it is linked to damage to the brain in some way.

mjk

 

[alfjess]

Hi All
Could it be something to do with poor circulation? My Dad's hands always feel cold.
We try to keep the heating on low at night, but Mum has a thing about switching everything off before going to bed, with the result that in the morning the house is frozen, because the thermostat is at zero.
Does anyone know where I can buy a thermostat guard. We already have socket guards to protect fridge etc.?
Thanks
Alfjess

 

[Michael E]

to throw in my 2p worth I have the same problem with Monique.. I suspect it is to do with lack of physical activity.

If we could persuade them all to jump up and down and slap their arms around themselves at frequent intervals then their body temperatures would increase and they would feel the cold less... The mind boggles at the concept!!!! Think of 'NICE' insisting this activity happens in all care homes on half hourly intervals.............

Michael

 

[Tillyvernillie]

Mum shivering

Thank you to everyone who replied to my post. The thing is with my mother is that she said that she is not cold on the outside she is shivering on the inside (whatever that means). Mum has stayed in bed for the last two days and my sister and I spoke to Mum's GP when Mum was complaining of this, the bloodtests returned normal. So we are still none the wiser! We also had the mental health nurse round today and they are going to put Mum on an anti depressant and see if that helps at all.
Thanks again
Bernie

 

[mel]

Michael your post made me smile.....conjures up quite a picture


mum could never stand the heat before the disease.....during the heatwave in summer she used to wear layer upon layer and never complained of the heat.
At the moment she's always cold......I've resigned myself to the fact it'll be t shirts for me all winter!!!

Also when i shower her she'll say the waters too hot when it really only is lukewarm......so that just contradicts everything I've said!!!

 

[Kathleen]

Hello Bernie

Maybe the "shivering inside" is anxiety, like butterflies in the stomach?

Just a thought. Mum gets anxious from time to time and shivers on the outside and inside.

Kathleen

 

[jenniferpa]

it almost sounds like the feeling I get when a) my blood sugar is low or b) when I've been drinking too much coffee. Not much help, I'm afraid

Jennifer