Sleeping so much: may be repeated TIAs?

[IzzyJ]

My mum (advanced mixed Alzheimer's) is cared for at home, I know it would be the worst thing possible for her to be in a NH or hospital. This last week she has been so tired, sleeping almost all the time, but still getting up with support 8 times a night for the loo. She literally falls asleep between a bite of food / chewing / swallowing. The Dr thinks she might be having repeated TIAs so has stopped statins that she only recently started. Still on the memantine, and coproxamol for osteoporosis pain. Dr is very non-committal, of course, it would cause Mum too much upset to try to do a CT scan or go to a clinic etc. Does anyone have any experience with TIAs please? Will these carry on? Will they lead to a full stroke? I know there aren't any answers really but it's my way of coping.

 

[AlsoConfused]

No real knowledge but hope our experience may comfort you.

Mum's GP said the only thing they can do to prevent TIAs is to keep the blood pressure under control ... which she's done very effectively. When we'd had that advice I found it helpful in reducing my worry. There was no point hovering over Mum to see if she was about to have another TIA, the only thing we could do was to get the right level of medical help if she did.

The first TIA we knew about was a pretty dramatic affair but there's been nothing similar since then ... and that was years ago.

 

[IzzyJ]

Thank you for taking the trouble to reply - she did seem much brighter this morning, so perhaps stopping the statins is already helping. She has borderline high blood pressure but her doc doesn't want to medicate for that if at all possible, hence the statins, but it looks as if they may have disagreed with her.

 

[Mrsbusy]

My mum has had a few TIAs but when they happened thinking about it, she always said about her funny turns. This meant passing out, dropping like a lead weight sometimes to the floor and coming round in her own time.

My mum did go on to have a stroke and this did start the dementia, but she had the stroke after a kidney biopsy so don't think your mum will be the same necessarily. I think she still has TIAs even now, and she does sleep a lot too as does my Dad who is in denial.

When my mum took statins they made her a lot worse too, even to the point of her feet were so painful and when she came off them they were fine. More trouble than they're worth sometimes. In the memory clinic the consultant said to give mum high dose fish oils, as the reason for the TIAs was because the veins were tiny for the blood to go through and the fish oils including omega 3 lubricated them to help the blood pass easier to the brain. I have done this everyday since but couldn't tell you if there is any benefit but I think it's not making it worse so ...

Hope this helps.