Something isn't right.

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Mum has been really confused since last night, and i'm sort of at a loss as to what's wrong. Now before you all start screaming UTI at me, that was my first thought. I checked her urine last night and this morning (dip sticks coming in handy) she has some protein in her urine and leucocytes (just over a trace) or rather she did last night, today it's just a hint of protein so basically that's ok. Her temperature is normal, so no underlying fever although she does looked flush and you can have an infection without a fever.
So I called the duty Dr (not our own one) who said that i'm doing great and that mum is on antibiotics (from her supposedly chest infection from last Sunday, that never appeared) and if her temperature should go up or anything else happens to call them back. The Nurse came in and took some bloods, no glucose monitor so couldn't check her blood glucose (and I as yet don't have a monitor) to see if it was elevated.
So I have to basically yell to get mum to hear me (she still can't understand me, although I think the woman next door might be able to), you would think i'm 3 football pitches away from her, she is more jerky than normal and seems to be falling asleep every .2 of a second, but say to her she is falling asleep and she'll say 'no i'm watching that' (on tv), I ask her how can she watch anything with her eyes shut, no reply. She is on 2 quetiapene, Dr suggested I reduce it to 1, do I want the 'writing on the wall' episodes again, no.
Before I forget, we were in bed about 8.30pm last night, she got up twice to go to the toilet (never saw the commode), in-between she slept no problem, so I doubt she is tired.
Any suggestions as to what the problem may be?
 

Maia2013

Registered User
Mar 21, 2013
6
0
Kent
Hiya :)
Sorry to hear your mums struggling at the moment.
If ya dont mind me asking how long has she been on Quetiapine? And at what dose? And for what was it initially prescribed?
And is she on any other medication?
Maia :)
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
She has been on the quetiapene for a good few years (2 tablets, 50mg in total), and is on a few other tablets as well but non contra indicate with the others. She was prescribed it as she was seeing 'writing on the wall' when there was nothing there, thats when the diagnosis of Alzheimer's was made.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Carabosse - any signs of constipation? That can have the same effect as a UTI. And the other thing to consider is - an elderly person can have an infection without spiking a fever and not all antibiotics work for all infections if you see what I mean.
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Nope, no constipation... and fully understand where you are going with the antibiotics/ no fever... I just can't figure out what's wrong with her, and at this precise moment the Dr doesn't seem to want to help (think they have put it down to being another symptom of Alzheimer's).
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
Apart from the antibiotics and quetiapene is she on any other kind of medications? Could she be dehydrated? Just throwing a few things out there.
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
she is on other medication but nothing that would make her go like this, and she drinks like a fish, so no to the dehydration.
 

jenniferpa

Registered User
Jun 27, 2006
39,442
0
I asked about the other meds because my mother got a bit like this when her sodium and/or potassium levels were disrupted and that was primarily down to her hypertension meds. You say she's drinking a lot - that can flush sodium/potassium out faster than normal I would think. Do you think the doctor considered that possibility?
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Mum had bloods done the other day and everything is normal, but another sett have been taken by the nurses today to see if anything has changed. The Dr did mention her K / Na levels and said they were fine but would check them again, hence the bloods being done again.
 

Maia2013

Registered User
Mar 21, 2013
6
0
Kent
Its so difficult to know isnt it and so frustrating cause you want to help.
Just trying to think what else id do to try and find out..
Has your mums blood pressure been taken? If so was it ok?
Is your mum on any other anti pyschotic medications, or the patch memory medication for those with dementia?
And is the jerking you describe new? Or has it been consistent for a while but has got worse?
Is there any history of epilepsy in your family?
Its not always that there is a drug contradiction with medications, but after a while alot cause side effects, Tardive dyskinesia is often a side effect associated with jerking movements given from anti pyschotic meds.
Think if we all keep throwing ideas your way something might click into place and you can work out whats happening!
Maia x
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
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Tell me about it, and it seems to be getting worse....
BP is fine, no other anti psychotics, no patches, the jerking is not new but its more pronounced yesterday and today, no epilepsy.
Any side effects would probably have shown up by now as she is sensitive that way to drugs, not too mention she has been on them for quite a few years, no medication has been changed except I have stopped the senna as she is on laxido and if she kept taking the 2 she would have diahorrea.
I am hoping by the time I (sorry we) figure out what's wrong she will back to her normal self (fingers crossed).
 

Wolfsgirl

Registered User
Oct 18, 2012
1,028
0
Nr Heathrow, Mum has AD & VD
Hi Carabosse, have been reading and not commenting but this is quite facinating for me to learn of all the suggested possibilities which have been mentioned.

I honestly had no idea also no idea about how many seem so expert here!!!

Hope you find a cause soon and it is nothing sinister x

:)
Tell me about it, and it seems to be getting worse....
BP is fine, no other anti psychotics, no patches, the jerking is not new but its more pronounced yesterday and today, no epilepsy.
Any side effects would probably have shown up by now as she is sensitive that way to drugs, not too mention she has been on them for quite a few years, no medication has been changed except I have stopped the senna as she is on laxido and if she kept taking the 2 she would have diahorrea.
I am hoping by the time I (sorry we) figure out what's wrong she will back to her normal self (fingers crossed).
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Well for me i'm going by what I learned in Med school, yes I did pay attention, although my knowledge is limited as i'm not finished the course yet, what I have got does help, but it also lets me down as I don't know everything (i doubt i ever will). Also others have been going through something similar symptoms with their loved ones and it helps even though not every symptom may not be the same but it may be something similar that makes you think could it be this, or that. Sometimes i learn more from others on here than i will from any textbook, as they can be extremely limited with information (although its getting better).
That's what i'm hoping for, i think its possibly a UTI/ infection that's 'brewing' but hasn't showed itself yet diagnostically.
 

FifiMo

Registered User
Feb 10, 2010
4,703
0
Wiltshire
Did you get your mum's blood sugars checked yet? Only ask because my mothers symptoms were the same when her blood sugar dropped. Drinking like a fish can also be symptomatic of the other extreme too.

Frustrating isn't it. Perhaps you're right about impending UTI but current antibiotics should, if nothing else, be a barrier to the extreme symptoms she is experiencing manifesting themselves, no?

Only other thing that came to mind was perhaps a TIA but I think you're beyond the timeframe for it being a TIA are you not? Unless there has been more than one?

Fiona
 

Maia2013

Registered User
Mar 21, 2013
6
0
Kent
You may find the jerking is actually a side effect of the anti pyschotic, it is extremely common and called Tardive Dyskinesia, I have seen in occur in so many people i have worked with, especially in mental health and its drugs, that is one possible cause, another is, its actually a kind of symptom of your mums alzheimers called Cortical myoclonus, there are some great sites out there about this and im sure probably something on here to (im new to site so not looked round properly yet!) just type it in a search engine and alot will come up.
Sometimes absent seizures become apparent to, but its so difficult to tell the difference with the smaller seizures, as it can just be seconds of absence. I know my fathers were missed due to his condition, put down to just absent mindedness! It wasnt untill he went into frontal lobe seizures, of which i witnessed could we get any help for him for that and not be dismissed due to his diagnosis!
Still might be an idea also to get her sugar levels checked as symptoms could be similar to the ones you describe.
I dont know how it works for everyone, but i find with my dad he will have episodes where he will have a very confused or aggressive week, then kind of come back round and i notice a different level of the illness kick in, he stays at the particular stage for a while, and they can happen weeks apart or in the beginning years apart even, sometimes there is an obvious reason, alot of the time not, no phyiscal ailment present or anything changed etc, over the years ive just put it down to progression, with no apparent underlying cause, obviously once ive gone through the process of eliminating any other possible causes. In a strange way i hate that more, cause if its from a physical problem atleast i can blame that!!! Haha!
I really hope your mum feels better soon and whatever is happening, the support and love your giving sounds second to none :)
Maia :)

Tell me about it, and it seems to be getting worse....
BP is fine, no other anti psychotics, no patches, the jerking is not new but its more pronounced yesterday and today, no epilepsy.
Any side effects would probably have shown up by now as she is sensitive that way to drugs, not too mention she has been on them for quite a few years, no medication has been changed except I have stopped the senna as she is on laxido and if she kept taking the 2 she would have diahorrea.
I am hoping by the time I (sorry we) figure out what's wrong she will back to her normal self (fingers crossed).
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
The district nurse didn't have a blood glucose monitor with her so will have to wait for the bloods to get back, as I had thought that maybe her blood sugar levels were playing up, as for drinking like a fish what I meant was she drinks plenty of fluids, not that she was constantly drinking one drink after another as in being dehydrated, although it is possible she may be drinking plenty and still be dehydrated.
As for a TIA I doubt it, but without knowing the bloods I couldn't say for sure, I also think its the basic tests that have been asked for and not more specific ones although with mums history I would assume they would include them as standard.
The jerky movements are due to the drugs she takes, also if someone uses a lot of ventolin the jerky movements increase, no mum hasn't had any for a day or so but the effects can build up in the body.
At least mum managed to use the commode last night which was something, but she still seems confused this morning.
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
Jesus Christ (or words to that effect, use your imagination), mum is driving me up the bloody wall..... something is wrong when she isn't understanding a word i'm saying, she is licking her lips so bad it has made them sore, yes I have put lipsil and blisterex on to try and help heal them but she won't stop licking them, she is falling asleep mid conversation (if you can call it that), part of me thinks I should call NHS24 for advice but with blood tests pending I doubt they will do anything.
I have a headache the size of Manhatten (going to a migraine), I want to go and lie down and take some medication but unsure if mum will be ok, I suppose she will as she will probably fall asleep....no idea what else to do, slitting my wrists had occurred to me but I won't so don't worry.
 

Ariesgirl58

Registered User
Mar 2, 2013
16
0
North Devon, UK
Oh dear, you sound frantic. I think I would call NHS helpline and see if they think you should be calling out a GP. My mum has VD and is in a specialist dementia ward in a NH so luckily i don't have the level of responsibility day to day that you do ..but I still worry. Fortunately there is always a nurse or Matron to ask at the NH if I am concerned.
Here if you need to chat...
 

Carabosse

Registered User
Jan 10, 2013
1,699
0
I haven't called NHS24, but I might... I have called them a few times in the past couple of weeks I really don't want them to see me as a nuisance for keeping calling them, yes I know that's what they are there for but if she ends up in hospital yet again I can just hear what the SW will say (back to the mum needs to be in a home).
 

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