Urge/obsessed with peeing

[Katie110]

My mum has recently become very breathless and lost her appetite. Her breathing became so bad the Dr called for an ambulance. On arrival at hospital they detected signs of a urine infection and that she was experiencing pains in her tummy. She spent the night in hospital, and they stopped the antibiotics as her urine was clear.
Her general health is good, but she's continued to be breathless and very agitated. I've just put her down for nap only for her to insist she's wet, when she isn't, and discover that her tummy is sore again
Is it normal for someone suffering with Alzheimer's to think they've wet when they've not, or experience pain when no signs of infection? She has moved both bowel and bladder today.

 

[canary]

Sometimes the antibiotics dont completely clear the infection. The urine seems clear, but when the antibiotics are stopped it flares up again.
It might be worth checking her again for a UTI

 

[karaokePete]

Hello and welcome @Katie110

Beyond the possibility of a recurrence of the UTI(they can be hard to clear), I would think that it's possible that a person with dementia may confuse sensations like thinking they are wet when they are really just cold.

If there was an infection there in the first place, I thought the standard advice was to complete any course of antibiotics in case of a flare up or producing antibiotic resistance.

 

[Weasell]

@Katie110 , welcome.

Sometime dementia can mask other medical problems, you seem very observant, so keep an eye on all the problems she presents.

My mother was recently in hospital for an infection and the battery of test she went through was awesome, so I wonder if she may have been discharged a little bit quick on this occasion, but the problem is if she is admitted for a UTI and then there isn’t any evidence of one this is what happens.

I would consider keeping a diary of symptoms.

I would consider giving pain relief and monitoring its success.

Breathlessness Is sometimes associated with heart problems.

 

[marionq]

Your original post has been on my mind as it is similar to the problem my SIL had when she was taken into hospital for five days. It was found she had a severe UTI and retaining urine in her bladder. This was emptied and a catheter inserted. An antibiotic prescribed. They then found her bowel was blocked so that had to be dealt with. Previously she had pains in her lower back and was not walking upright. That seems to have been taken care of. Part of the problem I think was that she was given cocodamol for the pain which is notorious for causing constipation.

The other issue I have is that elderly people are only showered once a week in care homes. Leaky bladders need daily washing and fresh underwear daily. I don’t suppose this will change and so people will go on getting infections.

 

[Shedrech]

mmm not sure this is the full story @marionq

The other issue I have is that elderly people are only showered once a week in care homes. Leaky bladders need daily washing and fresh underwear daily

dad was showered daily if possible, using a shower chair when necessary, with clean underwear at least once aday, and when it simply wasn't possible he was washed each time his pullups were changed

 

[Louise7]

Hello @Katie110 welcome, you'll find lots of support here. I'd be concerned by your mum's breathlessness, agitation and loss of appetite. What did the hospital say was the cause of the breathlessness? As already suggested above, it may be that the hospital discharged her a little early without carrying out a full range of investigations as even if she doesn't have a urine infection it's possible that another type of infection may be causing the symptoms. If you have continuing concerns please don't hesitate to call the GP or 111 so that your mum can be thoroughly checked over.

 

[jennifer1967]

where i worked, i used to shower twice a week and strip washed every day thoroughly. underwear was changed every day and how ever many times needed. pull ups were changed as needed and toiletted. its not in the homes interests to leave residents unwashed and not changed. fluids were encouraged as residents were reluctant as it meant they would have to move to go to the toilet

 

[marionq]

Willing to stand corrected although convinced this is the source of infection with SIL. What then is the cause of regular UTIs in elderly people? Many seem to have them frequently and require antibiotics. Something must be causing these infections.

 

[jennifer1967]

Willing to stand corrected although convinced this is the source of infection with SIL. What then is the cause of regular UTIs in elderly people? Many seem to have them frequently and require antibiotics. Something must be causing these infections.

a lot of it is they dont drink enough because a lot of old people dont like being disturbed to go to the toilet or they forget to drink therefore carers have to encourage them. if they dont drink, they dont have to go to the toilet and the urine gets more concentrated because its not being flushed through and sometimes the kidneys dont work as well as they did when they were younger. the kidneys filter and get rid of by-products in the urine. if thats not happening or being flushed out, cause a build up leading to UTIs

 

[Thethirdmrsc]

Hi @Katie110 my OH does this often. He gets up to the loo between 3-5 times a night, and will often think he has wet himself, and even drags my hand across to feel? he often hasn’t and it could literally be dribbles, so I just pop him into clean clothes again. He was checked last week for a UTI and he is clear. Sometimes I don’t think he always has a wee, it’s just that he wakes up, and assumes he has to go pee.

 

[jennifer1967]

can i ask @Weasell those pills you get from H+B for UTI and whether its a treatment or can be used as a preventitive and the other more drastic treatment bicarbonate in soda please.

 

[Katie110]

Thanks for the replies.
My mum was thoroughly checked out for the breathlessness. The hospital did chest x-rays run an ECG an monitored her blood pressure and ran a host of blood tests.
Kidney function is slightly under and they've stopped one of her tablets now for a month.
My mum's condition is not improving, if anything she's getting worse daily and the Drs are telling me it
is just her Dementia getting worse. From a woman that enjoyed Daily walks, and fairly independent, we've gone to someone for a large part of the day needs assistance absolutely everything. It's so uncharacteristic of how her illness has presented it's self to date.

 

[Weasell]

can i ask @Weasell those pills you get from H+B for UTI and whether its a treatment or can be used as a preventitive and the other more drastic treatment bicarbonate in soda please.

Hi, @jennifer1967 ! Sorry I didn’t see your post ! Just spotted it now!
There are two different treatments that I use for a UTI (not to be used together, separate treatments)
Number one
Drink two pints of slightly warm water with about 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in them. You need to drink them both straight down.
This cure is great for younger people, but as you can imagine it isn’t winning any awards with dementia!
Number 2
The D mannose. They are huge big things, so consider buying a pill cutter if you don’t already own one.
I only give mum a couple a day, and that worked last time!
I have also given her one a day short term when I have sniffed and smelt

that warning smell.

 

[lollyc]

You can also buy D-mannose powder. I put in Mum's tea / porridge / whatever. I don't think it adds a sweetness. I buy it online.
No chance of getting her to drink pints of water, but I put a teaspoon of bicarb in a big glass of squash, and that seems to help. Not perfect, but dementia doesn't let us do perfect.

As I understand it, bicarb alters the pH (how acidic or not) the urine is, which the bacteria don't like. D-mannose attracts e.coli, the commonest bacteria for UTI's, so they get flushed out when you pee.

 

[lollyc]

Willing to stand corrected although convinced this is the source of infection with SIL. What then is the cause of regular UTIs in elderly people? Many seem to have them frequently and require antibiotics. Something must be causing these infections.

I believe that some bacteria can produce biofilms, which act like a sort of bunker. They hide from the antibiotics, and resurface when the coast is clear. Even some younger people get very persistent infections, which aren't just due to a lack of hygiene.

 

[jennifer1967]

Hi, @jennifer1967 ! Sorry I didn’t see your post ! Just spotted it now!
There are two different treatments that I use for a UTI (not to be used together, separate treatments)
Number one
Drink two pints of slightly warm water with about 1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in them. You need to drink them both straight down.
This cure is great for younger people, but as you can imagine it isn’t winning any awards with dementia!
Number 2
The D mannose. They are huge big things, so consider buying a pill cutter if you don’t already own one.
I only give mum a couple a day, and that worked last time!
I have also given her one a day short term when I have sniffed and smelt View attachment 64049 that warning smell.

thanks @Weasell ive got anti-biotics coming but will try that next time or if this doesnt kill it off again

 

[Weasell]

thanks @Weasell ive got anti-biotics coming but will try that next time or if this doesnt kill it off again

Are you looking forward to the diarrhoea?
I sincerely hope it doesn’t arrive!
@lollyc offers good advice, I didn’t even know D mannose was available in powder!

 

[jennifer1967]

Are you looking forward to the diarrhoea?
I sincerely hope it doesn’t arrive!
@lollyc offers good advice, I didn’t even know D mannose was available in powder!

ive got IBS so it wont be new to me.

 

[Weasell]

ive got IBS so it wont be new to me.

You poor thing!
Did you try organic golden linseed?
But I bet part of the problem is your stress levels?
You are always worried about the wellbeing of family members, putting your own needs low down?
And I mean low down!