... Luau, Mom was out of control. They started with a complete physical to make sure there was nothing else going on, UTI, pain, etc. Then they started test runs of medications. They are very trained in side effects vs benefit evaluation and after a few attempts settled on the right combination. Then she stayed a few days to make sure the combo they had chosen was what was... (7 replies)
... Question: Besides the Alzheimers,' other problems might be present. Are they giving her seroquel or another anti-psychotic medication? When my father was in the nursing home, they were giving seroquel, and he fell a lot; then I discovered that dizziness is one of the side-effects of the drug. After I brought him home, anytime I had to give him seroquel he fell--every... (3 replies)
... tarted. It took a period of over two years. One Friday morning she stumbled a few feet and leaned up against the wall. She never walked again. It was a minor UTI that pushed her off her feet. The proverbial straw that broke the camels back. As fragile as her mobility had become that is all it took. ... (11 replies)
... ...."lymphocytes were depressed in relation to the neutrophils"....
This combined with the elevated temperature is saying infection of some kind. The neurtrophils will go up if infection is present and the lymphocytes being down make them prone to infection... or indicate infections is present. Not to mention the fact that temperature elevation is an indication of the... (11 replies)
... Please do have her thoroughly assessed. As Deb said, for sudden onsets as you described, blood blockages (e.g. strokes) and infections are the frequent culprits. Aside from UTI, please do try to rule out osteomyelitis, as remote as it may be. (11 replies)
... The way you say the confusion came on I would suspect some type of infection playing a part. It is frequently a UTI but any infection can cause the same decline. I will say that it does not take a raging UTI to cause cognitive decline. ... (11 replies)
... a bunch of tests, including a urine panel, but said all came back within range. I told the doctor I did notice cloudy urine one day recently and he said that any UTI would be borne out by the results. I still have lingering suspicions, but everyone says dementia progresses differently for everyone. ... (11 replies)
... ChatyKat, you seem to be describing my Mom. UTI's seemed to precede each of her major down turns. Her first UTI did exactly what it did to your Mom. She went down in abilities and started wandering out in the parking lot. ... (3 replies)
... My 77 yr. old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's...10 months ago, she had her first UTI...her symptoms worsened dramatically, overnight.
She started to wander outside to the parking lot in the assisted living facility that she was living in. Five weeks later, after being on antibiotics, she had not come back to baseline and we were told the AL couldn't care for her,... (3 replies)
... Or it could be vascular as Deb said.... my Dad had many visitors with his Vascular Dementia. Or it could be a result of an infection... particularly a UTI. There are as many reasons for hallucinations as there are individuals that have them :)
Best advice is to check with his doctor. Since he has been diagnosed with the UTI, if it goes away with antibiotics, then it was... (12 replies)
... I personally don't think UTI affected my mood when I got them before. More about worrying but was not affected in the mood. ... (7 replies)
... Luau, a UTI can make anybody cranky and feel bad but the major cognitive effects seem to be limited to the elderly. I have seen a UTI have a negative effect on the cognition of elderly patients without dementia or in the very early states of MCI. ... (7 replies)
... I don't think that UTI testing could be used as an early detection highlighting tool. ... (7 replies)
... thank you for your personal experience, re absence of mental status change with UTI in a cognitively healthy person. This really sets me wondering. ... (7 replies)
... Can answer that one having experienced a couple of UTI's per year for a while after pelvic radiation. No effect on mental functions in my experience. My mother had dementia and as soon as there was any change in her demeanor there was an immediate test done for a UTI. Was considered a major mood changer in dementia patients and those living in a close proximity... (7 replies)
... UTI, if I may. We all know that UTI can strikingly diminish cognition in people with dementia. Having never experience UTI myself, I am wondering how UTI might affect the mental functions of someone with normal brain functions. Does or can it make the person feel a big foggy, groggy, or what? ... (7 replies)
... I know that UTI can make the demented person feel terrible and angry. Also, at the same time, the dementia can get worse as well given a long time. ... (7 replies)
... My 90 year old mother has vascular dementia and is in a memory impairment AL. She had a UTI about a year ago, which I had suspected, but was diagnosed when she was catheterized while in the hospital for another reason. ... (7 replies)
... Both. Mum was a gentle soul altz but at any hint of change a UTI check was done. ... (5 replies)
... Some of the antibiotics used to treat UTI can also produce confusion, drowsiness, etc. Cipro is particularly bad that way. ... (5 replies)
