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Mom has mild dementia. She's 87 years old. Congestive heart failure that see-saws up and down the fluid balance scale. She's very weak, can barely walk, has balance issues, and more. At night she often wakes me up talking in her sleep . . . carrying on real conversations that repeat over and over again. She often addresses her brothers and sister who passed years ago.

Tonight I woke up hearing her talking up a storm to one of her brothers about another brother and whether or not he took some bread. She alternated between swearing he didn't take it to asking him plaintively if he did, to defending him against all comers, to threatening to whoop him if he did. Hahaha!!

Sometimes her conversations are, well, just creepy. They're mostly a loop. Same tune/different verse over and over again for an hour or so. Then she's quiet. Then, it might start up again with something else.

Right now, it's 1:07 AM here; she's been jabbering for 45 minutes about Carl and the bread he did or didn't take. What the heck?? She never remembers these episodes in the morning.

Anyone else experience this?

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Maggie it may be her mind going back over things from the past or it may be that the spirits of those who have passed are visiting her as perhaps her time is drawing near. I'm not a religious person, if anything I'm a spiritualist, and I do believe that those who have passed return to comfort and prepare someone for their journey.

My mother, in a nursing home, is very close to her time and for the past few months she's been seeing and talking to dogs, cats (always a great animal lover), her mother who passed in 75 and my father who passed 15 years ago. None of these encounters or maybe delusions frighten her. In fact they seem to give her comfort. So long as these dreams or delusions don't frighten her I'd leave her alone. She doesn't remember them anyway.
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Pshew, my mother sure did, and they were doozies! They were often about me yelling at her, what!?! When I asked why I was yelling at her she would just shrug and say, "you know I can't remember". Near the end though I did get to kill an intruder in the garden and save her life. Finally, I wasn't yelling at her! It could be the medication, but my mother was taking very little (namenda). My father also had vivid dreams. He had congestive heart failure, (plenty of meds there, linospurinol (sp?) seems especially nasty) but no dementia. Maybe when you just get so debilitated and nothing in your body works your mind just takes over and entertains you. I read somewhere that one persons mother woke up just before she passed and said "Oh the places I've been!". I am sorry to say that it seems to be one of the many end of life events we will all go through if we are lucky enough not to die of a traumatic event. I do wish there had not been so many attempted murders in my Mom's dreams though. No one knows all the details of a parent's life, but wow, dreams like that have to make you wonder. Try and enjoy the bread arguments Maggie, I think your Mom is just sorting things out.
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Self dialogs can be most entertaining.

"delusions that are frequently observed in Alzheimer's patients include beliefs about theft, the patient's house not being his home, a spouse, is an impostor, belief an intruder is in the house, abandonment, spousal infidelity, and paranoia." ~ alzcompend.info

Hallucinations vs. Delusions in Alzheimer's
{quote} It is important that Alzheimer's caregivers understand the difference between a hallucination and a delusion. Each of these symptoms can affect your loved one in different ways:

Delusions.Delusions are false beliefs caused by the deterioration of cognitive processes in the brain of the Alzheimer's patient, and are often influenced by misunderstandings or misinterpretations. Patients might think they are being followed, or might accuse a family member of stealing from them or plotting against them.

Hallucinations. These involve false perceptions, and are also caused by changes in the brain due to Alzheimer's. Patients can literally "sense" - see, hear, smell, taste, or feel - something that isn't there. They might see and talk with old friends who aren't there, or watch ships floating through the sky outside the window, or smell foods they enjoyed as a child. {end quote}

It is difficult for us carers to accept LO's mind is damaged by Alzheimer's Disease. Not only is memory damaged their ability to process thoughts is impaired while awake or dreaming. This is true for all stages, we never know until the damage is revealed
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My FIL reports "much better dreams" much more vivid since he started taking Arricept about 2 mos ago. I'm thinking if he likes 'em it's all good!
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I find this topic of significant interest. Over the past several months, my 87-year-old Dad has reported these types of experiences, yet has been diagnosed only with mild age-related memory loss (not Alzheimer's). He is still very much on his own and physically active, plays pool and his driving is still 100%.

Dad frequently awakens seeing figures in the room, and tells them to "get the h*ll outta here." This morning he said he saw a dog walking on the ceiling. I have asked him if he feels any sort of a sense of danger or ill-will from these visitors, and he says no; he just gets up and goes about his day. So I don't make a big deal out of it.

We mentioned these occurrences during our latest visit with his psychiatrist, who didn't seem concerned, and suggested they might be hallucinations.

What doesn't add up is that he's still of sound mind, balancing his checkbook and doing typical tasks with no problem. He doesn't seem to be "on his way out" so to speak.
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Just a follow-up to my original question. Great answers here. Especially from SLPearson. Your post was very helpful.

My "problem" with mom's vivid dreaming and talking in her sleep is that I wake up on and off through the night listening to her dialogue and then can't get back to sleep. (Well, THAT and sometimes it's a bit creepy.)

I am useless without sleep. Yesterday, I was a walking Zombie. Not crabby with mom - never am - but crabby with Tom who is my Angel Without Wings.

I've solved the problem, though. I am now closing her bedroom door so that I can't hear her. If she cried out for HELP, I think I would. But I'm willing to take the chance that I'd miss that as well. If I'm going to care for mom comprehensively during the day? I simply must get rest. I'm not going to ask myself to do the impossible.

If I get overly stressed, and lack of sleep will do that, the whole pyramid will come tumbling down. We can only do so much.

Thanks again for the great comments. It's wonderful to read that others have experienced the same.

*hugs*
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I've been reading up on medication that might cause these types of effects. One such article "Definition of Drug-Induced Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly":
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MaggieMarshall, your right you need your sleep. Its hard when they are dreaming and talking in their sleep, we are up with them all night. ( In your case remembering her dreams) And during the day, they can go to sleep, but again, we must stay up! Get some well deserved sleep and I hope your mom will be able to as well. Hugs
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Some say there is the dimension of physicality (third dimension), as well as the dimension of thought (4th dimension and higher, depending on the quality of thoughts). Some also say there are beings who live in these alternate dimensions -- souls who have passed on, as well as spirits who were never in the physical. Additionally, our thoughts can take on their own forms, if we feed them enough energy. When we are in a state of mind in which we are between dimensions (such as when we are near death's door), some say we can participate in these alternate dimensions, while we are still in the third dimension.
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Oh yea! Two nights ago there was a fire that only mom could see. According to mom, I set it to. Telling her there was no fire only made her more hostile and she pulled out her "I hate the way you treat me. Me telling her she might have had a bad dream only added fuel to the fire so to speak! LOL! Neurologist wants to try ant psychotic med for PD dementia but I've been reading that anti psychotic drugs don't work well for PD patients and may have side effects. This journey is far from over for her and me
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My mother also has vivid dreams, even during the day when she nods off in the rocker. The hard part is trying to make her understand that it was a dream, she will continue for an hour thinking it was real.
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My father has always dreamed but as he is older (91) diagnosed with dementia/alzheimers he sees his dreams more vivid and realistic. he sometimes doesnt realize they are dreams when talking about them. he feels that they actually happened. I, myself, dream almost every night and thank God I do. I love to dream, even if not always good. He has been on Aricept, low dosage for about 5 days so not sure if anything unusual yet to describe.
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Oh my gosh my mother has been having what we call "fright mares" for years and they involve her screaming, having conversations or arguments in strange sounding languages or arguments with me. Many of the dreams she says are so vivid and quite violent, involving her being chased, raped (in one her father was raping her), intruders or someone trying to kill her. She says she dreams a lot about Indians chasing her trying to hurt her. Mom is alcoholic, 89 yrs old and fading away doing nothing day after day. It's really sad. I used to go running downstairs when she would be screaming but I don't anymore. She's fallen out of her bed a few times while dreaming and sleepwalked too. She refuses to see the doctor or be tested for dementia or Alzheimer's. I just don't know what to do with her. The drinking is so sad. I don't try to deter her any more. If this is how she wants to go then I've thrown up my hands and it's a matter of a waiting game at this point. The mind can do strange things, and alcohol is evil.
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My MIL has strange dreams and has had hallucinations, mostly auditory. She's dreamt that her father was at the door or she thought she heard him knocking at the door late one night. She thinks she hears someone knocking at the door a lot lately. I've asked her neurologist about it and he says it's a normal part of the Alzheimer's. I did ask him to check her meds and he confirmed it's not the meds doing it. One time she hallucinated my sister-in-law holding a pink baby dress, telling her to look at the dress or feel it or something. She reached out to touch the dress and it and SIL disappeared. SIL died 9 years ago. She's very preoccupied with death and has been for some time, which I guess would explain the dreams or hallucinations whatever they were, that her father was at the door. He's been gone since the 70's.

She never wants to admit anything to the neurologist about anything. She just tells him she's doing fine, her memory is great, etc. She'll ask me what the date is because he asks her all the time.
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Speaking as somebody's Dad, I can tell you that I have extremely vivid dreams.

"When I get to old to dream, .... " goes an old song, but it never happens.
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@ Addison - What point is there in even attempting to convince her that it was a dream?

My Mother, when in her 90s, had vivid dreams whether she was asleep or awake. Most of them had the character of delusions. But what useful purpose is there in shattering any calm or pleasure those dreams may bring?

If dreams or delusions bring pleasure, however phantastic they may be, leave your Mum alone to enjoy whatever happiness she finds in them.

To do otherwise is unspeakably cruel.
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My mother has been having those night terrors as well. If they were good dreams or pleasant ones I'd leave her be, it's the terrified ones that worry me. Right now I'm limiting what she watches on tv or listens to since she tends to take what they're saying literally!! Also I'm trying essential calming oils in a diffuser during the night. Like you I need SLEEP or it's hard to function during the day so I'm up for anything that will provide relief for both of us.
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My mother did much the same - trouble was UT infection + Levoquin antibiotic. She is over the UT infection now and the nightmares have quit. Levoquin resulted in hallucinations and aggressive behavior as well.
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Don't believe alzheimer's diagnosis or dementia diagnosis until you have the UT infection ruled out first. Believe me as one with the experience. My mother is back to her usual sweet although forgetful (her memory is really bad esp. with names) self. No more crazy dreams or monsters in the closet.
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We are having issues with our rescue cat recently displaying aggressive behavior toward only my mother so the humane society pet behaviorist was fabulous in suggesting a number of possible solutions including calming essential oils. These seem to be helping with both the cat and mom's night terrors. We think the cat gets stressed when awakened to mom screaming and carrying on in her sleep during the night. She started cursing at the cat & yelling at him too, so I feel for the poor cat. The entire household has been disturbed with my elderly mother's alcohol infused bizarre hallucinations & dreams. Mom's Dr doesn't feel any of her meds are root cause, but mom refuses any testing. One day at a time here and an extreme exercise in patience.............I feel for everyone here, and I'm grateful knowing I'm not alone!
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Sometimes these dreams are brought on by a urinary tract infection.
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Carek the cat knows your mother "isn't right". Animals have intuition far greater than ours and if your mother's a boozer, god help you all. Can you not cut off her booze supply?

Keep the cat away from her - you're doing neither of them any favours.
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I've tried cutting off mom's booze supply. Things were so miserable my sister & I figured she's not going to quit so just let her keep drinking herself to death. I refuse to buy her cigarettes or booze but will drive her to the liquor store & she has to go inside to make the purchase herself. Before I moved in mom was bribing & begging anyone she could to buy for her. Even the 2 caretakers both of whom I fired for supplying my mom with her vices. It's disgusting and embarrassing but I'm at the point and it sounds so horrible, that I'm just standing by waiting for her to die. She's very sick.
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Addison! Yes, mom does the same thing. She's almost pushed over her wheelchair putting it back on two wheels thinking she's falling. Then when I tell her she's just dreaming, she gets mad. Ha!

Carek, I now close mom's bedroom door so I don't hear her. She'd have to yell pretty loud to wake me, but I'm willing to take that chance since the alternative is Zombie Land next day for me.

TO ALL: It's so WONDERFUL to read others experiences. Thank you all. I'll sleep easier. Ha!
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I feel sorry for those dealing with these issues, especially if alcohol is involved. it must make it alot harder to deal with and I am sure the meds don't mix well with the alcohol either. maybe it could be watered down slightly. please don't anyone take me the wrong way, but I just can't imagine that the meds given to the patient are even doing any good being mixed with alcohol, its almost like wasting money on the drugs.
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Once upon a time I was taking Ambient to help me sleep. It caused very weird, vivid dreams. There are many medications that can cause this.
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Maggiemarshall ours is a split level home & mom sleeps & stays for the most part in the family room aka "her room" on the 1st of 3 levels. I'm on the top level in my old childhood bedroom but I usually have my bedroom door open a crack so the cat can come in & out. I've stopped running down the stairs to her every time she starts screaming in the night.

Wolf lover- mom's doctors are all aware of the drinking. Unfortunately due to HIPPA laws there's not much they can do legally in communicating with me. Mom is in such denial & lies about her drinking AND smoking. No need to feel sorry, my situation is indeed quite sad but could be a lot worse. It's just a waiting game until her body shuts down. Sure I could take over with POA but sister & I don't feel it's worth the added aggravation emotion & stress. It's a waiting game with us. The alcohol to med mix causes dizziness & drowsiness but mom doesn't go anywhere or do anything but watch TV all day. She's really just a waste of space. Sorry if this sounds sad & disrespectful but it is what it is and how my sister and I have ended up dealing with her. We've exhausted our efforts trying to make her happy. Like I say, one day at a time.
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you said alcohol infused? Where does the alcohol come from? Is she living alone and able to drive and purchase booze? The alcohol is likely a huge contributing factor to the night terrors.
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Sherry1anne my mother can't drive. I live with her. I drive her to the liquor store but refuse to go into the store and buy it for her. By alcohol infused which is a term my sister & I use, we mean our mother is so focused on her need for alcohol intake every day, her body is soaked with it. Her team of doctors all know she's alcoholic and regularly try to convince her to quit but she refuses. It's very sad, and difficult for most people to understand. Mom is a ticking time bomb, we are just waiting for her to have another debilitating fall, stroke or die in a drunken stupor. I love my mother, I hate the disease.
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If your Mum is safe, then treat her ramblings as if you had the radio tuned to Chinese Broadcasting and ignore most of it. Watch out for expressions of fear, pain, discomfort, and then you can swing into action to alleviate whatever causes her distress.

Take NOTHING personally. It most likely isn't meant that way.

If you drive your MUM to the liquor store then you are her enabler and it is no different than you buying it in for her.

Cutting the liquor will probably - no one can be sure - help her be more reasonable once she has got through the withdrawal phase.

Remember - if you don't enable her, she won't be a boozer. Put your foot down with a firm hand and keep the knives locked up.

Good luck.
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