Alzheimer patient blanked out

My 78 yr. old m-i-l had petit mal seizures last year. They diagnosed her with Alzheimer's Disease w/ side effects of Epilepsy.
She was put on countless anti-epileptic medications, one at a time of course. She would flip out and have bad reactions. She was taken off of each one of them right away. Then they put her in the hospital and took her off all her meds one at a time and discovered she didn't have AD w/ side effects of Epilepsy. They made a diagnosis of AD w/ side effects of Parkinson's Disease. She went into a nursing home for rehab and was doing much better. She came home on a low dose of Depakote 4x/day. She still remains on it but has mini-strokes. It's better than the flipping out where she almost kicked me down a flight of stairs and went for my throat, but missed. Another time, she tried to kick me in my lower private area. I don't miss those times at all.
...but I do feel for you. Get a dr. appt. set up for your aunt or whomever is in charge of her.

Take care,

Laura H.

What a tender and compassionate group of ladies! I am always so touched by the responses I read here. Thank you all for sharing from your heart, and being such an encouragement. Dealing with Alzheimer's in our loved one is difficult. This is a wonderful place to meet and share experiences, strength, and hope. Thank you, and God bless you all!

dear tmac, yes you are correct, they try and do some strange things in a hospital, with the elderly or even our selves. you must be aware of what is going on every minute. When it comes to the elderly they will try and do every test possible. they know that medicare does not question and the pay out. I have ben through it many times with my mom who just passed away she had alzheimers/plus age and other health problem. Even when she wass at death bed they wanted to run test, I was there to stop it. She went back to the assisting living she was at die with diginity. It was three days after I got Mom out of the hospital. She passed away after the last rights were given in my arms three hours after I received the call from the Tampa rescue dept. patrica61. I do pray also for the one that have no one or thers that family members just forget about them.

My mother had similar symptoms and we were told she had a grand mal seizure. This happened about 6 years into her battle with Alzheimers. She actually lost consciousness for a minute or two. I would think they would have checked for this at the hospital. But then, I've witnessed some stranger things in caring for my mom and dad. I pray everyday for those who do not have anyone to help care for them.

I agree that you should check for diabetes. When my mom's sugar gets too high or too low, she gets a glassy eyed stare and sometimes has what appears to be seizure-like symptoms. She also gets worse in every way when she has a uti, something else to consider.

Thanks for the tip, AlzCaregiver! :) Wow, you've been through it with your mom. She is blessed to have you. We are, too.

My Mom started suffering nausea at time of a bad fall that took her to ER. The bones part was ok, no concussion (typical cause of nausea in a fall). But the nausea/gas whatever episodes continued with "I wanna die" fainting "dramatics," usually helped with simethicone dissolve tablets....really TOO quickly for them to help. Later tried Junior Mints, and that worked also. But the eyes rolled back in the head, unresponsive got the ambulance here, and back we went, this time for hospitalization.

After four days and every test possible (but hey, let's not call in gastroenterology!) hospitalization, the doc finally figured "it was in her head." Mom wasn't able to make sense of her digestive pain (which would press on her heart and lungs...felt like dying), didn't remember there was a ten minute simple remedy, and went inside...and got lost in her own disappearing act. The docs were all too ready to say this was the onramp to final stage Alzheimers, complete with slippery slope hand motions, so I'd be sure to understand. I was turned over to palliative care team.

So, while the system was aimed to getting rid of her, out of their ER and hospital, the meds they Rx'd did stop both the digestive problems (Prilosec, probably acid reflux) and anxiety. Think that gave Mom time to physically recover and FORGET the coping behavior she had developed. We haven't had a zone-out episode since she was in the hospital. And any minor digestive discomfort is handled like anyone would with an understanding that simethicone would help her in a few minutes. Actually, most of her discomfort was probably from swallowing air while she drinks, and she often belches this up.

After witnessing a few episodes in the hospital, including three combative ones where she was trying to stop the doctors from prodding her stomach, I pretty much thought she was putting on an act at some points. Turning into stone so people would leave her alone. A Junior Mint would bring her back to life, and even the nurses got on board the mint routine. Try it first.

LindaS, bless you for being your Aunt's advocate, and for your concern for her best interests. The world needs more people like you! :)

Thank all of you for you comments here. I think my aunt needs a change in doctors and am going to forward these comments to my cousin as well as suggest she visit this web site. I'm going to call her now. Thank you.

Patrica- thank you for sharing that with us. I am or was I mean very lucky all the many times I had to call 911 in my town it was over 50 in a fews years they always came right away most were volennteers with jobs and families and most of the calls were during the night they never scolded us or were in a hurry while one county from us my sister in laws Mom was scolded for call three times and was so scared she calls neighbors or family now to assist when her husband has a fall-it is nice that in these times people can be so kind and it is nice to hear good things.

My Mother in Law had the exact same thing and it was found that she had sugar diabetes. They tested her glucose as a measurement and sure enough that was it. It is common for the aged population to be more suspectible to diabetes. Some research even shows that Alzheimer is attributable to a high sugar diet.
Not a doctor but it was what I saw.

That is what happen to my mom, several times once it was due to her diabetic condtion sugar was low and another it was after surgery. This last time mom went into the hospital from the assisting living it was that her eyes rolled back, color of skin, blood count was low. Thank god I had the legal heath epoxy and a full DNR./ They did try and run test I allowed only one. My mom wanted to go and the hospital wanted to keep running test, I had a big meeting and was told by one of the nice doctors they could do no more. I wanted them to respect my moms wishes to die with diginity. The beautiful assisting living that she was at agreed and took mom back. She died in my arms three days later. The fire dept called from the assisting livining that Monday morning due to her condtion due to the laws and asked if I wanted her to go back to the hospital, I expalin I was there only Sunday after church and knew the time was coming. The Tampa fire resue and Tampa police dept were so kind to me in my time of need. The fire dept told me I made the right call and said bless you to me. The assisting living called the nurse in charge and they put mom on oxygen. I had to get my photo ID due to it was out dated. So mom was kept alive until I got there. I was there in 25 minutes the Fl drivers license place was told what happen and took me next I did not have to wait. I was with mom for three hours. I took care of mom, while I was working going back and forth from florida to New York. I brought mom to Florida in 2007, I had leave my job in 2005 because mom got worse and brought to Florida to be with me. We worked on our house and made it child proof but I was not able to take care of her with the help that she would need. I looked at many places, and did not to put mom in a nursing home like she was placed in New York. We had gone to over ten differrent places for just day care in case I could not do it all weel in advance. And this one assisting living home was so clean and nice. The staff was so nice to both myself and husband. It was a family place. My mom was a lot sicker than I was informed the fire dept had to be called after four days, her eyes rolled back and I had twenty firemen in my house in seconds.No one can tell you what to do just watch over your love one and give them quality of life, Yes it is hard and this net work help out. There are so many people going through what you are. you are not alone. Bless you and may the lord watch over your family. Yes therre are so many stages. Sometimes the doctors don't know, you may more then them. patrica61

Good point, Marylee - new medications should always be suspect.
Carol

Linda, was her medication changed recently? My Mom had Dementia and was in the hospital for a med change. Three days after returning home she had a seizure that they say was caused by the new medication. She was fine once they got the medication out of her system. Good luck and God Bless...

I was told my Dad was having mini-seizures. While his eyes did not roll back, he stared, unable to blink or respond. I walked into his room during one of these episodes, and feared the worst. I ran to get a nurse, and a few came running back, and took his vitals. They saw the same thing, saying, "squeeze my hand." He finally did, weakly. They called in his Physician, who told me about the seizures, and said they are all part of his disease. (Dad has Alzheimer's). Fortunately, the episodes don't linger. But they tell me they may increase in frequency, until one day, one may finally take him. He's also had a couple heart attacks in the past. I think this all plays a part in his decline. It is very hard for a daughter (or any loved one) to see.

Dad was really doing poorly when I moved him to his current facility. He'd recently been hospitalized for a horrible UTI, and when released to a nursing home downstate, was not thriving. I moved him closer to me, and believe it saved his life. I haven't seen one of those episodes in over 11 months. However, he does sleep a lot more, and there's other strange behavior they are monitoring. I'm told it's all part and parcel of their disease.

Linda, gathering all the information you can about her condition may help you cope, a little. I also attend a support group, and learn from others how they manage with the feelings watching a loved one struggle through difficult things. Just knowing it can be a common thing, and that others understand, is helpful as well. Hopefully, your aunt is getting proper medication, which can affect things as well. My Dad's medications are monitored and changed often, as he progresses through the various stages of his disease. If you can, talk to her health care providers, and make sure she's getting all the help she needs.

My husband had faiting spells very often while in rehad and by the time the ambulance reached the NH he was alert but was taken to the nearest hosp each time and all the test were done and he either went right back to rehab or stayed up to 3 days in the hosp. sometimes twice in one week this happened 4 or 5 times until the last time when it did not seem to be bad but by the time he reached the hosp. he was critical but the first day was in and out of it-the next day a little worse and the following day in a deep coma and we took him off life support meds-5 IV meds and he died the next early morning- he had been to a heart MD the week before and was pronounced fine and all his brain scans and MRI's were within normel limits and blood work for infection came back normel but before he died he had marked brain and heart damage and sepsis all over his body.

I'm assuming she was checked for a seizure?

I saw this, but a seizure was usually the case, though my dad's eye's would roll back alarmingly when he was having a bad day (his dementia was caused by surgery, not Alzheimer's).

Check back as many people on the site have had different experiences. Maybe someone else has seem exactly what you describe.

Carol