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sharjo Asked December 2012

Does anyone else know what I'm talking about when I say Mom's dementia is like Bipolar disorder?

The last two weeks mama has been very quite and not a lot of confusion, slept a lot, just seemed to be getting worse....THEN all at once it's like she is so hyped you can't leave her alone in a room...she talks loud, non stop, no sleeping, like for twenty four hours or more....and makes up these hugh stories about us and her life....she eats hugh meals and seems hungry all the time....she even eats pretend meals, and will say I've dropped my fork, do you see it...normally we can't get her to eat. she has us to call every one she can remember on the phone and talks...then she'll go to sleep and wake up back in her , mood of just sleeping for days not eating, and no talking....HELP us understand...please

JessieBelle Dec 2012
BTW, I just checked and the surge is associated with the release of neurotransmitters, e.g. serotonin, in the brain. Even if your mother is not ready to cross over yet, she may still be having neurotransmitter release for some reason. From what I just read, these periods are enjoyable to the person experiencing them, so are a gift to enjoy. There are so few gifts when one is older that it is nice to read about this.

JessieBelle Dec 2012
What Jeanne describes is called surging. Quite often as a person nears death, they will have a period that may be short or last more than a day where they seem to be recovering. They talk and eat like nothing is wrong. It is a good thing in letting families enjoy each other once again. It gives the person who is dying a last taste of the good things of this world. The bad thing about surging is it often gives a family the wrong sense that someone is getting better. After the surge, death usually follows fairly quickly. Since your mother is cycling, I don't know if it is surging. However, I don't know if we know enough about the end of life to say anything with certainty.

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jeannegibbs Dec 2012
I wonder if this isn't related to her end-of-life experience. It is more extreme than my husband just went through but in some ways similar. Eating some days, alert, able to communicate, then almost all day sleeping with no eating.

I think talking about this with the hospice nurse and/or social worker will help you understand the best.

sharjo Dec 2012
She is 85. appears to be vascular dementia. She has heart failure, very frail and in hospice care with one of us girls with her around the clock. No major testing being done she is so frail

jeannegibbs Dec 2012
What is your mother's diagnosis? (What kind of dementia?) Is she being treated by a specialist? Have you discussed these wild fluctuations with the doctor?

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