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Chappy Asked June 2016

Are headaches and dizziness a part of dementia?

My mother has been getting dizzy followed by a headache sometimes pretty bad. Then it just disappeared like nothing happened. Its been one week since and she's fine. Yes, she was seen by a doctor..The dizziness has been more frequent in the last 5-6 weeks. Anyone have similar experiences with your family member?

SueC1957 Jun 2016
I agree Chappy, I think it's the dementia too.
My mother is 93 and has had "headaches" for the past 5 years. She has been seen by 2 different doctors and had every test in the book done...MRI's, CT scans, blood tests, X Rays, Physical Therapy consult (to rule out muscle, arthritis, bone problems or limitations in movement), Ophthalmologist consult (rule out glaucoma which can cause headaches), neurologist consult, a brain surgeon consult (for a small benign growth outside the brain but inside the skull) and NOTHING was the cause of the headaches. No medication would help alleviate them, from Tylenol, Motrin/Aspirin, Codeine to Morphine. Occasionally Ativan (anti-anxiety med) might help relax her and she would forget about the headache.
I did some research on Alzheimer's dementia and the person can hear noise and/or voices in their head. She's had this problem since the beginning of her headaches. She was sure the noise was coming from the apartment building where she lived. She even called the owner of the building and he stayed in her apt. for hours to try to hear the "noise". I visited her (500 miles away) so I could hear "it" too. NOTHING. Around this time she was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's.
I have come to realize that this can be a part of the dementia and, unfortunately, will never go away. It drives her crazy and she doesn't understand why nothing works. She mentions her "headache" every time I see her and how it incapacitates her (although my mother has always been extremely melodramatic). I do believe it must be h3ll to live with that going on in your head. Two weeks ago, after asking me for the umpteenth time why she have headaches, I told her it's from the dementia. I'm not sure she understands the process but it was an answer at the time.
So, yes, your mom may be having "noises" in her head and interprets it as pain. I found a little movie on Youtube (can't remember the name) of a male and female researcher looking into what a person with Alz/dementia experiences. See if you can find it. Very interesting and that's where I found the "noise" theory and related it to my moms' headaches. Good luck and God bless you and Mom.

Chappy Jun 2016
Well her headaches and dizziness stopped as fast as they started..that's been at least one week now..so, I beieve it is a symptom of dementia.

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freqflyer Jun 2016
Barometric changes can cause some people to feel out of balance.... with all this crazy weather it hasn't been easy for those of us who are sensitive to weather changes.

blannie Jun 2016
I would also wonder about small strokes, or TIAs (transient ischemic attacks).

When does the dizziness occur? You can have OK blood pressure, but it can drop when you stand, causing dizziness. That's called orthostatic hypotension. But that would depend on when her dizziness happens. She's at a risk of a fall with the dizziness, so keep a close eye on her with that.

Chappy Jun 2016
Mom is very stubborn too, it's very hard to get her up to the hospital. But, I'll keep after the nurses as they have doctor home visits. Thank you Sunnygirl

Sunnygirl1 Jun 2016
Hmm.....it's good she's being monitored. I think I still might ask the doctor if it continued. It could be anything, including sinus, allergies, migraines, medication reaction, etc. Since dementia patients have trouble reporting their pain, I'd take care to follow up with the doctor when she reports it.

My primary referred us to a neurologist and she had a brain MRI. They were able to tell that she had had multiple strokes.

Chappy Jun 2016
Her blood pressure, and sugars are always good when she has these periods of dizziness and headaches..she is being monitored weekly by our home care nurses.

Sunnygirl1 Jun 2016
I'd follow up with her doctor, if it continues to bother her. You can't always tell if someone is fine by how they look. My cousin used to have frequent headaches before she diagnosed with dementia. They stopped when she went on meds and got her blood pressure, diabetes and anxiety under control.

I wouldn't assume it's the dementia that is causing her headaches. The doctor may need to refer her to a specialist. The dizziness would concern me as well. Perhaps a solid diagnosis could help her pain and answer your questions about her condition.

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