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Arlyle Asked July 2019

What is going on?

MIL with "dementia" is seeing cobwebs everywhere and spends hours trying to wipe them down. She also sees bugs on the carpet and steps on them then picks them up and throws them out. Problem is there is NOTHING there. When she stomps the bugs I can barely contain my laughter. She is very good natured about it all, I just don't know how to address this. Thoughts?

Arlyle Jul 2019
Saw doctor today and she is now being treated for a UTI. Hopefully this will take care of the odd behavior. Time will tell. Thanks for the responses.
AlvaDeer Jul 2019
Aha. There is the one I forgot. That is seemingly becoming more and more common. I hope this works. Do try D Mannose. It is wonderful for keeping bacteria from adhereing to the bladder wall. I swear by Source Natural capsules from Amazon as it is the one I have used. Used to get at least 4 infections a year, some that went into kidney as pyelonephritis and took me down with systemic infection. Now have not had a single infection for about 11 years. I have told two people about it, one a facebook friend and one at my dog part. Both swear by it. Doctors now starting to recommend it as well.
rocketjcat Jul 2019
Oh, sounds like a UTI. My mom’s UTI delirium was picking strawberries off the floor to get ready for a party. It was horrible to watch. Another time she couldn’t figure out how to get into her bed, and thought a mirror was a window. After the antibiotics kicked in the next day she was back to “normal”. I would suggest getting her tested ASAP. It might take a trip to the ER or urgent care to do the urine test.

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lealonnie1 Jul 2019
It may indeed be a urinary tract infection, like rocketjcat said......they can act totally bonkers with one of those, that's the truth. If not, has she been prescribed any new medications lately? When my mother was put on a vertigo patch behind her ear, she suddenly started seeing mice running on the floor when there weren't any. Her dementia in general was taken up several notches after this Rx , so I had the patch removed and she went back to "normal" within 2 days. The patch was an antihistamine/drying agent which was the culprit.
Libbby Jul 2019
Yes, scopolamine patches (vertigo, car or airsickness) can cause vivid hallucinations in some people.
Screennamed Jul 2019
Possibly a lack of blood flow and lack of O2 to a blocked brain area. Before my stroke I hallucinated, Later I knew I was hallucinating because my cats and dog weren't reacting to what I saw, which was happening as I was having the onset to an undiagnosed TIA mini-stroke, that would happen more than once due to stress exacerbating an unknown blood clot in my MCA .

An ischemic stroke eventually resulted. Based on my experience I would schedule a consult with her neurologist consult who will likely schedule with an MRI CT scan, to obtain specifc answers, since Dementia is a generalized term, for memory issues.

AlvaDeer Jul 2019
Hallucinations pure and simple. Many dementias can cause them. They are common in some parkinsons and common in Lewy's dementia. Speak to a doctor. Problem is that even when there is a dx, the drugs for hallucinations makes the balance worse and the balance drugs often give more hallucinations. Don't honestly know any good drug therapies, or have not hear of them. CBD oil with doc's permission sometimes helps with some picking and scratching and compulsive stuff I am told. No personal experience. Do discuss with her doctor next visit.

Parise Jul 2019
Overlook it, It gets worse, This is probably the beginning.

cetude Jul 2019
Get her checked for urinary tract infection (UTI) especially for any changes in behavior. Get her to the emergency room or doctor to rule out a physical cause. UTIs are very serious. Changes can be catastrophic.
AlvaDeer Jul 2019
She posted below, Cetude, that she had taken her Mom for check and she was being treated for UTI right now, so you get the master-diagnostician on this one! Good work.
CaregiverL Jul 2019
Maybe she has eye floaters? I’ve had them for a while & they sometimes look like cobwebs..so I go to retina specialist to check them every year. Hugs 🤗
anonymous683453 Jul 2019
Can anything be done? I have bad ones in my right eye, but found the cause was small holes in my retina, which he fused with laser treatment. Much of it went away but still see a few things at the periphery of my vision, like spiders or flies near my face sometimes. Little black dots, too. I have macular beginning now too so my later life will be challenging, I'm sure.
Arlyle Jul 2019
Wow everyone, thanks so much for all the great ideas. As to her vision, she sees an ophthalmologist about every 3 months due to glaucoma which he is keeping pretty well controlled. But I do wonder often when she confuses silverware for instance, is this the vision or the brain? I don't think we will ever really know.
The good news however, since starting the antibiotic she hasn't killed a "bug" or knocked down a "cobweb." So I think that problem is solved for now.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts. Much appreciated.

Sealouise Jul 2019
My Dad has Lewy Body Dementia the end stages. In the earlier stages he had hallucinations, I daughter would go along with it for example he has a piece of lent or a string in his hands or little bugs on his dinner plate I would just say " here Dad let me have that I'll throw it away " and he was fine with that. My mom and Dad had an understanding (early stages) that when Mom said there's nothing there or what you are seeing is not really there he would say ok and forget it. It's a tricky subject like I said in my experience I went along with it it seemed to work for us. But with dementia everyone is different thank God my Dad never had any scary horrible hallucations that I know of and never a foul word. I wish you luck! This is a hard road we are going down. Too me it's the saddest thing I have ever experienced. Hang in there!

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