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anonymous205731 Asked August 2019

Is this normal for someone with Alzheimer's?

Since Saturday my husband with Alzheimer's has only gotten out of bed to go to the bathroom. He won't eat. He finally started drinking water today. Around 2pm today he started yelling, "go away", "hey", "I don't care", "leave me alone", "I want justice" and other nonsensical things. Every time I check on him he says he's fine. When I leave the room he starts yelling again.


Anybody have experience with this?

Sweetstuff Sep 2019
Hi Lataza. Huge kudos to you for not ignoring this new behavior and getting your husband to the hospital for the diagnosis and care he needs. You’ve taught us all a very valuable lesson about caregiving. We know our LO’s better than anyone. I hope the cause of the fever is quickly determined and treated. You must be exhausted. Thanks for the updates. Be proud of your superb caregiving to your husband. He is a lucky duck to have you. Keep us posted and get some rest yourself.

anonymous205731 Sep 2019
Hi all. He is still in the hospital. They are giving him fluids, antibiotics and Keppra, an anti seizure medicine. In ER on Thursday, they told me the antibiotics were "just in case" because they put a catheter in. Monday the Dr told me he had mild pneumonia.

They are just going to monitor the hematoma and do another cat scan in a month.

He is eating but only a few bites at each meal. He had a fever Mon but it went away. It came back today. The nurse called the Dr about an hour ago (5pm) and he ordered a urine culture and blood work.

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DareDiffer Sep 2019
Thanks for the update. Are they going to treat the haematoma at all, the symptoms it’s apparently causing or just monitor for now? I’m glad you managed to get him to hospital despite the paramedics view it wasn’t needed.
AlvaDeer Sep 2019
It does seem we are,many of us and I include myself, too quick to excuse things by "it's the disease". This has to be a lesson to us all in not taking for granted that there isn't something other going on when there is a sudden change. I know we are all quick to jump on "Get a urinalysis" but here we have a hematoma, and yikes. Just yikes!!!!! Congrats to this caregiver for her great and quick thinking.
anonymous205731 Sep 2019
I certainly learned a lesson!
AlvaDeer Sep 2019
ME TOO. Hope you will write on the forum about this. See my comment below.
anonymous205731 Aug 2019
I always hope people will come back and tell us what happened after receiving answers to their questions so here is what happened.

I called 911 Thursday since he kept shouting all night. It reminded me of
tourette syndrome. The paramedic didn't think he needed to go to the hospital and said he thought I should take him to the Dr. He offered to help me put him in the car. He said it was my choice. I called his Dr but he was off. They said he could come in to see the nurse practitioner when she got back from lunch. I chose the hospital.

He kicked and screamed when they put him on the gurney. When they got to the hospital they had to sedate him because he was screaming and trying to hit people. After running tests and getting a cat scan they found a hematoma on his brain. Fortunately, it's not pressing on his brain so surgery is not necessary.

We are still in the hospital. Moral of the story, if he has strange symptoms again I won't wait so long to call for help.
cwillie Aug 2019
Thanks for the update and the reminder that a dramatic change can be caused by an acute problem and should be investigated asap. Hopefully he will make a full recovery.
anonymous205731 Aug 2019
Thank you Sweetstuff. I finally got him to take his meds. I will definitely call the Dr in the morning but I still don't know how to get him there.

Sweetstuff Aug 2019
Hi Lataza, I would try to get his meds in and call the Dr in the AM to report his behavior and med situation. Good luck.

anonymous205731 Aug 2019
Thanks for replying.

In the past he has stayed in bed for a couple of days but the yelling is new. He takes blood pressure medicine and an antidepressant. He hasn't taken either since Saturday.

I want to take him to the doctor but he refuses to get out of bed.

AlvaDeer Aug 2019
Is this a sudden change from his nomal behavior? Think he should at least have urine test to see if this change is due to a UTI. Is he on any medications that could cause behavioral changes. Don't really know his baseline, so hard to guess.

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