Does anyone have experience with a loved one that suffers from visual hallucinations caused by macular degeneration?
These hallucinations come and go. Typically they last for a long time. Things seen can be shapes or even people. My mom knows that what she is seeing is not real but they are very upsetting to her.
Charles Bonnett Syndrome occurs as a result of loss of vision from macular degeneration. It is a hallucination, but has no component of mental illness and is not indicative of having any kind of dementia. My mother developed the hallucinations about 2 years after being declared legally blind. Sometimes it would be a person in the room with her, other times an animal, a roomful of flowers. They occurred frequently if she fell asleep in her her recliner and woke up,to a quiet room. She left the TV on and kept the draperies open. At night she left a light on.
Her ophthalmologist recommended a vitamin D supplement. She sat outside in direct sunlight for a half an hour everyday weather permitting. This did not stop the hallucinations. Avoiding stress was also helpful. It was frightening for mom especially if she had been asleep. She tried to not nap during the day. She kept a very rigid sleep schedule - going to bed every evening at the same time and rising at the same time. She quit reading before bedtime.
It it was difficult to cope. With, but she found her schedule and establishing good sleep habits helped her.
Wow, that is fascinating info Becky.........thank you for sharing. My mother (with macular degeneration) has been taking a Vitamin D supplement for years and also sits out in the sun every single day living in Colorado, so maybe that's why her situation never developed into Charles Bonnett Syndrome, thankfully. This is why I LOVE this forum........such a great learning tool here.
My mother was insisting it was raining outside her window every night when it wasn't. It was due to macular degeneration, the opthamologist said. He said it's common to see things that aren't there with the disease, so perhaps that's what is going on with your loved one. Glasses did fix the problem for my mom, fortunately,
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That has to be tough. I’m so sorry. Hugs.
Others may have answers. Best wishes for you and your family.
Her ophthalmologist recommended a vitamin D supplement. She sat outside in direct sunlight for a half an hour everyday weather permitting. This did not stop the hallucinations. Avoiding stress was also helpful. It was frightening for mom especially if she had been asleep. She tried to not nap during the day. She kept a very rigid sleep schedule - going to bed every evening at the same time and rising at the same time. She quit reading before bedtime.
It it was difficult to cope. With, but she found her schedule and establishing good sleep habits helped her.
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