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nature73 Asked February 2020

Can dementia come on suddenly?

Here I am again - requesting information & reassurance. Three days ago my 93-year-old father became very confused & agitated. The ER visit showed only dehydration & gave him IV fluids & discharged him. We took him back to the Independent Living section where he resides. He continued to be confused & restless. Apparently no UTI evidence from the routine urinalysis done, but the staff at the facility felt it couldn't be anything else. After the RN spoke to his MD, he was started on Macrodantin. He has shown a little improvement, but is still forgetful & agitated. And he knows something's wrong & keeps asking if he's going to get better. I guess I'd like to know if dementia could happen this abruptly or is it more likely a UTI? He cannot be by himself at this time & is temporarily in the Memory Care center at the facility in the daytime & I have an aide with him at night. It's very disturbing since he was VERY sharp prior to this - meticulous with his hygiene, able to talk appropriately about current events, etc.
If this is a UTI, what is typical recovery time? The condition has made him twice as anxious & afraid as is usual for him & has caused him to hang onto me as his lifeline. I can't be over there every day & I'm getting stressed myself. It's like a switch was flipped & he's a completely different person! Feeling guilty. Thoughts please!

JoAnn29 Feb 2020
A dr should never allow an antibiotic without proof of a UTI. If no improvement than he doesn't need an antibiotic. Get another urinalysis done. Make sure he is drinking plenty of water. Dehydration will cause confusion. Low potassium could be a problem especially if on water pills.

UTI symptoms start to clear up pretty much once an antibiotic is started, if not may not be the correct antibiotic. A culture is need to figure that out. And no, Dementia does not happen that fast. Its a progressive desease.

AlvaDeer Feb 2020
UTI almost certain is involved if the medical treatment is macrodantin. It often is not enough. You are going to need clear Culture and Sensitivity tests. It could take a while; may take more than one drug. Yes, UTI can cause almost instant seeming changes, but it is not the ONLY thing. Anesthesia can cause instant changes. Strokes not noticed to have other deficits can, bleeds in the brain. Many things can cause instant changes.

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Ahmijoy Feb 2020
It sure sounds like a UTI. If they didn’t culture the sample, they should. It’s like the quick strep test and the overnight one. The overnight one is much more reliable. And, there are many different infections he could have. Were blood tests also done? Antibiotics can take a few days to “kick in”.

Dementia doesn’t come on suddenly. It’s a gradual decline, a dying off of brain cells over time. Are you certain he didn’t fall? He could also be confused and anxious because of the interruption in his routine—the ER visit.

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