Is there such a thing as definition for Sundowner Syndrome? How does this differ from dementia? Anyone can help with pointing me to a website,Jk

I am very sorry about the pain and distress your mother is experiencing. My wish for both of you is the strength to get through this difficult time.

I believe that "sundowning" usually refers to behaviors that occur or worsen at twilight in people who have dementia. Not everyone who has dementia has this happen. I've also heard "sundown syndrome" used to refer to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which is depression brought on by lack of light (such as in winter in northern climates), What you describe doesn't seem to fit either use of the term -- unless your mother's behaviors occur at sunset. So I'd have to ask the doctor what he or she meant, and for any suggestions of how to cope with it.

Has Mother been seen by a geriatric psychiatrist? There may be a medication that could ease some of the anxiety and panic attacks.

Best wishes to you both in this very challenging time.

Mum was presecribe antidepressant (Lexapro) x 1 daily. The past week after an episode of Rotaviral gastroenteritis during which she became clinically dehydrated. Her behaviour has become even worse. She dislike being reminded to take her medications; she blames me for creating all her problems,
She thinks I am evil and she has become 'pranoid' at the slightest. I think she hears voices. In short I feel she is really beyond 'help'.She is not due to see the geriatric psychiatrist for another 2 weeks. I took her to the local GP all he could do was just listen. Sadly, shen he told her he noticed that she has lost more weight he last reviewed her, she has become even more paranoid. At present
she has become even more uncooperatuve, she would not allow me to be near her -she keeps calling me 'devil'. The awful names she call me has bcome even more unbearable. I feel really really sad and helpless that I am unable to help her; console her I think she is extremely 'frightened' of dying on one hand and on the other she just 'simply' refuse comfort from both my sister and I. I had made several approaches to the Church that she attends, but so far, I haven't heard anything from them. Meanwhile. I am worry that her fears will exhaust her so much that she will end up being hospitalised ??? then she would be evn more distressed. Please helpyone. Juliek1947

A friend of mine had to place her husband in a NH as she could not physically take care of him anymore. She went there everyday and sat with him as at home, but could get help when he had to get up or had a bowel movement. She did it for four years till he died. His kids came too and the staff and them became friends. She said it was actually more tiring than when he was at home, but she was very grateful for the help.

So is mine, she has been talking with her and she says she had forgotten how soft and sweet his voice is. This is something only they can usually see, my g,grandfather came after my aunt. We asked if it was him and a picture of him that had hung on a wall for years fell to the floor. If you are working with hospice ask your social worker or nurse about the blanket. If now ask your pharmisist where you can get one.They are worth there weight in gold.

Your case sounds totally different from mine but my elderly 97 yr old Aunt experienced what the nurses logged as 'Sundowning' after her double hip replacement surgerys in January. They even had her diagnosed with dementia. I found out three weeks later that they had been giving her sleeping pills each and every evening and they were causing it all. She has NO dementia and once the sleeping pills were discontinued, no more Sundowning.

I have always heard that "Sundowners "meant they slept all day and was up most of the night.

My mother sundowns every single day, sometimes it's worse than others and it usually starts around 3:30 and lasts up to 4 hours depending on her bed time. I discussed this with her neurologist and he said what I am doing is okay. I give her melatonin around 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening along with her memory pill. It seems to help her adjust to the evening. Something you might discuss with her doctor.

I guess that she needs a doctor that could gives to her the medicine drug that works better to repetitive and agressive behavior in aged patients , that are the smalçl doses of the antipsychotic drug risperidone liquid (not tablets) .
I've seen some very good results with very small doses of ONLY ONE DROP of risperidone at breakfast ,lunch and dinner .But only her medicine doctor knowns what is the better for her and what drugs she can takes.

Julie, I am truly sorry for what your mom and you are going through. I agree with Jeanne that this does not sound like Sun Downer's.

One question I have is: was you mom like this before she started taking the Lexopro or was she put on the Lexopro to treat her anxiety, mood swings, and OCD symtoms?

mistymum, thanks for the understanding. My mum possess a jealous personna .She couldn't stand her children being friendlywith others. It is so sad that at this stage of her life she still complain about her adult children who are in their mid-sixties being unkind to her. Indeed, she continues to manupulate between her 2 adult (the only 2 persons on earth who cares about her!!! She is doing it right now (it's nearly 12mid-night (our local time) after her grand daughter took her , my sister and I (with her husband &only child (8 months) She hass not 'whinge about how the grand-daughter and hubby separate dish from us (they elected to order their favourite dishes & ate their own food; mum has been so 'fussy about what she eats -she has always been like so. She also ordered her own dishes. Because the food turned out not to her satisfaction, she whinged non-stop. Because my sister is Buddhist and is fasting (gegetarian for haer faith!) She only had torfu and rice and she ate very fast to assist her daughter, mum became unhappy (she felt that she was lft out!!! Now my sister is her enemy.\; because my sister has to attend a special God receiving ceremony tonite-I was asked to settle mum for the night. Mum keeps whinging about my incompetence and told me I am nto good enough and she worries that she may leak and become incontinent in the night; and she accused me for not helping her with her 'spongeing (I sponge her, powdered her and had been waiting for her to get her self off the toilet seat in order to put her pampas on for her to settle. Then she started her 'abusive swaring @ me and this go on and on. I am so exhausted by her terrible verbal abuse, I really feel like telling her that if I am such a horrible daughter then why she kept 'bothering me with phone calls when I was working overseas to return to support her as my sister had not been taking good care of her. Yes, I am rally angry with her nasty words, in fact, I feel so sorry for her I just ;switch-off' and decided to get on the computer to vent my feelings. I do not know when thi is going to end as I think mum does not have much time with us, yet watching her behaving this way (??? is she really confused or she is just doing so to get attention I am 'dammed' if I know. Am I going 'potty' like her too. Please someone share similar experience if you have this kind of situation. I need some confirmation that it's is natural to feel angry and have unpleasant thought with one's own mum who is going through horrible time in her life journey on earth. It is because of her personna I am very reluctant for her to be put in NH and suffer abuses (which is likely as she is a very annoying and demanding person usually when she is well)