Has anyone had experience with elderly UTI that makes the patient paranoid?

It's amazing how common this is, and how few of us had ever heard of it until we had an elderly relative with personality changes merely due to UTI. Apparently part of the problem -- in addition to lots of good info posted by others already -- is that they no longer have that awful burning sensation that drives younger folks immediately to the doctor (or at least the pharmacy) ... so the infection gets much more well-established in the elderly. Leading to paranoia, delusions, agitation and a host of other mental-status symptoms.

Culturing to identify the bacteria is good, but if the patient is having repeat UTI's it's often because they have become 'colonized' and no treatment actually gets rid of all the bacteria any more. In those cases, the right thing is 'treat as soon as symptoms show up'.

The most important thing is, Don't Wait. Catching the UTI early is the key to good quality of life and avoiding complications.

UTI's create a whole host of strange symptoms. Emotional imbalance being one of them. A drastic change in personality is the main indicator of UTI and is usually what gets people to the doctor.

Your post doesn't say how long your mom has been on antibiotics but antibiotics are the course of treatment for a UTI.

Trying to reason with her when she has these symptoms is a waste of time as she is unable to be reasonable. If her symptoms haven't improved at the end of the course of antibiotics don't waste time in contacting the doctor again. She may need a stronger antibiotic.

I work for gynecologists and a lot of the answers below are really good-some I have not heard before and will make note of.  I also have personal experience with multiple UTIs, so I have gotten input from doctors about how to help ward them off.  My father also got them a lot in his 80s and had the same type of reaction your mother experience.  Cranberry supplements help a lot of people.  Lots of water-using straws and covered cups help--maybe adding water flavoring.  You could also ask her doctor if it would help to use "prophylactic" meds.  Macrobid is used to treat UTIs and can be taken once daily to help prevent them--check with your doctor to see if he/she is willing to try that.  It works great in many patients.  One reason elderly get them so often is that the patient is not active, and the bacteria sit in the bladder and isn't flushed out, so lots of water is important!  In women, post-menopausal changes that cause increased UTIs.  Water also helps to ward off dehydration which causes all sorts of problems.  I put a sign up in the room that my mom and dad spend most of their time in that stated "Remember to drink lots of water!"  I also like the idea of adding EmergenC to her water.  The berry flavored kind tastes better than the orange, I think.  If it is too tart for her taste, just use more water.  Best of luck!

Changer antibiotics...my Dad had this..doc said it is deadly if not treated. They gave him antibiotics...checked his other med levels..he spent a week in hospital but it got cured.

Dikenn, we somehow have the SAME mom!! Mine went from a loving, best buddy... to enemy. She is defiant, hateful, explosive, negative, paranoid ... fill in the blanks, she is it. She lives in a lovely IL resort-style complex, and refuses to leave her apartment. Won't even check her mail. I finally tricked her into going to a nurse practitioner. Indeed, she had a UTI. After a week's worth of antibiotics, my sweet mom emerged. Now its wearing off. Hair trigger. Paranoia. She believes folks break into her apartment and steal her Kraft cheese slices (again). Possibly a UTI has reappeared in this short time? I'm hoping they will just refill her prescription, but I don't know if it will continue to be effective. This site has been extremely helpful to me.

I suffered from what I thought was chronic recurrent UTI for many years. For the last two years my pain has progressively worsen. I had all the test necessary. My culture would return with minimal bacteria, however, I would be in excruciating pain, fatigue and many sleepless nights.

I recently went to the Urgent care and as usual they would be annoyed with me, because the culture would come back with minimal growth.

I finally went to a Urogynecologist I told her I think, as I suspected long ago it is Interstitial Cystitis( Chronic Bladder Pain Syndrome).

She gave me Phenazopyridine for Bladder pain and Prelief ( I brought it from Amazon). Its like heaven sent. I feel like a different person and my constant bloated feeling is gone. Prelief removes the Acid from your food, so your Bladder does not irritated by the Acid.

Chronic Bladder Pain makes you very irritable.

Cyproflaxin - hygeine - canna.
My wife carried a constant low grade UTI for years.
In 2011, a severe UTI required ER visit. She was reduced to 5 year old mentality with psychosis. Low dose antibiotic was ordered for continuous use. It never worked.
She never regained mental function.
In 2012 another severe UTI. Now she is a 2 year old with autism and aggressive. Doctors say after the UTI clears, mental function will return to normal. It has not.

In 2014, a UTI prompted a doctor visit. Cyproflaxin cured the UTI overnight. Even the trace she had been carrying for years, disappeared.
In 2015, an ER visit for seizures, resulted in a catheter catch and subsequent UTI.
On return visit, the doctor paid attention and administered Cypro via IV.
Next day, no UTI and severe UTI has not happened to this day
. We monitor with test strips.
The Cypro removed whatever had been dormant. Then aggressive hygiene prevents recurrence.
Never underwear. Cotton washable bed pads for sitting and sleep.
Dementia makes hydrating difficult. We use a turkey baster. Toilet every 2 hours.
Detailed cleaning after any toileting. We installed automatic toilet seat bidet.
$500 and very worth it. Hand sprayers are $40. We use the shower sprayer if bed wet.
We administer Cannabis for seizures and mood.
Cyroflaxin has bad effects if used a lot, but 1 dose has cured severe UTI twice. When we see a change in mood, we test urine with test strips available on Amazon.
A slight positive will prompt natural effort for a couple days, hydration, natural antibiotics, garlic, honey..... No result will prompt 1/2 dose of Cypro 1 day and full dose next day, if needed. We have never needed more.

Now in 2018 she is the same 2 year old, autistic. But she is usually a joy.

Over the last year or so my mom has had several UTI’s that made her paranoid and delusional. Sometimes it takes more than one round of antibiotics to get rid of the infection and we did end up putting her on an antidepressant which helped.

My mom had sudden bizarre symptoms where she was just not herself after being hospitalized for a fall and being admitted to rehab at a NH. A couple of times she even went into delirium where she was hospitalized from the NH where she was for rehab. She tried to climb over the bedrails at the hospital and talked and thrashed at the air nonstop for 24 hours. Then she slept for 2 days and didn't remember a thing. The worst part is that no one really explained to me why my always rational mom was suddenly acting this way. I guess it is quite common in the elderly to have these symptoms with a UTI. Would have been nice to be warned about all this. Sometimes it takes a couple of rounds of antibiotics or a different antibiotic to stop the infection.

I agree, the antibiotic is not working. They need to change it. Mom took cranberry and a probiotic when she was on the antibiotic and off of it. They need to do something because a UTI can become septic.