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Hello!
I am so happy and it’s a relief to have this website to ask all my questions about Parkinson's and being a caregiver.
Anyway my dad had a panic attack last night, due to heat, tiredness, pain and anxiety. He had a fever of 104°F and he was so so anxious, he was paining very much, was sweating, his breath was quite bad and he had some hallucinations. So what could be the tips to sooth and reassure him during those moments? 
Thanks for your kind help,
Mary

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Very glad to hear your dad is at the hospital, has a diagnosis, and is being treated. Anything that stresses a person with PD can exacerbate the PD symptoms, both motor and non-motor symptoms such as hallucinations. Stressors could include infection, being overheated, too much exercise, mental stress over something, etc. Anxiety is pretty common in Parkinson's, and if your dad was already prone to anxiety attacks, the Parkinson's can certainly add to that. My husband with PD has had pneumonia twice now, and both times he first had a fever which greatly exacerbated his Parkinson's symptoms--in his case affecting his ability to walk or even move in the bed. (His fever wasn't as high as your dad's.) You mention the pneumonia is Parkinson's related; I presume you mean they think it's aspiration pneumonia. If your Dad hasn't yet had a swallowing ealuaton, it's well worth getting one and then working with a speech therapist on safe swallowing techniques, ways to strengthen the swallowing process, and modifiations that might be needed in his food.
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MaryBX Jun 2021
Hello !
I am really sorry for your husband. It must be so hard, seeing people we love so ill is really heartbreaking.
PD is really an awful disease and he is paining so so much because of it. Yes it’s an aspiration pneumonia. He start seeing a speech therapist a year ago twice a week and it helps him a lot. But now he should see him four times a week when he will be out the hospital.
Mary
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So a little update!
My daddy was taken to the hospital around 9:30 am yesterday morning. We put him in a room alone and I was able to stay with him. He was diagnosed with pneumonia, he had all the symptoms although I didn't detail in the first post. He is very very weak but he was able to sleep a little bit. He is normally in hospital for a month, depending on how his condition progresses.
He had a softer fever, he was 101 ° F, he no longer had hallucinations but he stills exhausted. He does manage to talk a little anyway, but it tires him, he is mostly drowsy, he is on oxygen and they have given him an IV for water and food.

He would like the children to come by and see him and I feel that he would really like that. But I'm afraid his condition will impress them and it will hurt him afterwards. What do you think ?

The doctors are pretty positive, they think he will be okay with the right medications and that the pneumonia was taken on time, which worried him when I read your answers. They're going to try and get him to gain weight at the same time because he's not that thick for sure.

To tell the truth I am completely lost and the speech of the doctor of the last night does not correspond at all with that of the doctors of the hospital ... if he had to speak to me about pneumonia it is certain that he would go to the hospital before ... anyway. I'll try to calm him down a bit and help him fall asleep before I go to bed too. It’s really reassuring to be able to sleep with him.
Mary
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Llamalover47 Jun 2021
MaryBX: Thank you for the update. Hopefully his specialist, i.e. Pulmonologist and also the Hospitalist are monitoring him. Agan, I am only able to see your update three days later. Ergo, there is a delay in my response.
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CALL 911

Panic does not induce fever. If he is on psychiatric medications he may be having a reaction to them...OR he has an infection. Get him to the hospital IMMEDIATELY for evaluation and treatment. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a life-threatening idiosyncratic reaction to antipsychotic drugs; symptoms include fever, altered mental status, muscle rigidity, and inability to control breathing. It is a medical emergency.

Of course he could also have COVID, or some other infection.
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All other factors notwithstanding, I’d be calling an ambulance immediately for a fever of 104°.

I would suggest to him (and to myself) that trained medical help (hopefully the ambulance team) would have the expertise to make him more comfortable, assess his immediate needs, and act on them.

Hoping that he’s ready for follow-up and that he’s feeling much better this morning.
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MaryBX Jun 2021
Hello !
Actually we did call the an ambulance and a doctor was there and he said it was due to heat, tiredness and the hallucinations to his medications...
He is feeling tired of course but much better. But I will call his doctor and try to get an appointment as soon as I can. I am really anxious about it.
Thanks for your help !
Mary
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I think the most important thing to do, is concentrate on getting his fever down, as a fever that high will cause delirium in a person,(which can cause hallucinations and of course sweating) so first you must work on getting the fever lowered, with Tylenol, putting cold cloths on forehead, and underarms. Also remove as much clothing as he will allow so his body can cool down, as a fever that high is very dangerous.
I believe that once his fever lowers, his anxiety and everything will/should return to his normal.
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well with a fever of 104, i would have called 911......it sounds like he has an infection going on which would cause the sweating, pain, etc. Now if he didn't have the high fever........maybe some soothing music, calming words. wishing you luck.
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Panic attacks and fevers have nothing whatsoever to do with one another. Your father is likely very ill. He could have pneumonia or UTI. Call 911 for transport to hospital ER today. His hallucinations could be coming from the fever. And the fever indicates INFECTION, not mental disorder. Get to the hospital TODAY and without delay. Hope you will update us and good luck.
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MaryBX Jun 2021
I just have forgotten to precise that he uses to do panic attacks and that for dozens of years but this one was much stronger and with PD I am much more anxious. But you are right we should probably go to the hospital. I am going to call 911 right now.
I won’t forget to update us.
Thanks
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Something is going on - infection of some sort - as well as his PD. A temperature of 104 is alarming. Please take him an ER/ED.
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MaryBX: This post of your's was only available to me today, which was four days after you had posted it. That said, a fever of 104 degrees is typically considered a medical emergeny, especially with an individual with Parkinson's Disease.
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Edit: A fever of 104 degrees is typically considered a medical *emergency.*
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