I find it odd that my mother in law always complained about her knee and every time she had to stand up or walk she would carry on about the pain. Now that she has dementia it never comes up. Just curious if you lose the pain or she was faking it.
There are three kinds of pain...physical, emotional and spiritual . One might stay their pain in similar literal terms yet origin is quite different and may continue unaddressed. It's possible that this person was experiencing spiritual pain which is less amenable to medication.
My 87 year old Mom has had mild to moderate neuropathy of her feet which was diagnosed by her doctor several years ago. She recently had a visit to her neuroligist and the condition is the same. (She's not diabetic.) She complained daily. For the past 6 months, I havent heard nearly the complaints as she had previously. She has started with symptoms of dimensia recently so I tend to agree with the previous post that she wasn't faking her pain but rather her state of mind is the reason she doesnt complain now.
I wish to add that no one knows another's pain, till you walk in their shoes. Sometimes the pain is worse but I would never assume that anyone "fakes" it. That would be a judgment....one I do not make.
I think you all must be very lucky since Mum has had dementia she has had every ache and pain known to man and a few more beside. Jeannette I bow to your higher knowledge hun. xxx
You can't really assume she was faking it. Dementia often renders a person unable to communicate pain accurately. My Mother had arthritis pain most of her adult life but as she got older she was unable to give a severity number to her doctors to describe the pain. One hospice nurse suggested putting her on a Fentintyl patch for pain because she would say she was not in pain but she could not sit still, would pull at her hair, bahave angrily, all things the Doctors told us were anxiety, but the Nurse believed it was pain. Now that she is on the patch she is much calmer, pleasant and describes no pain.As always have the conversation with as many health proffesionals you need to, in order to gaet the answers you need.
my wife had arthritis - no faking that - with swollen joints and lots of pain....now she has alzheimers she no longer seems to have pain from it at all.. no longer takes the numerous pain relief medication she did before... that is the only silver lining i have found so far!
Did it seem to you that she was faking it before? Did she have a diagnosis? Did she take meds for it?
Dementia indicates there is a problem in the brain, and depending on the locations of the problems many different symptoms and reactions can be experienced. The perception of pain can change.
I just read about a woman with dementia who fell and her family took her to the hospital as a precaution. X-rays showed a broken collar bone. The hospital staff was amazed she felt no pain.
On the other hand, dementia patients may perceive pain when there is no detectable cause for it.
Other things that can be effected by having dementia include the sense of smell, depth perception, the sensation of being hot or cold, and the sense of taste.
Dementia is very definitely not limited to memory issues. In some kinds of dementia memory is a secondary problem.
If strange behaviors or odd reactions happen in people with dementia, the dementia itself should be among the usual suspects. If she has no pain where she used to, or suddenly can't stand the smell of flowers she used to love, or puts hot sauce on her food when she used to hate it, or is very annoyed at a sound that didn't used to bother her -- just keep in mind that her brain controls all those reactions, and her brain is now damaged.
So whether or not MIL was faking the pain before, be glad she is free from it now. Dementia rarely has a silver lining -- accept this one gratefully.
I think she real had pain then its just better I have bad hip that has raised my whole spine and every part of my body except my brain is in pain at one time or another and I look health as a horse and at so unless I have over done it working or lifting stupid I don't have her proulum but I am just not going to tell you she is a fake only a doctor can tell you if her pain was phyco or not and then it still was real to her I my hip is better at times her knee can be better at times too as too your question can pain be forgotten I don't know ask her doctor
Sometimes the pain is worse but I would never assume that anyone "fakes" it.
That would be a judgment....one I do not make.
Tactile hallucinations can become worse or nonexistent.
Being a
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL, I have witnessed pain not being an issue as the disease progresses.
Dementia indicates there is a problem in the brain, and depending on the locations of the problems many different symptoms and reactions can be experienced. The perception of pain can change.
I just read about a woman with dementia who fell and her family took her to the hospital as a precaution. X-rays showed a broken collar bone. The hospital staff was amazed she felt no pain.
On the other hand, dementia patients may perceive pain when there is no detectable cause for it.
Other things that can be effected by having dementia include the sense of smell, depth perception, the sensation of being hot or cold, and the sense of taste.
Dementia is very definitely not limited to memory issues. In some kinds of dementia memory is a secondary problem.
If strange behaviors or odd reactions happen in people with dementia, the dementia itself should be among the usual suspects. If she has no pain where she used to, or suddenly can't stand the smell of flowers she used to love, or puts hot sauce on her food when she used to hate it, or is very annoyed at a sound that didn't used to bother her -- just keep in mind that her brain controls all those reactions, and her brain is now damaged.
So whether or not MIL was faking the pain before, be glad she is free from it now. Dementia rarely has a silver lining -- accept this one gratefully.