Yes mum is on a mild anti-depressant and sleeping pill. She was quite aggressive all last week but is sleeping alot this week. Doc says you can only give over 75yr olds a low anti-depressant?? shes on 5mg? but she does sleep ok at night maybe getting up twice to go to toilet.
This may have been a once off but just be careful? I would definetly see her doc and let him know. This was the last straw for my friend whose mum had als and hit her a few times so she then went into a home soon after.
Poor you this must have been so frightening maybe she did have a bad dream and was confused?
Bucks, when I saw Mom's brain images, it looked very shriveled up, and two big holes were there from strokes. She had taken too much Coumadin, tripled her clotting time and the brain started to bleed. That was when she fell. Now she gets Xanax and Zoloft to stay calm. You might want to get her back to see the neurologist again.
I'd be interested in what kind of dementia she has ... Alzheimer's, vascular, Lewy Body, etc. What have her other symptoms been since March? Is she on any medications?
As you know, your mother is not in her right mind when she is attacking you. Who knows what is going on in her mind? She may have been dreaming and now you are the bad guy from the dream.
So do not take the attack personally. But you still need to protect yourself. No caregiver should put up with abuse, even if the abuser is a dear loved one. If the violence escalates, be prepared to call 911.
The best solution is to treat Mom to eliminate the aggression. What kind of doctor is following her? (GP, neurologist, psychiatrist, etc.) That doctor should be informed of the nighttime activity. If the doctor is not an expert at treating dementia perhaps it is time to find a doctor who is. There are treatments for nighttime disturbances and for anxiety (which may be behind Mom's aggression).
I'll warn you that finding the right treatment involves some trial-and-error and there may not be instant relief, but the sooner you start the process, the sooner you can have a solution.
My husband was aggressive very early in the disease. That phase lasted only a short time. He also could not sleep through the night. A drug solved that problem and things went smoother when neither of us were sleep deprived.
She is 87 and has had dementia since falling in March. She lives w/ me full time.She punched me, kicked me, and pulled my hair. Yes, it was 1 am , then she awoke again at 2 and 3 am.
Hi letsgobucks. Can you give more detail? How old is your mom? How long has she had Alz/dementia? Is she staying with you or the other way around? What is her normal behavior? How far is she with regards to diagnosis? How did she attack you? Why did she attack you? Did she not want to go to bed and you were telling her to do it? Sorry, it's hard for us to give input with such little info.
As an example, when my mom was still walking (she passed away last year), she became extremely violent when she was locked inside the house (we all were) and she wanted OUT (no matter if it's midnight.)
This may have been a once off but just be careful? I would definetly see her doc and let him know. This was the last straw for my friend whose mum had als and hit her a few times so she then went into a home soon after.
Poor you this must have been so frightening maybe she did have a bad dream and was confused?
Take care
As you know, your mother is not in her right mind when she is attacking you. Who knows what is going on in her mind? She may have been dreaming and now you are the bad guy from the dream.
So do not take the attack personally. But you still need to protect yourself. No caregiver should put up with abuse, even if the abuser is a dear loved one. If the violence escalates, be prepared to call 911.
The best solution is to treat Mom to eliminate the aggression. What kind of doctor is following her? (GP, neurologist, psychiatrist, etc.) That doctor should be informed of the nighttime activity. If the doctor is not an expert at treating dementia perhaps it is time to find a doctor who is. There are treatments for nighttime disturbances and for anxiety (which may be behind Mom's aggression).
I'll warn you that finding the right treatment involves some trial-and-error and there may not be instant relief, but the sooner you start the process, the sooner you can have a solution.
My husband was aggressive very early in the disease. That phase lasted only a short time. He also could not sleep through the night. A drug solved that problem and things went smoother when neither of us were sleep deprived.
Good luck and best wishes to you and to your mom.
As an example, when my mom was still walking (she passed away last year), she became extremely violent when she was locked inside the house (we all were) and she wanted OUT (no matter if it's midnight.)