Mom is still having visions even after being treated for UTI. How long do these last?

We had similar problems with a medication my mom was put on. It was Lyrica, so If she's having these problems check with the doctors about the side effects of the medications and they may take her off the ones that could be a problem. After we took her off this medication she went back to her regular dementia, not hallucinations, etc. As far as help goes, continue to push your dad for help. It took me about a year to get help, but after finally getting them to agree to help, they are happy that we did.

Agree with kym here I have had this with my mum on several occasions my doc now knows NOT to give her the meds after a UTI or a chest infection - the main times when this happens - these meds are usually used for a different type of dementia than your mum probably has. For my mum the meds made it ten times worse after just 2 tablets.

UTIs are the very devil - in fact any infection is. My mum still sees people but in a different format than she has when she has an infection. We talk about it now and I never contradict her we just talk gently and calmly about what or who she is seeing.

It is helpful if you can establish what she see ie man/woman/child/people/what they are wearing/doing because that tells the psych doctors a lot. You also need to note down what time she sees these people/where she is/what else is happening/has she just woken up from a doze while the TV is on.

I was at the Psych yesterday with mum and these were all the questions he asked her so clearly they have importance/significance. My mum's incidences tend to be when she has dozed in the chair while the TV is on and seem to occur about 10 minutes after I have been in to check on her so it might be thatit registers but not consciously - I have some more monitoring to do now because we established yesterday she didnt tell me EVERY time she saw someone so we dont have a clear picture just yet but we will.

As for loss of weight that needs a doctors input - you could boost her calorific intake with food supplement drinks but take advice before you do she may just be forgetting to eat and need more prompting thatn your Dad is giving, she may need to eat less but more often and sometimes an overfull plate just puts some older people off eating altogether...
..good luck hun

Hi, MamaVic. It sounds as though your mother may have Lewy Body Dementia. One of its hallmarks is visual hallucinations that often get worse when attempts are made to treat with typical antipsychotics. A number of unrelated drugs, such as statins and Benadryl can aggravate the hallucinations as well. Lewy Body Dementia is the second most common form of dementia behind Alzheimer's, but most people have never heard of it, and the average doctor has no clue how to diagnose or treat it. It's really important to get a correct diagnosis in this instance, because your mother's medications may need major adjusting in order for there to be any peace. Other caregivers for LOs with LBD will be your best ally. Arm yourself with the wisdom of people on similar paths, because you will have to be your mother's advocate in the face of clueless medical professionals whose instinct is to throw antipsychotics and sedatives at such patients, and increase the dose when the behaviors get worse.
Check out lbda.org and YouTube videos by Teepa Snow. If you're on Facebook, you'll find a warm and helpful group called Lewy Body Dementia Carers. It's a closed group, but knock, and the door will be opened. Good luck!

My Mom gets hallucinations sometimes when there is a UTI. Infections seem to cause these though once she got it from an antibiotic while in the hospital and it went away when they changed the antibiotic, so meds can do this too. She has had 4 episodes of this 4 years. I don't know why this happens to older people when they get UTIs but it is frightening as my Mom cannot walk and she tries to get out of bed so I end up calling an ambulance and they take her to the hospital each time. She gets antibiotics and then after two or three days she begins to sleep all the time and the hallucinations go away after a few days or so. When she gets this way they turn off the TV, darken the room, and keep things low key to keep her from getting confused. Last time she had this many of her hallucinations occurred in the area of the TV....lady sitting on the TV, people parading through the room in front of TV etc. so I limit her TV use at these times.

If it is Dementia with Lewy Bodies then in the UK it is well recognised that antipsychotics often make it worse and in some cases considered to be dangerous from one of our sites some help for the care givers :

How to help someone manage Lewy Body Dementia

When it comes to helping someone manage the symptoms of LBD, small things can often make a big difference.

Create a routine. It may help people with Lewy Body Dementia to have predictable routines, especially around meal times and sleep times.
Establish a nighttime ritual. Try to establish bedtime rituals that are calming and away from the noise of television, meal cleanup, and active family members. Limiting caffeine consumption during the day, discouraging daytime napping, and encouraging exercise can help curb restlessness at night.
Modify tasks. Break tasks into easier steps and focus on success, not failure.
Walk together. Taking a walk with the patient with LBD is a win-win activity. Being outdoors and exercising is vital for the health and state of mind for both the patient and you.
Strengthen senses. Have a doctor evaluate each the patient’s five senses in order to identify and treat any abnormalities. Then ask about exercises to improve them.
Make lifestyle changes. To help minimize the risk of fall-related injuries, you can help stabilize blood pressure. Help your loved one stay well hydrated, exercise, take in adequate sodium (salt), avoid prolonged bed rest, and stand up slowly.
source http://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia/lewy-body-dementia.htm
However an additional tip from one of the care homes I visited is that remove all flowered/patterned stuff from the room because people can start to see faces in carpets/ curtains etc. plain plain plain seems to alleviate some of the stress and they use lavender fragranced polish, cleansing materials and sachets in pillows. We can but try and see what works best.

How is her sleeping? My mother went through this when she was sleep deprived. It was not a pretty thing. When she finally got enough sleep (over a few days) it stopped happening. She had a uti, was dehydrated and congestive heart failure. Kind of a triple play. Sleep deprivation really was the worst.

That is interesting about removing flower patterns and patterned things...my Mom started seeing writing on a wallpaper border and on a textured ceiling. Not much I can do about the ceiling, but curtains and bedspreads can be switched out for a calmer one color.

My husband has dementia and talks to himself in the mirrors. He thinks he's talking to someone else and imagines things that he's supposed to do with these people.

Is it Bactrim ? Its probably the uti meds. Call the doctor for a change of meds. That commonly is a problem for nursing home patients. Good luck.start searching for a sweet loving caregiver and break her in slowly so your dad will accept help or he could die first. I use care website.

my mom had same problem ever time I gave her the anti anxiety drug.so I stopped giving to her...I think it was the Xanax and valium...but it did pass in less than a week...she still cant take the anxiety drugs tho...

The best advice I can recommend is talk to her doctor about the hallucinations and or get a consult with a psychiatrist. Maybe the meds she is taking are giving her the hallucinations, in which case the doctor needs to know that ASAP. Do not think you can care for someone without the medical training and it is not okay for someone to be losing weight without reason. Your father will contribute to her early death for his stubbornness and she needs medical attention. Be the adult here and get your mother the medical help she needs.

I aggregate (collect these tidbits on
"Dave Mainwaring's Knowledge Network" )

Sunrise Syndrome,(sun?riz) a condition in which a person with Alzheimer's wakes up rising in the morning and their mind is filled with delusions which include include beliefs about theft, the patient's house not being their home, a spouse is an impostor, belief an intruder is in the house, abandonment, spousal and paranoia, people eavesdropping. Sometimes the person may carry over content of a dream.

One observation is that Sunrise Syndrome is different from Sundowning because the person may wake up in a confabulation mind set. During a Sunrise Syndrome conversation with the content may filled with confabulations; verbal statements and/or actions that inaccurately describe history, background and present situations.

Sundowning in contrast displays as confusion, disorientation, wandering, searching, escape behaviors, tapping or banging, vocalization, combativeness; the demons of anxiety, anger, fear, hallucinations and paranoia come out.


Hallucinations and delusions are symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. With hallucinations or delusions, people do not experience things as they really are.

Delusions are false beliefs. Even if you give evidence about something to the person with dementia, she will not change her belief. For example, a person with dementia may have a delusion in which she believes someone else is living in her house when she actually lives alone. Delusions can also be experienced in the form of paranoid beliefs, or accusing others for things that have not happened. For example, the person with dementia may misplace an item and blame others for stealing it. Some people with dementia may have the delusion that others are "out to get them." For example, he may believe that his food is being poisoned.

When my mom was taken off all the psychotic drugs, the hallucinations stopped. We thought it was just because of the UTI's. She also is legally blind, that brings on visions and hallucinations too, called Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Many doctors don't know anything at all about it. She has been uti, hallucination free for 6 months now.

I agree with CrazyCatLady83. It sounds like Lewy Body. Go to this website: http://www.lbda.org/category/3437/what-is-lbd.htm They also have a checklist of symptoms. But definitely don't continue the antipsychotics -- they can worsen the hallucinations and other symptoms. They also tell you which drugs are bad or can worsen symptoms. But there is a life-saver out there. The Exelon patch! Although it is for early stage Alzheimer symptoms - there was a study completed where they found it helps with hallucinations in Lewy Body. My mom's hallucinations steadily worsened. We tried the patch and it has helped significantly! Talk with your mom's doctor about trying it. Boost shakes also help - they will give your mom some protein and vitamins. Wishing God's blessings to you all.

My husband was diagnosed with mixed dementia (Alz/vascular) in 2011 and is now towards the end. He has only had a few episodes of hallucinations. Here are my thoughts. As weight is lost, some meds need to be adjusted or eliminated. His vascular dementia was caused by high blood pressure. After he lost 40 lbs, he no longer needed BP med. He had been taking alprazolam for anxiety, be rarely needs it after switching from regular Namenda to Namenda XR. Foods with preservatives affect him. He had a bad episode after eating Ragu pasta sauce...happened twice. Citrus can cause Namenda to stay in your body, he had horrible problems after overindulging in lemonade two years ago. Bowel problems cause him disorientation/confusion similar to his UTI episode. He eats the same foods every day with the only processed foods being Activa yogurt and granola bars. Knock on wood, he hasn't had hallucinations for two years.

I think that was an excellent idea about introducing an aide slowly so that your dad will get use to it. I don't know why some elderly people don't want others in their homes but he will see what a relief it is that he can have some freedom. I have several friends that are going through that now. Their fathers think they can do it all and don't want anyone else in the house. Now, as far as hallucinations go, my MIL had them after she had had anesthesia. She also had other problems but that's what I believe started them. I grandmother who did have dementia/alz. had them with sundowners. My mother who has demental/alz. has never had them that I am aware of. My FIL had them when he was dehydrated. So many things to check on. Meds, dehydration, UTI's. It's so hard. Has the dr. ever had a heart to heart with your dad away from your mom and told him he needs help? He might listen to him/her instead of you especially if he tells your dad that it will wear him down medically and then he won't be good for your mom and both of them will need help. He might be worried about finances so you could help him with that to put his mind at ease. Have a social worker come to the house and see what they are needing and how much that will cost. #1 thing though....you have do this now before it gets worse and you are overwhelmed with POA's, directives, living wills, wills etc. Get everything in order if you haven't already. It takes time to do all this. Even if your dad bucks you on it, if he gets mad, it just has to be done. If he's not fighting a little dementia himself, he will be glad you got it done so he doesn't have to. He might be overwhelmed himself and will appreciate it so much. I know my dad wouldn't have been able to take care of mom and understand everything we had to do without me. Good Luck and God Bless....

Has your mother been diagnosed with dementia? If so, how long ago and is she being treated with specific medications? Has she really recovered from her UTI? Are you coordinating her PCP and other specialists so everybody is on the same page with her medical problems?

My Mom had Age-Related Macular Degeneration. At various times, she would talk about "seeing things", and I listened, as she described to me what she was seeing. On one trip to the hospital (for another matter) her astute physician queried her about "things" she was "seeing" - and she clearly described in detail what she "saw".

He did extensive brain tests and discussed with me the possibility of Dementia with Lewy Bodies, which were ruled out by extensive tests he carried out. The unique characteristic with Mother? She KNEW that what she was "seeing" was not real; whereas one with dementia would be unable to distinguish whether such "visions" were real or imagined.

Further research by us, as well as attending physicians, including ophthalmologists, concluded that the "visions" were a unique form of ARMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration). We subsequently became acquainted with others who have acknowledged these ARMD episodes. Books have even been written about the phenomena. Interestingly, anxiety and stress seem to trigger the episodes; and studies reveal that ARMD "visions" are not scary - but rather happy scenes. The only scary part is WHY you're seeing things you know are not there - like "Wheaties boxes 'walking' across the ceiling", or "monkeys playing on the t.v. screen", or colored lights out in a dark, vacant field. After our understanding this quirky thing, Mom would just calmly ask me if I saw something she was seeing. When I answered with "No" - no such thing was really visible - she'd calmly respond, "I didn't think so." She died this past year, her 100th year, mentally sharp until the end. She never had dementia, although she occasionally "saw" things for years - and we just talked about what she "saw" - sometimes laughing as she described them in detail. She was long past her initial reluctance to talk about them - after her correct diagnosis and knowledge that she was not the only one to experience this peculiar ARMD phenomenon.

Hi Mama, both of my Grandmothers had hallucinations while they had UTIs, but not afterwards as you are describing. Are they sure she's clear of it?

My Sis had them in the hospital while on the Fenanyl patch. After she was home she refused to use that product, (she was dying of brain cancer so I did not argue). She didn't have visions anymore once she was home and decided she didn't want that patch on. As a matter of fact she joked about the visions. Our very straight business man Father and his microbiologist wife who'd never have any sort of pet in the house came to the hospital to see her. She stopped mid sentence, looked at a place near the floor and asked, "Who's duck is that?". Of course the room fell silent, (and I am thinking oh come on even though it's imaginary, you know it isn't theirs). She just giggled and said, oh, never mind. Later at home when I'd ask if she was sure she was OK without that patch she'd giggle and say do you want me to see Aflac?

You might want to ask the Doc if any of her meds could be a culprit if the UTI is cleared up for sure, and the visions are a new thing. I know it's frightening, hope you get it figured out and that it's not progression of alz. As for the outside help, can you hire someone to "help you" a couple hours a week, then just coincidentally bring her with you to your Dad's? Have her ask you what she can do to help you while there, like vacuum? ;-)

I think there are two things to consider when thinking about having outside help. One is that it does cost money and many people think they cannot afford it. The second is that they have to come to the point they can accept help. Many many stubborn people out there!

My grandmom whom we lost at 102 at a nursing home due to their negligence and lack of care ( They were not even changing her clothes, helping her to the bathroom or even giving her water. imagine ) went through all that. I took care of her for 35 years and we lost her in less than two weeks at a nursing home in New york. At first grandmom did not want to drink too much water and this started to cause hallucinations in her. then she could not sleep at night. it becomes like a cycle according to her neurologist. At the hospital they would put her on IV fluids and she would recover quickly. So as long as they get their sleep, eat, and drink lots of fluids they will stay well and not hallucinate. One they start hallucinating , not sleep and not drinking water then it becomes like a giant unstoppable snowball. Take care of her while you can. We are shocked at the cruelty of these animals at the nursing homes.

My Mom, who died 8 months ago :( , had Macular Degeneration and Vascular Dementia. She saw things quite frequently. Although she had UTI's now and then, the hallucinations didn't seem to be attributed to that. Her visions were always harmless, like animals or small children, sometimes a group of ladies. I would tell her that if it was something or someone that only she could see, and not us, that they were most likely a Guardian Angels coming to spend some time with her, and make sure she was okay. They were there only for her benefit. She seemed to like that, and wasn't anxious or worried about it when she thought of it that way. It may help to ease your Mom's anxiety or fear about this if you try that tactic, so she thinks of the visions as special and protective for her. Best wishes to you and your Mom and Dad.

I know because of my Mom having a UTI that as you get older the toxin's in your system go through the skin of the bladder and enter the blood stream. Also the doctor's do not follow up to make sure , after the medication, the the UTI is gone. That is a big issue as it comes back even worst. Anything she takes that dries her out whether it be xanax or some other medications makes you prone to getting a UTI. The only answer would be to get her to drink plenty of fluids and tested and when it is gone I would have her take AZO. Which is not a medication , more of a supplement that has cranberry and other beneficial minerals to prevent another one. I have always had plenty of UTI's as my bladder has never fully emptied correctly. I am 57 and have been checked thoroughly as I now get dizzy, sick, unreal feelings when I get a UTI. Just started last year and that is the thin skin and toxins. I went to 3 Doctor's and the ER with no luck . I finally went to a gynecologist who said I had a UTI and followed through. I drink a ton of water , stay hydrated. I know though that my Mom never used to get UTI's but she is older and does not drink enough and her meds I am sure make her dry. Her Doctor said when you get old, everyone has dry mouth.(maybe). But I do know the UTI's get real bad when you age. I believe this may help. But I also have taken over my health issues in a holistic manner and it works.

she still may have UTI or another infection. Get urine check again and/or CBC with differential. Good luck

My mother was having serious hallucinations where she would see a woman sitting in her home, or children running down the hallway, or "that boy who lives here.". She talked about them every evening.
Anti-depressants definitely made it worse. She also could not tolerate Aricept. But when her doctor put her on Namenda, the hallucinations stopped. She hasn't had any that I'm aware of after the first week or two on Namenda. It's a pricy drug, but the generic, memantine, is available as of April 1.

She and my dad are together in a wonderful assisted living facility now, but are not happy because she constantly talks about going home. Sadly, she was doing this when they were still in their home, too, always asking when they were going "home" even thought they were there. Nothing we've tried seems to relieve her of this concern, and she calls every day wanting me to take her home; and gets my dad upset and he calls too. Any suggestions on helping calm that behavior?

Thank you all for your responses. I want you all to know I found everything you said very helpful and quite interesting on how to help Mom. Mom is 90 yrs old and has always been as sharp as a tack. Great memory and could name most all the old actors on TV. Dad is also very much sharp at 92 and still takes care of the house and 1 acre of lawn mowing etc. The antibiotic for the UTI was finished about a week ago and the visions seem worse instead of better. Her urine is clearish and there is not burning anymore, I ask her everyday how that's going. She is only on two meds for her heart a beta blocker and Isotorb, I think that's the spelling, She was on almost 20 meds when she came home from the hospital in Nov. 2014 which was for the high BP but extremly low heart rate (42) and UTI. She was having hallucinations started way before this all happened. One day recently Mom said she wasn't going to take any more meds and quit all but the two. Mostly she sees people, babies or kittens, but the one that is so hard to deal with is the snake. It nealy scares her to tears and it always appears about 10 to 15 min. after I get there. I try to assure her it is not there and walk over to where she points to show her and if that doesn't work I tell her lets talk about happy things and that usually works not always. Dad says he can get her to calm down when the snake comes in so I know she sees it when I'm gone also. She hears thing all the time too. She has seen a Psych doctor and that's when they put her on two diff.Psych meds. She said they made her feel awful and refused to take them. I am going to look into The suggestion of Lewy Body dementia, it sounds pretty close to her symtoms also the mention of hydration and lack of sleep is good to know because she doesn't get enough water or sleep soundly. I will let you all know how this works out. Again I am so greatful for the responses it truely is a blessing finding this website and all of you sweet people.

My Ma does the same, It was a new one for me, as she is seeing her mother [she would be 135now] her family etc, and even the cats of the past !!! I agreed with her that they were there and did not deny or scorn, that seemed to help. Seems they even tell her to hurry up and die and come on over !!
[Now she was never one who believed in that sort of thing ].
I find it lasts about 2wks after UTI treatment or for any infections, then they disappear. I also think she gets dehydrated, from the UTI, and feeling unwell and yes dem anti Bs seems to do great things.
I find out who has visited, allow her to think about it, discuss the ghostly person, that seems to be very important......... then say that due to her mind and memory being mucked up with the infection and antiBs that they have brought back her past in a befuddled way, and we talk out way out of it.
She actually seems to like the company and visits so not panicking over them and I think that's the way to 'encourage' acceptance and that they will go in time. I do agree that its time she has more professional home or rest home help. Your dad needs to know that he is being drained too much with these episodes and after each one a little more of your Mother has gone.. and she needs the help and so does he....... he is not abandoning her, he is helping her by doing so

My mother's blood pressure was peaking over 200 and she was having TIA's or mini strokes. That's when she would talk about having strange visions. She knew they weren't real, but they did scare her. I talked to the doctor about it and because of the these mini strokes affected her actual vision, that had alot to do with it. My momma lived to 92, but it was still hard when she had her final stroke and passed a week later. During that week, she was constantly reaching into the air and pointing to the corner of the room. I don't know what she was seeing during that time because the last stroke altered her speech so you couldn't understand her anymore. Good luck to you.

Have to agree with whats been said urine SHOULD be absolutely clear though not clearish - sounds like she still has the infection. Typically, the healthier you are, the lighter your urine colour. The ideal healthy urine colour is a straw yellow colour. And please tell me why am I discussing the colour of urine at stupid oclock (00:35 in the UK) ah yes that would be mother, wide awake and with TV blaring because she refuses to wear her hearing aid

I'm going to assume her UTI has cleared. If she has dementia or some other diagnosis I also going to assume that she is on some medication to help with the hallucinations. If so, the medication could actually make it worse as some of these medications have hallucinations as a side effect. Some antibiotics can also cause strange side effects. Other than the UTI, when was the last time she had a full work up at her regular doctor? If it's been a while, she should probably have one. contact your local area agency on aging, ask about their in home assistance programs and programs for caregivers. Also look for a local adult medical day care, it is a great place for the ones we care for to go, socialize, be active, eat a meal and there are nurses on duty so there would be medical oversite. I would think if one is seeing things that are not real, it would cause the heart to beat faster and raise the BP. Reassure that whatever she is seeing is ok or that you will take care of it. It can make the person worse if the caregiver tries to tell them it's not real. to them it is real and sometimes you just have to go along with it, continue to reassure her. Her doctor can rule out other medical issues, maybe she can try a different medication; sometimes you have to try several to find one that works and allows the person to stay functional. My grandma had dementia and I work with clients that have dementia so I understand how frustrating it can be. Good luck.