My sister has been doing so good. She then started saying strange things. Could she have had a stroke or is this Alzheimer's?

She could have had a small stroke. I think she should be checked. Her behavior could stem from dementia, but this was new behavior which is always a red flag. I'd have her seen by a doctor very soon.
Good luck,
Carol

It sounds like she may have had a TIA, commonly known as a mini stroke. mini strokes pass fairly quickly, usually within twenty four hours, and leave no lingering effects. However, they indicate that the person is a candidate for another stroke or a heart attack. She should see a doctor as soon as possible. In the meanwhile, I would suggest that she take a full strength aspirin each day.

I would also be wondering about a seizure. Agree see the Dr ASAP Seizures often are the first sign of a brain tumor.

The ability losses in Alzheimer's tend to be fairly gradual, especially in the early and mid stages. A sudden significant change could result from a lot of things - stroke, medication change, infection, hallucination, etc. Reporting changes like this to the doctor is almost never the wrong path.

One way to immediately check for stroke is "S-T-R" - can they Smile? Is it lopsided? If so, could be a stroke. Can they Talk? Sounds like your sister couldn't talk normally. Could be a stroke. And finally, can they Raise their arms? If the person can't, it could be a stroke.

I agree with the TIA idea, but also agree you should get her to a doctor immediately. If it is a stroke, the longer you wait, the more you could compromise her recovery. I'd call the doc before I gave her an aspirin, in some people that might be a problem.

Please get your sis to the doc or ER immediately!

I wouldn't call it a mini stroke, I'd call it a stroke.
Neurologists can MRI her or perhaps just a Scan to be sure. Ischemic strokes can cause the pt talking in jibberish or what sounds like a foreign language. On the outside, everything may appear normal. GET THEE TO THE DOCTOR.

Another possible cause is an urinary tract infection. This exact thing happened to mom a couple of months ago. I thought it was a stroke, EMT's thought it was a stroke, ER staff thought it was a stroke, but it wasn't. The docs cannot rule out a TIA because there is no test for it. They think the symptoms were caused by a UTI, fourth this year.

You may be right, Glad. Don't forget that a TIA usually preceeds an Ischemic stroke. I just wonder why your mom has chronic UTI's. (?)
It's got to be coming from somewhere. I'd watch her on the potty, wipe with H2O2, and change those paper panties frequently in the daytime, and use the Overnight paper panties when she goes to bed....Kroger Overnights $9.99 per package.

Glad, What antibiotic does she take for the UTI's ? Cipro or Cephalexin ?

Just to clarify the difference between a TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) and a full blown stroke with permanent damage is the timing. With a TIA all signs and symptoms have resolved within 24 hours. Any TIA can go on to become a stroke so at the first sign of trouble the patient should be evaluated in the ER. There is only a fairly short time frame within which the so called clot busting drugs can be administered which can make the difference between full recovery and death or significant disability.
As an aside people who suffer from so called classical migraine can exhibit all the signs and symptoms of a stroke and should be treated just as seriously.