UTI causing dementia-like behavior, but goes away when UTI is cured. Any thoughts?

Does Mom Memantine (Namenda) as a prescription?

It took me years to figure this out but Memantine was causing Mom's ongoing UTI's.
A side effect of Memantine is bladder issues and UTI's.

If she takes Memantine I'd consider discontinue for 3 months and see how she does.

Once I stopped the Memantine Mom never had a UTI again. (She previously had them constantly.)

Hi! My mom has chronic UTI's. She would get them anywhere from 4-6 a year due to vaginal atrophy and being 87. If I was able to catch it in time, a trip to the ER, IV antibiotics and fluids, a 10 day antibiotic prescription and 5 hours later, she would be cleared to go home. Sometimes it would be too late or too strong of an infection (depending on the infection strain) that she would need to be admitted to the hospital for a few days with stronger IV antibiotics. The only way I would know if a UTI was imminent is by the onset of delirium (personality changes, altered state of mind, more lethargic, incoherent, etc) and we would have to go to the hospital. Recently she has become bed bound and these are some helpful tips I've learned over the years:

-Cranberry or D-Mannose pills
-Plenty of clear liquids; water, gatorade, sparkling water (flavored is fine), clear soda's like sprite. Avoid excessive caffeinated drinks
-Hydration pills (Medi-Lyte)
-Making sure her ladybits are cleaned and underwear is changed as needed
-Avoid using feminine hygiene wipes
-Invest in breathable underwear. Anything too tight can contribute to UTI's
-Avoid long term use of internal foley catheters (even in the hospital) or ask for a PureWhick. Internal Foley's are another contributing factor to UTI's
-PureWhick's are pricey but greats for chronic UTI's and night time sleeping. Sometimes it will move around with the body when sleeping, so it may take a few times to get it adjusted. Bed pads are suggested for this for any spillage
-External catheter's are great for daytime and going out
-Inquire with the urologist if she's retaining urine. This is another contributor to UTI's
-At home UTI testing kits. Early detection is key with UTI's. If it tests positive and mom appears fine, I still take her into the hospital for antibiotics, UA and culture tests. It's best not to wait to avoid delirium and the infection growing. Better to be safe than sorry
-Delirium is common with UTI's. It usually wears off after a few days, maybe even weeks or months, depending on how severe the UTI is. Usually once antibiotics are administered, it starts to go away.
-Always review her Urine Analysis and culture results. UA's results are usually returned in 1-2 hours. Cultures usually take a few days and are more detailed, but by that time, the doctor will have already prescribed some sort of general antibiotics and send you on your merry way and don't always follow up with the appropriate medication once the results of the culture come back, which can lead to another UTI because it wasn't properly taken care of with the right antibiotics

You want to make sure her UTI's gets taken care of ASAP before it can turn into sepsis. And that's a WHOLE 'nother can of worms

Make sure Mom only gets wiped FRONT TO BACK . Also when washing and drying. No baths, showers only .

Many elderly try to do it opposite ( reaching inbetween legs ) because they can’t reach behind any longer .

I apologize for the visuals .🤦‍♀️

"Estrogens have been shown to increase urethral pressure in up to 30 per cent of women and to significantly improve or cure stress urinary incontinence in many cases. Adding alpha-sympathomimetic drugs to estrogens may further improve symptoms in women with stress incontinence." Not sure how putting estrogen on a urethra helps?

I just read and have heard that estrogen vagina cream has helped women with UTIs because of dryness of the vaginia being linked to UTIs.

Cranberry juice has sugar and should not be used in trying to prevent UTIs. Cranberry tablets and a probiotic was used for my Mom. Plenty of water for flushing. Make sure she voids. It may mean sitting a little longer and waiting for that urge to go. Leaning frontwards helps too. D-Mannose is been suggested too.

Also, make sure a culture is done so the correct antibiotic is given.

When this becomes a frequent problem, many people consider a long term treatment to try to control/avoid. D-mannose, cranberry chews/juice or long term dose of antibiotics are used. (Run this past the Urologist).

I agree with you - absolutely want to avoid unnecessary brain fog. No-one really wants to be on long term antis but it becomes a 'quality of life' issue. More fog = more adverse effects eg higher falls risk, poorer diet, disruption to sleep/wake cycle.

This is an important topic. There is so much to learn about health issues as we age or if we are caring for a parent.

I didn’t even know that UTIs cause erratic behavior in the elderly until I started reading this forum.

Thanks for starting this conversation.

UTIs are extremely common in elderly women. For whatever reason, the symptoms don't appear as physical (like burning or pain when peeing, or urgency) but instead as neurological changes.

Hygiene is not necessarily the main cause: while we age our bodies go through physiological changes (such as our bladders getting "flabby" or weak or flopped and not voiding all the urine completely) as well as changes in pH. Your Mom doesn't have "dementia" during a UTI, she has neurological symptoms that are temporary and can go away with proper treatment.

My MIL was having the same issue in her LTC facility. I started giving her d-mannose, which is a supplement that can be purchased online, like at amazon.com. Follow the dosage recommendations. D-mannose is a simple sugar and doesn't interact with other medications but if your Mom has diabetes, I would consult with her doctor before giving it to her. Taking this supplement has significantly cut down on the number of UTIs my MIL was getting per year. Only give it to her when she is free and clear of the infection.

Some people use those cranberry chewies. There is another person on the forum that recommends a different supplement , to prevent UTI’s , the name slips my mind . Perhaps she will answer your question .

As far as the fog lasting longer, I think that is to be expected at her age , that it takes longer to recover . You may find that she never gets back to where she was cognitively . At her age it is very likely she has dementia . When someone has dementia , a step down is often noted during an illness and they don’t always return to where they previously were cognitively .