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Typically Sundowners does not occur during daylight hours.  But as this syndrome is not completely figured out yet anything is possible.  It is not uncommon for an elderly person to suddenly change mental status after a fall.  Typically whatever caused the fall is the cause for the change.  I pray your father-in-law knows the Lord and you all have peace while going thru such a hard time.

I am wondering if my dad really has sundowners. He is just fine throughout the day and into the evening. It's when his head hits the pillow that things get crazy. He talks almost all night long. At times he gets agitated and is confused but he has never been violent. He repeats himself as he sleeps. He was put on  Rozerem but we saw no improvement in 10 days. I am wondering if what is wrong him is something else? We talked to someone at a health food store and decided to put him on liquid magnesium and see if that helps and even have him sleeping with the light on in hopes that would help. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am tired of being tired.

Blessings,
Pam

That rough, but don't feel alone. I lost some memory from cronic fatigue syndrome that I got at the age of 30. All of a sudden, forgot peoples names and faces,couldn't remember multiplication and division, algebra, couldn't read(I love to read). It is supposed to be from stressing out the immune system and still 20 years later, I don't have a clue why or how. Some things are back - I can read again and do math slowly. It took time, and I get tired easy. I burn out easy.  More needs to be studied on the brain so we can live more normal lives. My grandma used to say "you don't miss what you don't have". But life was real different before.

Yes, when I read about Sundowners on this forum and mentioned it to my mom's doctors they just snapped their eyes open and were alert for a change. Thank you

actually I think god sent you for us. You give me hope. Thanks. my husband and I are caregivers for my mom and his mom both in their 80's. Now my mom thinks my husband moved her mattress and harshly says  to him "we are gonna talk about this later' and we are scared because one other time she accused me of doing "you know what you did" and then struck me. We were surprised that time. So now we think she might get violent if we don't come up with a plausible response. I have been told by the doctors to call the police and have her taken to a mental ward if that happens again,(so she can get treatment) I think that would scare her more than anything. But my husband is upset because his mom see little kids playing outside that aren't there. I feel as you do, about caring for her until the end. We did it for my grandma. Just had to get that off my chest.

I am looking for advice for my mom's hallucinations. Every once in awhile she imagines that a member of the family is "moving her mattress and switching it with a piece of wood".  This is the new one anyway. I showed her in her room that the bed is alright but she is sleeping in the chair every night waiting to catch my husband-on his way into work in the morning -to tell him she knows what he's up to. It is unnerving to think she might get violent because she doesn't listen to our rationalizations about it being just in her dream. What can I do?

My husband has persistent memory loss from statin (cholesterol lowering) drugs. He later developed a right hand tremor and more recently (Aug 2009) experienced a grand mal seizure (Neuro prescribed Lamictal XR 200mg). Our Naturopathic Physician ordered extensive testing to determine any underlying causes. We discovered my husband has very high levels of heavy metals (lead, mercury, aluminum & gadolinium) as well as very low levels of dopamine and serotonin. Vitamin D was also very low (now a healthy 65 ng/mL). His temperament does change after sundown but it's not as bad as it has been. He also went through a period of getting up in the middle of the night, getting dressed, etc., but sleeps 10 hrs a night now only getting up to go to the bathroom.

About 2 months ago I searched for a physician that provides "integrative heath care" and found one about 70 miles from home. About 1 month ago we started EDTA IV chelation to deal with the lead. 4 treatments down and 4 to go before retest. Also recommended (to help neurotoxicity) infusions of phosphatidylcholine. Later we'll address mercury (DMPS is the agent used to chelate mercury). As for aluminum I've ditched all the Teflon cookware and switched to ceramic. The gadolinium is the contrast agent used in brain MRI's. This stuff is still in his system (off the charts!) since August 2009.

It's been a long hard battle trying to find help for my husband, but I feel we are on the right track now. He does take lots of supplements (for memory and dopamine support) and only 1 prescription medication (lamictal).

Hope this info helps anyone else with a similar situation. Definitely look at the drugs your loved one is taking.

Fran

i just found out my dad has been dealing with my mom who is experiencing sundowners syndrome very serverely.  she is yelling, screaming, crying for hours (3-4) in the middle of the night, wakes him up so she can do so, acuses him of all kinds of things, etc., and she refuses to go to a doctor. my dad has no idea how to get her to a doctor when she so strongly refuses to go.  i told him if it gets out of hand, he needs to call 911. i think it's his only option.   does anyone else have any other suggestions? thank you.

my sis has a friend who's mom is on Lexapro and Aricept and says these have helped tremendously.

yhsnkds for this info. we recently put my mom in assisted living. one month ago. she is 87. alwsys been independant until a year ago.problems with short term memory.
well today at 1 am they called and said come get her she is beating up residents. she was opening doors, and thinking someone was hurting her, so awful. sundowners for sure. i will find out about the med.'thank you