Comments on: Sundowner’s Syndrome

By: Amy McCane

Amy McCane — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:25:42 +0000

Hi! As I am reading this I am really curious to know exactly what my 82 yr old mom really has, she has suffered from two strokes in the past 4 yrs, before that she was in perfect health, she took no daily meds and tylenol worked for minor aches and pains. since her first stroke she has been put on 12 different medications and it seems like the drs are prescribing more daily. This past summer she suffered another stroke which was caused from some idiot dr who prescribed her 1000mg of muscle relaxer and an extremly high dose of vicodin after being admitted for overdosing on meds she suffered a stroke (a bleed not a clot) anywho, while she was in the hospital on the sixth floor she would call me first thing in the morning to tell me that she was being held against her will and that the people there were trying to kill her, she refused to take meds the nurses would give her, she would spit them on the floor when they would leave, at one point she wrote notes ( she believed the nurse told her that they came to my house and took my phone away so she could not call me) and tried to figure a way to break the window and throw them out, in the hospital it seemed to be an all day occurance, she knew everyone in her family and her normal adl’s but she truly believed she was being held captive, she went as far as to tell me she had been discharged and for me to come pick her up, once i got there she is ready with papers and her coat. I figured she had been discharged until half way to her house that I had gotten a call from the charge nurse wondering where she was!!!!! Things seemed to get better once she was back home and it has been sometime now but the other day I took her for lunch and she told me of her “visitors” at night that wake her up, she tells me that she wakes up to go potty and there are four people who she does not know sitting at her dining room table, she thinks they are there to visit but just not with her, she wonders how they get in the house and gets aggitated when they will not answer her. She believes they are playing tricks on her, the other night she told me the girl that was there stole her teeth and hid them under her pillow, other times she gets aggitated and yells at them to stop stealing her furniture. After she told me this I told her that I believe she has sundowners, since i told her this her visitors have not been back, but she did tell me today that there are times during the day that she thinks my brother and me are playing on the floor, she thinks that we are little again, the weird part (ok weirder part) is my brother is 14 yrs older so we never played as little kids and we are now 38 and 52 so….I am concerned and confused, is there anyone out there that knows what this is, I am thinking she is on way to many prescription drugs!!!! or is she seeing ghost!!! Help please!!!!!

By: Michele

Michele — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:28:02 +0000

I don’t really know where to start…..my mother has had emergency surgery about 6 weeks ago and has been in a rehab/nursing facility ever since. She is showing clear signs of depression and sundowners syndrome as well as hospital psychosis from what I have read and done some research on. However she is in full on denial about all three things? She is on a mild form of antidepressant called remeron? The rehab places psychiatrist recommended she be on after three evaluations and to increase her appetite as she is barely eating. My mom is only 68 yrs old and acts like she is 90? She also has menears disease (spelling?) which causes sudden attacts of vertigo and she has fallen a few times and actually broke some vertibraes last summer and had less invasive surgery then but recovered faster. Her current Dr. Says she has babied her body so much since then due to her fear of falling and depends on a walker to much that it has caused her muscles to start to deteriorate and atrophy and said she has the body of an 85 yr old women because of this. But currently my main concern is her constant confusion as the day comes to an end. When you talk to her she seems to make perfect sense but gets so confused and contradicts herself constantly. And the lies shes telling everyone from me to the Drs and nurses and even her sister who is now the one there with her helping out. I live in Texas and she’s in Florida so I was there for a week. Nevertheless I continue where to turn she’s refusing help from everyone today I had a psychologist go to her to see her and she thought she was a physical therapist etc. Long story…..can anyone give any guidance. Her personality has changed and it’s like my aunt and I have to tip toe on egg shells with everything we say and do with her and now there releasing her on mon the 13th because physically she’s fine? Psychologically not at all! Any insight or advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated!

By: Leigh

Leigh — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:43:12 +0000

It is 2/8/12 – Mom had partial knee surgery on 12/6/11 – has never been the same – has to be restrained – falls, now Doc says it is sundowners…… around 3-4 pm everyday she starts taking the blankets off her bed, her socks, sees things, etc… will she ever come home to her house again? What meds do we need? She knows all of us, talks about her parents (deceased) – wants to go see them – I am at a loss…

By: Tom Heck

Tom Heck — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 03:44:35 +0000

Although the effects may differ abit for each person the basic disease is still the same for everyone as it progresses. And like some other people here I took Dad off of Zoloft and I’ve found that sleeping pills do help out some but always check with your doctor first. AlsoI would try to keep her up as late as possible this may help her sleep better but there are never real solutions, some days are better than others…

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:27:46 +0000

Personally I avoid prescription drugs after my mother’s doctor and personal friend put her on prozac and schizophrenia meds – I was shocked and stopped the prozac after 4 days, declined the other. Try melatonin from your local healthfood store for sleep and check out this website.

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

By: Tom Heck

Tom Heck — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:10:30 +0000

And good news, recent research has finally shown how the Alzheimer’s Disease spreads inside of the brain. This finding may help scientist discover a way to break it down and prevent it from spreading;

http://www.helpingyoucare.com/17870/alzheimers-spreads-in-the-brain-like-a-virus-new-study-finds

By: Tom Heck

Tom Heck — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:50:42 +0000

Vicki, here’s some info that may help you out;

http://www.doctoryourself.com/alzheimer.html

Good luck and God Bless…

By: Tom Heck

Tom Heck — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:41:40 +0000

Your husbands drinking will effect any medication that he might be put on, so it’s important for you to wean him off this slowly. Be careful that his depression is not confused with Alzheimer’s and visa versa…

By: Mary

Mary — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:37:23 +0000

First let me suggest coconut oil. Check out this websiite:
http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS

Many studies have been administered to test lecithin’s effect on Alzheimer’s disease. Lecithin produces the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which enables communication and signal-transmission between brain cells. Alzheimer’s disease can be caused by a change in production of acetylcholine. Many speculate that an increase in lecithin will prompt brain cells to produce more acetylcholine, thus improving memory. Lecithin and choline have been tested to do this and neither has been proven to be affective. In most of these studies, a portion of subjects improved markedly, while others were not helped at all. (Zeisel, 334)

Lecithin “may lower cholesterol since lecithin is composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids, but studies have been inconclusive”. (Thrive Online) “Although it is clear that lecithin administration can be beneficial for humans with tardive dyskinesia (a neurological disorder), and although there is reason to believe that normal memory can be influenced by the choline (found in lecithin) content of the diet, evidence available at this time does not justify the widespread us of lecithin for improved memory by the healthy general public” (Zeisel, 323). The only proven benefit and suggested use of lecithin or choline supplements is for those whom are taking niacin or nicotinic acid to treat high cholesterol. The niacin treatment can deplete choline, so an increased amount of lecithin or choline is necessary in the diet.

I’m not finding anything great on lecithin, but that coconut oil is worth trying, in my opinion – I’m starting it on my mother.

Best Wishes!

By: Tom Heck

Tom Heck — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:36:00 +0000

Lynda is right, Barb you should seek help to find out why your husband acts this way. If he is currently taking medication this may make him sleepy or he may have the beginning of Alzheimer’s. It can happen at even a young age like 55 or 64. Falling out of the bed is a sign of Alzheimer’s and it is why making Nursing Homes place alarm pads around the bed of someone effected by this…