Freezing cold to terribly hot

cross1

My mother with dementia for 4 years is progressing rapidly through the middle stages of Alzheimers, now she is exhibiting behaviors related to Sundowning that include hot/cold flashes.  She'll scream "I'm freezing, I'm cold, I'm miserable, I can't stand it!" so I'll cover her up, but a beanie on her head, turn on a little heater beside her chair/bed, then 5 minutes later she is screaming "I'm hot! I'm burning up!" then she starts taking her clothes off only to start screaming that she is freezing!! This is extremely frustrating. Has any one else experienced this behavior in their person with this disease?

BassetHoundAnn

Has your mom had any change of medication lately? Even a change of brands or to generics? Some SRIs/anti-depressants/anti-anxiety meds can suppress hot flashes/cold flashes. 

When my mom's doctor discontinued her low-dose Premarin my mom went through the hot flash/cold flash thing for years even though she was in her 70s. Premarin is a hormone replacement and not an SRI, but still. I think that with elderly ladies any change to the eco-system can wreak havoc. 

There could also be an endocrine problem that's to blame for the body temp regulation problems. Something to be checked out by your mom's doctor. 

By the way I'm in my 60s and still get hot flashes/cold flashes. My doc claims the hypothalmus, which is the brain's body temperature regulator, gets wonky as women grow older and fires off at the slightest provocation, over-reacting to temperature changes. 

Jane Smith

Yes, I have experienced this with two family members with dementia. 

My mother’s neurologist explained that there can be more than one issue. First, the brain damage caused by the dementia can make the body less able to regulate temperature, or not make adjustments as rapidly. 

Secondly, some people are more sensitive to changes in temperature. 

Persons with dementia may also not be able to articulate their needs as well, and may say one thing when trying to communicate something else.  (My mother, much earlier in her disease, sometimes would describe an item as “heavy” or “hard” to communicate size, shape, or texture. She had sensory issues early on with her dementia presentation. So for example, when trying to tell me the towel was too soft for her liking, she would say “it weighs so much I can’t lift it!” While, of course, she was lifting it up to show me.)

Also their executive ability to problem solve is damaged of course by the disease.  So they may accurately say they are hot, but no longer have the insight and ability to know they should take off their coat.  Or they might know the room temperature is too cold and go over to the thermostat, but not be able to operate it. 

Certainly it can’t hurt to have a medication review and see if anything might be contributing to the problem, and definitely talk to the doctor to make sure there is not some other medical issue going on.  

But it might just be the dementia, and it may not be a simple fix.  I hope you’re able to find something that helps.

(=Meow=)

Sounds like an endocrionological disorder,  vacillating between freezing cold and burning up.  Have her checked for infections, with me it was due to Sepsis and it almost killed an otherwise healthy 50 year old me.

harshedbuzz

My father had similar behavior. He had mixed dementia and one of them- Wernicke-Korsakoff's-  is associated with damage to the part of the brain that regulates body temperature fairly early on in the disease process. I used to dread visiting my parents because he was constantly turning up the thermostat- like setting it for 88F in July in MD. His actual body temperature ran very low as well which made detecting fevers/infection tricky.

Since dad mostly ran cold, we dressed him in layers and more warmly than ourselves but only by one layer so he didn't overheat.

Michael Ellenbogen

I had it but I may be getting a little better with it.

cross1

Thanks, I think this neurologist is correct.  I feel like there is something in her brain that is not working to regulate her internal thermostat. When the hospice nurses check her temp it is always normal like 98.6.

cross1

yea, I've wondered about getting her thyroid levels checked

Teresag56

Yes my mom is the sameway...she has on multiple layers of clothes and sitting by a heater and she is freezing...but her hands feet face are all warm to touch. I try to encourage to get up and walk or just stretch in her chair..but she refuses.