Agitation and peeing?

SweetiePie

Hi.  My DH has started to wake up in an agitated mood when he gets up during the night.  I think he is waking because he needs to pee.  I am wondering whether he is interpreting the sensation of a full bladder as pain and that gets him agitated? Has anyone experienced this?  It's not all the time but getting more frequent.  Sometimes he is just grumbly and goes back to sleep quickly.  Other times it is more severe, stomping around, shouting, sometimes crying.  Says things like, I'm getting out of here, who do you think you are.  He doesn't actually try to leave.  Even in more severe episodes he goes back to sleep fairly quickly.  He is usually ok when he gets up later. If I ask him, he remembers the upset but can't say why he was upset.  Doctor thinks it may be upset from a dream.  We have stopped donepezil which apparently can cause vivid dreams.  He is stage 6, not really incontinent, some accidents.  No behavior issues other than this.  He is usually cheerful and even tempered.  Thanks for any input.

jmlarue

Considering the known side effects of donepezil, I think the doctor made the right decision to stop the medication. Hopefully, that drug will clear your DH's system quickly and you will see rapid improvement in both his urgency to urinate and awakening in an agitated state. It's unfortunate that so many of these drugs prescribed for dementia can be a double-edged sword by helping one aspect of this awful disease, but them causing a different set of problems in the bargain. Hoping your DH (and you) will return to a peaceful night's sleep very soon.

SweetiePie

Thanks for the input, jmlarue.   We had a quiet night last night and am hoping for the same tonight.  We saw no improvement on donepezil but continued in the hope that it was slowing progression.  Which of course is impossible to know.