Points and grunts!

Joydean

Dh has had a hard time trying to get his words together for a couple of years. But he would try. The past couple of months he was just doing yep or nope. Lately he has started just pointing and grunting. I have looked back at a lot of older post and didn’t find anything about this. (Doesn’t mean i didn’t miss some). I have tried telling him if he just gives up it makes harder for me, he raises both hands up. Some things I can figure out, but others it’s like 21 questions game. 

Have any of you dealt with this and how? 

Thank you for any input! 

CStrope

My DH also does a lot of pointing, or "come here let me show you".  I'm working from home and he is constantly coming in to tell me something.  Except he can't articulate what he wants to say, so then he always needs me to follow him so he can show me and point to whatever it is he's talking about.  It sure causes a lot of disruptions in my work day.

Ed1937

Joy, follow this link, then scroll down to a post by Shardy on Aug. 21 at 6:15 PM. Then another from her on Aug. 23 at 12:17 PM. The thread is about medications. https://www.alzconnected.org/discussion.aspx?g=posts&t=2147543106   They never opened the bottle.

Ed1937

Our situation was a little different. She never lost the ability to actually say the words, but when she couldn't find a word, it became "three to eleven". That could mean anything, and I never knew what she was talking about when that happened, If I told her I didn't know what that was, she'd say "So you don't know what three to eleven is? I don't believe you." Then she would be irritated with me. It was very hard to hear, and there was nothing I could say or do to change it.

Michael Ellenbogen

TTry a picture card

toolbeltexpert

Joyce I can not offer any wisdom, but you have been on my mind a lot. you always offer your king words. I am sorry the progression is doing is making harder on your dh and you. Sending up my prayers for His help for you both.

Joydean

Ed, thank you for the reference to your post and all the responses that were there. It was interesting and insightful. Dh takes Lexapro 20MG for depression and panic attacks, Olanzapine at bed time for his paranoid (he thinks things are going to fall on his head and hurt him) , some of that is from his accident in 2001 and his PTSD (from Viet Nam). He does take Aricept and Namenda. He has been on both of the last 2 nearly 2 years. Up until the last week or so he was still trying to talk. I don’t know if he is just getting frustrated, he seems to know what he wants to say, but the words just will not come out. He is mostly easygoing and content. Which is so much better than when he was constantly in panic mode. I can see how he is changing, our kids (they are grown, but still kids to me!) they see their dad is going down hill. I am surprised/ or was not expecting him to just start pointing and not trying to talk. I understand there will be more changes and it’s all so very sad. He has no other medical issues.  The Aricept I have no problem stopping because it truly doesn’t seem to make a difference. The Namenda does seem to (since it was just increased 3 months ago seems to help in that he was saying things like thank you and always saying “I love you so much “. These were things he had not been saying for quite some time. I cherish those things. 

Thank you Toolbelt for your kind words, CStrope thank you, Michael thank you for your great suggestion! 

ImMaggieMae

 Joydean, my DH was pointing and using one or two word sentences a lot of the time when he wanted something. Hi neurologist increased his dose of Memantine about a month ago and his speech has improved somewhat, more sentences now. He had been taking the memantine for a couple years and I didn’t know if it was doing anything or not. How do you judge a med that is supposed to slow progression? He’s eating better, has less incontinence and started smiling again. Don’t know if it was the increase in memantine or just one of those things. 

Ed, my DH took aricept for about 4 years after he was diagnosed with MCI. It was discontinued when they started the Risperidone. I don’t know if  the aricept helped or not.