Dreams/Nightmares

Malka

Hi all,

My dad has started having dreams/nightmares about his parents. They died in 1967 and 1971. He is dreaming that they committed suicide, they did not, and he wakes up crying. He has been talking about his mother a lot which is something new and he is not mentioning my mom (his wife) anymore. She died 11 years ago.

Does this mean anything? Does it mean he is going into another phase of the disease?

Another wrinkle in time.

Thanks,

M

Jeanne C.

Could it be a med issue? My husband had vivid nightmares while on trazodone. Also always good to check for a UTI when there is a sudden change. I don't know if it's progression but it sounds upsetting and I'm sorry this is happening.

Marta

Donepezil and memantine, two meds commonly used with PWD are also known to frequently cause nightmares.

SDianeL

So sorry. Must be terrifying for him. It's very common. My DH is Stage 5 going into Stage 6, diagnosed 2 years ago and has had several episodes of bad dreams, and almost sleep walking. Medication hasn't helped. Here's a link that might help: https://balance.promedicaseniorcare.org/blog-posts/gary-j-leblanc-the-dreams-and-night-terrors-of-dementia

Malka

My LO has been on memantine for a very long time and has never had nightmares before. This is a new wrinkle for me. No UTI. But he doesn't know where he is sometimes during the day. He told me today he was in his office. He was not. I don't know what is coming at me next. Every day is a new horrible symptom.

Thanks,

M

Ed1937

I'm sorry, M. Definitely talk to the doctor about that. My first thought was a possible medication problem.

Pat6177

My DH has “vivid” dreams from the Donepezil. The dr said to give him the Donepezil in the am and that seemed to help. I do remember that the dr asked if DH confused the dream with reality so I gather that’s an important distinction. It never hurts to run it by the dr. It could be a side effect of a different drug or there might be a med to help him sleep more and dream less.

I’ve read that PWDs lose their long term memory on a last in first out basis. So your dad has probably lost his long term memories of your mother.

FWIW, my DH has mixed dementia but he has lost his long term memory on a hit or miss basis. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it.

Regardless, I know it’s hard to watch our loved ones suffer. I’m sorry.

harshedbuzz

I am so sorry. I found as my dad's dementia progressed into stage 5-6, he started to almost travel back in time. He spent a lot of time back in the 1970s which were a happy time for him. He talked not only about his parents who were still alive then, but also the folks he worked with and clothing he owned then.

I know it's generally recommended not to contradict something a PWD believes to be true, but when dad believed mom had a boyfriend and was leaving him I could convince him it was all a bad dream and that she would never do such a thing which seemed to get him past that.

Sometimes SSRIs and SNRIs can cause very vivid and unpleasant dreams, too.

HB

Malka

@harshedbuzz My dad is not on any antidepressant. He is on Quetiapine, Gabapetine, and Memantine. He also takes a blood thinner and a few others. I have been trying to get the doctor to wean him off some of the things he was taking.

I believe he is just advancing in the disease. Is it time to send him to Memory Care? He fell in his bathroom and we had to call EMT's to get him up. I know his live in aide doesn't tell me everything. She is very good, but I like to know even if it upsets me.

M