Caregiver Patience

smarkle

I am caring for my husband who was recently diagnosed with moderate late onset Alzheimers. Not sure what that means as far as stages but recently it has become more difficult dealing with the various mood swings. He was fine most of the day and all of a sudden in the late afternoon he stopped talking to me. This happened a few days ago and it took about two days before he started talking again. Is this normal and how do you cope with this without taking it so personal? It's very uncomfortable, especially around others.

M1

Welcome to the forum. Have you mentioned the mood swings to his docs? Need for antianxiety medications and antidepressants, even atypical antipsychotics is very common. A good primary care doc may be comfortable prescribing some of these or may refer you to a geriatric psychiatrist.

Katie Roo

Welcome to the forum, and you will find a lot of help and support here. My DH has had mood swings, too. I never knew when they were coming, or what would trigger them. We talked to his doctor, who increased his medications and it has helped. He still has them, gets irritated over little things, and can make me feel like I'm an idiot, but it is better and more tolerable. Please let his doctor know about them as there may be some medications that will help. Good luck.

SDianeL

Welcome. I've been where you are. Mood swings are common. Let his doctors know. Medication can help. My DH is on Risperidone 2x day low dose. Seems to have helped and he's sleeping better. He does get quiet at times when he's overwhelmed. They are losing control and you're there so they take it out on you. Don't take it personally. Explain to others privately that he has Alzheimer's and may exhibit unusual behaviors. When my DH doesn't want to talk, I try to draw him out and redirect him. It usually works. Maybe look at pictures or talk about a trip you took?

smarkle

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/186188#Comment_186188

Thank you! He takes a mild dose antidepressant to help him sleep. But this week has been the worst so far. So if it continues I will contact his doctor. He already stopped the Donepezil because he got agitated. Thank you for your suggestions!

SDianeL

So sorry you are going through this. We totally understand. Please keep us posted. Per the VA, a Geriatric Psychiatrist is the best doctor to manage their meds. If he's not seeing one, I would ask for a referral. Here's a handout that may help with understand the stages and communicating with his doctors. I keep a list of my DH's behaviors and communicate with his doctors often as things progress. https://tala.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Tam-Cummings-LLC-Handouts.pdf

Marta

In addition to the above, read about sundowning.