onset of possible panic attacks and fear of falling

kmstacy

My mom is 87, diagnosed with Alzheimer's, with very little short-term memory and not much long-term memory. On friday, Jan 9, 2026, over a 3 hour time period, she had a dramatic change in her condition. She started slurring and having uncontrollable shaking of her body (arms, legs, hands) - almost like a seizure (although I've only seen seizures in dogs, but it was similar). We went to the ER and she was admitted. It turns out she had low blood sugar which apparently mimics stroke symptoms (no stroke per CT scan) plus UTI. She was in the hospital for 1 week, during which her slurring stopped over the week but not the shaking.

The shaking was initially occurring when she tried to stand up or we tried to sit her up or roll her over. Prior and during these "attacks", she expressed a heightened fear of falling. I explained what was occurring to her doctor/nurses at the hospital, but was dismissed. They attributed it to "restless leg syndrome" and/or "alzheimer's agitation" due to progression of the disease. At one point a technician was in the room trying to move her when it occurred and she said it was a panic attack, triggered by her fear of falling. I ended up getting her discharged from that hospital and taking her directly to hospital #2, where they found the UTI (either new or a prior one never went away) so they treated it with IV antibiotics. But the shaking was still occurring. Others have witnessed it and agree that it looks like a panic attack or possible vertigo. At the second hospital they did an EEG with no seizure activity identified. They at least listened to me at hospital #2 and the doctor said they have checked everything there is to check (other than some obscure condition that would require a spinal tap to detect) that could cause this type of shaking. She has been back in her apartment at the assisted living facility (with 24 hr private caregivers) since Jan 16 and the shaking continues. She is not able to stand so is currently in a wheelchair. Since she was walking (with a walker) when we went to the ER on Jan 9, i am hopeful that she will be able to regain some mobility. PT has been ordered. Her nurse practitioner has given her a prescription for Sertraline 50 mg (Zoloft). However, she had been on Sertraline 25 mg since Dec 2025.

I'm looking for some insight if anybody else has experienced something like this and has some thoughts on it or possible medications that might help. My mom never has had panic attacks in the past and has never been on any anti-anxiety medications. There had been no other changes to her meds in the time period prior to Jan 9. When these "attacks" occur, she is tremendously afraid of falling (even if she is in the middle of the bed), her muscles tighten up, she has a shortness of breath and she can't control her arms or legs. This afternoon, the "attacks" began occurring while she was sitting still in the wheelchair, without any attempt to move or her attempting to stand.

thank you

SDianeL

My husband didn’t have shaking but did have strange episodes. His blood pressure would go sky high. He would be dizzy, nauseous and sweaty. He would also go into a trance like state and wouldn’t respond to anything. The second time it happened he was transported to the ER. They ran every test possible and found nothing causing it. I read later that when dementia reaches the area of the brain controlling blood pressure this can happen. After a couple months when he was in later stage, it stopped. I found this online:

• Lewy Body Dementia & Parkinson’s: Often feature tremors, slow movement, and stiff limbs (parkinsonism).
• Alzheimer’s Disease: In late stages, patients may develop myoclonus, which are sudden, involuntary, shock-like jerks of the muscles, limbs, or body, sometimes resembling seizures without loss of consciousness.
• Essential Tremor: A common, non-rhythmic movement disorder that can coexist with or increase the risk of dementia, often affecting hands, head, or voice.

SDianeL

I also found this article about the different tremors in dementia: https://www.psychologytoday.com/nz/blog/managing-your-memory/202104/tremors-are-common-in-dementia