Opinion on Hallucinating

Journey813

Hi all. Taking care of my mom that has Alzheimer's. Working with the neurologist and PCP to get her on a medication that will help with her anxiety and hallucinating. So far one helps her take a 5 minute nap and sleep better at night. My mom is hallucinating all day. she may briefly speak to someone and make sense when out of the home (probably better lighting situation) but she still sees babies in peoples arms that are not there, so I keep her at a distance from people because of her unpredictable behavior. She no longer wants to change her clothes or bathe and talks to imaginary children all day or relatives that passed. Since my childhood my mom has always been paranoid about things that may happen that cannot happen by logic, like things falling and us getting hurt. I am wondering could my mom have had a mental disorder that is now causing her Alzheimer's to have her in a delusional state 24/7. Any thoughts on this? She has no other issues such as UTI. CT scan shows nothing other than the dementia.

harshedbuzz

@fna813

I hope the docs are able to relieve some of your mom's symptoms, especially the sleep issues. IME, dad's hallucinations tended not to upset him as much as his delusions did. We were saw a reduction in both with meds in the middle stages and an increase in the later stages. Most of the late-stage hallucinations were vividly real to him but mostly pleasant.

Your question is an interesting one. You could ask the neurologist their take on it. Your mom's illogical fears were likely anxiety, perhaps even raising to the level of a clinical diagnosis. My mom's family has quite a bit of anxiety related mental health conditions; ironically it was the 2 who didn't live with it who developed dementia. The two with the actual diagnosis did not as of age 84 and 88.

HB

Journey813

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/277731#Comment_277731

Thanks for the insight. Her doctors are treating her for anxiety because they feel it will reduce her irritation and pacing. She is loosing more weight because she pacing from 6am to 4 pm, if she sits it's to eat (if I stay next to her) or because her medicine is making her slow down for about 30 minutes. She will sit then stand as soon as the sleepiness comes. I will need to ask her neurologist which stage she is in I am unsure. Her hallucinations are pleasant but she gets agitated when "the children" that she sees are not putting their shoes on to leave with her. She yells at them if they do not answer her. She thinks the real kids in the neighborhood are playing dangerously and attempts to say something and I have to stop her. This is making our doctor visits become more difficult and our walks.