Talking to who knows

blacksparky · April 27

My DW spends a good part of her day talking to people who I have no idea who they are. This is all in her mind as we are the only ones present. Is this a normal act of Alzheimer’s? Is it considered delusional or hallucinations? Should I be concerned about it and call the neurologist? Is there medications that help? I’m at a loss now and need some advice.

cdgbdr · April 27

Waiting for responses. My DH thinks others are in the house a lot of the time and recounts to me things that have occurred that I know have not.

Arrowhead · April 27

This is very common. What you should do depends upon how she perceives them. If they don't agitate her then don't worry about it. If they make her uncomfortable or angry, I understand that there are drugs that can help, so talk to her neurologist.

harshedbuzz · April 27

This is very common behavior. For dad, the delusions (false beliefs around this that happened) and hallucinations (actually hearing and then seeing people not there) started in the middle stages.

We turned to medication because his delusions of me stealing and mom cheating genuinely upset him. His hallucinations were less of an issue; at worst he was annoyed by "the kids playing upstairs" which we dealt with by leaving the room for a beat and returning to report we told them to go to sleep or leave.

In the later stages, both his hallucinations and delusions were more benign to even pleasant. In his last month, he did have some visioning where he saw old friends and my late sister in the room with him. He was happy to see them.

HB

jfkoc · April 27

only be concerned if/when it bothers her

GothicGremlin · April 27

It seems to be quite common. My sister had delusions and hallucinations as well, including a persistent hallucination - The Lady. The Lady bedeviled her to no end, so we turned to medications for help. Even with medications, the hallucinations, including The Lady, never completely went away, but at least they weren't as terrifying to her.

So yeah, I agree with the others, if your DW isn't bothered by the delusions/hallucinations, let it be. If they're bothering her, then yes, talk to her doctor and see which medications may be appropriate.

tboard · April 27

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/72885/talking-to-who-knows

My DH is often talking to someone who isn't there. He has long conversations with his brother on the phone but when I check his phone it doesn't show any incoming or outgoing calls. He has imaginary conversations with a neighbor too. I am not too concerned. he is in a mid-stage to late stage of mixed dementia. His condition is fatal and there isn't a cure and treatment is limited.

Talking to who knows

Comments

Commonly Used Abbreviations

Community Guidelines

Categories