“Woozy, Head Feels Heavy”

WIGO23 · July 18

Question for you caregivers—does your LO ever report their head feels, “heavy” and they are “woozy”? If so, has anyone consulted any doctor about this? Thank you in advance for sharing.

Quilting brings calm · July 19

When my Mom was in the earlier stages, she would say that her head felt like her brain was flying apart in all directions. Or that she felt like a bowling ball was crossing from one side to another in her head. The NP in neurology couldn’t find anything to explain it, and didn’t seem to know what to do with those statements. Mom quit saying things like that as she progressed. She then went to just saying she was confused without including any physical symptoms.

JulietteBee · July 19

My DM frequently complains of feeling lightheaded. She has vision problems, so she previously attributed the lightheadedness to her eyesight. She also complains of a heavy sensation/fullness in her head.

Her PCP started her on Memantine in Feb. She then blamed the medication for her lightheadedness and stopped taking it after about 2.5 weeks. Sure enough, her symptoms persisted.

I have not heard that complaint recently. However, she has now started telling me she feels mixed up in her mind. The days she states that as a complaint are the same days that her words & behaviors are most telling, confirming her diagnosis.

She was diagnosed as having mild cognitive impairment/early dementia in December. Today she had an MRI of the brain that I argued my case to get it ordered. I am hoping for clarity.

Be sure to bring her complaint to the attention of her PCP. Dizziness can be caused by visual problems as well as inner ear problems. If her PCP does not seem interested in helping, it is a good idea to have her go to an ENT doctor & get her eyes examined.

All the best!🫂🙏🏽🫂

JC5 · July 19

I would often see my husband who was diagnosed with vascular dementia sitting in a chair with his hands on his head. When I asked him what was wrong he said that he feels like his head is spinning and things are all mixed up. Neurologist ordered a MRI which didn’t show anything different from his previous one. Now it just happens occasionally. No one gave us an answer 🤷🏻‍♀️

harshedbuzz · July 19

My father reported feeling dizzy/woozy in the middle stages. He was undiagnosed at the time. He reported it to one of his PCPs who prescribed Rx meclizine. They were splitting their time between MD and FL and I have no idea if any cause for this was found or even investigated.

Sometimes when I visited, he'd get quiet and confused and would ask for a "dizzy pill" to make "it" go away. He said they didn't work well. The "it" was variously described as a kind of emptiness, winds blowing in his head, as if parts were missing.

HB

White Crane · July 19

For me, if I don't drink enough water I feel lightheaded an sometimes woozy.

Lilydaisy · July 20

My DW has felt "lightheaded" almost every day for a year or longer. Not "dizzy." We have checked medications (though many claim that as a side-effect). No falls or losing balance. It could very well be hydration, as she has never been a good water drinker. I try to push Gatorade and SodaStream as much as I can, but it isn't nearly enough. This is not the primary concern at this stage (5 or 6).

midge333 · July 20

My DW has vascular dementia from 60+ years of type I diabetes. Lightheadedness was her initial complaint and has persisted for years. She underwent physical therapy for the lightheadedness and it helped initially.

Maru · July 22

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/73555/woozy-head-feels-heavy

While not denying that the wooziness and heavy head thing could be related to dementia, one cannot overlook that many of us who do not have dementia have those same things. I am reminded that when I had Covid I had brain fog that could have been called heavy brain. There are so many things that can cause woozieness: cardiac irregularities, dehyration, inner ear, drop in blood pressure, side effects of some medications…to mention some of the more obvious.

Still…what does one do when the patient is not a reliable informant? You do the things that you can do…hydrate, check meds side-effects, take blood pressure, check for irregular pulse, go to the doctor if you must.

Just do the best you can and, as alway, don't beat yourself up that you can't fix him/her.

Bestillmylove · July 22

My DH has the same issue. For him it is usually in the morning. This morning, I found him sitting on the couch holding his head with tears running down his face. I immediately tried to comfort him and have him explain how he was feeling. He said his head hurts into his shoulders, and he can't think at all. He is 58 years old was diagnosed 2024, but symptoms several years before.

aconite · July 23

My DH sometimes says his head is fuzzy - usually when he's confused.

l7pla1w2 · July 24

Most of the time my DW did not think anything was wrong with her, but, ironically, in occasional moments of lucidity, she would say, "I don't know what's wrong with my brain. I can't remember anything."

“Woozy, Head Feels Heavy”

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