Rapid mental decline

[gypsywoman1947]

Over the course of a week my husband seems to have progressed quite rapidly. He has psp and frontal tempural dementia, the dementia part has suddenly deteriorated. When putting him to bed he is not understanding my instructions. I'm saying hold the bed rail, three times , he's asking me where it is.Stand up, how do I do that he says A catheter was fitted last week, he tried to pull it out two nights later. Second one now in place. Every hour he states he wants a bowel movement,, after taking him to the loo and nothing being passed, I have reduced the visits. Now at 3am he wants to go. Nothing done. He has had laxative am and pm and was not constipated up until yesterday, far from it. It's an enormous effort to get him to the loo on a Sara Stedy and the catheter was to ease a dozen visits a day , now the bowel has taken over . Any ideas anyone. I'm wondering whether to call a doctor out. Xxx GW

[easterncedar]

I have been using tizanadine as an episodic tranquilizer. 2 mgs. It's meant to relieve spastic muscles, but can help to ease obsessive activity, to a mild extent. My guy has been wild on and off lately, very upsetting tonight for his visiting daughter. He insisted tonight on walking up and then down the stairs, and he did it well, although he has not been able to do that for almost a year. Pity he needed to do it in the middle of dinner. The pill barely took the edge off of that.

[abirke in reply to easterncedar]

Oh ec im sorry another post we just discussed how it seems when you need time the most , a holiday, someone elses day: birthday, a visit etc. PSP seems to really rear its nasty head. Strange how all of a sudden they can do something they haven't don in a long time. For B it was talking. He could articulate perfectly during "sleep" he would be talking in his dreams etc....now he cannot even do that.... I hope his daughter was not terribly put off.....I hope you have some better dinners....can he still swallow?

AVB

[Satt2015]

I hate to suggest this GW but I will, it may be time for pads? We use Tena flex maxi, once the bowels have opened I'm afraid it's a massive clear up job but I personally think this is a million times easier and safer than trying to get to the toilet, getting on and off it and then back to base! Just a suggestion x

[gypsywoman1947 in reply to Satt2015]

Yes, I do agree, I have padded him up and said I will put him on toilet morning and evening before bed, I don't think he will use the pad though. He gets a fixation on things , neurologist called it concrete thinking, and he can't be budged. Yesterday it was the time every 5 mins, we had to move the clock. So far this morning, no mention of bowels. It's a real peculiar illness , that's for sure!!! Xx

[Marie_14 in reply to gypsywoman1947]

Gypsy like your husband mine too has a fixation with the time. He has to have a clock beside him all the time! The other is asking me how I am going to get home. I tell him and then a few minutes later he asks me again. This goes on all the time I am with him.

He uses an alphabet board my son made for him. A couple of weeks ago he pointed out "I can't think"! Then he cried. It was so sad. PSP is so cruel. The person is inside and knows enough to understand what is happening even if some times they think it is normal or forget things. He is probably concerned he will have a bowel movement and thus no control? My husband told me one day it was very upsetting to be incontinent. If you think about it who oif us would take that in our stride?

Take care and a hug to you both.

Marie x

[easterncedar]

Because of the catheter I have to wonder whether the mental confusion isn't a symptom of a urinary infection?

[gypsywoman1947]

Yes I did wonder on infection but nurse tested urine and said no. He gets a bee in his bonnet and that's it, to date it's bowels !!!

[pzagy]

Time....oh how they all worry about time. 3am seems to be the witching hour for everyone. If he is anythign like my mother in law, he will not want to go on a pad or adult diaper(I hate that word for adults) it's a pride thing in our case.

We have been able to control the bowel movements with 1 daily dose of a laxitive. Maybe te night one is too much which makes him want to get up at 3AM.

Did youhave many guests over the holidays? He could be confused because of that? Have you ruled out infection?

I wish I knew the answer, I am not good at not knowing the answer, which is why I am so angry with PSP and CBD...

Hope he feels better soon, for his sake and yours

Paola

[Yvonneandgeorge]

George ask to go to the toilet at least 10 times a day and never does anything, wears you out xxxxx

[gypsywoman1947 in reply to Yvonneandgeorge]

Wow, how do you cope, I thought a catheter was going to make life simpler but we have solved one problem and another has come along. I tried to explain today that I couldn't keep taking him and he had to try and be sure it was a necessary trip so on a few requests I didn't give in. It's a fixation.We plod on .....xxx