The AgingCare.com forum is filled with people coming together to share valuable information. We’ve compiled experienced caregivers’ best tips and suggestions for handling hallucinations and delusions associated with PD medications.
How to Handle Parkinson’s Disease Psychosis
“My Mom used to hallucinate that there were bugs crawling all over. We used to try to convince her they weren’t there, but that just upset her more. Her doctor told us to go along with it, pretend we could see the bugs too and help her get rid of them with ‘bug spray’ (which was just a bottle of Windex). It worked. She calmed right down and immediately felt better. More medication may not always be the answer.” –writervicki
“With my husband, I have found that just the slightest dehydration can cause confusion and hallucinations. Make sure your loved one is getting enough fluids, and ensure they are sitting upright when drinking to avoid aspiration. Using a straw can help them with intake, but ask your therapist about this first.” –bdeartrm
“If a loved one is having psychotic symptoms, you should check their medications. My father had issues with hallucinations and the doctor found that Mirapex was the cause.” –Barkley37
“My mom has what I call ‘episodes’ where she talks all night and hallucinates all day. This has been going on for 3 years. At first it happened months apart, but now it is every week. If she isn’t upset by what she’s seeing, I just go along with it since that’s usually easier than trying to convince her she’s in la-la land. Lately she’s been asking about the name of my husband, but I've been divorced for several years. She’s sure that I’m married again and even saw my new hubby on TV last night. So, today I told her his name is ‘Simon.’ She was satisfied with that for now. It's just one day at a time for all of us caregivers!” –sulynn49
“Check to see if your loved one has a bladder infection or urinary tract infection (UTI). My mom had PD for 16 years and had bouts of hallucinations. I would just go with the good ones. She also had bladder infections sometimes, and that seemed to increase the hallucinations. Never rule out having this checked out!” –lovingkid
“I had the neurologist prescribe Nuplazid for my husband. His ‘attacks’ were severe and happened every night. He was scared out of his mind of these awful people who came to visit him. The drug worked. He still sees people, but they are not longer mean or threatening. What a life saver.” –Rosemary44
“Medications for the PD patient are a tricky thing to balance and manage and may need frequent adjustments. When you add in the challenge of hallucinations, it becomes even trickier. My dad did a lot of nighttime wandering, often seeing intruders that weren’t there. I found he did better with the minimal amount of medication, but everyone is different.” –Leighbird