Elderly man snapped out of nowhere; any insight?

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M

missmouth Asked March 2020

Elderly man snapped out of nowhere; any insight?

Please help if you can.

My grandfather is 86 and a week ago was his normal self. Then he snapped and took apart the house, pulled out walls...painted everything....made a huge mess

Professional painter for 70 years and the mess he made he would never have made before this week.

Now he’s talking total nonsense - like overly jovial - making jokes about everything- totally weird behavior, he pulled out a tooth himself!

Plastered the front door shut!

Turned off the pilot on the boiler!

No UTI, we were told he didn’t have any infections after a load of tests.

His baseline brain scans showed no changes at all, he is in a psychiatric hospital now and has been for going on a week soon. Now they say he has an infection in his foot (recently had a stent).

It's all so strange. The admitted him and said it was sleep deprivation

No Alzheimer’s or dementia but it sure sounds like dementia. They also said he has cerebrovascular disease?

He seems to be obsessed with the past.

Any insight?

thank you

Alzheimer's & Dementia Behavior Change Diagnostic Criteria Signs of Dementia

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score 0 · Answer 1

Same thing happened to my dad just last month. 93-years-old, very sharp, living in AL with no problems. Was found confused & acting totally out of character in his apartment. Two different ER visits on different days found nothing remarkable lab wise or head CT-wise. And no change in meds. Obtained referral to neurologist which unfortunately won't take place for another 2 weeks. Earliest I could get following ER visits. It IS heart-breaking, especially since he knows he's different. He's better, but still with very poor memory. He's in MC now which keeps him safe, but is not the best. And I'm not sure a specific triggering incident will be found. I've read on this post that an eval in a psychiatric facility can be very helpful. Best of luck!

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score 2 · Answer 2

He is in a good place. They will stop all meds and reintroduce trying to find the cause. Was he on any kind of Oxy for pain. Tramadol can be bad for the elderly causes hallucinations.

He had a psychotic episode probably. Hopefully the hospital will find the cause. And...it doesn't take overnight. Medications build up in the elderly. They don't leave the system as fast as someone younger.

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score 2 · Answer 3

Do you know if he was on any medication and then stopped? Or is taking something he ought not to? Did they do blood work? Is he diabetic (thinking about his foot infection)? I'm so sorry your family is suffering with so many unknowns. I pray you get answers soon.

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Apparently there is some question about meds. The last time he had meds refilled was around the time of his surgery last October - he was given a 90 day supply and has no new meds at all

pharmacy had been calling but he said it was “robo-calls” and rolled his eyes

these would have been his blood pressure meds

he was also on a new med after his surgery (stent) he had a reaction to one med so they switched him to Berlanta? Not sure on spelling

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score 0 · Answer 4

Seems like your grandfather may have suffered brain damage....

Cerebrovascular disease refers to a group of conditions, diseases, and disorders that affect the blood vessels and blood supply to the brain. If a blockage, malformation, or hemorrhage prevents the brain cells from getting enough oxygen, brain damage can result.

Can cerebrovascular disease be cured?
The specific treatment depends on the type of cerebrovascular disease that you have. However, the treatment centers on improving your brain's blood flow. ... The most effective treatment for you will depend on the extent of the loss of blood flow. Most cases of cerebrovascular disease are treated with medications.

Best of luck!

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I don’t disagree. I just don’t understand how it came on out if nowhere!

his baseline scans are from 2011 and the ones they ran the other day showed no changes!?

its heartbreaking

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Elderly man snapped out of nowhere; any insight?

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