Mother with potential water infection - does it honestly make people this crazy?!

[HalloweenOnChristmas]

I'll try and keep it brief. DM has stage four terminal cancer. Hospitalised for sepsis earlier this year. Moved to hospice for rehabilitation. Discharged last week and now at home with a care package. Legs have atrophied since being in hospital/hospice so is wearing incontinence pants. I live 400 miles away but drove up to see her this week. Well, she was absolutely away with the fairies. Asking whether me and 'Dave' were still going to Jamaica (not my DH name, definitely no Jamaica!). Where's her KFC, who's stolen it (she's a vegetarian). Who smashed her red vase (no red vase). Amongst other things. Carers think she might have a water infection and that would explain the confusion. DH agrees and said his GM was similar when she had one. Is this right??? My main worry is that the cancer has spread to her brain and that's what's causing it?

UTI's can absolutely lead to elderly people being completely away with the fairies. Get her sorted with antibiotics as soon as possible.

DM had the same. She was hospitalised immediately for antibiotics. I'd get medical advice asap.

It definitely can cause behaviour like that. My grandmother was saying similarly random things and as soon as she had the treatment it just stopped!

No, that absolutely could all be down to a UTI. My gran has previously gone from completely with it to screaming and me to get out of the rubble before the cake man catches me in a matter of hours. Very common reaction in older folk.

A UTI is the first cause for confusion to rule out . It really does affect old people dramatically! She needs ABs ASAP.

It can be from a UTI. FIL used to tell us all about the ducks having a photoshoot on the grass outside, the lovely little dog that had cooked him dinner, and most memorably phoning DH at work to say he'd been arrested with his sister (who had passed many years earlier) for shoplifting! He'd never left his flat.

Almost certainly it's the UTI making her confused. It can be quite dramatic, and easily reversible with some antibiotics. Of course, there is a small chance that she has developed brain mets, but I would trust the carer's judgement on this one. If she is having trouble getting to the loo, she may be holding on for longer than she should, and that could make her more prone to getting UTIs, but just age and general debility can also do it. Hope she's better soon

Absolutely it can - my dad goes doo lalee when he gets one.

Yep, my grandfather thought he could float through the air when he was bed bound due to a UTI. I think toxins back up into the brain or something. It’s really strange but absolutely a thing.

Yes. The only time my DGM was aggressive was when she had a water infection when she had dementia.

Yes when my gran had a UTI she thought she was a mouse. It really does have the effect you describe.

Absolutely. My late 90s DGM had a water infection. She's housebound, struggles to get to her bathroom even with a walker.

She decided to walk into town, barefoot and in her nightie, and got a surprisingly long distance before someone called the police!

She was completely out of touch with reality for a good few days.

Gosh yes. Whem elderly mum has a UTI she goes crazy

The sudden change you’re describing sounds like it could be delirium, one potential cause of which is an infection such as a UTI. However there are lots of causes of this type of confusion eg side effects of certain medication, electrolyte abnormalities, constipation, lack of sleep etc etc can all do it. She needs a proper assessment by a doctor to tell what is going on.

Yes it definitely can, it happened to an elderly relative of mine who had dementia

A) yes a UTI could do that and she needs quick treatment..and so therefore b) of the carers thought that she had a UTI, what were they doing about it? Did they call you, or another next of kin or the Gp for example. They need to be caught quick to prevent such severe problems and I would be worried if they had noticed this getting worse without alerting anyone as it sounds like you just happened to be up to visit her and came across her like that. Hope she feels better soon after some antibiotics...

Medical people, why/how does this happen? And why to the elderly but not younger people?

It could also be down to a low sodium level. It happened to my sister in law a few months ago and the effect it had on her mental health was shocking. She was in hospital for a couple of weeks with it but is now almost bavk to normal mentally.

Firstly sorry to hear about your mum's condition. Yes a UTI can bring on delirium and change a person, it sounds like such a simple thing but really affects people in some drastic ways. Mainly older or more vulnerable people but not always, young healthy people can have these affects from this too. Once she has antibiotics it may take a few days to clear.
You must be worried out you mind already and can understand your shock following the visit, take care of yourself sounds like you have a good DH too.

It really can, I had never heard of it until my FIL started coming out with some really odd things when he had a serious infection and hallucinating and all sorts! Once the infection was finally under control he was fine and still mentally fine now!

Pressed too soon, I really hope things settle for your mum soon as it must be such a worry on top of it all. I hope they can get her symptoms under control asap and make her more comfortable.

I once came home in tears because I was convinced my mum had developed dementia because of her behaviour. She was telling me about the special tablets that were laid out on the floor and that I had to climb out the window so I didn’t disturb them then demanded her Christmas presents that my dad (dead 20 years) had hidden in the wardrobe (it was July) and to get her silver shoes out because she was off down the city hall dancing (mum, you’ve got one leg). A day of antibiotics and we were laughing about it.

I think it sounds like delirium. FIL had it when he had a UTI after a fall. He was talking absolute nonsense in a circular loop. It was very alarming. Antibiotics cleared up the infection and he returned to normal, more or less.

Yes a UTI or delirium. My mum got delirium from being in hospital, (apparently quite young people can get it, although she was very elderly), and was telling me about shoplifting nuns. She also had frequent UTIs, which made her very confused and disoriented. Antibiotics for UTI, not sure how delirium is cured or if it just goes away.

Thank you all! I only have the word of the carers (who are truly wonderful) and my DH to go on. I've just never heard of this before! But sounds like a lot of you have gone through something similar?!