Hallucinations

[Pab78]

Awaiting MRI results for my DF, he is 86 has been slowly getting worse but last 3 months is having pretty much constant hallucinations. It's now a conspiracy against him and the people he sees are destroying his home and garden. He has written letters to the council, called the police and constantly goes outside to confront them. He is also seeing animals and babies. We are waiting to see what the scan shows but it is very depressing for him and he is genuinely distressed. He has been prescribed an anti psychotic and anxiety meds in the interim until results. Also sleeping tablets as he was staying awake defending himself against them

So sad to see him like this, anyone been through a similar scenario? We are struggling to help him deal with it as he is so convinced.

My DM has vascular dementia and moved in a care home in June after suffering delusions/paranoia when living alone.

Things have been up and down - medication has been changed a few times and she is more settled now.
Perceptions and hallucinations are a terrible part of dementia - everyone thinks its to do with memory only but that's not true.

Hopefully your DF will get a diagnosis and the right meds - will make a big difference.

Good luck!

Every time this happens to my grandmother it turns out she has a UTI. She sees cats or small animals such as mice or squirrels that aren't there.

My mother got very worried too about a secret she had to keep and conspiracies, in the early days she would hallucinate but they were pleasant. Obviously I do not know the circumstances but he seems in too poor a state to remain at home for much longer unless meds help him.

My Dad's been like this. It got really bad towards the end of last year. Fortunately he got an infection (which probably was contributing to the hallucinations) and went to hospital. I say fortunately because I don't think we'd have thought to seek treatment for the hallucinations and he was getting quite aggressive.

Anyway, he got sent to a specialist mental health unit for people with dementia. He stayed there for a few months while they tried him with different medication and it's stabilised the hallucinations.

He's so much better now. I really didn't think it would be possible for him to improve as much as he has.

Good luck.

Can I ask how long your loved ones had been diagnosed for when the hallucinations began? Thank you for sharing your stories and your kind words.

I think my DM had been diagnosed about a year, but as her dementia worsened over the past 8 months more symptoms, including hallucinations appeared.

The Alzheimer's Society has a good Talking Forum with plenty of advice if you get a diagnosis. If there are branches in your area they can also offer a lot of support.

Thank you I will have a look on their website now

Every time this happens to my grandmother it turns out she has a UTI. She sees cats or small animals such as mice or squirrels that aren't there.

It's the same with my Mum. She does have some cognitive impairment, but when suffering from v. bad constipation and a UTI she was having full-blown hallucinations about believing her room was in the open air, crowded with people, little children and animals running around etc. and having long conversations with them.

I wouldn't dismiss bowel and bladder problems or not drinking enough. They are all interlinked, and can greatly exacerbate any symptoms of dementia which are present and even mimic them where they are not present.

My husband has been having hallucinations for the last 6 months .he constantly sprays floor bedside cabinets etc with antibacterial spray .he thinks there are yellow and black bugs .messes with his food and drinks because he says the bugs are in them .sees people and buildings that aren't there .he doesn't have memory problems as such .its really stressful watching him hes 72 yrs old

@passionflower50 can I ask what type of dementia your husband had please? The hallucinations sounds just like my dad and he is refusing to go doctors. Thankyou

@Danielle8p could you email your DF's GP? You'll need to make it super clear that you don't want them to reveal any of your Dad's personal information to you but state that you are concerned about his behaviour and list what's been going on. Also put that you are keen to avoid a Hospital admission.

The good thing about an email is that you have proof that you've alerted them and you have time to put in all of your concerns

I've done this a few times for different relatives at different GPs and it's always been successful in that the GP has contacted them and called them in.

I'd also have a read of this on Delirium and if you think that it applies to your DF, or might do, I'd phone 111 this morning

Are the hallucinations long running or acute? Hallucinations are a very common feature of Lewy Body Dementia (also characterised by fluctuating alertness, physical symptoms and poor executive function rather than more classic memory loss). If he's having ongoing hallucinations rather than acute delirium, it might be that?