Any ideas what’s causing this?

[Costacoffeeplease]

Parent of a good friend, early 90s, sudden onset of confusion and memory loss. UTI has been ruled out. Does anyone have any ideas what else could cause this?

Lots and lots of reasons unfortunately. The doctor will no doubt be running blood tests and maybe scans. It can take a while to work it out. Some things will be reversible and some not.

Head injury, tumours in the brain, sugar levels (diabetes) onset on dementia or dementia has been there for sometime but hidden well by the patient. Other infection or virus which I'm sure the hospital would screen for

Test for uti again, sometimes it takes a second test to find it

Vitamin deficiency reaching critical levels, do they have a good diet

Dehydration/electrolyte balance

Thyroid levels

The big stuff ... tumours, oxygen insufficiency, old age and cant mask any more

Thanks for the quick replies. No diabetes diagnosed, but has had coeliac for many years, although there are carers who arrange shopping, and cooking hasn’t been a problem until recently

Unfortunately my friend is in a different country and relying on second hand information at the moment. Apparently blood tests have been taken but results won’t be known until next week.

It’s all very worrying, especially at a distance, but she has considered the possibility of dementia or a brain tumour, I just wasn’t sure dementia would show such a quick deterioration as my friend was there over Christmas and new year and there was no sign of anything wrong then?

I’ve had elderly relatives with dementia but it was a very slow progression in those cases

B12 deficiency is also a possibility

That would tie in with the coeliac but I guess that will show up in blood tests

Generally even the most robust of 90 yr olds are fragile. In that it doesn’t take much to make them unwell. Although UTI’s are the usual culprit along with fluid and electrolyte imbalance any infection can lead to confusion so dental, cellulitis, toenail...lots of possibilities. Many don’t complain either.

Mini strokes...

There don’t seem to be any signs of limb weakness or paralysis

Not really indicators in someone of that age, you really need to see them and give them a good once over and blood tests.

Thanks

Is it likely that dementia would be so sudden and deteriorate so quickly, in literally a few weeks?

My DF suddenly became very confused, unable to type, trying to put a T-Shirt over his legs etc. after lots of tests it turned out to be Lyme's desease, which apparently can lie dormant for some time.
He was treated and recovered his mental faculties.

Have her blood sodium levels been checked? Very low sodium as a side effect of diuretic meds made my elderly mother very confused a few months ago. Once she came off the meds and sodium levels rose she was back to her usual self.

Thanks, I’ll pass all this info on to my friend, it’s all very helpful and gives her hope that it may not be as bad as she initially thought. Hopefully the blood test results will shed more light

Sadly it looks as though there is a dementia diagnosis.

Sorry to hear the diagnosis. 90s is still very old - hopefully they won't linger too long. My father doesn't have dementia, but is in a nursing home where the majority of the patients do, and they're being treated very well.

Yes they’ve done well to get to this age being independent but the deterioration seems to be very rapid. The siblings who live nearby are trying to get a private neurology appointment with a view to arranging a private scan