Slow brain bleed - any experiences?

[LaBelleSauvage123]

I’ve posted about my dad on here a number of times, but don’t know if anyone will have experience of this. Following a fall three weeks ago he has had periods of agitation interspersed with extreme sleepiness, then recovers, then goes downhill again. His GP ( who has been wonderful) thinks that there’s a possibility his last fall may have triggered a small bleed on the brain, which he said would cause these kinds of symptoms. We have decided not to send him to hospital for a brain scan as they wouldn’t class him as fit for surgery, so there seems little point putting him through it. But the more I read about dementia, the more I think his symptoms could be more related to that than anything else. He’s not complaining of a headache or nausea. He’s definitely sleeping a lot more ( but the GP has just doubled his mirtrazepine to help his agitation, so it could be a side effect of that. Has anyone ever had experience of an elderly parent with a brain bleed - and if so, what happened?

OP, I think this could be very serious. I suggest hospital might be the right place for him. Yes, surgery might mot be in his best interests but he might need more nursing care. Unless, of course, you feel like you can cope with him at home?

Sorry I should have said - he’s in a nursing home.

DF had a brain haemorrhage at 49, then at 83 had a catastrophic fall in his home, and had another brain bleed. His second bleed sadly was unsurvivable. His first instant was an aneurysm that burst on the operating table. My memory of his first illness was that the pain in his head was so bad that he thought something was growing in his head. He didn’t get taken into hospital fir a week and it was a dreadful week.
Obviously, your DF situation different. I can only imagine Agitation would go hand in hand with both things you suggest. Having had quite a lot of exposure to dementia, I would really look to explore the cause of agitation you think your DF experiences. Is he frustrated or cross with himself/ others or is he just uncomfortable and restless?

I’m so sorry about your DF Mum5net. His agitation is being uncomfortable and restless but he also has periods of believing terrible things are going to happen.

If your DF has been in caring hands since his falls and your DF has a very good Doctor then I suppose all you can do is let nature take its course. I would trust your own instincts as you have a picture of how your DF was before these falls. Really not easy, OP. Hopefully he still has periods in the day when he is not agitated and still lucid.

My father passed away on 5th Nov from a haemorragic stroke . Fit and well 79 please get uour dad checked over

He is under close observation by the nursing home staff and his GP.

Hi OP, my 86 year old father had a fall a few months ago and cut his head. I took him to the hospital where they cleaned and dressed it. It’s hard to know if his behavior after this was due to the fall or normal aging. Up to this time he was managing perfectly on his own and playing golf twice a week. Thinking back, he was sleeping more. About 3 months later ,due to him being extraordinarily confused one morning, he was diagnosed with a sub acute bleed on his brain. He was hospitalised whilst waiting for a bed in the neuro dept where they were going to perform burr hole surgery. It was a long wait. They did 3 more CT scans and the bleed continued to reduce so it was decided not to perform the surgery due to his age. Another CT scan due in January. He’s doing much better now. He was discharged after 6 weeks with the only instructions not to take aspirin etc. He has been staying with me but he’s itching to get home to his own house and we may start that process over the coming week. We’re working with a Physio to help gain strength in his legs now. Apart from that he’s back to his old self thankfully. From what I’ve read, good nursing care, food and medication can help with the bleed resolving. It’s a worrying time for you. Wishing you well.

Thank you User147. The confusion is still up and down but his mobility is very slowly improving again and he certainly doesn’t seem any worse in general. Having said that he had another fall yesterday ( the carer taking him to the loo ‘just popped out to the lounge’ for a moment ) and this keeps happening, so he’s still very much at risk.

Your father sounds like a strong and determined man!