It seems like DH is having more hallucinations since I put him on a half dose of Namenda. When he got up in the morning he asked who called on the phone. The phone hadn't rang. Yesterday afternoon he was off again about the woman on the second floor and her wanting the spot where I parked. This morning he asked if the white paper was still in the car! He was saying something about a "guy" who was talking to him about "something". I told him we didn't have a white paper in the car and maybe he was dreaming. He said it couldn't have been a dream because the guy walked out on him!!!!! I don't have a clue what he is trying to say when he starts on these hallucinations and he is looking at me like I should help him with whatever it is. If I put him back on the full dose of Namenda in the morning maybe he will sleep more and not come up with these things. Either that or call his doctor and see if I can raise the dose of Zoloft because I cannot stand this "stuff" and I am going to be a nervous wreck.
I'm having the same problem with hallucinations. When I read about this being a side effect of Namenda I stopped the evening dose. This was a week ago and so far there have been no more middle of the night episodes. I had called the neuro about this and he never called back so I took it on myself from the info I got on this site. I'm hoping this will be a solution. When he has these hallucinations in the middle of the night I wake up with my heart pounding. I don't think this is very good for me either.
My husband had hallucinations on Namenda too which resulted in physical violence towards me, so be very very careful. I would call the dr again until you get a response about taking him off the meds or increasing other meds. Be careful and keep yourselves safe.
DH was on the Namenda twice a day, AM and PM. After checking with his doctor I took him off the AM dose thinking that was what had made him fall and he was a Royal pain so I put him on a half dose in the morning. This morning he has been a Royal pain again. He walked around the condos and came home, went to bed for a short while, got up and wanted to know if it was 8.30 in the morning. It was actually 8.15 but it was morning. He went back to bed, again for a short while, got up and said he was going for a walk to see if he could find our car. When I told him it was right outside where I parked it yesterday he said "that old bitch must have taken her own car" meaning the woman on the second floor! Then he started on about this "guy" again, I told him I didn't know what he was talking about and I was putting him back on the full dose of Namenda. Then he decided we should drive around and look for this guys car. I did it to placate hhim knowing full well he had no idea what he was looking for. While in the car he started talking about when WE parked the car lastnight and was talking to this guy. I told him he hadn't been in the car with me for a couple of weeks and I parked the car after going to the grocery store, he was down stairs waiting to carry the bags up. When he decided he didn't know what or where he was looking we came home. He asked if he would start the full dose tomorrow and I told him he was going to take the half pill when we got home. I am hoping it helps him to sleep so I can sort some more stuff out and get rid of some of it. If he doesn't improve in a couple of days I will call his neuro and see if we can get an appointment before September.
I have just left a message for the neuro's nurse to see if I can get an earlier appointment than September for DH. He goes to bed for a while and each time he gets up he has a different hallucination. The last one a few minutes ago was I should move my car!!!! A couple of weeks ago we got a new Rules and Regulations book from the HOA. I gave it to DH yesterday to read about the parking and it says there are NO assigned parking places. The ones out front of the buildings are for the residents of that building. Visitors etc. are supposed to park across from the building. I hope I can get an appointment really quick because my stomach is in knots.
Jean 21, I'm not there in your situation and hesitate to comment because of ignorance. But your husband reminds me of mine, only in that my husband is stubborn, no hallucinatory. Since he's had Alzheimer's, I've learned not to argue with him, or present facts (such as the new Rules and Regulatory book from HOA). Now I would say to my husband re. "You should move your car!!!", "Okay, I'll do that in awhile.... Would you like a cup of tea?" (or some such diversion). And fiblets. Anything to get them over the moment of agitation. And yes, by all means, get on the cancellation list with the neuro. I've learned to let the medical team know of how desperate circumstances really are. A couple of weeks ago, I told the placement nurse that I was at the end of my rope, that they would have 2 patients instead of 1 if they didn't get a transfer bed for my husband NOW. "I'm 80 years old, I'm going to have a heart attack, or a stroke etc. etc." All of it true, but not normally how I'd handle a situation. Desperate circumstances require desperate measures.
Learning to make yourself respond with an acceptable 'AD' answer is one of the hardest things to overcome as caregiver. we just dont grasp that they will not retain what we say for long and continue the efforts to reason and respond as though they are normal. it makes for a very stressful time for the caregiver.been there done that! divvi
jean, as mary75 mentioned, you need to stop debating the issue with him. I wonder if you just said 'whatever' or just ignored him, if after a few times of this reaction, he would stop?
Charlotte, I don't believe he would stop because the parking issue has been going on for over a year. The conversation he had with the "guy" he was asking me what the guy said as if I was there when it happened, so I don't know how you would distract someone when they ask a question and are waiting for an answer. All I could tell him was I hadn't spoken with any guy. On a brighter note, I have and appointment for him with the neuro on July 14. I hope he can do something for both of us!
P.S. when he started about the parking and I didn't want to hear it I walked away and he said I think I know everything and we would just wait and see what will happen. Which he has said in the past when I have tried to ignore it.
All our "guys" are his reflection in mirrors. Maybe your husband had the conversation with a mirror. It's not easy, Jean, to figure out where they are coming from.
Could be Bama, but when I came home from the grocery store he was outside talking to the woman on the second floor and then was telling me she wanted my parking place. She could have parked there while I was gone if she had wanted it. It was just after that the "guy" came into it.
I'm surprised to hear the trouble people here are having with Namenda. My husband had hallucinations BEFORE he started on the Namenda. Since he's been on it for the past year, there have been no hallucinatory episodes. I am grateful for the Namenda. Of course, using Seroquel has helped with the agitated and aggressive episodes. We had our three month visit with his neuro today and he is better now than he was last year at the same time! I can't say the same about his memory. There have been very bad days, but the good days far outweigh the bad. I am grateful for the doctors we have. I have been urged to call whenever I need to and they will get back to me within the day. I know we are very fortunate to be living in a city where we have such good doctors.
Bev, DH has also done well on Seroquel and Namenda.....EXCEPT IN AIRPORTS! He becomes a totally crazy person there, which is why I can't 'do" airports anymore with him.
We, unfortunately, don't do any traveling anymore except by car, so I don't know how mine would do in an airport. I love to travel but he won't go anywhere anymore, except, as I said, by car.