jgray1978

I myself am a recovering alcoholic and my mother has been an alcoholic for 30+ years. She is 67 y.o. She has recently moved from her mobile home to a 62+ apartment complex and is exhibiting strange behavior. We went and saw her on Christmas(We live 900 miles away) and she was quite scattered and couldn't remember her own grand kids names. I attributed it to, "Mom is drunk" and didn't really think twice about it.

I have now gotten two emails from the manager of her complex and the sheriff dept. has been out one of the two times. She was wandering outside in the 30ish temps with just a robe on and barefoot. She was knocking on other resident's doors asking them where her husband was. She said that he had left to fix a car and not returned. In reality, he passed away last May but had been living in a nursing home for a year prior. The manager also said that she had broken her toilet in her apartment. This morning I got the second email. She was telling the manager that she could not find her dog (she does not have a dog) and apparently has been bother neighbors with loud noises during the night and at times screaming from within her room.

Yesterday Adult Protective Services paid her a visit and determined that she is "Able to make rational decisions."

The manager used to work with substance abuse and does not feel that her odd behavior is a drunken stupor so I am at a loss. Does this sound like alcohol induced dementia or does it sound like she just plainly has lost her mind. Anyone have any thoughts on returning to reality for her? Possible?

Fandy

how about early onset Alzeimers. She should be examined by a physician who can better determine her confusion and it's cause.

DeLivery

I myself have been a heavy drinker for thirty years plus and have been exhibiting symptoms of confusion and forgetfulness I did not know until recently (3yrs plus ago) that I was supposd to be taking strong B compex supplements, I ended up in hospital and they told me if I was a drinker I should take them, so did and some of the symptoms have cleared up, through trial and error and abstainence most of other symptoms have cleared up too. One problem was that the prescribed Bs did not contain the full range so have been buying own.

I am not suggesting you just go out and buy these and give them her but ask an MD regards them, if she is not getting full range.

I am under NHS but feel I am being sent in circles, I go for my fourth mental heath assesment tommorrow as I have been assessed in past and then told I am OK so they keep trying to pin it down as a mental health issue, I am positive it is an organic one related to not realising about the Bs then not getting the full scope of them.

In the last couple of months I have upped the Bs especially B12 , reduced caffeine intake and never felt better.

(Not sure if vits are classed as 'Meds' but some people get a bit wary because they are tablets, but I have found out to my peril that lack of these substances can cause really bad nerve problems and confusion, I am also younger by twenty years than your mother)


But yes go to a physician, but mention the Bs as the ones I went to just presumed I was taking them already and then note not all the range of Bs in the prescribed ones in UK, I don't know about over there though.

dollydo

My mother is 86, drinking for 65+ years. She is not quite as far along as your mother...yet...however, she is very confused, her short term memory is shot, she is getting meaner and more nasty. I cannot convince her to go to the nuroligist, she says that she's ok, she's not and on top of that she is still drinking.

God grant us the strength, I am sorry that you are having to deal with this.

jhay

My mother had alcohol induced dementia or something like it, and it progressed to the point where she was reduced to a childlike state and spitting out food, urinating on herself, had that crazy eyed look, etc. We took her to the hospital and they said if we wouldn't have taken her within a few days she would have died. Today she is walking and talking like her old self and not heavily drinking as she was before. She is 49, not 67. It could be a number of things. I recommend a physician's visit as well. If it's a quick downhill progression however, take her to the ER.

DeLivery

I hope they have a better attitude to Alcoholics and recovering alcoholics the medical profession over there, they don't here generally, its well over three years snce my condition started and I had been going in constant circles to find out what was happening to me (walk in center, Aand E, alcohol services, back to GPs) I actually got escorted out of Accident and emergency dept by security (not drunk)..some seem to have the attitude that because alcoholism (or rather constantly exceding recommended intake) is self induced they can just ignore you (I would agree it is self induced, but that is supposed to be the system regards all the tax we have paid on the alcohol in the past)


I was tempted to give up but carried on until eventually I think I may have got to the bottom of the problem, or at least things are in place to get an exact diagnosis, seems like I am fighting with the medical profession though or vice versa rather than working and co-operating to get to an exact solution.

BlueMoon

IMHO the woman needs to be thoroughly evaluated by a medical professional - sooner rather than later.
There's simply too many possiblities here to be just guessing at them.

Best Wishes!
Blue