Any advice for dwelling on going to the bathroom?

This sounds very familiar. My husband doesn't get out much but at home he goes to the bathroom very frequently. No uti. There are days when this doesn't happen but usually we go every 30 minutes or so, for nothing. Also, getting to the bathroom door and we have to turn around and go back. Often, he is sitting on the toilet telling me he needs to go to the bathroom. I assure him that he's on the toilet so he can go now. He'll say "OK, but I need to get to the bathroom ". Maddening.

I’m sorry you experience the same. I appreciate you sharing with me what you deal with. It helps to hear from others that experience the same. Hugs to you

We are dealing with this with my dad. He thinks he must go a lot! And, once he gets on the toilet, he stays…..for up to an hour! He thinks he is peeing, but he’s not. It’s a delusion. He gets up at night to do this. He sits so long, his feet go numb. It’s been a huge problem. Once, he said he hadn’t gone in 24 hours. I took him to the ED, but the ultrasound showed his bladder was not full. A delusion.

He also had delusions that caused him to rub his eyes almost constantly. After 2 ophthalmologists visits, 1 ED, and 3 primaries, he has settled down a bit taking a small dose of Seroquel daily. We realize there are risks with this med, but it really does help with mood and allows him to sleep and not obsess with the bathroom as much.

We wonder how long this phase will last.

Seems this is more common than I previously thought. I have this problem with my wife and it has been going on for the past 3 years or more - I lose track of time. When it first began I had her tested for an infection but that was not the case. The doctor called it an overactive bladder and prescribed a drug. Side effects were not good so we stopped using. On a road trip last summer she went for about 5 hours without going to the bathroom, at other times she uses the bathroom very frequently. Before going for a walk or for groceries, she will want to visit the bathroom 3 or 4 times. It has become so routine we just live with it.

I think it's common for persons with dementia and Alzheimer's to develop fixations. My husband's fixations were related to preparing the garbage for pick up. It took a full day . There were rituals - like throwing away a magazine ihad to involve cutting it up in tiny pieces. I spoke to the neurologist and he prescribed an anti-depressant, citalopram, which helped somewhat. My husband's been taking it for years. It can't be taken with Donepezil (Arricept).

Would it help those with the bathroom obsession to wear Protective Underwear if not already doing so?

An issue came up with my husband last week and I spoke to a Care Counselor at the Alzheimer's Association help line. It was helpful:

24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900
Dial 711 to connect with a telecommunications relay service (TRS) for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired.

Oh my, my MIL also rubs her eyes a lot, I didn’t even realize that was related until you said that. I guess they must just get antsy and dwell on certain things. Thank you for sharing, I sure appreciate hearing others experience and what they do. I wish you the best.

Sounds like this must be very common. Sometimes I think it gets in their head that if they go anywhere they better use the bathroom forgetting they already did and continue doing it 3-4 times. All we can do is deal with it but I do appreciate all the reply’s which reassures me it is a common situation that many caretakers deal with.

Thank you Teri, yes I agree they definitely get fixations, my MIL has a few. I am glad to hear that your husband had a little relief with the medication. It may be something we may have to turn to. Yes she does where depends. Thank you for the helpline number, that is good to have.

Is Arricept still helping?

Daddy takes it and Namenda, but his doctor said that after a certain point, these meds may no longer be of much benefit. So per his doctor’s direction, we are starting to decrease one of these meds to see if we notice any difference and we haven’t. His fixations began earlier.

I think Arricept is supposed to work for about two years, but in my husband's case, I don't think it did much. His cousin, diagnosed with MCI, now dementia, told me it's helped her a lot.
Sometimes my husband still obsesses, like saying hello 10 times to someone who's walking outside.
I've ordered a number of jigsaw puzzles for seniors, or children's puzzles that aren't babyish, that range from 16 - 100 pieces. My husband's gotten better at these and progressed from the simpler puzzles to the more complex. The distraction of doing the puzzle helps put an end to the obsessive behavior and he's happy when he completes one. If he hits a rough patch I do a bit to help him get going again. If you decide to try puzzles, look for a lot of color variation, not similar colors blending together.