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Posted by Cheryl D @nmrcdigman, 1 day ago

This is lengthy and I apologize.
I am asking for any hints from folks who have gone thru this before. My husband has Lewy Bodies Dementia and has been coasting along with mild progression for about 2 years. He periodically will have a fast deterioration for a few days and then pretty much get back to his former level of cognition and physical abilities. About 5 days ago his caregivers and I noticed a decrease in everything (speech, reasoning, movements) and it has become more pronounced.
Last night was the nightmare. He didn’t become violent, but he would look at me like I was a threat and I don’t think he knew who I really was. He was extremely angry and accused me of everything he could think of (the house layout had been altered, there were people outside digging trenches, I was divorcing him, I run everything and he doesn’t know what is happening - which is actually true). I checked (home test) for UTI which was negative, I checked his 02, which was low, so gave him a whiff of canned 02 and this morning repeated it with a squirt of Albuterol aerosol that had been prescribed for shortness of breath.
That brought his 02 level up, but he’s still confused and angry.
I have a call into the local neurology clinic (we live in NM and have abysmal medical availability). There really isn’t a neuro available in the Memory clinic, it’s a CNP, which I did not like on the first and only visit we had with her. We will get a great neuro and they only last a year or two and move out of state (high malpractice premiums, taxes, cause people to leave).
After 3 hours I told him we could discuss his feelings in the morning, which we did after breakfast, and he’s not as angry, but still believes everything he did last night.
I don’t know what else I could be doing. Any suggestions will be appreciated - has anyone else had these experiences?
Peace, Cheryl

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bridgeback2 | @bridgeback2 | 12 hours ago

Since you noticed his oxygen levels were low, even a slight dip in respiratory health may be triggering this confusion and paranoia,
While you wait for the clinic, prioritise his physical comfort, and try not to argue against his reality. His brain is fully convinced these delusions are real.
If the anger escalates or his breathing doesn't stay steady, go to the emergency room just to rule out underlying issues like pneumonia that a home test can't catch.

memoriestomoments | @memoriestomoments | 12 hours ago

I know that Lewy Body Dementia has very distinct characteristics so I hesitate to share ideas that may not be suitable. The one thing I would suggest is that you call the Alzheimer's Association helpline. Here is a brief description: 'The Alzheimer's Association 24/7 Helpline (800.272. 3900) is available around the clock, 365 days a year. Through this free service, specialists and master's-level clinicians offer confidential support and information to people living with the disease, caregivers, families and the public." They would probably have suggestions for things you can do in the short term.

Ok, I changed my mind. A few ideas for managing the kind of mood that you describe. The concept is to break through the anger with love, distractions, and calculated exits. This approach can disarm him but it also reduces your stress level so that he doesn't pick up on and react to that. If I cannot get my husband out of a dour, resistant outlook I will explicitly stop, have us take moment and then do something like hug him or look into his eyes and tell him that I love him and that the fact that we are together and love each other is the most important thing. I often use music as a replacement focus area. if he is stuck in some negative rut, after trying to resolve I may tell him that I will be back in a while.

I do wish you the best. I know LBD has big highs and lows.