Re: Fainting / Freezing up

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

It sounds like a seizure disorder or possibly she needs to stop taking any blood

pressure medication. Has she had an EEG to measure her brain activity? My Dad

had to stop some of his blood pressure medications due to low blood pressure.

She needs to be wearing a heart mon itor for a while so the doctors can see what

happens with her heart during those times. If it is absence (no jerking)

seizures, she may need some medication. Those are the only things that come to

mind. Prayers for her.

 

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

 

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

[Guest guest]

My husband eventually developed orthostatic hypotension, and if you read

the older posts or do a search on our site you will find information about

it here on the forum It is rather common for

LBD patients to develop this. The blood pressure suddenly drops or

fluctuates on standing. My husband's would do it just sitting in a chair

while eating breakfast. The way to discover this is by taking repeated

blood pressures while lying, sitting and then standing. The Holter Monitor

of the heart my also be beneficial to diagnose if there are heart issues

involved.

Best of Luck,

Pat M.

> **

>

>

>

>

> Hi ,

>

> It sounds like a seizure disorder or possibly she needs to stop taking any

> blood pressure medication. Has she had an EEG to measure her brain

> activity? My Dad had to stop some of his blood pressure medications due to

> low blood pressure. She needs to be wearing a heart mon itor for a while so

> the doctors can see what happens with her heart during those times. If it

> is absence (no jerking) seizures, she may need some medication. Those are

> the only things that come to mind. Prayers for her.

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

>

> To: LBDcaregivers

> Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:55 AM

> Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

>

>

>

>

>

> Hello,

>

> I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

> hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

>

> The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of

> consciousness recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had

> a diagnosis of Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67).

> However, her physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to

> argue in favor of LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a

> conclusion about the cause of these episodes and as each one is different,

> we are left at a loss for how to predict or control them. I will describe

> the last three incidents since they all differed somewhat, in hopes that

> someone has had a similar experience or can help at all.

>

> 1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home,

> her legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1

> to 2 minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was

> in the hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a

> drop in blood pressure.

>

> 2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this).

> We were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her

> eyes were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire

> time. She began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

>

> 3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped.

> Her eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

> unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

> urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had

> happened.

>

> Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour

> after the incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the

> first incident since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or

> assisted her with water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her

> doctor did fit her with a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate

> varied drastically from one moment to the next.

>

> Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression

> of the disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by

> a certain activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she

> absolutely hates being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more

> frequent, it will be increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out

> anywhere. I feel like so far we have been lucky that they have not happened

> anywhere dangerous or inconvenient.

>

> Thank you in advance for any help on this!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kate,

We have heard that more that more than once here.  Some patients do even longer

than you are talking about.  I didn't have that problem with my Mom, but read

it here more than a few times. Wonder what it is all about.  I am not sure we

know.  Mom did do  blood pressure meds to the end.  But she couldn't do most

drugs and I had her off most of them.  She did do thyroid pills too.

Donna R

Fainting / Freezing up

 

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

[Guest guest]

Hi Kate.

The " blackouts " associated with falling are quite common with our loved ones.

My mom was still living alone when she started the falling, shared that she

would wake up on the floor, not remembering the fall at all. A visiting nurse

discovered the low bp at which time we not only removed the bp med Mom had been

taking for about 30 years to lower her bp but also ended up initiating a med to

raise it! That worked for a good while and by the time she was taken off it,

she was wheelchair bound and falling wasn't an issue anymore. She had started

occasional unresponsive behaviour despite being on the med so it was

discontinued as she was reaching the latter stages of her PDD and meds were

removed to try to bring her back cognitively as much as possible.

Hoping you can keep your mom safely mobile for a long time.

>

> Hello,

>

> I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

>

> The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of

consciousness recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a

diagnosis of Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67).

However, her physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in

favor of LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion

about the cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a

loss for how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three

incidents since they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a

similar experience or can help at all.

>

> 1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

>

> 2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

>

> 3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

>

> Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after

the incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first

incident since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her

with water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her

with a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from

one moment to the next.

>

> Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of

the disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a

certain activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she

absolutely hates being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more

frequent, it will be increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out

anywhere. I feel like so far we have been lucky that they have not happened

anywhere dangerous or inconvenient.

>

> Thank you in advance for any help on this!

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.http//www.lbda.org look under

symptoms of LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

 

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.http//www.lbda.org look under

symptoms of LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

 

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.http//www.lbda.org look under

symptoms of LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

 

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

I forgot a little detail and the lbda site did not work. Here it is again.

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:41 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.http//www.lbda.org look under

symptoms of LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

I forgot a little detail and the lbda site did not work. Here it is again.

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:41 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.http//www.lbda.org look under

symptoms of LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:44 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

I forgot a little detail and the lbda site did not work. Here it is again.

Oh my! trying again. I had one too many https. LOL Hope it works this time.

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:41 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.lbda.org/ look under symptoms of

LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:44 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

I forgot a little detail and the lbda site did not work. Here it is again.

Oh my! trying again. I had one too many https. LOL Hope it works this time.

________________________________

To: " LBDcaregivers " <LBDcaregivers >

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 6:41 PM

Subject: Re: Fainting / Freezing up

Hi ,

My husband who had LBD also had fainting spells. It is a symptom of LBD for

some. You can find this below at http://www.lbda.org/ look under symptoms of

LBD. First Click on " Learn About LBD " then Click on " Symptoms. "

 

Supportive features: 

* Repeated falls and syncope (fainting).

* Transient, unexplained loss of consciousness.

* Autonomic dysfunction.

Below are some of the reasons for fainting with LBD.

Autonomic dysfunction, including blood pressure fluctuations (e.g.

postural/orthostatic hypotension) heart rate variability (HRV), sexual

disturbances/impotence, constipation, urinary problems, hyperhidrosis (excessive

sweating), decreased sweating/heat intolerance, syncope (fainting),

I think my husband had (postural/orthostatic hyptension) when he sat up or stood

up, he fainted. Most of the time when he stood up from the toilet he would

faint. I was always there with him to sit him back down. He had oxygen when

needed and I found if I gave him oxygen after fainting he came to and would

stand up. It seemed to me it helped.

I don't know if you have oxygen to give the lady you assist. I found that when

waking up from sleep that if I sat my husband up slowly and let him sit on the

edge of the bed for awhile before standing, it helped. Although, my husband did

not have vomiting nor drooling and urinating on self. Medications can cause

vomiting and side effects such as these also, since LBD is sensitive to

medications. I do know that some of the memory medications can cause vomiting

and drooling for some.

I hope the symptoms on LBD on the lbda website help you. Maybe you can take some

print-outs and show them to the doctor about LBD symptoms. If the doctor needs

to find out from another doctor, they can also go to the lbda website to " For

Professionals " and find out about LBD Symptoms. I believe they can also

communicate with other doctors on that site. Not sure, but I think.

Hope this helps you a little.

Jan Colello, husband Jim Colello, dx w/LBD Oct. 2003

Deceased, January 22, 2011

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Monday, July 30, 2012 4:55 AM

Subject: Fainting / Freezing up

Hello,

I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of consciousness

recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had a diagnosis of

Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67). However, her

physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to argue in favor of

LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a conclusion about the

cause of these episodes and as each one is different, we are left at a loss for

how to predict or control them. I will describe the last three incidents since

they all differed somewhat, in hopes that someone has had a similar experience

or can help at all.

1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home, her

legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1 to 2

minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was in the

hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a drop in

blood pressure.

2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this). We

were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her eyes

were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire time. She

began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped. Her

eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had happened.

Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour after the

incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the first incident

since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or assisted her with

water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her doctor did fit her with

a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate varied drastically from one

moment to the next.

Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression of the

disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by a certain

activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she absolutely hates

being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more frequent, it will be

increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out anywhere. I feel like so

far we have been lucky that they have not happened anywhere dangerous or

inconvenient.

Thank you in advance for any help on this!

------------------------------------

Welcome to LBDcaregivers. 

[Guest guest]

As far as fainting with a drop in blood pressure, that may or may not have

anything to do with LBD in this case. My youngest sister faints when her

BP drops sharply - usually when she " forgets " to take her BP meds. She

even has trained her junior high orchestra students on what to do if it

happens in class.

But, Mom also dealt with losing consciousness and " freezing up " in the

course of her dementia. She would be out gardening and sort of freeze up

when walking or when digging or weeding. Usually, if I gave her the

mechanical instructions for what she was doing, she came out of it. For

walking, I would touch one leg and say " pick this foot up and move it a

little forward. " And then I would do it with the other leg. If I wasn't

there to talk her through it, she often lost her balance and fell. I

actually think this was what happened when she fell, hitting her shoulders

on a concrete hearth and breaking both of them.

The first time Mom froze up was frightening. But I had read enough to

expect something like it. So, after the initial shock, talking her through

things became our new normal. It only takes a few repetitions of the

instructions, with touch reinforcing them, to get things moving again.

The thing here is to remember that these are brief " freezes " and that calm,

step by step instructions can usually get someone moving again.

Kate

On Mon, Jul 30, 2012 at 6:55 AM, katiebetrue wrote:

> **

>

>

> Hello,

>

> I am new to the group but have been following some of the discussions. I'm

> hoping that someone with more experience or knowledge will be able to help.

>

> The woman that I assist has been suffering from faints / losses of

> consciousness recently. Her doctor is reluctant with LBD since she has had

> a diagnosis of Alzheimer's for roughly 10 years now (she is currently 67).

> However, her physical symptoms and lack of severe memory issues seem to

> argue in favor of LBD. At any rate, her doctor has not been able to reach a

> conclusion about the cause of these episodes and as each one is different,

> we are left at a loss for how to predict or control them. I will describe

> the last three incidents since they all differed somewhat, in hopes that

> someone has had a similar experience or can help at all.

>

> 1. We had gone for a short walk around the block and upon returning home,

> her legs buckled. Her eyes were open but she was unresponsive for about 1

> to 2 minutes. This time, we called for emergency medical help and she was

> in the hospital for observation. They only determined that there had been a

> drop in blood pressure.

>

> 2. We again had gone for a short walk (fairly common as she enjoys this).

> We were standing in a bus shelter, sitting when again her legs buckled. Her

> eyes were closed for roughly 1 minute but she was responsive the entire

> time. She began vomiting for ~ 10 minutes.

>

> 3. We were sitting down to coffee when all of the sudden her head dropped.

> Her eyes remained open but her head was rigid and fixed in place. She was

> unresponsive for almost 5 minutes, during which time she began to drool and

> urinated herself. When she awoke, she was totally unaware of what had

> happened.

>

> Each time, she was " back to normal " and completely fine within an hour

> after the incident. We decided not to take her to the hospital after the

> first incident since she did not receive proper care (no one fed her or

> assisted her with water) and their results were inconclusive. However, her

> doctor did fit her with a heart monitor and discovered that her heart rate

> varied drastically from one moment to the next.

>

> Basically, we are just looking to see whether this a natural progression

> of the disease or whether it is a side effect of something or triggered by

> a certain activity. Hopefully someone out there can be of help since she

> absolutely hates being stuck inside all day but if these " fits " become more

> frequent, it will be increasingly dangerous and difficult to take her out

> anywhere. I feel like so far we have been lucky that they have not happened

> anywhere dangerous or inconvenient.

>

> Thank you in advance for any help on this!

>

>

>

--

Kate Knapp

UMN - OIT

" All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary. "

Sally Ride (first American woman in space)

[Guest guest]

My mom does this. It is usually at night and she is totally unresponsive.

She will be out for 1 ½ to2 hours. She has oxygen, we raise her legs above

her heart and we monitor her pulse. I talked with her neurologist and he

said it is because the plaque that causes lbd attack the cortex which

controls consciousness. There is really nothing you can do about it. Falling

and fluctuations of blood pressure is also lbd. She used to fall when she

would stand up too and that was first attributed to low blood pressure but

she passed the slantedtest so I don’t think that was part of it. Also she is

wheelchair bound now and cannot transfer herself so that is not a problem

much. We have to put an alarm on her chair and bed because sometimes she

forgets she cannot not stand and gets up and falls. If your charge has a

walker maybe get her one of the ones that you can sit on. That way you might

be able to get her onto the seat before she hurts herself. There are also

canes that have a chair attachment too. My sister who has ms used to have a

card that says, I am having a seizure. Please contact --- before

transferring me to the hospital. It kind of got ridiculous for a while

because they would not listen to her kids and they kept taking her to the

hospital where she would come out of it and go home.

Sharon Dowling

[Guest guest]

Every time I hear something like this, Sharon, I realize how lucky we were,

though it didn't feel that way at the time.

Mom never froze for more than a few minutes. I can't even imagine 1.5 to 2

hours! I'd be panicking by the time 15 minutes went by. You must have

incredible patience, especially as you went through a lot more work than I

did when dealing with this.

For so many reasons, having a little card about the size of a business card

explaining the situation tactfully is really helpful. I made some up to

take when we went shopping or on other adventures. Mom would get so

frustrated because people would talk to me, not her, as if she was a small

child (and even they are at least greeted). The card read " I have

dementia, and I have trouble communicating. But I understand you

perfectly. Please talk to me, not just the person pushing the wheelchair. "

We made these up because Mom would get so frustrated with this behavior,

even from family friends, that it sometimes left her in tears. My mom

could deal with just about anything, but not with being ignored and talked

around.

Kate

On Tue, Jul 31, 2012 at 1:47 PM, Sharon Dowling wrote:

> **

>

>

> My mom does this. It is usually at night and she is totally unresponsive.

> She will be out for 1 ½ to2 hours. She has oxygen, we raise her legs above

> her heart and we monitor her pulse. I talked with her neurologist and he

> said it is because the plaque that causes lbd attack the cortex which

> controls consciousness. There is really nothing you can do about it.

> Falling

> and fluctuations of blood pressure is also lbd. She used to fall when she

> would stand up too and that was first attributed to low blood pressure but

> she passed the slantedtest so I don’t think that was part of it. Also she

> is

> wheelchair bound now and cannot transfer herself so that is not a problem

> much. We have to put an alarm on her chair and bed because sometimes she

> forgets she cannot not stand and gets up and falls. If your charge has a

> walker maybe get her one of the ones that you can sit on. That way you

> might

> be able to get her onto the seat before she hurts herself. There are also

> canes that have a chair attachment too. My sister who has ms used to have a

> card that says, I am having a seizure. Please contact --- before

> transferring me to the hospital. It kind of got ridiculous for a while

> because they would not listen to her kids and they kept taking her to the

> hospital where she would come out of it and go home.

>

> Sharon Dowling

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Towards the end, Mom couldn't be aroused in her nh one morning. They called to

see whether to transport her to hospital but I declined, knowing her wishes very

well. I just asked that they keep her comfortable and keep an eye on her. They

brought in her boyfriend of many years living in the independent part of the

facility but he couldn't arouse her either. Around 5 pm she awoke, enjoyed a

good supper and was back to her normal. This happened a second time as well be

didn't last as long.

>

> > **

> >

> >

> > My mom does this. It is usually at night and she is totally unresponsive.

> > She will be out for 1 ½ to2 hours. She has oxygen, we raise her legs above

> > her heart and we monitor her pulse. I talked with her neurologist and he

> > said it is because the plaque that causes lbd attack the cortex which

> > controls consciousness. There is really nothing you can do about it.

> > Falling

> > and fluctuations of blood pressure is also lbd. She used to fall when she

> > would stand up too and that was first attributed to low blood pressure but

> > she passed the slantedtest so I don't think that was part of it. Also she

> > is

> > wheelchair bound now and cannot transfer herself so that is not a problem

> > much. We have to put an alarm on her chair and bed because sometimes she

> > forgets she cannot not stand and gets up and falls. If your charge has a

> > walker maybe get her one of the ones that you can sit on. That way you

> > might

> > be able to get her onto the seat before she hurts herself. There are also

> > canes that have a chair attachment too. My sister who has ms used to have a

> > card that says, I am having a seizure. Please contact --- before

> > transferring me to the hospital. It kind of got ridiculous for a while

> > because they would not listen to her kids and they kept taking her to the

> > hospital where she would come out of it and go home.

> >

> > Sharon Dowling

> >

> >

> >