My father is almost 74 and beginning of stage 6. He's gone downhill quickly this year. He was stage 4 last year. He takes Aricept, Namenda, Plavix and thyroid medication. My question is about fainting. He faints (he gets lightheaded). He doesn't know what to call it. And then he just falls (usually on his butt). It's not his heart, sugar, blood pressure. Doctors have checked everything. They installed a pacemaker after the first episode. Could it be just a symptom? Seizures? He loses consciousness for about a second or two, not a long time. Any ideas. Thanks, Mariana

I thought I would mention a condition that affects the elderly frequently is something called vasovagal syncope. It's a sudden loss in blood pressure. It can be brought on by dehydration, heat, straining to have a BM, standing too long, getting up too fast from a seated or lying down position. My father has passed out a couple of times, and his doctor said it was due to vasovagal syncope. He said when getting up, to get up slowly and shake legs for a few seconds to get the blood circulating. Check with your dad's doctor about this possibility.

Have you asked them about side effects of the medications? When my mom first started Aricept she got dizzy with it. Her doctor then had her take it at night instead of the morning for that reason. I know that others here do it the opposite because of bad dreams, etc., but it occurs to me that the meds might have something to do with it.

Mariana, This disease is bad enough without other new issues. So sorry and glad you are able to bring it here to get good answers.
Let us know what he is diagnosed with. Will wait as we never know when our lo will have "another issue"
Thank you for sharing.
Sheryl

I did some online research when one of my LO's friends blacked out while driving and totaled his car in some others' back ends. I searched "blacking out" and although there are many medical reasons for this, I was surprised to learn that dehydration might be a cause. He had a few episodes where he'd lose conciousness for "a second or two," like you said. I encouraged this friend to drink water before any activity. The research said that the brain protects itself when it's not getting enough blood flow and just shuts down so the body levels out (falls down)so blood can flow to the brain. Sounds simplistic, but geez, what if a bit more water helps? This 90 year old friend has had no more episodes ... he's been drinking more water.

Mariana,
I agree with you and wonder if seizures may be the cause of these "episodes". You've noted that he's in stage 6. There is data that suggests entering the later stages of AD does increase the risk of developing a seizure disorder.

A seizure is an electrical surge/storm in the brain. Its magnitude and location can determine the kind of seizure the person will experience. Seizures can be triggered by many different factors, including emotional stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, flickering lights, etc.

Seizures usually have three phases. First, is the warning or aura. This is often accompanied by dizziness or lightheadedness, a feeling of deja vu and for some a sound/smell/taste/change in vision or tingling sensation. Next, is the actual seizure. This may include a black out or loss of consciousness. A seizure may or may not include a convulsion - it may be an alteration in consciousness or just produce a fall, difficulty talking or even an inability to move. The final stage is the resolution stage (post-ictal). The person who has just had a seizure can be confused and/or exhausted. They may have problems with coordination or motor skills. They may feel embarrassed and/or have difficulty remembering the seizure.

A great resource for everything you ever wanted to know about seizures is: http://www.epilepsy.com/101/101_epilepsy

If your Dad doesn't see a neurologist, perhaps this is the time for a consult. A neurologist would be the one to investigate the onset a possible seizure disorder. Hope you get some answers!

Hi Mariana. I agree with KML. My father has been diagnosed with syncope. The doctors ruled everything else out. We take his blood pressure after these episodes and it is very low. In fact, to help prevent future episodes, and after keeping a check on his blood pressure at various times during the day, the doctor took him off his BP meds a few years ago.

We also do our best to keep him hydrated and make sure he is not sitting/standing for too long (especially in the shower, since that is where most of his episodes occur). It's not 100% fool-proof, but we are able to "just tell" when it is going to happen (his face becomes flushed and his starts sweating), so we are usually able to gently lower him to the ground or get him into a chair to prevent serious injury.

Also, fainting is a known side effect of both Aricept and Namenda.

Hope this helps and I hope you get a definitive diagnosis quickly!

Another possibility is orthostatic hypotension. This is a drop of blood pressure when someone stands up. (The body does not function properly to maintain blood pressure.) It is a condition seen in lewy body and can be caused by some medications. It is something that can be checked easily, but doctors often overlook the possibility of this condition.

Thank you so much for all the replies. I didn't expect so many. He doesn't take any BP meds as he's never had a problem but I will check his BP next time he faints and see if it does drop.
It never happens as he is standing up. He could be anywhere. Unfortunately I know all about Epilepsy as I've had seizures almost all my life. His "episodes" sound familiar that's why I considered it. He does see a neurologist and cardiologist and both have given up on the fainting.
He does have some dehydration. He only has one kidney, with kidney stones, and won't drink enough fluid for fear of not making it to the bathroom. There is only so much we can make him drink.
He also has a bad heart. He had heart attack 20 yrs ago that left 1/4 of his heart dead and he has other problems there too plus the pacemaker.
Teri: very interesting about the blood flow and the brain shutting down.
Thank you all. I'll let you know if they ever tell me anything.

He fainted twice today so my mother called 911. I think it's dehydration but we'll see what they say. He's on his way to the hospital.

There are other ways to get liquid in him other than drinking water. Fruits are mainly made of water, vegetables, popsicles are a good source of liquid, jello, pudding, watermelon. I have to watch my dad's liquid intake, he also doesn't want to drink much water because he associates that with frequent trips to the bathroom; but he loves popsicles and jello and canned fruits, puddings. They still provide him with hydration but he doesn't associate them with liquids so he'll eat them.

Mariana,
Sorry to hear you Dad's having a rough day. Please let us know how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed that the doctors will come up with answers and a plan, and your Dad will be able to feel better!

A low salt diet can make dehydration and low blood pressure problems worse. In some patients it helps to add salt to the diet.

From what you wrote it seems like your Dad's heart has been significantly damaged. If he's been diagnosed with CHF, the you already know that anyone who is in failure has to carefully monitor salt intake. Salt can cause extra fluid to build up in the body, making heart failure worse because of the tendency of fluid to accumulate in the lungs and surrounding tissues. Patients with CHF are advised to have a total intake of no more than 2 grams (2000 mg) of sodium per day.

Mom already had AD but went into CHF 5 years ago. She's been hospitalized twice and would be a candidate for a heart transplant if she were younger and didn't have AD. So we weigh her daily, monitor her BP and maintain her on a medication regimen. There's no more take-out from Mom's favorite Chinese restaurant because she'll gain 2-3 lbs. overnight! Thankfully, with her AD, she doesn't miss it anymore.

Well I'm lost. He went to the ER (saw both his urologist and cardiologist there). Had every single test done (except and eeg for seizures) and everything came back negative. He wasn't even dehydrated. I don't know how since he only drinks maybe two glasses of fluids a day.
Anyways, they sent him home. Thank you very much but there is nothing we can do.
ya! I guess we'll just have to put this one on the Alz symptom column. You can imagine how my mother is feeling, she's the main caregiver (she's a very young 73). Again, thank you all for your support. Mariana