My husband was diagnosed with AD 5 years ago and is now on Aricept and a decompression pill. He always was a drinker and now alcohol affects him right away. I can't get him to stop drinking. He suffers from sundown syndrome and attacks me verbally every night. Last night he was stumbling around the house and at 3a.m. he wet the bed. Is this usual for an Alzheimers patient at this stage? He is under a doctor's care but he is in denial and won't listen to anyone.

EMarie, is it possible he has ALcohol Dementia? Read below:

CLICK HERE

quote:

Originally posted by EMarie:
My husband was diagnosed with AD 5 years ago and is now on Aricept and a decompression pill. He always was a drinker and now alcohol affects him right away. I can't get him to stop drinking. He suffers from sundown syndrome and attacks me verbally every night. Last night he was stumbling around the house and at 3a.m. he wet the bed. Is this usual for an Alzheimers patient at this stage? He is under a doctor's care but he is in denial and won't listen to anyone.

Thank you for posting that site, it seems that might be his problem. I'll bring that up when we next see his dr.

EMarie,

You must be going through a difficult time caring for your husband! Twice Blessed may be correct; your husband may have Alcohol related Dementia. When a person with Dementia drinks, the person becomes verbally abusive even though he’s under medication for the disease and a decompression pill. In addition, the medication is not effective while under the influence of alcohol. Sundowning occurs in people with Dementia. However, if a person is under the influence of alcohol, the angry/agitated behavior is exacerbated by the consumption of alcohol. It is recommended that you remove the alcohol from the home or replace it with a non alcoholic drink Avoid trying to reason with your husband when he’s angry or verbally abusive. Try going to another room if you feel that he’s behavior is too much to handle. Denial is normal in a person with Dementia and confronting him/her that they have the disease only upsets him/her. If your husband wet the bed it could be either that he was under the consumption of too much alcohol and was not able to make it to the bathroom or may have forgotten to use the bathroom. Incontinence occurs in the later stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Contact your husband’s doctor for an evaluation regarding his incontinence and also for medication to help him sleep at night. I’ve attached some helpful information for you to read regarding the behaviors that your husband is exhibiting Behaviors, Communications, Stages of Alzheimer's disease, Dementia Related Disordersand Incontinence

You are a caring and patient wife and you must be overwhelmed dealing with your husband’s behaviors. Contact your local chapter for a nearby support group. A support group is useful to talk with other caregivers who have gone through a similar experience as yours. If you need to talk with someone please call our 24hr helpline at 1-800-272-3900. Also feel free to write to us again if you have any other questions or concerns.

With regards,

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