Should I be worried about my grandmother?

December 19, 2006 11:05 AM

My grandmother was acting very strange last night and now I’m worried.

My grandmother is 93 years old, and since my grandfather died five years ago, she became very withdrawn. She lives on her own next door to my parents, but my father literally goes over every few hours every day to wake her up, give her each meal, and put her to bed. She can't walk without assistance. She mostly dozes during the day. On good days, she communicates a little (asks how you are, hows work or school) but not really as if she was engaged or interested.

So last night, out of nowhere, she called my parents up (she hasn’t used the phone in years) and said she wanted to come over for dinner. They brought her over and she was SO alert, talking up a storm, noticing everything around her, commenting on new pieces of furniture and stuff like that. She didn’t doze off once the entire night. We would’ve been happy except that it was so weird, and plus she would say stuff that was slightly off. It was as if she didn’t remember the past five years. For example, she was wondering why it was so hard for her to walk cuz she always walked fine before. And she asked about people who have died in the past few years and was very surprised to hear that they had died. Also she was talking about like, things she’d like to do in the future and how she wants to get her hair done next and stuff like that. It was just so strange, like the last five years didn’t happen.

When other elderly people I have known have neared the end of their lives, they started to lose touch with reality and would do things like want to talk to relatives who had died. But it was more like ranting and raving and being delusional. My grandmother seemed totally lucid last night and she wasn’t saying anything that didn’t make sense, just like she had regressed back to several years ago. She had no physical symptoms (other than suddenly being able to walk much better and without assistance.) She is on no medication other than half a blood pressure pill each morning.

What could this be? Has anyone else seen similar behavior in someone they knew? It’s so bizarre. We’re taking her to the doctor today just in case. Thanks for any advice/anecdotes anyone might have.

posted by silverstatue to health & fitness (21 comments total)

This sounds like something to be excited about but worrisome at the same time! I can't offer an advice at what is going on but perhaps she just decided to get out of her funk.

You are smart to be taking her to the doctor. Let us know how it goes!
posted by Sassyfras at 11:15 AM on December 19, 2006

My father didn't rant and rave, but as he approached ninety he started having delusions, for instance that there was a family of Mexicans sneaking into the house at night. He didn't yell about it, just asked my brother to please do something about it. I'm afraid this kind of thing is pretty common in advanced old age, and I personally am not looking forward to it.
posted by languagehat at 11:17 AM on December 19, 2006

She hasn't gone swimming lately, has she?

Seriously, though, it's definitely worth calling the doctor about, just to be safe. But on the bright side, take advantage of her new-found (and probably short-lived) liveliness to talk to her a lot and get her to talk about herself. 93 years is quite a long life; she won't be around forever.
posted by Asparagirl at 11:19 AM on December 19, 2006

Hear hear. As worrisome as this is, I would give anything for a day of clarity from my Grandfather.

Seems bittersweet, but it's better than the alternative.
posted by ImJustRick at 11:24 AM on December 19, 2006

A woman I knew was on blood-thinning medication. She hated the way it made her feel - sleepy, groggy, non-energetic. She eventually decided to stop taking the medication, and was much happier and more energetic for a few months. Then she had a stroke and died.

I believe it was a choice she made knowingly, to trade length of life for quality of life.

I speculate, knowing very little about your grandmother, that she might have made a similar choice.
posted by jellicle at 11:28 AM on December 19, 2006

My guess is a possible stroke, but I could be way off (the lack of confusion implies that it's not, but the forgetting the last few years...)

Either way, I'm seconding Sassy's "Let us know how it goes"
posted by Brainy at 11:40 AM on December 19, 2006

Sounds like she finally came out of a depression or possibly a depression-induced ministroke.
posted by atchafalaya at 12:02 PM on December 19, 2006

IANAD, but I've seen this before, and in my mom's case it turned out to be a series of small strokes - so small nobody was aware of them till she had a minor car accident and had a routine test afterwards. A stroke it a certain part of the brain can lower a person's inhibitions, and make them more talkative, even reset them to an younger mindset. With my mom, it seemed like she'd had a glass or two of wine, and she seemed happy, gossipy and girlish. Tell your grandma's doctor what you've seen and try to get her a brain scan. On the upside, she's probably enjoying the feeling of being more alert and engaged, so you might as well sit down soak up what she has to tell you.
posted by tula at 12:03 PM on December 19, 2006

(I really want to see what ikkuyu2 has to say about this, if he deigns to.)

I agree too that y'all might as well enjoy her renewed demeanor. Think she'd agree to be recorded for posterity? (Not thinking of such things till years after one's own grandparents died can be painful; O the hindsightly wisdom of middle age.)
posted by davy at 1:11 PM on December 19, 2006

When my Grandmother was in her late 80s, she suddenly became very manic for awhile. It was like she had boundless energy, was excited about everything, wanted to talk about everything endlessly, etc. She didn't come to it out of a deep withdrawn state like yours did, so the change wasn't so dramatic, but it was very obvious. It turned out to be a simple hormone imbalance or surge. I think it was related to her pituitary gland. Worth having it looked at, because such things can cause other problems if left unchecked. Similarly, her former withdrawn state could just as easily have been caused by the same problem. "Resolving" it may not put her back where she was.

I am not a doctor.
posted by autojack at 1:21 PM on December 19, 2006

I should have mentioned that my father had had a major stroke some years back and probably a number of minor ones, so yeah, strokes can do this.
posted by languagehat at 1:36 PM on December 19, 2006

The mini strokes mentioned above are a probable cause. They are called TIA or transient ischemic attack.. Normally these don't cause euphoria. However the brain is a strange place.
I hope she is well and happy.
posted by Gungho at 2:05 PM on December 19, 2006

Sounds to me as if some part of her brain which has not had sufficient blood supply to function in years, but has had enough to survive, suddenly is getting more circulation.

There could be a number of causes. Her overall blood pressure could have gone above some threshold, for example, or a blockage in another area has caused more blood to be shunted into the area responsible for the change.

J. S. Bach had been blind for years, then suddenly was able to see again just before his death, apparently.
posted by jamjam at 2:19 PM on December 19, 2006

The differential is vast, as you might guess. It's reasonable to consider a TIA, but very unlikely. You would need to be certain she isn't on new medication, or skipping others. Evenings are also a notorious time of confusion for the elderly (google 'sundowning'). I'll tell you right now that despite the wealth of well-intentioned input you'll likely get here, a clear answer will not be forthcoming. Your best bet is to keep up a dialogue and follow-up with her physician and observe her environment for any clues.
posted by docpops at 2:54 PM on December 19, 2006

Yep take her to the doctor.

Sundowning was what I immediately thought of as well.
posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 3:08 PM on December 19, 2006

I'm also not a doctor, but this does seem like it could be a stroke.

In a somewhat related story, my grandmother had been feeling down for about a year, low-energy, difficulty moving, etc. She just thought it was depression. Then she went to the doctor and it turns out she had had a small heart attack a while ago. Kind of the opposite of your story...

Hope she's ok.
posted by thejrae at 3:44 PM on December 19, 2006

I don't have any penetrating insight to add here, unfortunately - this isn't the kind of thing you can diagnose remotely.

Interesting, though - let us know how it turns out?
posted by ikkyu2 at 1:02 AM on December 20, 2006

When I was a teenager, I went through something like this. A depression just decided to go away (I got interested in something) and my life (especially in thought) changed totally. It was like I hadn't been using my brain for a year or more, and suddenly it kicked on, only far stronger.

Just to say, a lifting depression can act like this, I know. I hope this ends well for all your sakes. My mom just entered live-in care for alzheimers.
posted by Goofyy at 3:11 AM on December 20, 2006

this all happened on monday. yesterday (tuesday) my parents said that my grandmother was back to her usual state. so i dont know what happened or if it will happen again. her doctor took tests and said that it didnt appear to be a stroke or anything he could diagnose, so who knows. i'll be home this weekend for the holidays so i guess i'll see for myself whats going on.

thanks so much for everyone's input and well wishes.
posted by silverstatue at 8:41 AM on December 20, 2006

This Posted From My Friend Who Is A Social Worker (and a damn good one) With Elderly Folks. I asked her advice on your post:


Hi, I'm a social worker and I specialize with the elderly. From reading your grandmother's description I can think of two things too look into.

First, it could be your gran has suffered side effects from medication for nearly five years. She may have stopped taking a medication or may be adding "herbal supplements" and this affecting her mood.

Secondly, and most likely in my opinion, your gran has a very serious depression after the death of her husband. Depression is more than just feeling "sad", it can effect memory, appetite, sleeping patterns and a person's ability to do daily thing, such as eat and take a bath. If she has been depressed, she very well may not remember some events that happened in the last five years.

How do you know the memory thing isn't dementia? Rule of thumb: forgetting where your car keys are is normal. Forgetting what car keys are for or what they are called, not normal. For your gran, forgetting events that happened to other people, not to worry. Forgetting and not recognizing people, something to worry about.

Then why the sudden change in mood or affect? Well, maybe her depression has lifted and she no longer grieves so heavily for her husband. Maybe. Or she's taking an anti-depressent medication and hasn't told the family. Or she may be self-medicating through alcohol or drugs. Or, and this is the most serious, she may be considering suicide. Often before a suicide attempt happens, the person becomes "happy" and talkative and seems to improve. (This is why it's usually a surprise to the family.) Such a rapid change in mood is a warning sign and I would really discuss this with your grandmother. I know it's not a fun conversation, but suicide attempt rates among the elderly are the second highest. The elderly are the highest among successful suicides.

Have this talk with your grandmother. Ask her if she's thinking about suicide. If she says no, then jst say it was a crazy thing your read on the internet. If she says yes, ask if she has a plan. If she does, contact a suicide hotline number. They can give you good advice.

Good luck.

-Liarbyrd
posted by verveonica at 2:00 PM on December 20, 2006

Or, and this is the most serious, she may be considering suicide. Often before a suicide attempt happens, the person becomes "happy" and talkative and seems to improve. (This is why it's usually a surprise to the family.) Such a rapid change in mood is a warning sign and I would really discuss this with your grandmother.

Well done.
posted by docpops at 7:50 PM on December 20, 2006