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My 88yr old mother is clearly experience the early stages of dementia. One possible symptom though has us confused. She can be perfectly well one day and the next morning too weak to get out of bed. This can be for a few hours or a whole day on occasion.This has been going on for a couple of months. No medical professional has been able to come up with a diagnosis( even during a stay in hospital). I wonder if anyone else has any experience of this? Only yesterday she went from too weak to eat to totally fine in a matter of hours! It is very tempting to think that she is being dramatic or attention seeking but really don't think that's it. Any suggestions please?

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Do these periods of exhaustion your mom has coincide with any particular activity? Like going out, having visitors, talking on the phone?

Old people get tired. Sometimes just their daily routine can tire someone out.

I suggest keeping a journal to record when your mom has these bouts of exhaustion. Record what she had been doing, how long it lasts, what time of the day it hits her, etc. You might start seeing a pattern.

(P.S. I have some health issues and my Dr. suggested I keep a journal of my symptoms. I thought the suggestion was dumb but I dutifully did it and wouldn't you know it! Darned if I didn't start seeing some patterns! Now I suggest to anyone who will listen that they keep a journal.) :-)
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I would want to check her BP and O2 saturation when she is feeling good, write down the date and time. Repeat this when she is lethargic. I am sure you will see some kind of change in the readings.
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This may also be depression.
Many of the same symptoms are the same.
And if she is aware now of the dementia and that her memory is failing that might be enough to get a bit depressed about. (I know if I were told I was diagnosed with dementia I would be depressed!)
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If mom isn't being followed by a primary care doctor or even a geriatric specialist, she really needs to be. If she is, she needs to be seen to rule out things other posters have mentioned, even a mild stroke. It could be depression. Those symptoms change from day to day, but mood swings, restlessness, insomnia and the feeling of just not wanting to get out of bed are signs. Good luck, and I hope you get a diagnoses for her!
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All good answers above. I have the same issues with my mom who is 81 and in later stages of dementia. There doesn't seem to be any medical reason for this behavior other than the dementia. But dementia is the brain misfiring and I think often times mom is just really tired (she is 81 and not overly active) or the brain is not telling her it's time to get up. Sometimes I think she feels safer when she is sleeping. During the day there are always all these people around (which there are no people) and she thinks a lot of them are going to hurt her.
So when she has those days where she doesn't want to get up I just make sure she is getting her meds, liquids and Ensure or something similar.
On those days where she doesn't seem to be able to walk, well the most effective cure for that is call 911 and when the EMT's arrive she gets up and tries to run. True story, of course I wouldn't make that call just to get her up. But, I tell that story because the brain is constantly misfiring and sometimes there are triggers we can use to prompt the appropriate activity and sometimes nothing works. I keep meds and hydration going and then she comes around, it may be hours or a day, but she comes back around. So many things can go right and wrong while being a caregiver. I have learned Rule #6: Don't take life so darn seriously!
Take care of yourself
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My mom had exactly the same. We went crazy trying to figure it out....finally...we figured out that she has a heart arrhythmia. The Wild sudden upswing on her heart rate would last only a short time...but, the resulting loss of oxygen to her entire system (blood rushing past the lungs to fast there wasn't enough time to get oxygenated) cause sudden extreme fatigue. The "knock on" effects could linger for a couple days.

The partial answer is Diltazem. After a couple weeks on this drug...the effects of the arrhythmia were greatly reduced. She still had period of being tired...but a much more "normal" kind of tired...i.e. Connected to activity level.

Have her heart checked.
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Does she have a history of seizures? A bang to the head could cause a sudden start. My grandmother in law is very very tired after a seizure. It very well may be the dementia though. Keeping a journal like one answer said.
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Answering this question with another question: you said that she has had extensive medical testing. Has Myasthenia Gravis been ruled out?
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My mother has progressive dementia, and there are days where she's too tired to get out of bed. Other days, she's perfectly fine. I've quit trying to figure out the 'why's', since there is nothing medically wrong with her. 2 stays in the hospital and not 1 test came back positive. Her emotions are all over the place, and I believe that is partially responsible for her 'exhaustion'. She's medicated for depression, but she has days where she's SO depressed that she won't go out of her room in the ALF. I honestly feel that not everything can be explained or 'figured out' with the elderly, especially where dementia is concerned. If my mother wants to stay in bed, then fine, she stays in bed. If she wants to go out and mingle with the residents, then fine, she goes out & mingles with the residents. At 90 years old, there's no rhyme or reason to lots of her issues. It's helped me a lot to stop taking everything she says/does so literally.......she can be angry & 'sick' one minute (and I get worried), then 100% fine the next minute, leaving me to wonder why I worried to begin with.
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Does she ever get dizzy. When dizzy it is comfortable to rest. On internet I found the simple solution to dizzyness. Just follow positioning directions.
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Does she ever get dizzy. When dizzy it is comfortable to rest. On internet I found the simple solution to dizzyness. Just follow positioning directions.
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She maybe anemic which means her body has a hard time producing iron.Get her to try taking ferrous fumerrate.1 tablet in the morning and one before bed.I had the same symptoms and that helped tremendously
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I have this same problem with my husband. When he's very stressed by anything, from too much outside activity to not being able to find his glasses, he will have a day or two when he sleeps 12 hours at night, and also most of the next day. Anxiety does that to him. (And we've not been able to find his glasses, which makes an ongoing stress.)
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Also it could be her kydneys aren't functioning well,that will cause low blood pressure and that will cause alot of fatigue
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My Mom is 99 years old. She gets her blood screened regularly ( 2 times a year or more) and we found certain deficiencies such as low iron, malnourished, anemic at different periods. Also one time she was diagnosed as low in potassium. Besides checking her blood pressure, heart beat and oxygen level we let her sleep during her low energy periods except for meals and intake of fluids and other necessaries. She revitalizes during these sleep periods and gets up energized and ready for activities or going out for periods greater or equal to her being so tired. It seems a natural pattern. We take pictures of her during her active periods which she likes to see. It seems to reinforce her short term memory and pleasure she has in life reviewing her and the cat cuddling, the great great grandchildren, great grandchildren, grandchildren, children and herself all sharing loving moments. Blessings.
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My Mom is 99 years old. She gets her blood screened regularly ( 2 times a year or more) and we found certain deficiencies such as low iron, malnourished, anemic at different periods. Also one time she was diagnosed as low in potassium. Besides checking her blood pressure, heart beat and oxygen level we let her sleep during her low energy periods except for meals and intake of fluids and other necessaries. She revitalizes during these sleep periods and gets up energized and ready for activities or going out for periods greater or equal to her being so tired. It seems a natural pattern. We take pictures of her during her active periods which she likes to see. It seems to reinforce her short term memory and pleasure she has in life reviewing her and the cat cuddling, the great great grandchildren, great grandchildren, grandchildren, children and herself all sharing loving moments. Blessings.
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I was going to ask about heart issues as well. My 97-year mom has atrial fib and has recently had two bouts that I witnessed where she says she's short of breath. She kind of pants for a while then goes into an almost semi-comatose state for about 30-40 minutes. Then she "wakes up" and feels good. I think it's an atrial fib episode.

She's got a DNR and her heart doc has taken her off one of her heart meds since it was causing her lungs to stiffen. So there's not much to be done, but it was very stressful to me the first time I witnessed it. I think her oxygen level goes down (when her heart is in a-fib), causing her semi-comatose state. Then she dozes and her heart goes back into a normal rhythm. So I'd question whether your mom has some sort of heart arrhythmia going on.
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She should have a complete physical done at her doctor's office to include fasting CBC panel.
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But remember, elders do get tired, e.g. my late mother would say "why am I so tired; I haven't done anything?"
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Similar, but we've discovered my aunt has bouts of low blood pressure, and sometimes gets dehydrated. Sometimes she's like my kids were when very young - they'd seem terribly ill and spent the day sleeping, then get up the next day full of energy like nothing had happened. A journal sounds good, since you have already done the full doctor and hospital routines. And I am learning how to just accept it.
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Agree-get blood pressure checked.
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