Any Help Would Be Appreciated!

[vodkancoke]

Hi everyone,

This may be quite long-winded so I apologise in advance.

My lovely wee Nonna broke her shoulder 3 weeks ago. She is 91 and the doc has put her on Tramedol and co-codomol as she is in a lot of pain. They are still deciding whether to operate or not. I am not happy with them operating as she has angina and a large hernia which should have been removed 15 years ago! She's become very very frail in the past 7 years since her son died and she is no longer the strong and determined woman I have always known. I just don't think she would be able to handle the anasthetic. I'm no Doctor though!

Yesterday she freaked me out slightly by asking me "Where has the little girl gone?" I asked her what she was taking about as there was no little girl in the house and she said "The little girl playing on the carpet next to the fire" I assumed she was just a bit delirious from the pain and the painkillers.

My mum phoned me tonight to say my Nonna is in hospital. She woke up at 5am screaming, and told my mum that she was on fire, there was water running down the walls, she could see fire in the corner of the room and there was a man in her room trying to kill her. Mum called the doc, he came to see her and thought it was her painkillers causing it.

She was taken away in an ambulance with my Mum and she apparantly had a small heart attack in the ambulance....I'm assuming from all the stress and upset. The hospital have said she has a very bad urine infection and THAT is what has caused the hallucinations. They are moving her to the coronary unit later tonight. My question (after all that!) is can a urine infection cause this? I am more inclined to think it was due to her painkillers but obviously the hospital and docs know better than me. I'm very worried about her. :(

Thank you for any help you can give me and apologies for rambling on! :)

[bednobs]

it is absolutely common for wee infections to cause doolallyness in older people. If it was the painlillers causing it, it would have happened 3 weeks ago

[vodkancoke]

I never thought about it like that, thanks bednobs.

[cazzz1975]

No sensible advice Im afraid, just posting to say Im sorry to hear about that, I hope your nonna is feeling a bit better soon :(

[ubasses]

Both a Urine infection can cause it and Tramadol can cause it. Had experience with my late mother in law with urine inefection and my husband with tramadol.
Whne hubbie was rushed into hospital the Dr told us some stories about halucinations and tramadol.

[Eve]

Aww bless her, poor thing. Urine infections can be very nasty in the elderly and I agree with bednobs.

It must be very distressing for you all, I hope they get her settled and feeling better soon, will be thinking of you x

[Tilly2]

My Dad has frequent urine infections and he imagines all sorts of things like people coming to kill him and me. It's the infection doing this. A course of antibiotics seems to do the trick.

[vodkancoke]

Thank you cazzz.

Ubasses I just never thought a urine infection could cause such a thing. I must be thick! lol I am on tramedol at the moment myself so I know how they can mess wih the mind, it certainly wasn't instantaneous for me but I suppose it's different for different people.

[flump1]

Hi vodkaancoke, older ladies suffer greatly when they have a UTI, their temperature rockets and it can all get nasty. Nonna is in the right place, with some antibiotics , possibly fluids I.V. if she is dehydrated, and pretty soon she will feel better. xx

[RATTER15]

I worked with the elderly for years as a Senior Carer in a Dementia unit and as bednobs says, yes, a UTI will certainly cause that type of effect.

[vodkancoke]

Thanks Jenna, she seems to be stable at the moment. x

Thanks Tilly.Fingers crossed some antibiotics will do the trick. x

[Kiki-frog]

Jaysus, vodka! That sounds horrific. My own experience with Tramadol was dreadful - I thought that there were people in the house aboput to stab me. I'm pretty sure that your Nonna is having hallucinations from the Tramodol/Co-codamol cocktail - they are both serious narcotics, and although they work very well for most of the people most of the time, there are exceptions. I think Nonna is joining me in the exceptions club!

It might be solved with something as simple as a change of medication. She's in no place to ask that for herself, so can you or another relative talk to the doctors about changing medication?

[vodkancoke]

Thank you flump and Ratter.

I knew you lot would help! :)

[Kiki-frog]

Just read all the other replies. Sorry if I alarmed you. I'd no idea urine infections could have that result. Checking that out seems the best way forward. x

[pizza]

I work in a nursing home vodka and like others have mentioned urine infections and Tramadol all can cause these symptoms.
Hope your Nonna gets better soon x

[vodkancoke]

Thanks Kiki, she lives with my parents so Mum is dealing with it all, bless her. Mum had asked the doc if her medication can be changed as at that point, that's what he thought it was. Now that the hospital have said it's a UTI, I'm not sure what they will do. Hopefully they can give her something less horrible and hopefully if she gets some antibiotics in her, then things should settle....I hope!

[vodkancoke]

No you didn't alarm me Kiki, don't worry. I assumed the trammys were at fault! x

Thank you pizza x

[MissCommando]

I know you prob feel reassured now but I also work with the elderly and the answer is 100% yes! One woman was convinced she could see a monkey and she was having conversations with people/things that weren't there. It can also affect their mobility too.

Hope your Nonna gets better soon x

[NOX]

Much love to you and your Nonna Vodka, you've had some great and very knowledgeable advice here from them that knows, and my only input in this aside form wishing you both well is that I had Tramadol once and they made me as mad as a box of frogs, really horrible things.

[vodkancoke]

Thanks Miss C xx

[Sqad]

It could be any of the 3 conditions that i am going to mention or indeed a combination of all three.

1) Urinary tract infection.
2) Tramadol side effects
3) Multi -infarct dementia.

Number one is probably the commonest.

Number three would fit in with her medical history of "heart attack in the ambulance."

Number two........least likely.

The next 3 days of assessment and treatment will give you the answers to your questions.