Follow
Share

My 86 year old mom has stage five Parkinson's. Over the past few months she has had three urinary tract infections that caused extreme confusion. Once she was on antibiotics the confusion went away. Last week the confusion was back. Her urine was checked and it showed no infection. The assisted living facility nurse is saying the confusion could be from the Parkinson's. I understand that this is possible, but how can we know for sure? We requested that blood work be done. She is contacting the doctor about this. I'm feeling really frustrated because over the past few months her confusion cleared up after the infection was addressed. What are the chances that this confusion is suddenly from the Parkinson's? Her last UTI was a few weeks ago. She is currently on a daily, low dose of antibiotics to try to keep the UTI's from happening. She is not on any Parkinson's medication. They were tried in the past but the side effects caused too many issues. Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask to be evaluated for Lewy Body Dementia..huge mental swings..not always in dementia..
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

My 87yr old mom had similar issues...she was evaluated and has Lewy Body Dementia..It appears like Parkinsons..see a neurologist or a geriatric specialist. A tough road indeed..so sorry..
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Was the UTI test a culture? A dip test s not alwAys accurate. A culture will tell the type of bacteria then what antibiotic is most effective on it.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report
disgustedtoo Apr 2021
Additionally, if she's on a low dose antibiotic, it could be masking a mild UTI.
(1)
Report
My mother has repeated UTIs over a period of over ten years. Every time she would get a course of antibiotics sometimes as a result of a dip test and sometimes a full lab. culture. However it wasn't until in desperation they gave her two concurrent antibiotics at double strength for double the standard course length that they actually stopped them. This was a final outpatient treatment roll of the dice, otherwise because they said she had the "bacteria" in her system all the time they said it would be hospital for IV antibiotics next time. Fortunately for her this rather sledgehammer approach worked and she has now been infection free for about three years. It is hard to persuade Drs to move outside standard dose regimes but we were fortunate to have one who would. So it is possible your mother's confusion is still from carrying the infective bacteria even if they are not showing on test results.
Equally it may be a result of the Parkinsons or she may have developed dementia that has been masked by the Parkinsons symptoms up until now. Without an brain scan it is going to be impossible to diagnose and even knowing isn't going to make a huge difference either way. Providing her with as much comfort and peaceful life is probably what you and her Drs should be hoping to achieve.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Confusion can have many causes: infections, altered blood chemistry, poor oxygenation, Parkinson's disease, stroke... It would be best for a doctor to evaluate her and treat the causes that are identified. At this point, this is your best option.

Meanwhile, she will do best with a consistent routine, patient caregivers, and encouragement.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

We are fighting the same battle of chasing the UTI. Mom does a 180 after her infection is clear and her cognition and behavior is amazing and it slowly creeps back in.
But our biggest hurdle is many antibiotics bring on delirium and confusion so she is unable to be on a low dose antibiotic as many are put on. It could be the low dose antibiotic causing the confusion or delirium like behavior. My mom can not take any cephalosporin (she has sever cognitive decline on this class of antibiotics almost worse than what the UTI does to her). That class of antibiotics brings on a toxic encephalopathy I would check what type of antibiotics she is on and try seeing if stopping them helps and if you see a difference in her confusion. 🙏🏼
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Chris,

Thanks for your response to me. I am glad that you are seeking a second opinion.

I am so sorry that the meds were not helping her. Meds sometimes need to be changed, doses altered and so forth. I hope that you are successful in finding the right meds to treat her particular situation.

Parkinson’s disease is different for everyone and it can be a trial and error situation before knowing what works best.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Parkinson's Disease affects people differently but it is not unusual for many to experience hallucinations. My husband has been on a medication specifically designed for people with Parkinson's experiencing hallucinations. The brand name is Nuplazid. You may want to ask her neurologist about it. It has made a significant improvement for my husband. Also I highly recommend going to the" Parkinson's Resource Organization" website They have a wealth of information and multiple resources. They also have a variety of focused virtual meetings every month that provide interactions with caregivers, presentations by experts in areas related to PD. such as "deep brain stimulation" , medical hypnosis to control tremor or dyskinesia,legal info etc. The founder Jo Rosen is an excellent resource herself.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

ChrisInOregon: Please be very cautious about medication prescribed for Urinary Tract Infections. Recently my urologist rx'd a medication for a Urinary Tract Infection, which put me in the hospital with pneumonia. I do not profess to be a medical professional, I am only sharing my story.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Before doing blood work and urine test (culture is best), I would recommend getting her off the antibiotic. Being on it can mask the infection(s). It would need to be at least THREE full days prior to testing. I would recommend more days, since she's been on it for a while. It could be that the UTI has caused issues beyond the urinary tract, so blood work is vital (and can identify any imbalances which may not be related, but still cause issues.)

My son had tonsillitis but the medications were not working. His doctor explained a lot to me, and basically he was self-infecting. The meds could knock it down, but not get rid of it. I KNEW he was still ill and had him tested, but it was only just 3 days since the last dose and he tested negative. Off to a week vacation with his dad and when he returned I was horrified at how he looked! Back on the meds, even stronger ones per Children's Hospital, and finally had the stupid tonsils removed. Even the doc who was going to do the surgery wanted to see him off the meds. I said NO, he's sick enough on them, I won't take him off!

A urologist I saw once had said if there are repeated UTIs it might mean taking a longer course of antibiotics, like 6 months. He did not say anything about using a lower dose - I should think that might keep an infection reduced, but not gone.

If you've ever donated blood, they always ask what you've taken in the last 3 days, because there can still be some in your system. Between age and long term use, I would suggest waiting 4 or more days before testing. Also, being off the antibiotic, it might perhaps result in clearing the issue. IF it clears her confusion and hallucinations, I would make note of it AND report it to the doctor(s). She should NOT be given that antibiotic again. Others have mentioned they had reactions, and fortunately for them, they could minimally identify it and get it changed. When someone has other medical issues, they might not be able to express their concerns or how they feel. Mom's UTIs in MC resulted in severe sun-downing the first time, excessive night time bed wetting the second time.

Although many medications have been around for years, and show good safe use for most people, some of us can't take them. My daughter, at 9 months old, was allergic to one antibiotic, so not only was it not treating her ear infection, she couldn't hold down even a few ounces of water AND broke out in hives! Turns out my mother was allergic to that class of antibiotics too. Once we switched, all better! Also, while I was in the hospital, they kept shooting me with Heparin, something that has been in use a long time and has a good history. For me? Nope. Rather than reducing platelet counts, to prevent clots, it increased them, sky high! Rather amusing to have the hematologist come to my room to question why my platelet count increased. Um, I'm not allowed to eat, so anything going in me is YOUR bailiwick! THEY didn't figure it out until I developed a hematoma. The shots stopped then and magically my platelet count returned to normal.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

See All Answers
This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter