Chappy Asked June 2016
Are headaches and dizziness a part of dementia?
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My mother has been getting dizzy followed by a headache sometimes pretty bad. Then it just disappeared like nothing happened. Its been one week since and she's fine. Yes, she was seen by a doctor..The dizziness has been more frequent in the last 5-6 weeks. Anyone have similar experiences with your family member?
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My mother is 93 and has had "headaches" for the past 5 years. She has been seen by 2 different doctors and had every test in the book done...MRI's, CT scans, blood tests, X Rays, Physical Therapy consult (to rule out muscle, arthritis, bone problems or limitations in movement), Ophthalmologist consult (rule out glaucoma which can cause headaches), neurologist consult, a brain surgeon consult (for a small benign growth outside the brain but inside the skull) and NOTHING was the cause of the headaches. No medication would help alleviate them, from Tylenol, Motrin/Aspirin, Codeine to Morphine. Occasionally Ativan (anti-anxiety med) might help relax her and she would forget about the headache.
I did some research on Alzheimer's dementia and the person can hear noise and/or voices in their head. She's had this problem since the beginning of her headaches. She was sure the noise was coming from the apartment building where she lived. She even called the owner of the building and he stayed in her apt. for hours to try to hear the "noise". I visited her (500 miles away) so I could hear "it" too. NOTHING. Around this time she was diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's.
I have come to realize that this can be a part of the dementia and, unfortunately, will never go away. It drives her crazy and she doesn't understand why nothing works. She mentions her "headache" every time I see her and how it incapacitates her (although my mother has always been extremely melodramatic). I do believe it must be h3ll to live with that going on in your head. Two weeks ago, after asking me for the umpteenth time why she have headaches, I told her it's from the dementia. I'm not sure she understands the process but it was an answer at the time.
So, yes, your mom may be having "noises" in her head and interprets it as pain. I found a little movie on Youtube (can't remember the name) of a male and female researcher looking into what a person with Alz/dementia experiences. See if you can find it. Very interesting and that's where I found the "noise" theory and related it to my moms' headaches. Good luck and God bless you and Mom.
When does the dizziness occur? You can have OK blood pressure, but it can drop when you stand, causing dizziness. That's called orthostatic hypotension. But that would depend on when her dizziness happens. She's at a risk of a fall with the dizziness, so keep a close eye on her with that.
My primary referred us to a neurologist and she had a brain MRI. They were able to tell that she had had multiple strokes.
I wouldn't assume it's the dementia that is causing her headaches. The doctor may need to refer her to a specialist. The dizziness would concern me as well. Perhaps a solid diagnosis could help her pain and answer your questions about her condition.