My Mum had a bad case of shingles a year
and a half ago. It affected the right side
of her head/face/eye. Ever since then, she
has become a shadow of her former self.
Her memory is very bad, as are her
communication skills. She used to be quite
articulate, but now has difficulty forming
coherent sentences. Sometimes, she just
sounds frighteningly confused. Just
recently, I have noticed that she is
having a problem working money out (she
thinks a £20 note is a £1)! She has been
turning up late/early for appointments
etc...and, today, I realise why - she
often cannot actually tell the time any
longer. Since the shingles, she hasn't
bothered having her hair cut. She also
wears no make up. She used to be
immaculate. It took a while for the family
to coax her out of the house when she was
recovering from the shingles. Now, she
does go out, but no longer participates in
her hobbies.
She is 67 years of age...and, of course,
she could be sufferering from senile
dementia. However, because her decline
coincided with her shingles, I'm wondering
whether the virus could have caused some
sort of stroke/brain inflammation. Stroke
patients often get better; dementia
sufferers, I believe, do not...so,
obviously, the cause is important to us.
My mother is very stubborn and will not
admit there is a problem. I will not be
able to get her to see a doctor, as she
refuses to visit them. I'm very worried
and would just like some advice.
Herpes zoster virus affects the peropheral
sensitive nerves and their ganglia.
Rarely, in cases of severe immune deficit
(HIV, malignancy...), it may affect the
brain (by causing encephalitis) but that
would be much more serious condition than
some memory loss or behavior change.
Dementia is more likely in your mother's
case.
You can consult some neurologist about
your mother's symptoms.
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antigone
Supporter
Joined: 27 Jan 2008 Posts: 852 Location: IL
Thanks: 40
Thanked:15
Posted: 04-08-08 14:21pm
I hope you will consult with a
neurologist. Encephalitis, while not
common, can occur due to a herpes
infection. I have taken care of patients
that had viral encephalitis secondary to a
herpes outbreak. There is no way to get
your mother help without insisting she see
a doctor. Make the appointment and tell
her she must go. In my opinion your mother
is too young to be having the mental
deterioration she is experiencing from
dementia. The dementia is caused by
something and a neurologist can help you
sort that out. All the best.
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This page was last updated on June 11, 2008
