My wife has Alzheimer's and is in stage six. She spends all her free time chewing on things when she is not eating, drinking or talking. She seems to be obsessed with the desire to chew on things and will chew on her finger, bib, table cloth, piece of her clothing, books, napkins and pictures. She has been taking Lexapro for several years and a month ago her doctor started her on Ativan and Trazodone to see if that would reduce her desire to chew on things. So far these two additional pills have not stopped her from chewing.
The dentist has checked her and found nothing wrong with her teeth. When I ask if her teeth or mouth hurts she says no. She just acts like a two year old child does when they are cutting teeth.
Has anyone had a situation like this, any idea how to stop her from doing it?
Have you given her something like that? Seems better than chewing on a book, and also shows her that someone cares and notices what she wants. Can't hurt, can it?
Perhaps the best you can do is take away the unhealthy things and provide something to chew on that's more healthy...good healthy food, for example.
My first thought though before reading that she has Alz was the Pica syndrome when people want to chew on strange things because of a nutritional deficiency.
See webmd.mental-health/mental-health-pica
for more information on this. It might be worth checking into; I'm thinking a neurologist or geriatrician might be a starting point for medical investigation.
In the meantime, make sure there's nothing with lead around that she could chew on.
ome to think of it--the granddaughter I have who "chews" on anything she can....if she's tired or stressed (very type A personality, even at age 8!) she will settle down and NOT chew or thumb suck if you rub her back, tickle her forearms or rub her feet. She must have a real need for touch...we had to wrap her very tightly when she was a baby to calm her. I think dementia patients ( and I include my sweet dad in this) who are losing the ability to eat find that they need stimulation of some other kind, that eating isn't providing. I'd rub dad's feet or shoulders. He said I was the only one strong enough to bruise him (he meant that as a compliment) but it calmed him a lot. Some people CRAVE physical touch, some hate it. You have to go with what your loved one wants/needs.
See All Answers