have you tried to get a second opinion? you know, not all doctors have same diagnosis. and you should try to get alternatives for your grandma, if you really care. We shouldn't be too much reliant to medicines.

My father had to be taken off of namede due to vision problems..

Ive had Mixed dementia for the past nine years (Alzheimers LBD, and Parkinsons disease) and I have horrific nightmares, and hallucinations which can be a common part of any of these Dementia conditions, all you can really do is to be there for her as and when it happens

@Joshua.. Of course I care. I am the only one who cares. I ask for smallest mg of any medication possible. For an 83 year old woman.. She's on mostly vitamins and over the counter stuff... any prescriptions she does have are 100% necessary, They are trying the Namenda because her memory is getting progressively worse and she has been very agitated and combative. If I feel its doing more harm then good, then I will take her right off of it, but I was curious if anyone has had experience with loved ones with Alzheimer's having hallucinations/nightmares.,.

@Annette.. She hasn't had any vision issues. She's always worn glasses, but there hasn't been any changes to her sight,... minus these hallucinations/nightmares.

@Barry... I knew hallucinations could be part of Alzheimer's, but in all experiences I have had.. the person hallucinating was nearing the end of their lives. I didn't know it was common to dementia conditions at any time. That has been enlightening. Thank you! =)

ajmelone, several prescriptions I have been on has mentioned hallucinations can be one of the side-effecs. I have not hallucinated bu t I have taken care of patients in the past who had those symptoms. Call your dad's doctor and I am sure the nurse in neurology will return your call.

I think some do have dreams. I am on Exelon patch. I have dreams every night, mostly of things that happen in the day or what's on my mind a lot. My doctor have warned me some of the meds can do that.

Hope you get to the bottom of this. All the best.

My father was seeing a checkerboard pattern while on the namande-so they took him off of it

My neighbor's wife had the same problem. He took her to her nero and she put her on some antiphyscotic drug and it stopped the night mares. She is doing better on it.

@Paigegirl.... I am going to call the neurology department tomorrow. See if I can get some answers. She said her nightmares/hallucinations don't make sense. They are crazy and distorted. So far she has talked about seeing a man and a woman in her room, but with distorted features like eyes not where they are supposed to be. I wish they were about everyday things. I am glad your dreams aren't scary. How does the Exelon patch work for you? I tried to ask my grandmother's neurologist about it and she didn't seem to think we were "there" yet.

@missd12932... Anti-psychotropic medications make me very nervous. They can do more harm then good a lot of times. Although I am very happy they worked for your friend... They would be an absolute last resort for my grandmother.

When my mother was in ICU she had a very vivid memory/dream. Not really sure what form it took but when I was able to get to her a few days later she firmly believed that something impossible had happened. This belief had become part of her memory. At this point we realized that there had been two other incidents where mom had crazy memory substitution. Without going into the details I can assure you her memories did not happen and now even after explaining many times and her even agreeing that it was impossible she will still tell a stranger about these memories as if they happened.

There are two things, in my experience, that can cause these altered memories. One is an infection or stress or injury. The second is Lewy Bodies Dementia which is diagnosed largely on people reporting seeing people in windows or picture frames. Often they report that faces in a picture frame are watching them or even talking to them. I seems to be a specific portion of the brain affected. It is also important to share this with her doctors because people with LBD react very differently to certain dementia drugs.

Does your grandmother realize that these are nightmares or hallucinations? Meaning afterward does she say that can't be real? The other thing to consider is some type of sleeping medication so she gets a restful sleep.

I Know some doctors do not believe in giving anti-psychotics to people with Alzheimer's fortunately my husbands isn't one of them
Several years ago he started having horrible hallucinations both night and day. After a couple of days where I thought I was going to lose my mind his doctor put him on risperidone and the change was quick and dramatic. He has not had any hallucinations since

I know this was written a long time ago, but for the hopes it might help someone I chose to still comment.

My mother had Alzheirmers and denied she had any problems (Ironic how they still can do that), she has since passed from complications from a fall (all documented in my journal). She used to go to bed with a flashlight at her bedside. She would sleep fine in her recliner in the living room when she wasn't supposed to nap, but because she wasn't sleeping well at night. Come to find out with much prodding, she was having "people" visiting her at night in her room "coming out of the curtains" and standing at her bedside taunting her. She also had many conversations with them and arguments, that tended to get loud and bossy. When she finally admitted this was happening we suggested a flashlight, because they seemed to go away with the light.

Unfortunately she had a few times where she would have her trusted flashlight in hand at 3 or 4 am chasing her "vision people" out of the room and down the hall. Or cussing them out telling them to leave her the hell alone. Some nights it was calm, (I slept in the room next to her and would be awakened by her talking to "them" asking them to please leave her alone and go back where they came from. She never recognized anyone that visited her, (no one looked like a family member I mean) but she could describe them sometimes in detail and they were the same people each night. I never understood why she had some nights where this didn't happen, but it was very few times that it didn't. We adjusted all her meds at different times, with doctors consent but to no avail really it did help to some degree, but I think mom just became less fearful of them, and more fearful to admit they were still there when asked so she denied a lot. I don't know if it is meds, or just the process some with AD go through, but it is unfortunate they have to experience any of those sad and horrific situations.

Peace, love and light to all.

My grandmother was constantly hallucinating at the end. She thought people were out to get her and steal some photos she had. She was constantly hiding them and we had to find them as she would decide they were stolen when she couldn't find them again. She also obsessed over water type disasters, she imaged floods through her living area, drowning etc. She was always telling us about it. The last time I was her was a year before she died so it went on for quite some time.

My mom has had a couple of hallucinations, dreaming that myself and 3 neighbors gave her an elixir to" knock her out". She was still at home at the time, so I knew it wasn't true. Now, she is in a home and thinks everyone there is stealing her money and clothing. She thinks all the inmates are walking the halls, not from Alzheimers but cause they are spies watching her every move. They have her on Risperdal when needed,an antipsychotic, and new pill , an antidepressant. the side effect is hunger, she has stopped eating much so it's helping her not to lose any more weight. My mom continues to deny that anything is wrong with her.