some older patients experience delirium or confusion...
this is typically due to drug interactions.

Even OTC things like Zantac, Pepcid and Tagamet can cross the blood brain barrier in older patients and cause problems.

When people go into the hospital it is not unusual for new drugs to be given. New things appear on tests and some doctors overload patients with new things when healing should be going on.

Certainly an overdose of narcotics will do it too, but most often it is a combination of things that pile up.

This post has more details:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...light=delirium

You need to get to the bottom of this with your doctor ASAP,
since this sudden change for you may signal stroke as well.

Statin drugs in particular cause memory loss... if you are on any one of these,
you need to consider it problematic.

Combinations of anticholinergics also cause confusion.
This would be drugs like Enablex and VesiCare (and others) for overactive bladder.
As people age the brain cannot handle this family of drugs well.
Benadryl over the counter is also part of this.
TCAs like Elavil for chronic pain will also cause this.