My MIL is suddenly in stage 6 of Alz... She is either angry or crying. The crying is the part that is upsetting... She was until recently a very upbeat glass half full person. She cries A LOT.
Her neuro recently placed her on Xanax to reduce anxiety and aggressive behavior. Could the crying be from that or just a part of the rapid decline?

It isn't easy to watch someone you love in a rapid decline...I'm sorry Debbie.
She has a lot to cry about. I hope the Xanax helps with her anger. Have you read "Still Alice"....

No but I guess I should, if I can concentrate...I have MS. Makes things more interesting
She seems to be a bit better today at least. But I am not sure how much longer FIL can take this...he has Parkinsonism and has no central vision, and he is very depressed. I can't imagine watching someone you've been married to for almost 70 years decline like that...

I recently became a CNA and my instructor was a nurse specializing in Alzheimers in nursing homes, and my good friend's mother has it too. They both said fear is a big part of the disease. Fear and emotional distress, because the person is still in there and altho they are more comfortable with their own reality, they know things are not right or normal, and it scares them. I would be, too. I'm sorry you're going through this, but if you can be strong and patient with her it will probably turn you into a special and amazing person.

Update: she isn't crying much anymore...meds seem to have helped reduce that. She is more paranoid, suspicious, and hallucinating more. Can be quite cranky too. But another med was added to further reduce her aggressive cranky tendencies, and for the most part she is better. But...she can't function as well with dressing, toileting, etc. And her speech recognition and ability for verbal retrieval is really starting to decline now. She's 88, after all, and this disease is slowly robbing her of who she was...

It was quite upsetting to me to see my mother cry during the later stages of her Alzheimer's Disease. Even though I realized it was out of her frustration, it is distressing, especially when you live a long ways away and rarely get to visit.

Mom took several meds to try to stabilize things: anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, etc., especially.

At the end, she would wake up during the night in a rage. I was thankful she was in a facility that specialized in her disease and could handle this. I would not have been able to handle it without my own emotional distress.

Update: she is much angrier nowadays...and so suspicious!! my FIL says that if she'd acted this way when they were first married they wouldn't have lasted 5 years. He says he can't say boo around her.
She is hypercritical of everyone and everything...and stubborn to boot. She ended up in the hospital with a possible heart attack, and was refusing to take her meds, ripped her gown off, and refused to go for tests. They sent her home...she is weak but at least more relaxed and less angry...
what a horrible disease

So sorry that this awful disease has to be a part of your life. Crying is indeed part of this illness sometimes. Three people in my family had this. Emotions can be all over the place. I hope a medication could be used to help a little be more. You may want to ask the doctor. I will keep you and your family member in my thoughts and prayers. It is so very hard to watch this happen to someone you love. ginnie

I agree with what others have noted, Debbie. Crying a lot might not seem the "norm" but I believe it is for people who have been Dx'd with Alz. or another type of dementia. Perhaps it stems also from frustration, knowing some things have changed (and dramatically) but not knowing why or having a life that is no longer within the person's control.

The person I care-give for is thought to have Frontotemporal Degeneration/Dementia, and should find out more later this month. What initially threw me was the crying at the drop of a pin, along with agitation, pacing, and fixating.

Hi Debbie!
I just wanted to say (and I hope you don't mind) that I helped take care of my aunt who I loved very much and who I watched die from a brain tumor that changed her personality, and I've been trying to help family who are still hurting from that experience years ago. I just realized a few weeks ago that I desperately needed to talk to a counselor to help me deal with the emotional trauma of that and being the "rock" for everyone else. So I'd recommend find someone, whether it's a counselor or a pastor or whoever you feel will be detached enough but experienced enough to talk to about how this makes you feel and how it's affected you.