About 10 days ago. She used to do most things alone....bath (supervised), go to the loo and fetch things etc. Now she cannot even walk. She looses her balance and shuffles her feet, almost like she wants them to walk but they don't obey. It has happened so suddenly. Is this normal. I live in Maputo, Mozambique and we have basically no help centers etc here. any advice and info will be most welcome.
"Parkinson’s declines slowly, and not over hours, days or weeks. If PD symptoms worsen precipitously over a short period of time, then it is critical to search for secondary causes for these worsening symptoms. Potential causes for worsening Parkinson’s symptoms may include medication changes (which may be intentional changes or due to medication error), infections (such as a urinary tract infection, cold or flu), other medical problems (e.g., dehydration, problems with the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, etc.), and/or stress, sleep deprivation, etc. " (from the Parkinson's disease foundation-secrets, myths and misconceptions)
Did you notice if she fell down or seems to have any stroke symptoms?
My cousin who has Vascular Dementia, went from walking with a cane, then to a walker in a couple of weeks, then to a wheelchair in about a month. She had drastic decline from multiple strokes. She never had Parkinson's though.
I'm not of any way to diagnose her without a doctor who can do scans, give exam, etc. What does she say about how she feels?
Two months ago we replaced mom's seroquel (quetipine) with risperdal - she's more confused but much more calm - at 93 with a history of falls and compressed vertebrae she can still walk a bit with her walker
Seroquel is used as a sleeping aid as well and can cause dizziness - generally they start with 12.5 mg - did your mom start at 25 mg?
The shuffling may occur because your mom feels like she's going to fall if she walks normally. However, there are other reasons why someone may shuffle. This is just an opinion.