Alzheimer's or Parkinson's? When your doctor makes a mistake about what your husband's disease is - wouldn't you like to blow up?

Jam, I understand they don't know at times but they should just say so like your husband. I want to tell you my husband sat and didn't nothing for months and said very little. I started to say and forgot as it was time to give him his medication.

I believe my prayer was answered and I want to give God the credit. I prayed before his operation - God give him back to me or take him home. Well God knew I didn't want him back the way he was but would take him back the way he is now. God did that for our family and all I can say now is, THANK YOU FATHER FOR GIVING HIM BACK TO US EVEN IF IT IS JUST FOR A WHILE.

He is 77 and I am greatful to have him for a while or a long time. No they don't know what he has and I am not upset that they don't know but only because they think they know it all.
I know it is guess work.

When he came through the hip operation and saw us he was like he is now. They put him on Carbidopa Levodopa. I guess that is to replace the dopamine. I still wonder if I should give it to him. If a person doesn't need it, maybe it could do more harm.
I did a lot of searching on AD when they said he had it. He was on a medication called Aricept. He was with out it for a week and he started going to the bathroom on his own so I never gave it to him again. Doctors over medicate and no one can prove it. I have often wondered if it was his blood pressure medication that could rob him of his memory.

I guess I don't understand. Did the doctor say your husband has Alzheimer's but really has Parkinson's? Or was it the other way around? Aren't those two diseases pretty close by way of symptoms? Anytime there's a misdiagnosis there must be frustration for sure. No one can deny your 'feelings' they are YOUR feelings, but was there an honest mistake here or what?

They treated him for Alzheimer's for five years. In the hospital after he fell at the home and broke his hip, another doctor said he looks like he has Parkinson's. Our doctor saw him every three months. Why didn't he see it. He has Parkinson's. They called in a doctor that deals with this disease and he said its Parkinson's. Is this doctor right? Your guess is as good as mine. There is a differance.

With both diseases, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's they do lose their memory. Parkinson's has other signs.

Reba, my Mom has had Parkinson's for 15+ years. Her mind is as sound as it has ever been. However, the other symptoms such as drooping eyes, staring, tremors, etc. lead some less than qualified docs to think hmmm, she must have Alz., too. Unbelievable! I find that docs rely way to much on anecdotal info. from family members in order to declare that someone has Alz. It really takes a knowledgable doc to diagnose it.

Alz and Parkinson's are really names they use as an "umbrella" term. No one has exactly the same symptoms and neither has a cure. I stopped taking Mom to her Parkinson's doc...there isn't much out there in the way of treatment, and visits to him seemed like a waste of time. He just poked around and asked her a lot of inane questions.
The more I am around doctors the more I realize how little they know. They really rely on the patient and his or her family to "help" them diagnose.
That is why I am a big fan of naturopathy and preventative medicine. Western medicine focuses too much on the "cure" and, if there isn't one, you are sent packing.
Good luck getting answers....be tenacious...ask questions...if the doc brushes you off, find a new one...there are a million out there!

Lilliput, I am not sure what he has. His memory was for the most part gone or he just couldn't tell us what he was thinking. He sounded like a baby trying to talk, very few words did he say that we could understand. But after the fall and operation it was like he came back from the dead. He would watch us walk around the room. He is still talking and we can understand a lot more than before he fell. He now wants to feed himself. He even wipes his mouth. He had termors, shaking and stiffness. softer speech. I have read on the internet about it but I still think they could be wrong. God only know what is wrong with him. Maybe it was the medication he was on for high blood pressure. Thanks for your input and if you can tell me anything else, I would love to hear it. Reba

Oh they said he has both. Well I would have guessed they would of said that.

Unfortunately there are no definitive answers for a lot of the symptoms we see with our elderly loved ones. Sure would make it easier wouldn't it if we could just walk into the doc's office and have them tell us exactly what's going on. The other night I looked at my husband and asked him if his mother has Alz or dementia and he said "yes". Well, alrighty then! There is no "test" that says Alz and/or dementia. The brain is aging, the cells are misfiring and dying. I have more respect for my husband when he tells me he examined a patient and says "I don't know" whats wrong. A lot of docs know people want an answer and there are times when they just don't know and the blanket answer for why the elderly are acting like they are is due to dementia. Doesn't mean they are always right.....but from my own ems experience and listening to my husband after he finishes the latest ER shift, patients demand answers whether they are 100% right or not. If you don't feel your current doc is giving you the straight scoop, then by all means go elsewhere.

Hubby states he is seeing an increase in physician notes from patients coming in from nursing homes that state "Parkinson-like" symptoms. Doesn't necessarily mean that they have Parkinson's. Parkinson's is diagnosed by decreased dopamine production in the brain. There is really no way to diagnose Alz and the docs really do have to rely on what family members tell them. Too often the elderly, especially those with dementia, cannot give a factual account of what is going on. Their concept of time is gone, they don't feel cold and hot like they used to. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have picked up ill patients over the past 25 yrs and asked the whole gamut of questions to give me an idea of what I'm dealing with and have these patients give me negative answers, only to stand there in the er room while they are asked those same questions by the doc and they answer in the affirmative......you have no idea how stupid that makes you feel! Reba I am glad you still have your husband with you and it appears he is doing better and I pray for his continued improvement...........