Diagnosing the type of dementia (that is, the nature of the damage in the brain) is very tricky at this point of our knowledge. When autopsy results have been compared to previous diagnosis a high percentage of the diagnoses are wrong!
Sometimes the symptoms are clear enough to do a reasonably accurate guess, but in many cases only an autopsy will reveal the actual damage. One of goals of current research is to develop ways to do more accurate diagnoses early in the disease.
Some kinds of dementia typically progress over several years, but even in those kinds of dementia there are exceptions that progress very rapidly.
I am very sorry that your mother has this dreadful disease. My mother did too. And so did my husband.
This is a good place to come with questions and to get support.
Dementia is a symptom that can be produced from many situations. Some of the reversable ones are: deficiency in B1 and B12, infections, hydrocephalus, side effects of medications or drug combinations, use of immune suppressants, depression, exposure to lead, mercury, pesticides or other heavy metals, alcohol and recreational drugs, tuberculosis. sickle-cell anemia,. pneumonia, thyroid problems
1. Did she have a bad hit to the head? amnesia, memory loss, irritability, attention problems, depression, apathy, and other personality changes 2. Huntington's disease: difficulty retrieving memories, problems with executive functioning, and impaired judgment 3. Lewy body disease: vivid visual hallucinations, fluctuating alertness, and severe sleep problems 4. hydrocephalus: symptoms of dementia, problems with walking and balance, as well as impaired bladder control. 5.Parkinson's disease: difficulty retrieving memories, depression, and problems with executive functioning 6. Pick's disease: drastic personality changes, deterioration of social skills, and a lack of empathy and emotion 7. Vascular dementia: impaired blood flow to the brain,small strokes that occur over time narrowing caused by diabetes or hypertension 8. HIV/AIDS can destruct the tissue and structures of the brain in such a way that dementia results. 9. Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease (mad cow) Dementia due to viruses called prions often progresses rapidly over several months and involves problems with attention, concentration, appetite, vision and coordination 10. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: deficiency in thiamine (Vitamin B1) confusion, apathy, hallucinations, communication problems, and severe memory impairment. 11. late-stage syphilis (untreated) 12. Some brain tumors. 13. lyme disease - late stage untreated
Well, this is embarrassing, I guess many of us should've known this, we live and learn. Out of curiosity I just googled
{how to reverse dementia}
The results reveal how to reverse it naturally. Whatever caused the problem can be reversed by simple lifestyle changes. If you check the multiple results under those keywords, you'll see for yourself. I kind of figured out for myself that my foster dad had nutritional deficiencies due to how often he was discovered to be, and those deficiencies most likely caused his own problems. Discovering the solution of a proper healthy diet is one thing, getting someone to actually eat the right foods can be a challenge. I could never get my foster dad to eat what was good for him despite strongly encouraging him that he really needs to eat better. I was very worried that something bad could one day happened to him and worse yet I could walk in one day and find him down. He wouldn't even drink enough water, he drank mostly coffee and paid for it with his health. Not eating a healthy diet or drinking enough water obviously causes kidney infections that could lead to further problems if not addressed. Obviously this happened to dad and I guess you could say it was a slowly ticking time bomb inside his body. I guess there comes a time when some damage can't be undone outside of a miracle. I just felt so helpless and powerless that I could do nothing to help dad in the end, he was clearly on his own on this one. Oh, if only he had listened and changed to a healthy diet and lifestyle, he never would have declined and needed a nursing home!
UTI or Blood Pressure medication. My wife started forgetting, with confusion in 2015. It was slight, so we attributed it to menopause. In 2006 she was determined to be functioning below the line where they institutionalize. We were so close that no one realized the level. in 2011 she had a UTI, Urinary Track Infection, and became as a 5 year old. In 2013 she got another UTI and became as a 2 year old with autism and not capable of learning. She lost all comprehension of words and can not communicate or follow direction. She lost all learned motor skills, such as using eating utensils, tipping a glass to drink, but she is very ambulatory. Her body works, but her brain can't direct. She is unaware of relationships, does not see pets, but will react somewhat to people who come into her space. Many years of tests and no one knew the cause. Finally in 2015 a Neurologist recognized FTD or 'Pick's Disease' and identified the manifestations of the 'alien arm', 'whiteout', 'shadowing'. The cause of the FTD is unknown but we suspect the UTIs since with each severe episode, she shutdown suddenly, overnight. The doctors know that UTI's causes psychosis in older women but insist that once it is cleared, they return to normal. My wife never did. We started monitoring her urine at home and found that despite the antibiotics, she constantly had a low grade UTI. We just happened upon a doctor in 2014 who prescribed an antibiotic that completely cured the UTI with one dose. In 2015 she started having seizures and we took her to the ER. Again the UTI, and we told the doctor about the antibiotic that worked, so they gave it to her via IV. That afternoon she was absolutely clear. We have researched and found that possibly many older women are stuck in nursing homes because they have a UTI that is affecting the brain. If the UTI was cured, they would return to normal. We suspect that my wife never returned because the years of constant UTI may have caused permanently damage. We purchase 10 function urinalysis test strips from the internet and monitor her urine anytime she becomes more agitated or her urine smells strong. Since she will not drink from a glass or sip from a straw, we keep her hydrated with much watermelon and soup and take to to toilet every 2-3 hours. Women should never hold their urine. We keep her undercarriage clean with a bidet toilet seat and constructed the bathroom with the shower and hand sprayer one step from the toilet. Have your mom checked for a UTI. Whether or not that is the cause, if she has a UTI, it will make the dementia worse. Another thing that we suspect, is my wife was put on blood pressure medication after gallbladder surgery in 1998. In 2012, we read that the particular BP medicine was causing the same symptoms that my wife had been displaying, so we stopped giving it to her and monitored. Her blood pressure remained normal, actually better than our very heakthy daughter, and has remained normal to this day. We wonder how many years the doctors were poisoning her with that chemical. Not one ever suggested stopping it temporarily. In fact they told her that she would die if she didn't take it. You can research UTI's in older women and blood pressure side affects on the internet. This particular one begins with L and ends with L. The disease is a killer with no cure. She is supposed to be incapable of reason and learning and that has seemed so. The doctors tried standard Alzheimer's medications, but they had adverse affect. We have found a medication that is returning mental function and we are astounded daily. She has started noticing things, looking around the room with curiosity and suddenly standing. It used to require 2 people to stand her from a sitting position. Now she will suddenly pop up on her own. It is a delight to see because she does it without effort. Last month she started popping up and head for the bathroom. She would forget after a few steps but it now is a signal of her need. Although she doesn't seem to understand, I have long called my wife 'booger' and tell her it is because, of all the women in the world, I 'picked her'. Just yesterday, she was doing what she does, wandering the living room, stooped forward, swinging her 'alien arm', whining, growling. I was watching her and said, "Whatcha doing, Booger? She straightened up, grinned with the most beautiful grin I have ever seen, and said, 'pick'. I fell in love again, again. Then she shut back down and I got to grieve again, again.
That is the $64 million question all scientists want to know. When someone finds out what causes any dementia for sure, then we can begin treatments. What difference does it make? Absolutely none, the diagnosis is the same.
Dementia is often called a disease (guilty as charged ...I often call it just that) but it is really a collection of symptoms which together affect the brain's ability to function effectively. But the causes or supposed causes are by no means set in stone. For instance it is thought that 'vascular dementia is more common in people who have high blood pressure, type 1 diabetes and those who smoke'. SO you might think if I didn't do any of those I would be ok. Not at all my mother did not have a high bp, or diabetes and she has never smoked yet she does have vascular dementia.
PhoenixDaughter - I have to disagree with you. In medicine, as I learned in nursing school, if the body is experiencing negative symptoms relative to homeostasis (balance of all body systems) then the body is said to be in "dis - ease". Dementia is definitely a dis - ease affecting everything in the body. Also, having been raised in Phoenix since 1952, high heat will make the body fall into dis-ease too. That's why I moved to Oceanside, CA!
It took nine hours of neuro-psychological testing by a psychologist before my husband's dementia was finally diagnosed as vascular dementia from mini-strokes. The neurologist had just not asked the right questions or even interviewed me. ..he just assumed that because my husband was a heavy drinker (who never really appeared intoxicated) that it was alcohol related, but he didn't have B1 deficiency that most alcohol-related dementias have. He also did not have B12 deficiency that is the apparent cause of my first husband's dementia. My first husband died of a stroke, more or less confirming the fact that he had had a series of mini-strokes, or TIAs, over the years. There were times when he said he had feelings of impending doom, his blood pressure would shoot up, and for several days after he would have symptoms--one time falling for several months then getting better, another time seeing double, then getting better. But all dementia is not Alzheimer's and although the neuropsych evaluation isn't perfect, it is extremely helpful. It is covered by Medicare, but has to be order by a physician, and the patient needs to be able to follow instructions or at least make the attempt.
Once Scientists can discover what causes demenentia and alzheimers, only then a cure for this awful disease can be discovered. We Pray that day is not far off.
Terrypa, What kind of doctors has your mom seen? We started with a Primary, then saw Neurologist who diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. Later other Primaries and a Geriatric Psychiatrist agreed on VD. Did they do MRI or other tests?
How old is your mom? Does she have other health problems, like diabetes or hypertension?
Sometimes, it helps to rule out some causes of Dementia. Other times, I'm not sure if it's that helpful. I might like to confirm the type of problem, if she was getting that medication, as it may not be helpful for some conditions.
Very helpful answer. If I may, I personally witnessed serious confusion caused by Urinary Tract Infections which some medical personnel classified as dementia. Can look the same but it is brought on by UTIs. Was the case with my mom. When treated she returns to herself. Worth reading up on the subject, it is more common than we realize. Unfortunately, in larger senior homes we cannot expect that everyone know our parent and what is normal, even with memory loss noticed how she could still function very well since memory is distributed in our bodies. There is great information on the web, especially geriatricians. We will be there soon enough so gaining knowledge helps our parent, the medical experts and later ourselves. Good luck, sending thoughts of love and strength.
Some years ago, I was prescribed several meds after a mild heart attack. In about two years, I developed dizziness, memory lapses, the beginning of a hand tremor, severe muscle weakness in my arms. Went back and read the handouts that come with the prescriptions, and found that the meds I was on are associated with the issues I had. I discontinued them, and within about 2 weeks practically everything was back to normal (except that it took a year to get full range of motion in my arms.). That was ten years ago, and I take carefully researched supplements and eat sparingly and carefully, and all my lab tests stay normal. My dr is willing to let me take the responsibility for my own body as long as the results are normal--but I've had doctors who think their patients are toddlers who don't know anything about their own bodies.
#1 Does she see a geriatric physician? #2 Does she have a psychiatrist? #3 Has she had a CT scan of her brain? #4 Has she had an MRI of her brain? I would think all of the above would be first and foremost courses of action!
terry615815, that nurse was wrong. For some people the drugs don't work for three months, let alone three years. For my husband one of the drugs continued working for 10 years -- which we found out when discontinuing it on hospice.
All that can really be said about the current batch of dementia drugs is that you won't know if they work until you try them. They don't usually work indefinitely. And, of course, none of them is a cure.
No need to validate nurses claim. I found out her meds were wrong after I put her in my home. It was causing problems with Dementia and falling. It took 5 visits and all those tests each time at 3 hospitals for the problem to be resolve. Unfortunately now she doesn't want to move back into her own place. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her except she can't do her banking and I can bet she could but why would she want to. Blame all this on the hospitals and all the Doctors for getting to this state of her feeling hopeless when she isn't.
Sometimes the symptoms are clear enough to do a reasonably accurate guess, but in many cases only an autopsy will reveal the actual damage. One of goals of current research is to develop ways to do more accurate diagnoses early in the disease.
Some kinds of dementia typically progress over several years, but even in those kinds of dementia there are exceptions that progress very rapidly.
I am very sorry that your mother has this dreadful disease. My mother did too. And so did my husband.
This is a good place to come with questions and to get support.
Hugs to you!
1. Did she have a bad hit to the head? amnesia, memory loss, irritability, attention problems, depression, apathy, and other personality changes
2. Huntington's disease: difficulty retrieving memories, problems with executive functioning, and impaired judgment
3. Lewy body disease: vivid visual hallucinations, fluctuating alertness, and severe sleep problems
4. hydrocephalus: symptoms of dementia, problems with walking and balance, as well as impaired bladder control.
5.Parkinson's disease: difficulty retrieving memories, depression, and problems with executive functioning
6. Pick's disease: drastic personality changes, deterioration of social skills, and a lack of empathy and emotion
7. Vascular dementia: impaired blood flow to the brain,small strokes that occur over time narrowing caused by diabetes or hypertension
8. HIV/AIDS can destruct the tissue and structures of the brain in such a way that dementia results.
9. Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease (mad cow) Dementia due to viruses called prions often progresses rapidly over several months and involves problems with attention, concentration, appetite, vision and coordination
10. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome: deficiency in thiamine (Vitamin B1) confusion, apathy, hallucinations, communication problems, and severe memory impairment.
11. late-stage syphilis (untreated)
12. Some brain tumors.
13. lyme disease - late stage untreated
{how to reverse dementia}
The results reveal how to reverse it naturally. Whatever caused the problem can be reversed by simple lifestyle changes. If you check the multiple results under those keywords, you'll see for yourself. I kind of figured out for myself that my foster dad had nutritional deficiencies due to how often he was discovered to be, and those deficiencies most likely caused his own problems. Discovering the solution of a proper healthy diet is one thing, getting someone to actually eat the right foods can be a challenge.
I could never get my foster dad to eat what was good for him despite strongly encouraging him that he really needs to eat better. I was very worried that something bad could one day happened to him and worse yet I could walk in one day and find him down. He wouldn't even drink enough water, he drank mostly coffee and paid for it with his health. Not eating a healthy diet or drinking enough water obviously causes kidney infections that could lead to further problems if not addressed. Obviously this happened to dad and I guess you could say it was a slowly ticking time bomb inside his body.
I guess there comes a time when some damage can't be undone outside of a miracle. I just felt so helpless and powerless that I could do nothing to help dad in the end, he was clearly on his own on this one. Oh, if only he had listened and changed to a healthy diet and lifestyle, he never would have declined and needed a nursing home!
My wife started forgetting, with confusion in 2015. It was slight, so we attributed it to menopause. In 2006 she was determined to be functioning below the line where they institutionalize. We were so close that no one realized the level.
in 2011 she had a UTI, Urinary Track Infection, and became as a 5 year old.
In 2013 she got another UTI and became as a 2 year old with autism and not capable of learning. She lost all comprehension of words and can not communicate or follow direction. She lost all learned motor skills, such as using eating utensils, tipping a glass to drink, but she is very ambulatory. Her body works, but her brain can't direct. She is unaware of relationships, does not see pets, but will react somewhat to people who come into her space. Many years of tests and no one knew the cause. Finally in 2015 a Neurologist recognized FTD or 'Pick's Disease' and identified the manifestations of the 'alien arm', 'whiteout', 'shadowing'.
The cause of the FTD is unknown but we suspect the UTIs since with each severe episode, she shutdown suddenly, overnight.
The doctors know that UTI's causes psychosis in older women but insist that once it is cleared, they return to normal. My wife never did. We started monitoring her urine at home and found that despite the antibiotics, she constantly had a low grade UTI.
We just happened upon a doctor in 2014 who prescribed an antibiotic that completely cured the UTI with one dose.
In 2015 she started having seizures and we took her to the ER. Again the UTI, and we told the doctor about the antibiotic that worked, so they gave it to her via IV.
That afternoon she was absolutely clear.
We have researched and found that possibly many older women are stuck in nursing homes because they have a UTI that is affecting the brain. If the UTI was cured, they would return to normal. We suspect that my wife never returned because the years of constant UTI may have caused permanently damage.
We purchase 10 function urinalysis test strips from the internet and monitor her urine anytime she becomes more agitated or her urine smells strong.
Since she will not drink from a glass or sip from a straw, we keep her hydrated with much watermelon and soup and take to to toilet every 2-3 hours.
Women should never hold their urine. We keep her undercarriage clean with a bidet toilet seat and constructed the bathroom with the shower and hand sprayer one step from the toilet.
Have your mom checked for a UTI. Whether or not that is the cause, if she has a UTI, it will make the dementia worse.
Another thing that we suspect, is my wife was put on blood pressure medication after gallbladder surgery in 1998. In 2012, we read that the particular BP medicine was causing the same symptoms that my wife had been displaying, so we stopped giving it to her and monitored. Her blood pressure remained normal, actually better than our very heakthy daughter, and has remained normal to this day.
We wonder how many years the doctors were poisoning her with that chemical. Not one ever suggested stopping it temporarily. In fact they told her that she would die if she didn't take it.
You can research UTI's in older women and blood pressure side affects on the internet. This particular one begins with L and ends with L.
The disease is a killer with no cure. She is supposed to be incapable of reason and learning and that has seemed so.
The doctors tried standard Alzheimer's medications, but they had adverse affect.
We have found a medication that is returning mental function and we are astounded daily. She has started noticing things, looking around the room with curiosity and suddenly standing. It used to require 2 people to stand her from a sitting position. Now she will suddenly pop up on her own. It is a delight to see because she does it without effort. Last month she started popping up and head for the bathroom. She would forget after a few steps but it now is a signal of her need.
Although she doesn't seem to understand, I have long called my wife 'booger' and tell her it is because, of all the women in the world, I 'picked her'.
Just yesterday, she was doing what she does, wandering the living room, stooped forward, swinging her 'alien arm', whining, growling.
I was watching her and said, "Whatcha doing, Booger? She straightened up, grinned with the most beautiful grin I have ever seen, and said, 'pick'.
I fell in love again, again.
Then she shut back down and I got to grieve again, again.
What kind of doctors has your mom seen? We started with a Primary, then saw Neurologist who diagnosed with Vascular Dementia. Later other Primaries and a Geriatric Psychiatrist agreed on VD. Did they do MRI or other tests?
How old is your mom? Does she have other health problems, like diabetes or hypertension?
Sometimes, it helps to rule out some causes of Dementia. Other times, I'm not sure if it's that helpful. I might like to confirm the type of problem, if she was getting that medication, as it may not be helpful for some conditions.
Can look the same but it is brought on by UTIs. Was the case with my mom. When treated she returns to herself. Worth reading up on the subject, it is more common than we realize. Unfortunately, in larger senior homes we cannot expect that everyone know our parent and what is normal, even with memory loss noticed how she could still function very well since memory is distributed in our bodies.
There is great information on the web, especially geriatricians. We will be there soon enough so gaining knowledge helps our parent, the medical experts and later ourselves. Good luck, sending thoughts of love and strength.
#2 Does she have a psychiatrist?
#3 Has she had a CT scan of her brain?
#4 Has she had an MRI of her brain?
I would think all of the above would be first and foremost courses of action!
All that can really be said about the current batch of dementia drugs is that you won't know if they work until you try them. They don't usually work indefinitely. And, of course, none of them is a cure.