Dementia

[Mom-ninja.]

Is the risk factor for developing dementia or Alzheimers lower if there is no family history of it?

 

 

As far as I know there is no family history of it on my Dad's side. However, my dad is starting to make me wonder. This past year he's very forgetful. He travels a lot for his job so I keep telling myself that he's just always got a lot on his mind, and he's always adjusting to time zones. He's on a lot of medication since he's open heart surgery 10 months ago.

 

He's been telling me all week that he and my mom would come over today. He mentioned it several times. I told my boys they were coming. My boys get very excited when they come over. We got up and cleaned the house. Then I called them to ask when they would be here. My mom had no clue they were supposed to come over. My dad never told her. He also seemed to have forgotten that he said they were coming. They are coming now because I told him he can't disappoint the boys by not coming.

 

I'm wondering if he really forgot or if he just didn't want to try and convince my mom to come. My mom is not one to want to leave her house much. She likes her couch.

 

I just don't know what to think anymore. I don't know if my dad is slipping with his memory (there are quite a few incidents) or if he just...I don't know.

[sbgrace]

:grouphug:

 

I don't know how you would approach it (or how I will..similar situation here) but I do know a doctor can evaluate pretty easily to see if there is a true problem. Depending on the issue there are treatments of sorts so it seems as if it would be worth evaluating if one could figure out a way to get to that point with a parent.

 

In my family there is a history of dementia but it isn't alzheimers. In my family it is vascular dementia which looks the same. I suspect that's what's going on with my father. I mention it because you mentioned open heart surgery and so there may be some risk factors there. That said, it might be something as simple as a medication side effect or a deficiency in some vitamin. Do you know what meds your dad is taking? It seems you could do a little research to see if any of them have this as a potential side effect.

 

What you are describing, though, does sound concerning to me as well as familiar.

 

:grouphug:

Edited November 27, 2010 by sbgrace

[Harriet Vane]

Yes the risk is lower if there is no family history, but there is still risk.

 

I think the surgery + meds are the culprit. A dear friend of mine has talked to me extensively about how her husband changed after open heart surgery. He was still the same, beloved guy, but slower and quite frankly, spacier. It did get better as time passed, but her husband did still experience some permanent changes as a result of the surgery. For this guy, there were mild cognitive changes, and the more noticeable change (for him) was his energy level. Of course different people will have some variation in their response.

 

You should probably mention the concerns to his doctor and have someone evaluate what meds he's on just to make sure the dosages are appropriate and there are no drug interactions. When someone is on a lot of drugs this needs to be done as a routine part of care.

[BeckyFL]

My mom had it and there was no family history. Then again, her parents didn't live into their 80's which is when she developed it.

[Mom-ninja.]

I've thought about it being a side effect from meds. I would need to figure out how to find all the medication he takes.

 

I've never heard of vascular dementia. He had chest pain, arm numbness, and shortness of breath for 6 months. A cardiologist gave him a stress test and said his heart was fine. He went to other specialists and nothing. His primary still thought it was his heart so he sent him in for an angiogram. He was immediately taken into surgery for double bypass. The cardiologist who did the surgery said he was surprised my dad was still alive. He only had 10% blood flow to the heart. He said that the heart muscle itself was strong and that was the only reason my dad lived so long with the severe blockage. My dad now jokes that he survived a 6 month long heart attack. It really is a miracle he's still here.

 

Off to google vascular dementia.

 

I've brought it up with my mom and she quickly blew me off as being ridiculous.

[Mom-ninja.]

You should probably mention the concerns to his doctor and have someone evaluate what meds he's on just to make sure the dosages are appropriate and there are no drug interactions. When someone is on a lot of drugs this needs to be done as a routine part of care.

 

How would I contact his Dr.? Is that allowed?

 

 

 

My mom had it and there was no family history. Then again, her parents didn't live into their 80's which is when she developed it.

 

His mom died one year ago at 87. His dad is 92 and fit as can be. His mind is as sharp as ever.

[StephanieF]

I am going through this with my father who has vascular dementia and he also had a heart bypass several yrs ago. I would advise you to speak to his dr (if you can't go through your father). The dr can listen to your concerns but not necessarily tell you about his records. However you can say there is an issue and the dr will follow it up-perhaps at a routine checkup. The dr can quickly establish whether there are memory issues and refer him to have memory tests and a brain scan. If he does have it there may be meds which can delay (not reverse) the symptoms so it is worthwhile doing this.

 

My father went himself to the dr because I badgered him and finally admitted that he was concerned that he had problems (although he refused to admit it at the time). We are now at the stage of getting meds for him.

It is a long road and could be made more difficult for you if your mum doesn't agree with you.

Early diagnosis is critical.

Stephanie

[Denisemomof4]

I've thought about it being a side effect from meds. I would need to figure out how to find all the medication he takes.

 

I've never heard of vascular dementia. He had chest pain, arm numbness, and shortness of breath for 6 months. A cardiologist gave him a stress test and said his heart was fine. He went to other specialists and nothing. His primary still thought it was his heart so he sent him in for an angiogram. He was immediately taken into surgery for double bypass. The cardiologist who did the surgery said he was surprised my dad was still alive. He only had 10% blood flow to the heart. He said that the heart muscle itself was strong and that was the only reason my dad lived so long with the severe blockage. My dad now jokes that he survived a 6 month long heart attack. It really is a miracle he's still here.

 

Off to google vascular dementia.

 

I've brought it up with my mom and she quickly blew me off as being ridiculous.

 

wow. With that much restriction of blood flow, it's highly likely this is at least partly to blame. I'm wondering if the medication is also a part of it.

 

My parents wouldn't listen to me when I told them something was wrong with my mother. She drove far longer than she should have (thank God she never hurt of killed anyone!) and they finally got answers after she had been sick for a loooooooong, long time. I agree, I'd contact the dr. to voice your concerns. Make sure they don't let your parents know you called as it sounds like they won't be happy about it.

 

I've watched 3 relatives die of dementia/alzheimers. I think you should make that call as a concerned daughter. Keep an eye on him.:grouphug:

[Laurie4b]

I have read that there is a correlation between heart problems and dementia and that the same healthy lifestyle choices of good diet and exercise impact both.

[Mejane]

I have read that there is a correlation between heart problems and dementia and that the same healthy lifestyle choices of good diet and exercise impact both.

 

:iagree:We were warned to expect signs of this when my dad had open heart surgery.

 

The timing and the fact that he's on lots of meds leads me to believe it's related to that.

[Harriet Vane]

How would I contact his Dr.? Is that allowed?

 

 

 

 

You can talk to or write to the doctor and tell him anything you want. The doctor, however, is not allowed to tell YOU anything about your father's health.

 

When you call, tell the nurse that you understand the dr cannot tell you anything about your father's case. Tell her you have information you feel the doctor needs to know about your father's health. Promise to be brief.

 

Write incidents and concerns in a list and have that ready when you get to talk to the doctor. This way you'll be able to give him the information in a timely, organized fashion--he will appreciate this, and will probably be open to hearing from you again.

 

You can also choose to send the doctor a letter if you want. Your parents may get access to that, however, so think that through carefully.

 

You can ask the dr to keep your call confidential, but I don't think he has to hold to that if he does not want to. When I did this with my grandma's doctor, he was really nice about both listening to me and also assured me that our conversation would be confidential, so I had a great experience with this.

[kalanamak]

http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0215/p703.html

 

I did this easy test with my Dad. It is standard. Below 20 is significant impairment.

 

Anything that ages the heart, like hypertension, can age the brain, too.

 

Families tend to ignore it this until something bad happens. It is good to be pro-active.

 

:grouphug:

[dirty ethel rackham]

Hmmmm ... a couple things jump out at me

 

Open heart surgery ... No one ever tells people this being on the heart lung machine can cause some brain damage, which can manifest as dementia. (I don't know if it is small strokes or what.) My mom had a fantastic sense of direction and was very good at arithmetic and basic accounting. After her open heart surgery, she could not longer balance her checkbook (even though she had balanced it to the penny for 50 some years.) Also, she completely lost her sense of direction. Prior to the surgery, you could plop her anywhere and she would find her way home. We happened to move a couple months after her surgery - just a couple miles away from our old house. For the next 6 months, she got lost every time she came to visit - like once a week. I had to call her and remind her to make sure her phone was charged, review the directions and then wait for her to call and try to tell me where she was so I could direct her to my house. Similar loss of mental function has happened to other people I know who have had OHS as well.

 

Also, you said he was on medications. Medications, especially multiple meds, can interfere with brain function.

 

I would recommend a visit to the doctor to get a review of the meds (bring them all in and make a chart of what they are for, dosages, etc and see if they are all required.) You may want to do this with a pharmacist as well. If they are getting some meds through the mail order pharmacies and some from the druggist down the street, they may not be doing all the cross checks.

[Mejane]

Short article and video on the link between heart disease/surgery and cognitive function:

 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDiseaseTreatment/story?id=4224717

[lionfamily1999]

The cases I know of were the first known cases in their families. My Oma, my mother's father, a friend from church's father... :sigh: there are life factors that can lead to these issues. For all I know, extended periods of malnutrition, dehydration, and hard living were the "culprits" as far as their doctors were concerned.

 

:grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

Thanks everyone. During dinner this evening my parents told what my dad did on Thanksgiving. We were not at my parents for Thanksgiving this year. My dad made the turkey. He said he kept looking at the turkey in the oven and thinking it looked weird. At the end of the cooking time he took it out and became angry because he thought he burned it. He said it was black on top and the leg bones were sticking out all funny, He complained to my mom that she bought a malformed turkey. So he starts cutting the turkey and he is confused because he can only find dark meat. He finally found white meat at the bottom of the turkey. He said he was trying to figure out how the white had fallen to the bottom of the turkey. It was then that he realized he had cooked the turkey upside down. My dad was laughing and my mom was laughing so hard she had tears. She said the whole time my dad was fussing about with the turkey she just stood there laughing to herself and didn't tell him it was upside down. They both found this story hilarious. It was all I could do to not burst into tears during dinner.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Kleine Hexe

[Denisemomof4]

:iagree:We were warned to expect signs of this when my dad had open heart surgery.

 

The timing and the fact that he's on lots of meds leads me to believe it's related to that.

 

Wow. I learn something new here all the time. I have done a TON of reading on dementia (I've resigned to the fact that I'm likely NOT going to escape it) but I've never read about heart issues/open heart surgery.

[Alicia64]

My family is riddled with Alzheimer's on both sides so I read a lot about it.

 

There is some thought that certain anesthesias can cause a problem.

 

This book -- which is great -- has a chapter on it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Things-Prevent-Alzheimers-Age-Related/dp/0316086851

 

I know you're not trying to prevent Alzheimers -- again there's a chapter on the anesthesia issue.

 

One more thing: my mom and dad didn't deal with my grandmother's forgetfulness until it was too late. My gram was driving her car, made a bad left turn and was slammed into by another car. Her sister, my great aunt, died on impact.

 

Really becoming involved is not being a "nosy body" where memory and brain function is concerned.

 

My mom and dad should have gotten involved a lot sooner. I was a young adult but even I could see that my gram was having problems. I'd nagged them about it, but it did no good.

 

Good luck to you,

 

Alley

[G5052]

There are all kinds of dementia, and it is not uncommon to have what is called "mixed dementia" meaning that it comes from multiple causes. A primary doctor can screen, but ultimately a specialist has to look at medication, MRI's, and other tests and even then it is iffy IMHO.

 

Even if your Dad's doctor won't talk to you, you can write a letter. I did that and got a primary doctor to take it seriously.

 

And don't underestimate the family turmoil over this. Several years ago I basically sacrificed my relationship with my parents in order to get my mother off the road before she killed someone. No one else believed that she had dementia until I contacted DMV and they required a medical approval for her to keep driving. That led to MRIs and brain function tests that proved severe impairment, and still I had relatives who cut me off permanently for it and some who have finally come around just in the last year. It was the right thing to do though.

[OrganicAnn]

If he is on multiple meds and is also forgetful, then he might be missing doses or taking double doses. Those Days of the Week medicine things can be very helpful. Also having your mom monitor that he is taking his medication could be important.

 

Often couples will compensate for one another - one will drive and one will navigate. Dementia is really difficult to deal with at times, because it can be so gradual and can fluctuate.

Edited November 28, 2010 by OrganicAnn

[gracesteacher]

All of thosepoints made but please consider his sleep or lack there of. Crossing time zones no stable sleep plus heart issues can really effect memory

[Mom-ninja.]

All of thosepoints made but please consider his sleep or lack there of. Crossing time zones no stable sleep plus heart issues can really effect memory

 

Yes, I think about that as well. He travels nearly every week. He also does not sleep a lot even at home. He goes to bed around ten and is up around four am. He says he just can't get back to sleep after he wakes at four. Could be that his medicine causes insomia.

[gracesteacher]

Meds can cause insomnia, sleep apnea can cause it, traveling back and forth between time zones. My own sleep issues is caused by my working in sleep!

However the not getting enough sleep has a huge effect on memory. In fact there are studies about Slow wave sleep (deep sleep not REM sleep) and its effect on memory and testing.

Find out what meds he is taking and the side effects. I will also say that I also get patients who regularly tell me that I wake up every day at 4am no matter what and low and behold one night in the sleep lab I am waking them up at 6 or 7 and they sleep thru the night. They didnt have any of the things that distract us at home. Animals bed partners or kids or trash trucks ect.