Jump to content

Menu

Depression and other (neurological?) symptoms...


Julie in CA
 Share

Recommended Posts

Not sure how to title this...

 

In a person who's depressed, but pretty functional, does depression cause these symptoms? -Or should I be concerned that there might be another underlying problem? (No, it's not me)

 

Difficulty with reading--slow, halting reading, during which some everyday words don't make sense when read, and must be "sounded out".

 

Memory loss--difficulty remembering numbers in a profession where remembering numbers has been a lifelong skill, forgetting how to get to places that are frequently visited.

 

Slight lack of body coordination--resulting in injuries at work. Ending up hurt approximately 10x more than normal for the same time frame. Mostly small stuff, cuts, scrapes, & bruises caused by an overall slight clumsiness that wasn't present in the past.

 

Should I worry about this a little, or chalk it up to untreated depression?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While depression may mildly alter cognitive functioning, it wouldn't to the degree you are describing. I would suggest a thorough checkup including blood panels. I might suggest a referral to a neurologist as well.

 

Last checkup was appx. 6 months ago, and was given a clean bill of health, including bloodwork.

During that time though, the symptoms weren't present to any noticeable degree, or if they were, it was attributed to excess stress. The depression was neither noticed (by the doc), nor mentioned (by the patient).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's not depression. That person needs to be examined by a neurologist. It could be a stroke. It could also be early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. And about a hundred other things. Only a doctor and some well chosen medical tests can tell you for sure.

 

Agree. Is the person on any other meds? THat definitely needs to be followed up ASAP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly this ( 40's) is a prime time for autoimmune disease to rear it's ugly head. I have no idea but when the stress in my life reached a breaking point, I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis which does run in my family but I am the youngest to have it. Some of what you are detailing can be high blood pressure or MS. Please have the person see an MD or Nurse Practitioner ASAP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is not depression. There is reason for concern.

 

Someone other than the patient should tell the patient's doctor what has been observed. Be specific both with what has happened and the frequency with which it happens. Have notes in front of you when you are speaking so you include everything and can be clear and concise.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would be very concerned. While some sort of stroke was the first thing that crossed my mind, there are worse possibilities that may be of a time-sensitive nature (to be clear, I'm not at all referring to depression). I'd see the primary care doc, who can order an MRI, ASAP.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This does sound like more than depression. Can you talk to the person from the positive perspective of having a diagnosis? There are some meds and lifestyle changes that may help these symptoms or prevent them from worsening. If the person has a dx they can then deal with making changes or choosing treatment to prevent or delay decline.

 

On the other hand, some people are afraid of being diagnosed with something like alzheimers (not saying that this is what happening, but the person may fear it). Treatment options have some hrad side effects, and the person may make a conscious decision to not deal with it.

 

I would say that the symptoms you describe could also occur under extreme stress/distress mixed with lack of sleep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rats. Double Rats.

 

This is not really something I want to battle about with this person (Selfish, huh?), but I can't watch them go down without a fight. :(

 

Actually, no, it's not selfish. You sound tired and unwilling to deal - but willing to put your head down and push through anyway. Maybe instead of jumping in with both feet and pushing hard maybe you could just stick your toe in and suggest that this doesn't seem normal for this person and that they maybe, kinda, could probably see a doctor. IMO, if these symptoms are just the beginning of some larger chronic illness, it will be become too hard for this person to ignore for very long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last checkup was appx. 6 months ago, and was given a clean bill of health, including bloodwork.

 

 

 

just because they didn't find anything, doesn't mean there isn't anything to find. I would encourage your friend to write down *everything* - even if it seems unrelated. then take in the list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All of those sound like neurological damage, not depression. It could be a progressive disease, or as others have mentioned, a stroke. Problems with reading and memory are not going to be known by the doctor unless the patient reports them. The coordination issues might be noticed, but patients are often told to get up on the table by the nurse and the doctor may never see them move--or at most they move from chair to table. So if the patient didn't mention any of those things, the doctor may have no clue. I can't remember a doctor ever doing a neurological screening on me during a regular physical.

 

Definitely see a neurologist. The depression may be related to the neurological damage, but not vice versa. You could google the symptoms and see what comes up and what other symptoms your friend might be having that you could ask about.

 

I would think not being able to remember words and numbers would scare someone. I think it would be easier to pass off coordination issues at first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree with the others, that's much more than depression. Stroke is the first thing that came to my mind... my grandmother had a series of mini-strokes over the course of a year or so, and those small types of changes are what we first noticed. Others mentioned Alzheimer's and autoimmune diseases... it could be *any* of those or something else altogether.

 

:grouphug: I'm so sorry... I know you're going through SO much as it is, but yes, this is unfortunately something that shouldn't be ignored.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If it is mini-strokes re: transient ischemic attack (aka: TIA),there will be an increased chance of a full-blown stroke. a mini-stroke may only last a few minutes up to 24 hours (we were lucky in that we caught my mom in two. one lasted 20 minutes), but the damage it leaves behind is cumulative. Initially, it is very hard to diagnose, and only as the damage progresses does it become more apparent.

 

My mother had them, my grandmother had them, several of my grandmother's sisters had them . . . . . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first thing I would be checking is B12 levels. Easy to rule out and to fix. Levels do much better in the top part of the normal range. It is a blood test that not many doctors run. Fairly inexpensive and can solve a whole lot of issues if that is the root. And this is the actual B12 test, not just the CBC.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...