I think my dad may be in the beginning stages of Alzheimers

[Chris in VA]

My mom has said for a year now that Dad is "losing it."

I've noticed subtle things which I had previously attributed to his severe hearing loss--he's got two aids but only uses one.

Is there a check list of some sort to see if he "fits" the diagnosis? Not that I want to diagnose him, exactly--not qualified for that! But I would like to know more and perhaps be able to offer some sort of support. He lives about 10 hours away, still drives (he's 76), is in ok shape (round--it's a shape, right? :D) and is generally an extraordinary father, grandfather and human being. It's hard to think of him slipping this way.

[Kathy in MD]

Please get him in for a thorough evaluation soon. Many things can cause memory problems, including multiple drug interactions, poor nutrition, and poor sleep. And if it is the early stages of Alzheimer, I understand that there are now drugs that can help delay the progression of the disease.

[Harriet Vane]

I would urge you NOT to handle this the way my family has.

 

In my family, denial is the modus operandi. So as my grandmother has grown loopier and loopier, my relatives have chosen to deny the problem, attack anyone who says there is a problem, and leave it alone until it gets really, really bad.

 

In the last fifteen years she has gotten into countless minor accidents, neglected significant health issues, and hoarded to a point that is unsanitary and unsafe (think towering piles of paper she wants to recycle, or garbage-picking to find more recyclables, or accumulating multiple bags of garbage because she couldn't find the garbage chute in her building).

 

I took the initiative to seek a dr's help. She has a firm diagnosis of dementia, as well as significant concerns with kidney stones, debilitating arthritis in her spine and knees, and cholesterol issues. The family's response to the diagnosis? ANGER--at me--and a refusal to in any way keep her on her cholesterol meds, monitor her kidney stones, or take her dementia medicine.

 

They also refused to take away her car keys. So, last week when she was particularly spacey she was pulled over for erratic driving. Apparently her driving was so bad the cops received multiple calls. They brought her to the station and her car was towed. It was terribly traumatic--the stress of that situation made her even more spacey and forgetful and terribly, terribly upset. She couldn't remember her address or where she was going, nor could she tell them any family member's name to call except her daughter who is senile from a brain tumor. It is God's grace that she didn't hurt anyone in her car, because according to the police report she drifted into oncoming traffic more than once.

 

I am not trying to deliberately traumatize you as you think of your father. I have watched three people dear to me lose their mind, two to Alzheimer's and one to a brain tumor. You have my total sympathy. I am truly, truly sorry that this happens. If I could cure anything I would choose to cure senility/brain damage, because it is so terribly sad to watch a person slip away from you like that.

 

I urge you and your family, however, to get your father to a doctor asap. Let the dr evaluate. The doctor can establish a baseline of how your father is now, and then evaluate periodically to measure his progress. The doctor can also prescribe medication to slow it down. Please, please, please invest in this, as I know you would like to keep your father in good shape as long as possible.

[yslek]

I have heard (but don't know for sure if it's true) that losing one's sense of smell can be an early sign of Alzheimer's.

[kalanamak]

Please get him in for a thorough evaluation soon. Many things can cause memory problems, including multiple drug interactions, poor nutrition, and poor sleep. And if it is the early stages of Alzheimer, I understand that there are now drugs that can help delay the progression of the disease.

 

Yes, get in pronto for an eye check and B12 and TSH, etc. To get around the hearing thing, write some of your questions. I was amazed at how much more with-it my 96 year old dad was if I typed out my half of the conversation on a laptop.

 

Just as an aside, I've had a couple of wives come in convinced hubby was losing it but it was THEM that had a poor memory test!

 

Sorry but the Alzheimer drugs seem more and more to be a hype. The side effects are frequent and terrible, too. I've have very, very few people stay on them. Worse, it is often side effects the poor patient hasn't the wherewithall to report, and I only catch it when I notice they have lost weight, e.g.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Is it possible that he is having TIA's? Mini-strokes? My mom's mild dementia has been caused by multiple strokes. The good thing is that she is aware of her cognitive difficulties and memory issues, so she has not been combatant.

[heart'sjoy]

Here is a starting place, www.alz.org, I found possible symptoms here.

 

The most important has already been said. Get an appropriate ( this sight lists what you should expect from an MD) evaluation.

 

 

• There are many things that can mimic alheizmer's
  
• There is medication that slows the downward spiral but not to reverse it.
  

Pray for us as we make the next decision about how and where to do 24/7 care for MIL who lives in town.:grouphug:

[Marylou]

Here is a starting place' date=' www.alz.org, I found possible symptoms here.

Pray for us as we make the next decision about how and where to do 24/7 care for MIL who lives in town.:grouphug:

 

Yes, go to that website and you will find lots of info. We moved in with my in-laws last year b/c my MIL has Az and FIL is 91 y.o. My BIL is a builder, so he added a nice apartment off their 1960's ranch house. We live in the original house, and they have a cozy place where we can just walk through the laundry room and help where needed. I imagine it is much bigger than what they would have at a retirement village. Not everyone can do this, but it has worked great for us. My dh has 3 other siblings close by, so we all take care of different aspects of their care.

 

Before I go to sleep tonight I will pray for guidance for your situations. God bless you!

[CAMom]

 

Sorry but the Alzheimer drugs seem more and more to be a hype. The side effects are frequent and terrible, too. I've have very, very few people stay on them. Worse, it is often side effects the poor patient hasn't the wherewithall to report, and I only catch it when I notice they have lost weight, e.g.

 

Are you able to share some of the side effects of Aricep? My dad is taking it and we are not seeing any improvement at all. In fact, he seems to be getting worse quickly and he's getting mean about his memory loss.

 

Chris, I'm so sorry about what you're seeing. We started noticing signs in my dad about 18 months ago. His mother also had Alzheimer's so I've already watched this happen once.:(

[kalanamak]

Are you able to share some of the side effects of Aricep? My dad is taking it and we are not seeing any improvement at all. In fact, he seems to be getting worse quickly and he's getting mean about his memory loss.

 

 

Pain, fatigue, nausea, headache, dizziness.

If he's getting mean, he might be having low-level misery.

 

I have had a couple of med-ed lectures recently (I get them on CD) saying that the figures were "prettied up" for the benefits. I dislike making drug decisions on my few patients, but I saw a lot of side effects. Usually, a neurologist would start them, and I'd see the poor shriveled guy and his upset adult children.

 

Once again, I seem to be lacking a magic wand.

[CAMom]

Pain, fatigue, nausea, headache, dizziness.

If he's getting mean, he might be having low-level misery.

 

I have had a couple of med-ed lectures recently (I get them on CD) saying that the figures were "prettied up" for the benefits. I dislike making drug decisions on my few patients, but I saw a lot of side effects. Usually, a neurologist would start them, and I'd see the poor shriveled guy and his upset adult children.

 

Once again, I seem to be lacking a magic wand.

 

Thanks for the input. He's definitely having pain and fatigue. He's complained of some dizziness, too.

 

He was just diagnosed with cancer earlier this week. I wasn't able to go to the doctor with him this time. My step sister went. It's some type of urological cancer (he had prostate cancer in '07 but this is unrelated). They say they got all of it with his recent surgery and are not recommending any treatment.

 

But, they did do a bone scan on Monday because he's complaining about constant pain in his hip.

 

I just feel so helpless for him.

 

Thanks for the input.:grouphug:

 

Sorry to hijack, Chris.:grouphug:

[Danestress]

My Dad has been "losing it" for years. I think he's been in Aricep for 6 or 7 years. His decline has been slow, but marked. Some people start to show signs of Alzheimers and are in stage 4 within months, so we feel very lucky.

 

My father gets good care. He has a wonderful Neurologist. He did a major workup at a memory clinic at Duke Hospital. Nothing solves this, nothing makes it easy, and no one can really tell you what to do. It's maddening.

 

I recommend "Preventing Alzheimer's" by Dr. Amen. He doesn't really just write about preventing AD, he also discusses other causes of dementia and how they can be best treated and prevented. It was very helpful to me.

 

My non-medical advice is to work hard on your relationship with your mother. If she ends up being his caregiver, you will have a new stage in your relationship with her, and it requires a lot of wisdom and tact.

 

((((Chris))))))

[Chris in VA]

Thanks for all the replies. I only see him about 4 times a year, but we do talk on the phone about once a week or two.

 

Some things I've noticed--

 

He has always been quick with numbers, and often played games like Yahtzee with us as kids. This Christmas, we played Yahtzee with my kids and the four adults, and I asked him to keep track of the score cards--he had a much harder time than I've ever seen.

 

He asked me when ds19 would hear from his college of choice (he's on the waiting list) and said, "October?" I laughed and said, "October? I hope not! School starts in September, Dad!" He seemed confused--he had either forgotten that ds is going to college next year (not the year after) or misspoke, or said something that didn't fit.

 

My mom said he's losing it--Don't really know how that manifests at home.

 

Those are just some examples--I see at least the first one is on the list at the Alzheimer's site.

 

We certainly won't ignore his problems--not ones to brush stuff under the rug around here. My relationship with my mom is generally close and good--she gets on my nerves for being a bit grouchy, but could be complaining about Dad. It would explain a lot of her complaints if he is acting less capable at home.

 

Thanks for the info, the insight, and the rec's. And the hugs.

[EKS]

Please check all of his medications for inducing memory loss. There are many medications that can do this and the doctors don't seem to have a clue. The statins are notorious for this. And don't just ask the doctor--check each one out for yourself too.

 

My father had severe memory loss on Lipitor. He kept mentioning this to his doctor and the doctor kept telling him that that's what happens when you get older. Finally my father discovered that Lipitor causes memory loss in many people. He went off it and slowly his memory came back.

[bkpan]

Yes, get in pronto for an eye check and B12 and TSH, etc. To get around the hearing thing, write some of your questions. I was amazed at how much more with-it my 96 year old dad was if I typed out my half of the conversation on a laptop.

 

Just as an aside, I've had a couple of wives come in convinced hubby was losing it but it was THEM that had a poor memory test!

 

Sorry but the Alzheimer drugs seem more and more to be a hype. The side effects are frequent and terrible, too. I've have very, very few people stay on them. Worse, it is often side effects the poor patient hasn't the wherewithall to report, and I only catch it when I notice they have lost weight, e.g.

 

Can I second the EXTREME caution in using these drugs? Here is our story.

 

My stepmother has often been concerned over my dads forgetfulness (however he has been this way his entire life!), and insisted on having him diagnosed with beginning stages of dementia. They placed him on those meds and it was a VERY swift downward spiral. Within months he was placed in a psych ward for dementia and manic personality changes.

 

My background is in gerontology, so I headed up north and had him immediately brought home. We took him off of the meds and he has basically returned to his old self (for a lifelong eccentric man - think when I am an old woman I shall wear purple personality, lol).

 

The scary part is this. The doctors continued to ignore the issues with the meds and denied that they were causing the problems. If my father had not had an advocate, the chances of him being institutionalized for the rest of his life are high. How many other older adults are institutionalized for med rx, vit. deficiencies, sleep and thyroid problems, and other very treatable conditions? Our system is very poor in treating the elderly.

 

A good book on the subject is The Myth of Alzheimers. Cant remember the doctors name at the moment, but he spent decades researching and treating dementia patients, and has a wonderful outlook on aging and living life to the fullest.

 

HTH!

 

Kim

[Tammyla]

:grouphug: Big hug.

[bkpan]

Are you able to share some of the side effects of Aricep? My dad is taking it and we are not seeing any improvement at all. In fact, he seems to be getting worse quickly and he's getting mean about his memory loss.

 

Chris, I'm so sorry about what you're seeing. We started noticing signs in my dad about 18 months ago. His mother also had Alzheimer's so I've already watched this happen once.:(

 

Airicept was the med my father was place on, followed by Namenda (sp?), and eventually Risperdal for the behaviors. Once the drugs were removed, he very quickly was less manic, less confusion, and returned to his previous cognitive state within a few weeks. I really would suggest a close look at the meds, and perhaps another opinion.

 

The book I recommended had a great deal of information re the meds.

 

Kim