Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

Altizmers

I just was wondering, what might be One of the FIRST SIGNS OF THIS???? PLZ....someone dear to me thinks they have it, and I am worried, they are waiting for tests at the hospital, but what should I look for?? what might be ONE TELL TAIL SIGN>?
Really despearte
15 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
Avatar universal
I am living with my  mom who has altizmer.  I have been with her now from March 6 - to present may 30, 2009.  I am an only child.  none of her sisters or brothers what to be with her.  I understand why.  she is always following me around the house to see what I am doing.  If I move a glass she rearrange it.  I go to the bathroom, as soon as I come out she goes in.  She listen in on telephone conversation.  She lies on me a lot, she likes to argue, and boss everyone.  she does not believe that she is sick.  I guess what I really want to know is, is this normal for this diease. or are we just crazy?  
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
I thought my Husband was getting it but it seems he is using Toxins at work that affect him and once he stops using them he will be okay and some of his behaviors will get back to normal, now how do I get a Man to stop his work when he may never get another Job!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i have a mother in law who has dementia i heard there are stages in how bad it gets my grandmother had it at the age of 88 she got  to the point where she didnt know anybody and was very violent now that my mother in law has it she 70 she has memory loses and talks about her past life now she doesnt know where the bathroom is and she gettting rebellous and doesnt sleep she hasnt slept in 4 days needless to say we havent either.  now she wetting her pants both ways i dont know what to do her doctor said they cant do nothing for her maybe were going to the wrong doctor  anybody living in florida can recommend us a good doctor that takes medicare please help us
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My husband has Picks disease and it is frontal lobe dementia.  It starts in the 40's 50's and early 6o's/ They have even found a few in their 20's now.  Agression and reasoning is the main thing.  Personality change one.  mild man  and non talker turn to talking and will fight every little thing.  looking at things and not under standing or acts like he never even seen it before than he is normal for a while. When stressed out gets mad and can't figure out anything.  He cleaned house the best and than dumped grass in the street.  Had a long hose on vacum and said the vacum couldn't work with it and he took it off and put the hose in the machine. I told him, honey the long hose was to get under the rabbit cage and the way he had it could only do the main rug. He yeild at me and said don't you call me honey and said it wouldn't work with it on.  Well than it went from bad to worse.  Doctor would listen to me for five years until I force the issue and than they done test and he passed them with only one wrong. He was perfect for a week than he did more things not right.  They ruled out Alz. and ran some more test and  sent him to a Neurogist/sp and after reading what I wrote of the thing he done for five years he done some test and the clock one really showed up.  Draw a clock put the numbers in and time is 9:15 make sure the small hand for the hour and long for the minutes.  He left out the 12. put  the time as 9:05 and made the hands the same.now at 7 years He has a hard time writting and reading.  When asked to draw the clock  he put the numbers in back wards 12 11 10 etc clockwise.  but can function pretty good other wise. Most people don't see that he has anything wrong with him. But he follows me around and wants me to do what he can't and gets mad when I can't get him to understand simply direction. Like lift up on the table he may hold it down. Carry something off to different room which may not go there. he puts his keys into his shaving kit.etc.  Just a sample of Picks.  some people are different things they do.  Thyroid can cause systoms like dementia and alot of other things.  Get lot of sleep and eat good.  exercise Keep you mind active also Don't drink or do drugs because it kill the brain  and what you do a 20 and 30 will cause problems down the line. Sorry but the Neurogist said that the when kid do these things in the height of brain growth it kills it.  good luck rbcf
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'm a 33 year old male, and in the past few months I have been having a lot of short term memory problems which I had never had before such as, difficutly concentrating, I have been getting words confused sometimes and been forgetting the right word to say sometime. I'm not depressed or anything but have been under a little more stress than usual at work. I did go to my doctor and he didn't do any tests (except for the Vitamin defeciency and it was normal). He said doesn't think I have dementia or anything and wants me to come back in a month for a follow up. I'm worried I have the early onset of dementia or something? Any advice?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
There is one simple test used in the beginning.  Tell the person that you are going to name 3 things, for example book, dog, chair. Also let them know you are going to ask again in awhile what they are.  Then engage the person in a conversation about something completely different.  After about 10 minutes, ask the person to name the objects.  At first my father would name all 3.  Months later he could name 2 and was very disturbed that he could not remember the 3rd.  Now he just guesses.  We don't correct him. And that's one simple indication that he has memory loss and how its progressing. Chances are if the person you are describing is concerned, she doesn't have it.  When people don't know they are forgetting it is more of an indication that something is wrong.  HOWEVER, I am just a caregiver, not a medical person, so take my words for whatever you think they are worth.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hello! I think everybody is a bit different...It was first noticed in my Grandmother when she started having falls that she didn't remember...Sadly, she was never evaluated for TIA's (mini strokes) and we still don't know if this was a factor...She was very good at hiding odd behavior at first...At first it seemed that she was "just getting up in years" and having an acceptable amount of having a hard time remembering numbers, etc (she lived by herself)...We didn't think the hoarding of everything (especially food) was odd, as she had always done this...She had increasing anxiety and worrying about everything, but this too, was not greatly unusual for her...The "big event" was one day she got lost about 6 miles from her home while driving...She told the police she was going 'up to the mountain to find picnic spots for the kids'...(It was late Sept with snow in the hills)...When my mother came to get her, Grandma didn't recognize her and could not grasp what happened...to this day she doesn't remember that incident...(she lost her license after that)...A few months later we learned from neighbors that she'd been observed with odd behaviors (like walking down the center of the road skipping and singing) for some time...So scary...
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It's cool...I found your information very interesting..I may even be able to pass it along to someone who needs it..
Helpful - 0
306245 tn?1244384967
OH MAN I AM SO SORRY I POSTED THIS IS THE WRONG PLACE I AM SO VERY SORRY TO HAVE DONE THIS. WHAT THE HECK DID I DO I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THIS.
SORRY AGAIN
MICHELLE
Helpful - 0
306245 tn?1244384967
Diagnosis

WKS is often missed as a diagnosis. In the acute phase, a physical examination may reveal skin changes and a red "beefy" tongue. In addition, blood count, electrolytes and liver function tests should be conducted. Even in the chronic phase, an MRI may show shrunken mammillary bodies and other changes in the brain. CT scans have showed enlarged ventricles and diencephalic lesions.

It is important that a full medical history include information about the person's daily drinking habits, both present and past. Family, friends and past medical records should be consulted to obtain the most complete information possible on the person's history with alcohol. Proposed criteria for diagnosing alcohol-related dementia (not strictly WKS) suggest that the diagnosis be made at least 60 days after the last exposure to alcohol and that a "significant" alcohol history would include an average of 35 drinks per week for men (28 for women) for at least five years. Typically, the period of significant drinking must be within three years of the onset of dementia.

Recent medical research also suggests that the genetic marker APOE4 is a significant predictor of global intellectual deficits in people with WKS. Individuals with the ApoE genotype may experience a certain interaction with heavy alcohol use which could predispose them to WKS. Concerns about an inherited susceptibility to WKS should be discussed with a genetic counselor.

In cases of suspected non-alcohol related WKS, the physician may investigate anorexia nervosa, hypermesis gravidarum, severe malnutrition and other disorders or surgical procedures which impair intestinal absorption of thiamine.

Treatment

If caught early enough, WKS is a preventable, treatable disease. Treatment consists of thiamine replacement therapy, sometimes along with other vitamins. Dosages may vary and should be monitored closely by a physician. If alcoholic consumption stops and treatment is properly administered, individuals with early-stage WKS can expect a marked recovery and may be capable of learning simple, repetitive tasks.

However, the person's confusion may take some time to subside and even incomplete recovery of memory can take up to a year. In the later stages, if damage to the brain is irreversible, individuals are likely to have lasting problems with memory and gait (for example, lack of muscle coordination and numbness or weakness in limbs).
again good luck and I hope this helps some
michelle
Helpful - 0
306245 tn?1244384967
The Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
(Alcohol-Related Dementia)




Definition

Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) is a neurological disorder. Wernicke's Encephalopathy and Korsakoff's Psychosis are the acute and chronic phases, respectively, of the same disease.

WKS is caused by a deficiency in the B vitamin thiamine. Thiamine plays a role in metabolizing glucose to produce energy for the brain. An absence of thiamine therefore results in an inadequate supply of energy to the brain, particularly the hypothalmus (which regulates body temperature, growth and appetite and has a role in emotional response. It also controls pituitary functions including metabolism and hormones) and mammillary bodies (where neural pathways connect various parts of the brain involved in memory functions). The disease is typically associated with chronic alcoholism, but may be associated with malnutrition or other conditions which cause nutritional deficiencies.

Facts

WKS has a relatively low prevalence (0.4% to 2.8% of reported autopsies). However, it is likely that the disease is under-reported and under-diagnosed. An estimated 25% of WKS cases were missed where the brains were not examined microscopically. Another study found that only 20% of clinical WKS diagnoses were made correctly in life when compared to autopsy results. Moreover, WKS appears to be only one distinct disease that causes alcohol-related dementia. Based on clinical research studies, between 22% to 29% of individuals with dementia were found to be heavy drinkers or alcoholics and 9% to 23% of elderly alcoholics in alcoholism treatment were found to also have dementia. An estimated 1.1 to 2.3 million older Americans have problems with alcohol. Medical researchers are still grappling with how to more fully define the association between heavy alcohol use and symptoms of dementia.

Symptoms

WKS symptoms may be long-lasting or permanent and should be distinguished from the acute affects of alcohol consumption or from a period of alcohol "withdrawal." The disease is characterized by mental confusion, amnesia (a permanent gap in memory) and impaired short-term memory. An estimated 80% of persons with WKS continue to have a chronic memory disorder. Individuals often appear apathetic and inattentive and some may experience agitation. In addition, WKS tends to impair the person's ability to learn new information or tasks. Individuals with WKS are known to "confabulate" (make up or invent information to compensate for poor memory). Other symptoms include ataxia (weakness in limbs or lack of muscle coordination, unsteady gait), slow walking, rapid, tremor-like eye movements or paralysis of eye muscles Fine motor function (e.g., hand or finger movements) may be diminished and sense of smell also may be affected. In the advanced stages, coma can occur. Although treatable if caught early enough, the death rate from WKS is relatively high, about 10% to 20%.
Helpful - 0
306245 tn?1244384967
I took care of a female who had these same things she had what was called ALCOHOL INDUCED DEMENTIA. she would forget to eat, bath and where she was. she caught her kitchen on fire(lived in an apartment complex) and didn't even realize what she had done.
Psychologist told us she had this A.I.D
I googled some information on it I will post in a bit. it might be in two different post
good lucl
michelle
Helpful - 0
512985 tn?1211272489
Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease or simply Alzheimer's, is the most common cause of dementia, afflicting 24 million people worldwide. Alzheimer's is a degenerative and terminal disease for which there is currently no known cure. In its most common form, it occurs in people over 65 years old although a less-prevalent early-onset form also exists. The disease can begin many years before it is eventually diagnosed. In its early stages, short-term memory loss is the most common symptom, often initially thought to be caused by aging or stress by the sufferer. Later symptoms include confusion, anger, mood swings, language breakdown, long-term memory loss, and the general withdrawal of the sufferer as his or her senses decline. Gradually the sufferer loses minor, and then major bodily functions, until death occurs. Although the symptoms are common, each individual experiences the symptoms in unique ways. http://curealzheimersdisease.50webs.com/
Helpful - 0
461586 tn?1214992260
Hi, there are many signs to be looking for as so many ppl are different.  The most common one that I have heard to going out for something and completely forgetting what they have gone out for or coming back with something totally different another thing which I have heard is forgetting how to tigh your shoe lace.  There are so many it's unreal!!!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I don't think there is one tell all sign.   A neurologist would be the place to start.
Helpful - 0
1 Comments
Hi, sorry ya are going threw this, I know when my mom started getting it she would ask a question over and over and she would always repeat herself.  She would forget where she put things and if asked a question she could not answer them, many things you can go to the Dr and they can tell you, keep in touch .......Heart
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Alzheimer's Disease Community

Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Popular Resources
Could our telomeres hold the key to curing cancer and preventing aging? Learn more in this article from Missouri Medicine.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
How to lower your heart attack risk.
Here are 12 simple – and fun! – ways to boost your brainpower.
Protect against the leading cause of blindness in older adults
Keep your bones strong and healthy for life