Community Chat

[sassenach1]

As the only caregiver for my mother with Alzheimer's, this h3llish disease is such a scary thing. I am worn down.

Currently, Alzheimer's drugs only SLOW the progression of the disease in a percentage of patients. Really??

I have given this much thought. Because Alzheimer's is such a horrible disease and is increasing in the population, we need a laser focus on PREVENTION. Cynically, I do not think this will happen. It's all about the money and there is no money in prevention. There is money in drugs and memory care facilities.

This conclusion depresses me, but I do believe it is the reality.

Thoughts? I need hope.

[Preds]

I can only pray for you, because you are going to need it. If you can find a support group or family that can help, please do. DH went through this with his mother and the doctors were no help, the family ignored it and spent all their time fighting each other about their thoughts. It's a horrible thing to witness and to deal with when it changes the people you love.

[Cecily Gerard]

Oh I agree with you Alzheimer's and memory care is big business right now.

[Teacups]

Prayers for you. I took care of my parents but they did not have this. It is very tough.

[sassenach1]

Thank you, Predsfan, Cecily and Westie!

I greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers. She has lived here with us three years. It is becoming unbearable. I do need a support group.

[Jussa]

Hi Sassenach,

My DH has dementia and I was his caregiver for the past year until I was unable to do it any longer. You may know there are many causes of dementia (impaired thinking and memory) of which Alzheimer's is the most common cause. As far as my knowledge goes about Alzheimer's, you are correct that there are only drugs that may slow the progression of the disease.

It is a heart wrenching disease and utterly exhausting to be a caregiver to someone with dementia both physically and emotionally. It is h3llish as you said and it will drain your soul. My best advice to you is to get as much support as you can in terms of help at home, hiring home aides, caregiver support groups, and most importantly, taking care of yourself and making time for yourself so that you don't get sick.

I am sending my prayers.

[sassenach1]

Thanks, Jussa. I am so sorry about your DH. I completely empathize as I know exactly what you are experiencing. I am nearly at my breaking point. I need to seek some support. I am an "only child", so it is all on me. Three plus years of her living with us plus several years dealing with it long distance equals a long time.

[BellaPaprika]

"Alzheimers" and/or "dementia" have become blanket diagnoses for many different types of brain disease in the elderly. As you probably know, the diagnosis cannot be confirmed except by autopsy. So there is true Alzheimers which has a strong genetic component, there is what we used to call "degenerative brain disease" which may have environmental components, behavioral and dietary components and there are those who are afflicted with small strokes and other circulatory problems that are connected with hypertension and cardiovascular issues.

Asking how to prevent Alzheimers or dementia today is like asking how to prevent cancer. It is not just one disease.

[57babe]

I agree that right now there is no cure for Alzheimer's and/or other types of dementia so the best thing to do is to strive to prevent cognitive decline every way we can.

I listened to a on-line video where a geriatrician said that (he believed) that one drug -- namely diphenhydramine -- is responsible for more dementia cases in America than any other cause (or drug) that he knows about.

Diphenhydramine blocks acetylcholine -- a neurotransmitter in the brain.

There are at least 24 different OTC medications with diphenhydramine as it's active ingredient and another 25 or so OTC combination medications that contain diphenhydramine. Several of these products are marketed for use in children.

I personally know many people who take OTC drugs like Benedryl, Tylenol PM or Unisom every single night to help them to go to sleep. None of them were aware that taking these drugs every night puts them at a much higher risk for cognitive decline and/or dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

I know of parents who give their KIDS drugs containing diphenhydramine to help their kids go to sleep at night or to rid them of a stuffy nose.

Because these drugs are sold over-the-counter people think that they're safe. They might be OK for occasional use but they aren't safe to take everyday.

There is also a list of prescription drugs that are known to cause early cognitive decline and dementia.

I've read that the stats used to determine how many cases of dementia will happen in the future is taken directly from the stats of prescription drug sales known to cause dementia. I don't know if that's true or not, but there sure are a lot of "Memory Care" lock-up Alzheimer's facilities going up all over the country to house America's boom of future Alzheimer's patients.

We need to educate ourselves, our parents, our kids and grandkids about drug induced dementia because this is one of the causes of Alzheimer's that can be prevented.

[AnikaBrodie]

Sassenach, My prayers are with you. I have an older sister and a sister-in-law who have been diagnosed with dementia. So far, both are doing well on the medications their doctors have them on. But who knows what their futures hold for the long term.