by re-rose » Wed May 14, 2014 12:20 pm
Soloma,
I'm happy you are in a position to help your Mom get better. I have not read your links but as you know, I am a firm believer in Integrative Medicine, and wish more doctors had to vision to incorporate it into their practice.
The most important thing I have learned over the years that Alzheimer's is difficult to diagnose, even with today's technology, and that it is seldom an isolated disease.
Have you watched your Mom walk? There is a distinctive gait called the Parkinson's shuffle, that doctors miss. Early Parkinson's patients may complain of a tightness between their shoulder blades, and seem to need to clear their throats more often that normal. Lewy Bodies, a Parkinson's type dementia, is believed to be the second most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Some of the drugs used for treating one disease are harmful to the patient who really has the other disease.
Is she losing hair and gaining weight? Read up on hypothyroidism, make sure she has the comprehensive test done, and, if she needs it, takes natural thyroid, not synthetic. One symptom of hypothyroidsim is poor memory. Excessive throat clearing may also be a symptom of goiter or growth on the thyroid
Some other possible causes of cognitive impairment include B-12 deficiency, low blood sugar, grief, depression, mini-strokes, dehydration, urinary tract infections, poor sleep quality, and medication interactions. Any of these might occur anytime, so you need to be alert to sudden changes.
Never have a prescription filled for her before you research side effects, and if possible, user reviews, so that you know what to look out for. Try not to add more than one medication at a time. Some medications may cause "depression, mini-strokes, dehydration, urinary tract infections, poor sleep quality, and medication interactions", so you can easily find yourself chasing your tail.
I would also be leery of allowing her to have steroid injections that are commonly given for arthritic pain. They may have a long term effect on serotonin production capabilities. And if your Mom should need surgery for any reason, find out what you can about the anesthesia that will be used. Some may send her so far out she can't get back, mentally, to where she was before. In fact, any hospitalization period is likely to cause a set back.
In early/mid stages of Alzheimer's Aricept and Namenda are usually prescribed together. If her doctor suggests them, Start with one of them at time, and pay attention to side effects. If they appear, try to wait a week and see if she is able to adjust to the meds. They may have helped slow the progress of the disease for Mom, but she cannot tolerate any dosage increase in either of them.
I use isochronic beta enhancement, and deep relaxation tracks for her, along with the Quantum Infinity biofeedback system. Both seem to make a difference, at least, for a period of time afterward.
And, believe it or not, there has been a study performed which shows improved cognitive processing in the hours immediately following a rousing session of Bingo! I imagine Find a Word puzzle books or Sudoku, a game, solitaire, or any intellectual challenge may have the same effect. Teach your mom to play solitaire, or buy her an electronic poker game of some sort.
You are fortunate in that she seems not to have temporal lobe Alzheimer's. TLA produces extreme personality changes in which a person typically becomes suspicious, hostile, and agitated. But if she does become agitated, massage her hands with a hand cream or lotion containing lemon balm. I make my own herbal extract and mix it with drugstore lotion. A few drops of lavender oil on her pillow may help as well.
Some people swear that 3 tablespoons of coconut oil daily helps. That's a lot for someone to chug down, and I suspect your Mom would not want to leave the toilet afterward. It is usually provided by being used as a substitute cooking/salad oil, but you have zero chance of seeing that it is incorporated in the institutional diet. Perhaps you could bring her brownies, or cookies made with it.
Try to find allies for her by getting to know her caregivers and neighbors. They will often alert you to something she may forget to tell you. It will also help her to see the friendly, supportive interaction between you.
They say that one of the distinguishing characteristics of Alzheimer's is that when you try to tell a loved one that they are having observable memory problems, the response will be that "my memory is fine." That was true in our case. In 2005, I finally insisted Mom tell her regular Doctor that her daughter said she was observing memory problems. He poo-pooed the idea, with the derisive comment that I must 'be after her money.'
I tried to get Mom to begin a herbal treatment regimen at that time, bought her the herbs, put big labels on them and wrote out a schedule, but she was already beyond the point of being able to follow it. We have been through many doctors since then.
All of them would have missed the Thyroid/Alzheimer's/Parkinson's combination if I had not been there to describe what I was seeing. All of them, universally speaking, have prescribed medications of one type or another that did more harm than good.
If you have a firm diagnosis that your mother does have Alzheimer's, just remember that 'not curable' does not mean 'not treatable'. Many patients reach a certain plateau and seem to stay there forever. Some plateau for two years and then slip again, though younger patients with EOA or early onset Alzheimer's may have a more linear decline.
Your goals will change at each point. Right now, your focus should be on getting the best possible diagnosis. Mine, heading into year 10, are to extend this current plateau for as long as possible, and to keep the medical profession from sending her into a tailspin.
I hope some of this was helpful to you. Let me know if you have any specific question along the way.
big hugs to you and your Mom,
rose
