RE: Re: LBD vs Alzheimers - Tony

[Guest guest]

Tony,

Before I comment, can you tell me what made you think it was LBD?

Dorothy

>

> Hello all,

>

> A month or so ago my mother's Neuro Psych leaned towards LBD but would not

> commit until the neurologist examined her. This week the neurologist

appt. came

> and went and he thinks it's the onset of Alzheimers. He's recommended a

B12

> regimine and Aracep (or something like that). I'm a little confused as to

the

> two different diagnosis. He felt an MRI was not needed at this time and

his

> Alzheimer diagnosis was determined by certain test etc. I was not present

since

> I live in Texas and mom is in Tucson.

>

> Any comments are welcomed. It looks like I might have to head to another

group

> for alzheimers.

>

>

> Please respond.

>

> Thank you.

[Guest guest]

The neuro psych's eval.  I had know idea what this was.

________________________________

To: LBDcaregivers

Sent: Fri, February 11, 2011 11:35:46 AM

Subject: RE: Re: LBD vs Alzheimers - Tony

 

Tony,

Before I comment, can you tell me what made you think it was LBD?

Dorothy

>

> Hello all,

>

> A month or so ago my mother's Neuro Psych leaned towards LBD but would not

> commit until the neurologist examined her. This week the neurologist

appt. came

> and went and he thinks it's the onset of Alzheimers. He's recommended a

B12

> regimine and Aracep (or something like that). I'm a little confused as to

the

> two different diagnosis. He felt an MRI was not needed at this time and

his

> Alzheimer diagnosis was determined by certain test etc. I was not present

since

> I live in Texas and mom is in Tucson.

>

> Any comments are welcomed. It looks like I might have to head to another

group

> for alzheimers.

>

>

> Please respond.

>

> Thank you.

[Guest guest]

My mother in law passed the standard dementia screening test with flying colors

for a few years. She hated being asked questions and felt pressure to perform

and worried what might happen if she failed but she showed no signs according to

that test. The first neurologist thought she might have something called normal

pressure hydrocephalus because of the balance issues, shuffling steps, and that

she did not appear to have Alzheimer’s. Second neurologist thought she had

Alzheimer’s even though she did not really fit. We got her evaluated at UCSF

Memory and Aging Clinic – by a team of specialists/doctors in a process that

took most of a day. Only then did we learn about LBD with Parkinson’s (or as

another one called it, “Parkinson’s dementiaâ€). Though it was a whole

new thing to us, once I started reading about it I was impressed by how close

this is to what we had been going through with her disease. As time goes on I

feel even more that the UCSF diagnosis was the most accurate, and therefore most

helpful to us.

A second opinion is not a bad thing to do. If there is a good memory/aging

clinic (similar) in the area it would probably be worth while getting an

appointment for an evaluation there.

One of the best things about having a more accurate diagnosis (I think as

accurate as can be without an autopsy) is the medication issues and also giving

some idea of what’s to come as things progress. The first neurologist put

her on thioridizine for hallucinations and we had no idea that would be harmful

until after going to UCSF. Also the first neurologist though diagnosing it as

normal pressure hydrocephalus, refused to order any imaging to confirm the

diagnosis, telling us it was a waste of time and money to do so because there

would not be anything we could do, anyway – she was too old/frail to go

through surgery and have a shunt put in. And this was a neurologist who wrote

books on managing dementias! I would think he’d have had a better idea, but

glad we did push for an evaluation at UCSF.

I can’t imagine not having some imaging done such as a ct scan or mri or both

because there are other things that could be going on – like vascular issues

– a person could be having many TIA’s or small strokes and be headed for a

big one and not know it. Or there could be other issues.

Whatever the case Tony, please do press for information from the doctor –

someone in addition to your mother needs to have these things explained clearly

and be provided copies of her tests/labs, etc. as they apply also. My mother

in law was so good at snowing doctors I was really shocked by the things she

managed to do when she went to her doctor alone. Like convince her doctor she

had overactive bladder and he prescribed her the medicine for it. She did NOT

have overactive bladder, she just hated having to stop and go to the bathroom

and though she tried not to drink fluids she still had to go sometimes and this

way she figured she would not have to be bothered anymore! Wow her doctor was

pretty shook up when he realized this at her next visit. She made things up too

– to him and to us so one of us had to go with her. I’m not saying your

mother is like this, I’m just sharing what could happen. This If

you’re not comfortable or sure about the results, don’t hesitate to ask

questions. I think many people see 2-3 neurologists before they find proper

diagnosis and a good fit for help managing the illness for their loved one.

Best of luck to you, please keep in touch,

Dorothy

>

> Hello all,

>

> A month or so ago my mother's Neuro Psych leaned towards LBD but would not

> commit until the neurologist examined her. This week the neurologist appt.

>came

>

> and went and he thinks it's the onset of Alzheimers. He's recommended a B12

> regimine and Aracep (or something like that). I'm a little confused as to the

> two different diagnosis. He felt an MRI was not needed at this time and his

> Alzheimer diagnosis was determined by certain test etc. I was not present

>since

>

> I live in Texas and mom is in Tucson.

>

> Any comments are welcomed. It looks like I might have to head to another group

>

> for alzheimers.

>

>

> Please respond.

>

> Thank you.