Guest guest Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Â Â My father was diagnosed with nph, now has shunt; however, I haven't been able to see a difference. His confusion really came on suddenly & hasn't improved with the shunt. It's almost as though he has gone back in time (but not sure where). He has good & bad days as you would expect, one day he talks a bit (but not about the present) & can walk with a lot of assistance; the next day he has no balance & can't walk? Can someone tell me what are the defining symptoms of Lewy Body that separates it from general dementia vs alzheimers? Thank you in advance, Missy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thank you for your reply. My father probably has 80% of the symptoms as listed. However, he's never passed out and the hallucinations are visual only. So much does fit though, one day he carries on a confused conversation and the next two days he's very sleepy, weak voiced and can't understand much of what he says. His drs didn't seem to look at much other than the nph, although he has such a multitude of problems I can see why it would be confusing even to them. I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your husband earlier this year. Missy > > > > Â > > > > My father was diagnosed with nph, now has shunt; however, I haven't been able to see a difference. His confusion really came on suddenly & hasn't improved with the shunt. It's almost as though he has gone back in time (but not sure where). He has good & bad days as you would expect, one day he talks a bit (but not about the present) & can walk with a lot of assistance; the next day he has no balance & can't walk? > > Can someone tell me what are the defining symptoms of Lewy Body that separates it from general dementia vs alzheimers? > > Thank you in advance, > Missy > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 9, 2011 Report Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thank you Missy for your condolences on my husband. Not all those symptoms mentioned below are found in one person with LBD all of the time. Some may have a few of those symptoms or some may have several or all of them. Not everyone follows the same symptoms, but that list names the symptoms that an LBD patient might or might not have. Not everyone with LBD passes out, some do and some don't. Not everyone has all the kinds of hallucinations there are. My husband only had visual hallucinations, he didn't have auditory hallucinations or olfactory hallucinations. Did the doctor do a scan and ultra sound of your dad's head to know he has NPH? Usually that will show up in a scan and ultra sound if that is what it is. The symptoms are very similar to LBD, so the scan and ultra sound and maybe other tests help to determine if it is nph. Jan Colello  Subject: Re: Missy/ New to Group To: LBDcaregivers Date: Saturday, July 9, 2011, 4:10 AM  Thank you for your reply. My father probably has 80% of the symptoms as listed. However, he's never passed out and the hallucinations are visual only. So much does fit though, one day he carries on a confused conversation and the next two days he's very sleepy, weak voiced and can't understand much of what he says. His drs didn't seem to look at much other than the nph, although he has such a multitude of problems I can see why it would be confusing even to them. I'm sorry to hear of the loss of your husband earlier this year. Missy > > > >  > > > > My father was diagnosed with nph, now has shunt; however, I haven't been able to see a difference. His confusion really came on suddenly & hasn't improved with the shunt. It's almost as though he has gone back in time (but not sure where). He has good & bad days as you would expect, one day he talks a bit (but not about the present) & can walk with a lot of assistance; the next day he has no balance & can't walk? > > Can someone tell me what are the defining symptoms of Lewy Body that separates it from general dementia vs alzheimers? > > Thank you in advance, > Missy > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Hi All I wrote to you a while back - my 87 yo old father - Parkinsons and possible LBD - fell on June 12 and went to hospital and they would not send him home - recommended Rehab - so he has been at Rehab for 3 weeks and he is going home today at 10:00 AM. My sister and mother and they hired a CNA to get him from the car into the house. I can't imagine it working because even with a walker he stiffens and leans backwards and his legs and feet cross eachother and his core is so weak he cannot get from a sitting position to a standing position at all - but I can only hope and pray he can make it up the 2 steps into the house. I am very nervous. So once he is in the house he has 24 hr supervision, between family and hired helpers. He wanted to come home so badly - I just am so worried. My sister said not to come till Monday - and only if I get over this cold. I was supposed to have surgery Friday and the doctors postponed it and said it is not safe when you have a cold. Now I am waiting it out, it has been 2 weeks. I am so worried there will be yet another 911 call with about one week. Home is best, but when is it just not feasible? H Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 My father had enlarged ventricles a few yrs back as well as present (no change as per scan). The drs did MRI, Cisternogram, etc. recently to determine NPH and the test was positive (although a false positive couldn't be ruled out). Is this ever confusing! In talking with a couple of " neurologists " and a medical dr, they basically said not a lot of people are helped with a shunt. So I think for now, the idea is to adjust the shunt and determine if that helps. Missy > > > > > > > >  > > > > > > > > My father was diagnosed with nph, now has shunt; however, I haven't been able to see a difference. His confusion really came on suddenly & hasn't improved with the shunt. It's almost as though he has gone back in time (but not sure where). He has good & bad days as you would expect, one day he talks a bit (but not about the present) & can walk with a lot of assistance; the next day he has no balance & can't walk? > > > > Can someone tell me what are the defining symptoms of Lewy Body that separates it from general dementia vs alzheimers? > > > > Thank you in advance, > > Missy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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