Re: Re: Blood Pressure and LBD

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the advice and support, . As soon as I was diagnosed, I

started a lot of reading and still continue with it. You have a greater

chance of having an aortic aneurysm if you have a first degree relative who

has had one. My dad's was abdominal. Mine is ascending. But they are

both AAs. I immediately asked all of my siblings to get checked and they,

so far, are OK. Both the cardiologist who found the AA and my current

cardiologist want to wait until the aneurysm grows to 5 cm before they

recommend surgery. It is well controlled now, hovering around 4.2 and

4.3. I often think about what might have been different if we had known as

much about AAs forty years ago as we do now.

To many people this sounds depressing. To me it is not. LBD appears to be

familial for our family, and some form of dementia came to all of my

grandparents who lived past 65. In a choice between the two (if I wre to

choose today), I'll take the aneurysm. It's quick and fairly clean. But

I'm no longer afraid of dementia. I fell in love with more than half of

the residents in my mom's dementia unit. I know it sounds strange, but I

feel that the medical conditions that come to me from both sides of my

family give me a choice for the future. I don't really know which I would

choose if and when a choice needs to be made, but I sometimes think that

what some people call a " time bomb " can also be a blessing. But for now

everything is under control, and hasn't changed significantly for years. I

don't fear what either condition might bring in the future. But I do

prepare for both.

Thanks for caring.

Kate

On Mon, Apr 16, 2012 at 11:56 AM, gary dale wrote:

> **

>

>

> Kate, just a side note. my father had an AAA, and also his brother, and

> also their dad ( my grandpa) . grandpa died from his- those days they

> couldn't do anything.

> my dad's brother had his fixed before he got old. my dad got old and had

> had a stroke. they told him to fix it or die. he was 80 and in poor

> health- the operation killed him ( the young dr. should not have attempted

> it, we blame him) point being, if you are young enough and healthy

> enough, get it fixed. my dad just kept watching it get bigger- 6 cm. my

> brother and i have been scanned and so far, so good. i am due again. it

> is genetic in our family...gary (wife Kay, LBD) p.s. oh i forgot, stop

> ALL blood thinning Rx way before surgery; that is what killed dad...his

> blood wouldn't clot, so 40 days in coma b4 dying. P.S.S. this sounds

> depressing even to me,

> sorry...........gary

>

> > **

>

> >

> >

> > Vivian,

> >

> > A couple of times on the LBDA Forum we've discussed meds to relieve high

> > blood pressure in light of an LBD diagnosis. From this post several years

> > ago, SEA -- the smartest caregiver I've ever known -- noted that

> > CNS-active beta blockers can cause hallucinations in the elderly:

> >

> > http://community.lbda.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=427

> >

> > If you do a search on " metoprolol " or " lisinipril, " you'll find some

> newer

> > posts containing research into dementia and these meds.

> >

> > Robin

> >

> >

> >

> > >

> > > Hello everyone: My husband was on 2 blood pressure meds - Metoprolol

> Tar

> > and Lisinipril. He was dx the Lisinipril because of repeated blood work

> > labs and his kidney function result. The PCP did not like his labs for

> > quite a while. I did dx the Lisinipril and got a BP cuff to check his

> blood

> > pressure. All has been going well until yesterday, when all day it seemed

> > to be high. I have been monitoring his BP for the last few weeks. I am

> > calling the PCP tomorrow to see what he wants to do.

> > >

> > > I did check the LBD files for blood pressure meds. The most recent is

> > 2004. Does anyone have any web sites to check out? Which meds to stay

> away

> > from?

> > >

> > > Any help will be appreciated.

> > >

> > > Vivian

> > > (husband dx with PD (2006), then LBD 2010, age 66.)

> > >

> >

> >

> >

>

> --

> Kate Knapp, OIT

> University of Minnesota

>

>

> You were born with certain gifts and talents.

> In kindergarten you were taught to share.

> The world needs all of the gifts it can get.

> Don’t be shy.

>

>