# Early Alzheimer's?



## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Was reading an article from Next Avenue about the 7 early signs of Alzheimer's Disease. Thought it may be useful to know what they consider as the early warning signs other than just memory loss. 
As listed:

1. Stealing or other law breaking activity.
2. Frequent falling.
3. Forgetting the function of objects.
4. Eating inappropriate things.
5. Inability to recognize sarcasm.
6. Depression specially after age 50.
7. Unfocused staring.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I worry about this, so once in a while I take a niacinamide pill. It opens the arteries (veins?) to break up beginning clotting. It also breaks up plaque in the brain.


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## ceresone (Oct 7, 2005)

also fits dementia, had to live with it to know the difference. my husband had radiation induced dementia. there really isnt much difference i guess, except i have read one can be inherited


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Ceresone, one of my friends worked at a nursing home, first as a cook and later as the Activities Director. She really enjoyed that job. She said when she sat down with a patient she could tell right off if they had Alzheimer&#8217;s Dementia or a different type f dementia. My BIL was a severe alcoholic and at the end you couldn&#8217;t talk to him, and he had paranoia. It&#8217;s dementia, but different from other types.

Whatever the cause, it&#8217;s sad.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

Heck, try Lewy Bodies dementia...it drives everbody ELSE nuts!

Mon


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

frogmammy said:


> Heck, try Lewy Bodies dementia...it drives everbody ELSE nuts!
> 
> Mon


A brother-in-law's wife has Lewy Bodies. It's not pretty. She's about 7 or 8 years in from what we've loosely calculated. She's still at home with BIL but I don't think she actually knows anyone anymore and even he is questionable. I'd say he's closer to "familiar" than actually someone she "knows". She hasn't constructed any more than a very simple sentence in several years. Last I heard, she was getting that she is doing more riding in a wheelchair these days when they go out. (She's very easily agitated and going for drives seems to calm her and she seems to like going to Walmart, not quite sure why.) Most of the family feels very badly for them but don't feel like there's much we can do to help. Even visiting causes her to become agitated very quickly so we tend to stay away. Can't help but wonder how much longer...

Very sad, indeed.


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## frogmammy (Dec 8, 2004)

We had a neighbor with Lewy bodies and she nearly brought the neighborhood to war.

She would tell neighbors that some one talked to her and told her that...... was doing..... And get those two people fighting. She'd call the police on someone else saying that several neighbors...and mentioning names...said a car was abandoned and parked there for weeks, and would get the police to come tow it off. Then she would tell the car owner that yes, she called the police and complained, as did....and mentioning more names. So then the car owner and mentioned people would go at it. 

She'd say so and so poisons pets, then go tell that person something negative about the person she'd just told about the pet poisoning.

It wasn't until she started leaving her front door open 24 hours a day, and would leave the house and walk the neighborhood for hours trying to find it again, that neighbors realized something was wrong with her and told her daughter. Her daughter had to wait to get proof before she could put her in a nursing home...or assisted living...no one knew where she'd gone.

So yeah,it can be tough on neighbors too.

Mon


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## Bellyman (Jul 6, 2013)

BIL's wife was never a "favorite person" of mine even when she seemed to be in good health. I think it was about 10 years ago, she stopped driving, claimed it was her eyes but we wondered if there was more to it. Seemed to deteriorate slowly over time. She never had a good relationship with any of her kids so misunderstandings were common anyway. About 4 years ago, she and BIL moved to rural TN which was kinda hard for her but probably a better situation than where she was before. After she moved into the new house in TN, it became quite pronounced that she had trouble with stairs and wouldn't do them on her own. Sometime about that time it also became apparent that she had forgotten all of her kids, just didn't know them anymore. She also progressed to the point where she didn't know my wife (they had known each other for 40 years) and my wife got accused of being BIL's "girlfriend" at Christmas dinner either two or three years ago, I forget which. (My wife is his sister.) Tantrums, slapping, hitting... it was not a good Christmas. She's rather violent with BIL and has even bitten him on occasion. I do not know why he hasn't institutionalized her, I think it would be better for both of them. I stuck my neck out there a few years back and told him so but it went nowhere. (Well, she did spend a week or so in a mental hospital but then came back home again.) 

Language skills are almost gone. Motor skills are slowly fading. I think she does have a doll, now, that she seems to find a little comfort in. It is very sad, and I really do wonder just how much longer this can continue to spiral downward before it's beyond BIL's ability to cope with it all. I don't think I could do it.


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Thanks for sharing the information. I'd never heard of Lewy Bodies. My brother is currently sinking into Alzheimer's. It's so sad. His wife has joined a local support group and that seems to help a lot.


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## carolpalmer (Jul 19, 2016)

My uncle is an alzheimers patient, who is under medication and care of assisted living facilities nevada, prestige care inc., They have this memory care program called expressions which keeps them active and engaged. They emphasize knowing and using elements of a person's life story to structure their day or quality of life.


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