Well my husband has started forgetting his cell phone number, and what year it is......

[a kennedy]

I knew he was having trouble remembering his phone number, and when I was just quizzing him this morning.....I asked him what year it was and he says “19, I said, seriously??? I said it’s 2021, and he says I know I just forgot. I immediately started crying...... I’ve know for a while he’s been having trouble, but haven’t really paid a lot of attention. Just passed it off really, now this morning with him say 19........ I know it’s bad. I don’t know what to do. Do we see a doctor?? What kind of doctor?? A brain and old age specialist?? I know he needs to see someone to be checked out, to find answers and help. I’m just not ready for this. He’s 75.

[Turbineguy]

1. Talk to your Doctor

Nobody can handle this on their own.

[mopinko]

2. if he has a regular doc, start there.

he should be able to do a simple screening, but also look for possible physical causes.

best of luck honey. i'm so sorry. i'm 68 and just today was trying to figure out if it's time for me to reduce the scope of what my future could be.

[multigraincracker]

3. Doctor who specializes in neurology is called a neurologist.

I see mine every year at a large University hospital.

I get tested every year and it has stayed the same for the last 3 or 4 years. They say I have "mild cognitive decline" and not Alzheimer's. I write stuff down and use the notes on my cell phone.

Good luck and see a doctor.

[In_The_Wind]

4. Have you tried one of the otc memory pills?

My husband forgets the day of the week, can't find his shoes.

The pills help but my time of taking care of both of us is too darned near.

[OLDMDDEM]

5. fyi

My father was diagnosed by his primary care doctor. See him/her or a neurologist. I feel for you as we went thru years of what you describe.

[ratchiweenie]

10. Yes, see your family doctor. They will refer you to whoever based on their diagnosis. Most family

doctors are very used to seeing cases like this now that we are living so long. So sorry you are going through this.

[markie]

6. none of us are ever ready

it is very easy to dismiss so much when you're around someone... I had no idea how bad my dad was until much later...

a family doctor will tell you if you need a specialist... mostly, be patient with yourself and take good care of yourself

[Borchkins]

7. In addition to the doctor,

make sure both of your estate planning documents are up to date. Good luck and don't go it alone.

[Thomas Hurt]

8. My grandmother and mother tried to take care of my grandfather when his memory was failing...

He was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and it worked for a while but eventually you will need help.

Get him to a doctor and see what help is available so you know your options.

[Jirel]

9. Neurologist.

Preferably one that specializes in geriatric care or dementia.

[IbogaProject]

11. Basic physical 1st

Basic physical is first step. Get refered to a neurologist who works w mature people.

Two most likely are vascular dementia, blood vessels not getting enough to brain. It's treatable.

Alzheimer's is tougher but both can be treated with Melatonin.
Get a lozenge or sublingual form. You can over dose on it even eating whole bottle. It can stop progression of Alzheimer's and helps w cardio vascular inflammation too.

Best wishes it getting it stabilized.

[MLAA]

12. My heart goes to you, dear a Kennedy.

I’d suggest a full physical and also, even simultaneously get an appointment with a neurologist. I took my husband for a neurologist appointment about 3 months ago. She did a very simple, straightforward test (the one trump said he aced. Then she extensively checked reflexes. She prescribed a pill that would slow (not stop) the decline. Finally she ordered a brain MRI. The MRI came back normal.

I have no confidence in over the counter memory pill prevogen I think it’s called. I tried and could not find a single significant scientific study just lots of anecdotal stories. My belief in this environment where an effective pill would be HUGE if it were proven, the fact the company has not released such studies is because I believe they don’t like the results.

Finally, I’m about to read a book called the Alzheimer’s Solution. The net of which is diet can prevent maybe even reverse Alzheimer’s. A quick scan says eliminate animal products and apparently large fish due to mercury is really bad (almost already done recently. My husband has eliminated 95 percent animal products except for occasional tuna sandwich.) Secondly and this is a biggie, SUGAR! Husband loves sugar, so this is going to be very difficult. He has loved sugar for over 80 years.

[barbtries]

13. yes, call your doctor

and arrange for a diagnosis. Without that, you don't know what the issue is.
Best to you both.

[keithsw]

14. i'm so sorry

I talked to my wife and daughter about this often ( both Physicians ). And like everyone else says, see your physician and they may refer you to another that specializes in memory loss, usually a Neurologist.

[mahina]

15. Thank you for this thread. As ever, DU is such a treasure.

Wishing you both very well, support and good medical care

[a kennedy]

16. Thank you ALL so much, I will be calling his primary care doctor tomorrow......

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[wryter2000]

17. So sorry to hear this

Do remember to take care of yourself, too, or you won't be able to care for him.

[NJCher]

23. one more thing

Read up on the microbiome (gut health). I have an article for you but it's on a backup drive, so it might take a day or so for me to find it, if it's on there.

This is very important because medical thinking has undergone a tremendous re-evaluation based on new findings in the past decade.

See if your library has a book called Gut. Here's the author and synopsis from Amazon:

snip

by Giulia Enders, Jill Enders
The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ
In this updated edition of a worldwide bestseller, Giulia Enders reveals the secrets and science of the digestive system-including new research on the connection between the gut and the brain. For too long, the gut has been the body's most ignored and least appreciated organ. But it does more than just dirty work; our gut is at the core of who we are. With quirky charm, science star and medical doctor Giulia Enders explains the gut's magic, answering questions like: Why does acid reflux happen? What's really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity and mood? A new section on the brain-gut axis dives into groundbreaking discoveries of psychobiotics – microbes with psychological effects that can influence conditions like depression and even stress. Aided with cheerful illustrations by Enders's sister Jill, this beguiling manifesto will make you finally listen to those butterflies in your stomach: they're trying to tell you something important.

snip

Long story short: I know of someone who has improved their memory vastly. Sugar had to go, and they had to up their consumption of fermented foods. Plus take probiotics both a.m. and p.m. Amazingly, however, their memory improved by about 80%. This person now doesn't think there is a memory problem.

Not saying this is it--the posters upthread are correct to see your doc. However, I wanted to post this because a lot of docs are not up on the latest in this research.

Use this search term at Amazon and you will see books now out on the topic:
gut microbiome

[Auggie]

18. Suggest you look into a local support group for yourself

Mrs. Auggie joined one when her Dad was diagnosed. Share tips, experiences, etc.

[Jilly_in_VA]

19. You've gotten good info so far

A basic physical with his primary care doctor will be the first stop. He (or she) will be the one to recommend where you go from here. If you've noticed anything physical that's "off" with your husband, besides the forgetfulness, make a note of that...stumbling, not being able to use one hand or the other, eyes looking weird, speech being strange or garbled (not just forgetful), things like that...and be sure to tell the doctor. It might be helpful to sit down and make notes of any such things before you go in so you don't forget anything. And I wouldn't let him drive. He might get lost. I know taking the car keys is hard, but sometimes you have to do hard things, and maybe it will be temporary.

[Midnight Writer]

20. Talk to your doctor and get a physical. It may not be as catastrophic as you fear.

It may be as simple as a medication problem or a condition that is readily treatable.

Good luck to you both.

[Jay25]

21. I'm sorry.

[japple]

22. By all means talk to your doctor and get a diagnosis as soon as possible. My family has a situation

similar to this with my sister who is 72 and strong as an ox, physically. She and I live together and we got our paperwork squared away a couple of years ago. But I know from working in the legal and medical fields that there needs to be a current medical record, which means he needs to see his doctor for a diagnosis. My sister is now taking Namenda and she seems to be holding her own. There are good & bad days. But you need to try to preserve as much memory as you can. It is hard to do this without family support. I hope you have other family members that might step in to help with this as it is/will be a difficult journey.

Edit to add: My sister is a very educated woman, a librarian for many years with advanced degrees. She is aware of her situation--that she "can't remember shit" and even though she is always sweet and in good humor, I know it is causing her much distress. It will not get better. She knows that and we know that. I am committed to her from here on out as long as it takes. I hope that my health holds out so that I can be with her until the end. This is a kind of "family curse," as everyone in my dad's family suffered from dementia in the end.

Please don't put off doing something NOW. Do something today--make an appointment, talk to other family members. Time is of the essence.

[wackadoo wabbit]

26. If your sister has Alzheimer's and not some other form of dementia (e.g., Lewy Body),

please see my post below. If you catch the disease early enough, it can be reversed.

My neurologist told me 7 years ago that I would have Alzheimer's within 5 years. But today I'm doing better than ever.

Please let me know if you'd like me to send you links to some of Dr. Bredesen's papers.

[japple]

27. I would be interested to look at the information you referenced. My sister's short term memory is

poor, but seems to vary from day to day. We did power of attorney etc a few years ago, but plan to talk with the lawyer to make sure everything is in order. Thank you for sharing the information.

[wackadoo wabbit]

29. I was going to DM you the info, but then I realized there's no reason not to post the links here

Bredesen has written a number of papers on Alzheimer's, but these three are notable in that they show the improvements in patients when they used his protocol.

https://www.aging-us.com/article/100690/text#fulltext

https://www.aging-us.com/article/100981/text#fulltext

https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/reversal-of-cognitive-decline-100-patients-2161-0460-1000450-105387.html

The first paper is particularly important in that he explains, in Table 1, exactly what the protocol he used consisted of. (He's since updated and refined it and has written a couple of books detailing the new version.) I always recommend that people skip the Introduction (unless you're a science geek like me) and go directly to the Results. The information in the Results isn't difficult reading, and it's absolutely fascinating!

These papers will give you hope. Please let me know if you have any questions (about Bredesen's MEND protocol or anything else). I'm honestly happy to help in any way I can.

[Ilsa]

24. There are different types of dementia

and medications to slow it. Get a referral to a neurologist for a proper diagnosis. If don't have a power of attorney yet, you probably need to get one. His ability to function in taking care of himself should be assessed to start s baseline.

I'm caring for my MIL with dementia. Her filter is almost gone. She can go from sweet & happy to vicious and miserable if the wrong words are spoken in front of her. One day she came up from her basement apartment and complained about my dogs, who can't get in to her apartment unless she lets them in. She whacked my old female dog, who was lying down, with a magazine. That set me off worse than her calling the cops on her son (my husband) over a nonexistent crime. I told her to go back to her apartment if she doesn't like being around my dogs, who live upstairs.

[wackadoo wabbit]

25. Your PCP should be able to administer a MoCa exam, which is a simple test for cognitive impairment

That's the "person man woman camera TV" test.

If your doctor finds evidence of impairment, s/he should refer your husband to a neurologist, who will be able to administer more tests to determine if and, if so, what type of dementia your husband might have.

If your husband does indeed have Mild Cognitive Impairment or early-stage Alzheimer's, please don't worry! There's hope!

Dr. Dale Bredesen, a professor of neurology at UCLA, has reversed both. For example, business-owners who were so impaired that they'd had to stop work because of their dementia were able to return to their businesses again. As long as it's caught in time (Bredesen's protocol didn't help a subject with late-stage Alzheimer's; the theory is that the patient's brain was just too far gone), impairment/dementia can be reversed.

Tbh, even if doctors find that your husband is fine, he might want to start on the Bredesen protocol anyway. You don't have to be far gone for it to help. Although I can pass a MoCa with no problem and my neuropsychological exam looked just fine, I do have an APOe4 allele (the "Alzheimer's gene" ) and have had multiple TBIs, which leads my neurologist to worry about my future prospects. But since I've been on the Bredesen protocol (and, honestly, I'm not all that stringent: although no sugar is allowed, I had 3 cookies today), my mind is sharper than it's been in years.

Please let me know if you're interested in any more information or if you'd like me to send you links to some of Dr. Bredesen's papers, in which he describes the improvements in his patients.

I wish you and your husband much good health, including cognitive health!

[7wo7rees]

28. For my mother her primary care referred us to neurologist who

referred us to neuropsychology to be tested. That was in November of 2017..... report came right before Christmas of 2017. Dementia/possible ALZ...
I did not accept diagnosis well and believed I could make it all better.
Was referred to geriatric psychiatry clinic. Psychiatrist there put Mom on a couple of meds and I went to town with all things natural.
2nd test, 1 year later.... rare, but they gave her an upgrade to MCI (mild cognitive impairment). I was warned though, her short term memory is gone and that she might stay same or get worse. This last year has not been kind.
Get the test and then you have baseline. The test and report were invaluable in taking away car keys.
Stay away from "Prevagen".
But there are lots of natural remedies that help.
Coconut oil is one I heard from everyone.
Wishing you well, my heart goes out to you.
Look for Alzheimers org in your area. They are a tremendous resource.
Take care.
Ms. 7woTrees

[XanaDUer2]

30. How is he doing?

[a kennedy]

31. This seems so surreal, that was in 2021.........he passed away May 4.

He had vascular dementia, that’s what’s on his death certificate. I miss him sooooooooooooooooo much.

[XanaDUer2]

32. I'm so sorry

I like to catch up on DUers' problems. Didn't mean to dredge up bad memories! I just want ppl to realize I'm thinking of them

Of course you do.

[a kennedy]

33. and reading my original post, I didn't realize that he was starting to get bad back then........

Seems so long ago, but that was the start of it. Thank you for caring and asking.

[XanaDUer2]

34. No problem

You've asked about me. I just feel sometimes ppl post seripus issues here and no one asks how their doing