Can dementia be misdiagnosed ? my mom is said to have demetia now

[rickcam]

My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and some of us are happy that finally we can understand why mom behaves the way she does however some family members and rightly so are questioning if mom is just suffering from the loss of our dad? I personally would go along with the dementia diagnosis as mom was forgetting things and acting differently before his death but some in the family put this down to worry, so once diagnosed can it be wrong? we want to make sure mom is getting the right support and treatment so can anyone with any information or thoughts get back to us blessings

[Katrine]

Grief and stress following bereavement can accelerate mild dementia to a more obvious state of not coping so well. People with dementia find change very difficult, and what could be more of a change than the loss of your life partner? Domestic routines change, the person you used to speak to every day is gone. The deceased spouse may have compensated for dementia behaviours - it is usual for elderly couples to 'prop each other up' as my parents used to say.

When my dad died my mum became even odder than usual but we didn't see this as dementia. Her memory seemed largely unaffected although she had difficulty processing information and got the wrong end of the stick on several occasions, causing her to be very angry and distressed. She didn't seem to be able to understand anything that other people told her, she could only make sense of her own current experience and domestic environment.

Then she got very ill and developed sudden onset dementia as a result. I think, in hindsight, that there was a degree of dementia there for several years, but, as I said, we didn't recognise it as dementia because she did not have typical short-term memory loss. She had increased emotional lability, poor judgement, increased paranoia and fear of change. Is that dementia, or is it someone who is already a bit odd getting odder as they age, coupled with the body blow of loss of life partner and being suddenly expected to manage all the things that he had previously taken care of?

If your mum does not have dementia then this will be proved as she gradually deals with her bereavement and takes up the reins of her life again. Whether she has dementia or not, she is obviously confused and distressed, so focus on support for her current emotional and practical needs. If it turns out that her memory problems are temporary, that would be wonderful, but I think it is more likely that she will continue to need support in the future.

[SWMBO1950]

Hi Rickcam

Sure any illness can be misdiagnosed. However if your mum has seen her GP, had a brain scan and or visited the memory clinic then in all probability it is the right diagnosis.

The decline of dementia can be slowed down for many with medication and I would urge you to speak with the professionals and ask how they have made their diagnosis and if necessary see if something like Aricept can help.

Early diagnosis and treatment really does help.

Very Best Wishes

[KAnne]

My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and some of us are happy that finally we can understand why mom behaves the way she does however some family members and rightly so are questioning if mom is just suffering from the loss of our dad? I personally would go along with the dementia diagnosis as mom was forgetting things and acting differently before his death but some in the family put this down to worry, so once diagnosed can it be wrong? we want to make sure mom is getting the right support and treatment so can anyone with any information or thoughts get back to us blessings

'Diagnosed' how?

[Bodensee]

My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and some of us are happy that finally we can understand why mom behaves the way she does however some family members and rightly so are questioning if mom is just suffering from the loss of our dad? I personally would go along with the dementia diagnosis as mom was forgetting things and acting differently before his death but some in the family put this down to worry, so once diagnosed can it be wrong? we want to make sure mom is getting the right support and treatment so can anyone with any information or thoughts get back to us blessings

Of course dementia can be mis-diagnosed for other neurological diseases, your mother's GP or local mental health team for older adults is the best place to ask questions. Your mother should be offered a memory test/assessement, CT/MRI Brain Scan, blood test to rule out prion disease.
Depending on how old your mum is she can also be put forward for clinical trials, there is one mentioned on the raising awareness section on here, there is a new vaccine for anyone aged between 50 - 80 years of age with mild to moderate AD, I dont think all GP's are clued up on the latest trials available, so it is definitely worth investigating other routes for help.
I hope your mother receives all the help she is entitled to.

[Saffie]

However if your mum has seen her GP, had a brain scan and or visited the memory clinic then in all probability it is the right diagnosis.

This is no guarantee. For a start. Alzheimer's disease does not show up on a brain scan, it is diagnosed simply because nothing else is visible on the scan to explain the sympomsHowee It can only be diagnosed for certain after a post mortem. Secondly, Alzheimer's symptoms can be very similar to Depression - true clinical depression that is.

I was working in a medical library soon after my mother died after having Alzheimer's for a few years and ,when an article in a medical journal stated the similarities between the two, I was haunted for a long time that she had had Depression and had thus been misdiagnosed. She had suffered the loss of a beloved brother and had seemed to take it far too calmly. I can see now that having Alzheimer's already - though not yet diagnosed - could alter the way she responded and eventually other behaviour deteriorated. This I think is the clue - and criteria.

My husband was checked for Depression. That is, he had to complete a form about how he felt and was visited by a CPN and was considered not to be depressed.
I would also doubt the ability of the GP regarding reliable diagnosis. Yes, he will have an idea but, in all fairness, he is not a specialist.

However, if there is a reason for dementia that appears on the scan, then that can be taken as a firm diagnosis. However, many people never have a scan -my husband has never had one for his diagnosis of Vascular dementia. Te main thing is to get the help necessary and I hope you manage to do this ver soon. good luck.

[Brenda230]

As some people have already said, clinical depression and dementia do have pretty much the same symptoms.
It is also true that stress can cause forgetfulness.
I doubt whether they are ever really sure, unless the person begins to deteriorate downwards in a steady path.
I doubt my husband's diagnosis too, as I realised his symptoms began after the dog died. I know that sounds silly, but she was fourteen years old and he was extremely attached to that little dog.
He has not changed at all in the last year, except slightly for the better.
So it is a waiting game I suppose.

Maybe try a mild mood lifter - ask at the health food shop?

I hope the diagnosis turns out to be wrong - in both cases!

[Saffie]

I

know that sounds silly, but she was fourteen years old and he was extremely attached to that little dog.

I don't think it sounds at all silly - I cried for over half an hour in the car stuck outside the vet's when my beloved 16 years old retriever was put to sleep - and continuted to do so at home and for ages afterwards. Over 3 years later we bought my present retriever and I cannot bear to imagine a time when she is no longer here. She is my life-saver. I hope your husband does improve. Best wishes for this.

[fluff]

My mom has been diagnosed with dementia and some of us are happy that finally we can understand why mom behaves the way she does however some family members and rightly so are questioning if mom is just suffering from the loss of our dad?

How often do those family members visit and how well do they understand what she was like in the period leading up to the loss of your dad?

My m-i-l was diagnosed after the loss of my f-i-l but those of us who had seen them on a reasonably frequent basis were already aware of changes. I knew that f-i-l, although he never described the symptoms as dementia, was very aware of the changes in personality. The first time I can remember m-i-l saying something really odd and out of character in front of me (although this really only confirmed what I was already becoming aware of), he visibly stiffened, waiting for my reaction. Once he realised we 'knew' he would talk a little about her problems when she was out of earshot.

So when he died, most of the family were already well aware that she had some form of dementia. Except one b-i-l who insisted the symptoms were new and sprang from grief. He was very angry at our callous use of the "D" word. Naturally that was the prodigal son, who had hardly seen his parents in years, who sudddenly became her 'protector'. At least from a distance. Once a formal diagnosis was made his involvment once more became from a distance, by phone.

Sadly, although I understand it can be misdiagnosed, we were right in our acceptance of the diagnosis, and m-i-l has steadily worsened. So I would suggest that if you noticed symptoms in your mom prior to your dad's death, even if they seemed quite mild and masked, then almost certainly the diagnosis is correct. If you saw a lot of your mom and really never saw any symptoms, then perhaps it is not, but caused instead by grief.