Can depression make dementia worse?

littlemisssun

Registered User
Nov 2, 2014
13
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Hi there. Since mil confirmed with vascular dementia, she is totally absorbed with it and acting as if it's getting worse. When she emails or when she sees her daughter, it's all she mentions talks about.

Now, I know it's a big deal but would a more positive attitude rather than wallowing in it be better? Or is this a symptom? Thanks
 

AlsoConfused

Registered User
Sep 17, 2010
1,952
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I think it's not clear which is chicken and which is egg but depression and dementia often go together.

However brave and positive-minded you are as an individual, I think dementia must be one of the most scary diagnoses anyone can get. It would take me several months - if not much longer - to pull myself together and try to make the best use of my remaining time as "me".
 

Spamar

Registered User
Oct 5, 2013
7,723
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Suffolk
Seriously, OH was given antidepressants early on, which have just been increased. He sleeps more!
 

Concerned J

Registered User
Jun 15, 2014
68
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London
My Mum was diagnosed with Vas. Dementia & Alzheimers a few months ago. She is (and was previously) depressed and has been since Dad died 4 years ago.
The nurse at the memory clinic said she would expect anyone with a diagnosis of Alzheimers (or indeed any illness) to be depressed.
 

littlemisssun

Registered User
Nov 2, 2014
13
0
Thank you, I will definitely have a look and your comments make sense, and she is on anti depressants. Just not quite sure what to say, have yet to reply to last long email about how sad she is as doc has told her to slow down following near faint last week. This was an email sent after a long chat with my sister in law pointing out just how absorbed in the dementia she is.
 

Robertruth

Registered User
Feb 10, 2015
3
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A report has correlated the link between dementia and depression. Those with history of depression have a 50% more likelihood of developing dementia.
 

Spamar

Registered User
Oct 5, 2013
7,723
0
Suffolk
Hi chick
There are times when I want to throttle the whole medical profession.
Doc 1 says you have heart failure. Your BP is still very high. Have X-ray . Abnormalities on X-ray. Have blood tests, ECG, echocardiogram. Blood test show low level infection, that's OK, it's cos I have a form of inflammatory arthritis ( not rheumatoid, thankfully) and it's been like that for years. ECG shows abnormalities, but I wasn't told what. If only this was 20 years ago, OH could have told me.
The wait for echocardiogram - 6-8 weeks. Hang on, this is my heart you're talking about!!!
Then I go for another BP and it's still high. Nurse wants GP to see me. As there are no emergencies, if I wait I can see one today. OK. See doc 2. Oh no, you're stressed. Yes I know I'm stressed, I been a carer for god knows how many years and he's having/ had delusions twice in the last year plus two ops in a hospital an hours drive away. He's being very nasty verbally. He's hit me. He's ( at the moment) a pain in the neck. Of course I'm b....y stressed!!!
Only the echo will tell what, if anything, is wrong with my heart. But! I've been out on yet more BP reducing tablets, and have to have yet more blood tests in case kidneys are affected by them.

While I had my dander up, OHs psychiatrist phoned. Good. I need to speak to you. You said he was going to double antidepressant dose and nothing's happened. I changed my mind, he said. Oh, you didn't tell anyone (ie, me). I've decided to stop his donepezil instead, his heart rate is still low. I tell him OHs heart rate is the same as it was over 30 years ago, probably all his life (it's 49). How about his delusions? I said. Well I will give him something like Quetiapine ....stop. No more. He is not having Quetiapine, he had 6 small TIAS in 7 weeks when he was on them before. After some argy bargy, I got my way! He has doubled the antidepressant, which was originally diagnosed to increase his appetite, and everything else is as it was. (I didn't tell him I'd already got a prescription for increased dose from gp).

Why change three things at one time? Treatment of dementia patients is not an exact science, so how do you know what has worked, if anything.

Might try and gee up echo, but I have found out it's the standard wait at the moment.

Then today, had AgeUK round to do PIP form, as my DLA is nearly run out. It took over two hours! I was mentally battered and feeling bad, we'd been discussion worst case scenarios! Saw her off and a stranger arrived. Come to see your husband as he is unable to get to the surgery. Well, he can't, but I always take him!! Apparently he was the third person this morning that had spouses who did the driving! ( no appt made). So she took his BP and went on her way. Well I suppose it saved me a journey!

Then went to Minsmere for well earned coffee and the nicest cake I could find!

S
 

CeliaThePoet

Registered User
Dec 7, 2013
615
0
Buffalo, NY, USA
My mother has had lifelong depression, often severe, and doesn't have a specific dementia diagnosis though she's edging into what we'd consider stage 6 of impairment. There's some thought that depression can actual cause dementia, and this may be the case with her as she fits no other diagnosis.