Differences in symptoms

[jc141265]

Could people whose family member / loved one has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's please vote in the poll above.

For those who have a differential diagnosis I would appreciate it if you could list your loved ones symptoms that appear to differentiate them from Alzheimer's sufferers by posting replies below.

Differences in symptoms can mean differences in diagnoses, which can me differences in chances of children inheriting the disease.

Originally when my father was diagnosed with Alzhiemers - early onset, we were told that due to the 'early onset' part their was a good chance that his disease was hereditary, but the fact that no-one else in his family had it was a good sign that it may not be. We were also told not to worry too much because by the time us children got it, there would be a cure...7yrs down the track, I'm not believing that so easily....

Dad displays more and more of what seems to me to be frontotemporal dementia symptoms and if that happens to be what he does indeed have, I as his child have a 50/50 chance of ending up with the same disease.

So what I'd appreciate is if people would participate in this poll so that I can see how prevalent these 'frontotemporal dementia' symptoms are amongst other 'Alzheimer's' diagnosed folk. Bearing in mind that Dad may not be the only one misdiagnosed.

I am aware that symptoms change over time, depend on stages, and that this poll will only give me an 'indication' and won't be something I can rely upon...but I thought it may also help others who think that their loved one's symptoms are strange to see if that is indeed the case, or whether it is actually quite a common thing instead.

Thanks for your help,

 

[Lila13]

I haven't filled in the poll as I don't know the cause of my mother's dementia, (and now will never know). By most definitions I would say she was in an early stage of dementia.

She had mild aphasia ("my words keep getting mixed up"), mild obsessive compulsive symptoms, mild memory loss. She could usually talk and interact normally with strangers if she only saw them for a short time, (e.g. doctors and social workers) convincing them there was nothing wrong.

She did have hallucinations, e.g. imaginary friends.

We weren't told anything about whether it was hereditary as doctors kept saying it was "nothing serious", until she was suddenly dead.

Lila

 

[Kayla]

My mother has vascular dementia and sometimes gets her words mixed up or forgets names. She can hold a lucid conversation and establish new relationships with staff at her NH and other patients. She is totally confused about the time of day and what seson or year it is. Recently she thought it was the War. She is muddled about where she is now and has short term memory loss. She can remember events in the past. She has had hallucinations for about two years now and is unclear where reality and dreams or imagination meet. She can't walk and needs to be toileted by the staff. After a long period of crying all the time, she is now more settled in the NH.