Has my mum got alziemers?

[justjewel]

My mum is 67yrs old and she drinks 5 out of 7days a week, i am not justifieing it but she only drinks cans of beer, the problem is made worse due to the fact she substadises her meals with the alcohol. For the last few years she has been a little forgetful, but nothing that was too bad. But over the last few weeks the problem with her memory has intensified to the stage that she has actually cried saying how scared she is. She went to the local shop yesterday and had to pick up 2 items, but she came back into the house 4 times to clarrifie what she had to get. Her mother had severe alziemers before she passed, and my mother is convinced she is going the same way. I am fearful for her and i have arranged for us both to visit her GP, but i have heard that she may have alcohol indused alziemers, is it possible for her to regain the memory loss if she was to stop drinking? Can anyone please offer me some advice as apart from my grandmother that i only saw a few times in my life, i have never experianced anything like this.

 

[zed]

No one here is able to tell you if your mum has Alzheimer's, only a doctor can tell you that.

However if your mum is drinking a lot even if it is beer, I expect that could affect her memory as drinking affects the short term memory.

There is a type of dementia called Korsakoff's symdrome that is caused by drinking. Unlike other types of dementia, it is possible to recover if the person stops drinking. You can read more about it at http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/What_is_dementia/info_Korsakoffs.htm

There is rarely a genentic link for Alzheimer's and other types dementia. If your grandmother had Alzheimer's when she was in her mid 60s or younger, then it is possible it was genentic. But if your grandmother was in her 70s or older, then it was probably just one of those things. You can read more at http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/Genetics/info_genetics.htm

 

[Skye]

Hi Justjewel

Welcome to TP. It is possible that your mum has alcohol related dementia, but only a doctor will be able to tell you this.

There is an Alzheimer's Society factsheet which ill give you more information.

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/Facts_about_dementia/What_is_dementia/info_Korsakoffs.htm

If it should prove to be this, the good news is that stopping drinking will stop the progression of the disease, though it won't repair cells already damaged.

It's very important that you get your mum to her GP as soon as possible. Even i she doesn't have dementia, she may be doing her body irreparable damage with her drinking.

Good luck,