Lewy Bodies Dementia LDB:linked to Robin Williams' death

jimbo 111

Registered User
Jan 23, 2009
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North Bucks
I know many members are caring for relatives who are suffering with Lewy Bodies Dementia
I Think it is a condition that many of us do not have much knowledge of

The following article . Apart from referring to the death of a celebrity who suffered with this condition is very instructive about this variant of Alzheimers /Dementia
jimbo

Lewy Bodies Dementia LDB: The condition linked to Robin Williams' death


Depression, paranoia, Parkinson’s disease, confusion and dementia. The long list of symptoms suffered by Robin Williams is itself confusing, but all of these and more besides, can be accounted for by the disorder bearing the name, dementia with Lewy bodies (LBD), which his widow has now announced as his final diagnosis.
Few people have heard of LBD until, like Williams' family, they are confronted by its multiple and variable combinations of symptoms which fluctuate in severity in an alarmingly unpredictable manner.

LBD is the second most common cause of dementia in older people, accounting for 10-15% of all dementia cases and affecting at least 100,000 people in the UK alone. Only Alzheimer’s disease itself is more common.

A strange and shocking illness
Lewy bodies were first described in the early 20th century by Dr Friedrich Lewy, who was studying the brains of people with Parkinson’s disease, a condition recognised by a combination of a shaking tremor, slowness of limb movements, and a shuffling walk.


http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...insons-disease-brain-alzheimers-a6726801.html
 
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patsy56

Registered User
Jan 14, 2015
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Fife Scotland
I just finished a futurelearn course on Parkinson's iam on mobi so will post link tomorrow. The course starts again next year.
 

TinaT

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Sep 27, 2006
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Costa Blanca Spain
Jimbo it's good you have posted this but these bare symptoms cannot and do not describe the severity of this disease. I found out from the internet what the disease entails and this did help me as I myself had never heard of it but was in the middle of caring for Ken.

The good thing is the change in professionals such as nurses and doctors who now have heard of the disease. When Ken was diagnosed I had to explain the symptoms of Lewy body disease to them both as neither doctor or district nurses had ever heard of it and that was only eight years ago.

xxTinaT
 

Blogg

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Jul 24, 2014
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I'm so grateful that the family have allowed this information to be shared. It's vital that more people, especially medical professionals, know about this form of dementia. There was so little awareness in the community, hospitals and even the specialist dementia home my Dad was in. I think the worst think for us, like Robbin and his family, was that my Dad 100% knew he was losing his mind and he was so scared. The fluctuating cognition means sufferers can be all too aware of what is happening. The delusions and hallucinations were also terrifying for my Dad, although it's often stated that people with LBD aren't distressed by these symptoms.
 

patsy56

Registered User
Jan 14, 2015
837
0
Fife Scotland
I am due to quit work to look after OH but this morning as I was leaving he said "that when I retired I wasn't going out every day and leaving him?"

I replied no I wouldn't leave him but still need to get out to get milk and bread.