No diagnosis because of alcohol use

[AlzheiDaughter]

Hi there.
My Nana had Alzheimer's but I was young (ish) at the time so I had no control over doctors/diagnosis etc and believe she was left vulnerable and really poorly until she was bad enough to be put into a care home. I am an adult now and I don't want that for my mum.

My mum has very severe memory problems and has been through her GP and the Memory Clinic for tests. The brain scan she had showed no alzeimer's or dementia just 'normal atrophy' for her age (66)
Because she admitted she has a drink every evening, they have dismissed her and said all the problems she has are because of the alcohol. They have prescribed her anti anxiety medication and that's it. They referred her to the alcohol team but she wouldn't go.

I have researched and as far as I can see, if she has alcohol induced brain damage then that shows on a scan...? So if the scan doesn't then how are a few glasses of wine in an evening causing so many symptoms of dementia??
She doesn't eat
She has become uncharacteristically nasty
She forgets everything. She cannot conduct a full conversation and we have to tell her that her brother has died (last week) over and over (it's heartbreaking)
She is ridiculously self centred and embarrassingly inappropriate in company.
Please can someone help me!?
Thank you so much.

 

[Grannie G]

Hello @AlzheiDaughter. Welcome to Dementia Talking Point.

You say you have researched but I wonder if you have read the following from the Alzheimer`s Society.

Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD): what is it and who gets it?

Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) is a brain disorder. It is caused by a person regularly drinking too much alcohol, or binge-drinking, over several years. There are different types of ARBD. People who get ARBD are generally aged between about 40 and 50.

www.alzheimers.org.uk

If you are not happy with the diagnosis, perhaps you could ask the doctor who saw your mother for a second opinion.

I have read many posts on the forum about alcohol related dementia so perhaps another opinion might help.

 

[Pete1]

Hi @AlzheiDaughter, sounds like a difficult situation with Mum. From what you are saying the scans have revealed 'normal atrophy', if there had been alcohol related damage that should have shown up in the scan, so are they trying to say there is no brain damage but Mum's behaviour is down to drinking? I guess the question would be how much is Mum actually drinking each day? Do you know? In my experience in dealing with this if the person mentions they have a couple of glasses of wine every night it can mean they are having significantly more than that, which would impair short term memory and lead to inappropriate behaviour and sometimes aggression. However, you also mention that she doesn't remember that her brother died (although as it is quite recent it may be that the alcohol has blocked that out the memory) which could indicate something else going on. How long ago was the scan that Mum had?

 

[Weasell]

Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome occurs in 1-2 percent of the general population in the United States. The disorder affects slightly more males than females and is evenly distributed between ages 30-70.

I cut and paste the above bit of information from a US web site.
can you get your head round the size of that number of people being affected? WOW!

The answer to your problem is simple, get her to stop all alcohol for a period of time.
Sadly that is like doing a lot of other activities, like being thin and staying thin, or making your first million pounds!

How sensible of you to reach out to the forum. I would be searching out help in any direction I could. would an alcoholics forum help with ideas ?
I was wondering if cognitive behaviour therapy Would help ?

Sadly she can use her right of choice to destroy her life, in your position I would certainly be trying to change things with a passion, not only out of love but with the fear of many years of picking up the pieces.

 

[Weasell]

@Grannie G compassionate communication has helped my powers of persuasion!

Compassionate Communication with the Memory Impaired

The following piece was posted a while ago on DSF and made a big impression on me. It is something I have referred to time after time and tried hard to follow. We have many new members who may not have seen it before. Yesterday I posted it on another Thread but thought it might be helpful if...

forum.alzheimers.org.uk

 

[Grannie G]

@Grannie G compassionate communication has helped my powers of persuasion!

Compassionate Communication with the Memory Impaired

The following piece was posted a while ago on DSF and made a big impression on me. It is something I have referred to time after time and tried hard to follow. We have many new members who may not have seen it before. Yesterday I posted it on another Thread but thought it might be helpful if...

forum.alzheimers.org.uk

I`m pleased @Weasell

It`s the best guide I`ve read in 25 years of living with dementia.

 

[canary]

There is another possibility @AlzheiDaughter
It may be that your mum has dementia, but is only in the early stages, so it doesnt yet show on the scans, and the symptoms are being exacerbated by the alcohol use. Quite a few people, especially in the early stages of dementia use alcohol to try and self medicate.

Im not saying this is what it is, but if it is then time will reveal the problem.
My OH had problems and because nothing showed on the scans the doctors thought I was making it all up. Over time he has got much worse and developed new symptoms so that now, although he still does not have a diagnosis, no-one believes that there is nothing wrong.

 

[Ruth1974]

Hi there.
My Nana had Alzheimer's but I was young (ish) at the time so I had no control over doctors/diagnosis etc and believe she was left vulnerable and really poorly until she was bad enough to be put into a care home. I am an adult now and I don't want that for my mum.

My mum has very severe memory problems and has been through her GP and the Memory Clinic for tests. The brain scan she had showed no alzeimer's or dementia just 'normal atrophy' for her age (66)
Because she admitted she has a drink every evening, they have dismissed her and said all the problems she has are because of the alcohol. They have prescribed her anti anxiety medication and that's it. They referred her to the alcohol team but she wouldn't go.

I have researched and as far as I can see, if she has alcohol induced brain damage then that shows on a scan...? So if the scan doesn't then how are a few glasses of wine in an evening causing so many symptoms of dementia??
She doesn't eat
She has become uncharacteristically nasty
She forgets everything. She cannot conduct a full conversation and we have to tell her that her brother has died (last week) over and over (it's heartbreaking)
She is ridiculously self centred and embarrassingly inappropriate in company.
Please can someone help me!?
Thank you so much.

I know its hard, i spent 5 years being told my husband was ok while the whole family descended into chaos.
On a practical level you are seeking a diagnosis and she may be suffering from a range of dementias, alcohol induced and otherwise, but none of them have a cure. Trust me, finally getting a diagnosis makes no real difference at all to the way things develop

A few glasses of wine every night is a lot of alcohol, particularly for someone who doesn't eat. I think there is a sliding scale and perhaps brain damage that is visible on a scan occurs a long time after other effects are apparent. My dad died of alcoholism, he was vicious, hallucinated and had chronic diarrhoea for years but there was no brain damage until the very end.