Alzheimer's/ dementia treatment prognosis.

NiceSherlock

My spouse has dementia/ALZ symptoms since her mid 60's and she is now 75.  Her symptoms were minor at first, things you would expect with age, but now has all the classic symptoms I have read about.  She has not been actually diagnosed with ALZ.  She looks at the problem as a minor memory issue and refuses to get a workup for the problem.  She feels that nothing can be done, so why get treatment?  I agree with her.

I have read many health articles about ALZ, but there seems to be nothing that can be done medically for. Just promises of potential medications that really are ineffective. 

Is there really anything that can be done medically or physically.  She seems to be getting worse faster these days.  

Thanks

Rescue mom

For what I think you mean, the short, sad answer is no. But some people have found that a couple of the commonly prescribed meds ( I’d have to look up the names) may have slowed symptoms’ progress. Others say those meds did nothing.

Whats really important is that you have all “paperwork” in order. An attorney certified in elder law (CELA) is essential You will need a DPOA, make sure you’re cleared to get all medical info and decisions, papers regarding how far you should go in medical treatment/extraordinary measures; papers that ensure you, and only you, handle finances. Wills. Unless you’re fairly wealthy, you may need Medicaid for housing her and legal advice is essential to get that set up right, and so you don’t do things that hurt you later.

You may want to start finding, and using, aides at home, so you can all get used to each other. It often takes some time to find the right ”fit.” No one can handle 24/7 caregiving alone for long, although it may be easier now.

And most important, do whatever she can, and as much as you can, now, while she’s more able.

Ed1937

NiceSherlock wrote:

Is there really anything that can be done medically

First of all, I agree fully with everything RM said. If you don't have the important legal issues covered, you need to do it yesterday.

Can anything be done medically? If she has had symptoms for maybe 10 years, I think probably not. But there are many conditions (more than fifty) that can mimic symptoms of dementia. If something like that is found early enough, it may be possible to treat the condition, and symptoms can disappear. If you need a diagnosis, telling her about that could possibly give her reason to be tested. But take care of the legal matters first.

dayn2nite2

It’s a terminal disease that progressively damages the brain.  No cure, no effective treatment.

​fesk

I would get a complete medical workup to be sure there is nothing else medically wrong. As far as medication, the two most commonly prescribed are Aricept and Namenda. Everyone is different, so whether they will help your spouse would remain to be seen. I do believe they slowed the decline and allowed my mother many more good years than she would have had not being on them.

Lane Simonian

There are no cures for Alzheimer's disease.  The conventional treatments for Alzheimer's disease such as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept may lead to initial improvements and a slight slowing down of the progression of the disease after that during the early stages of the disease (Namenda is usually prescribed after that and may be of very limited benefit for some people for awhile).

There are disease modifying treatments that can likely bend further the trajectory of the disease: largely stabilizing it in the early stages and substantially slowing it down during moderate Alzheimer's disease.  The following charts show a comparison between the results for conventional therapy versus conventional therapy plus Chinese herbs.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5729264/

To date the most successful herb used against Alzheimer's disease has been panax ginseng (Korean ginseng).  In one small, open-label trial it appeared to stablize Alzheimer's disease for at least two years.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3659550/

In an even smaller open-label trial, the drug candidate Anavex 2-73/blarcamesine (by Anavex) largely stabilized the disease for nearly three years.

https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/trc2.12013 (figure 2).

Short-term studies using aromatherapy with a diffuser lead to improvements in cognition and/or behavior.  Direct inhalation (smelling cognitive-enhancing essential oil, such as rosemary, bay laurel, lemon, and lemon balm, under each nostrils for a few seconds each day may produce better results; diffusers seem to work fine for more relaxing oils, such as orange, rose, and lavender).

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1479-8301.2009.00299.x

https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1392290/v1/f79b84f0-ba44-49fd-ace1-57fbb9eac13d.pdf?c=1652156064

 The one thing all these treatments have in common is that they act as antioxidants.  Oxidative stress contributes to other factors such as inflammation, amyloid, and tau that may add to the disease, but oxidants are most likely the primary cause of Alzheimer's disease.  Treatments that scavenge oxidants and that partially repair the damage that they do to the brain appear to largely stabilize Alzheimer's disease for long periods of time.