NAD + supplements, NR or NMN (and caretaker's guilt)

my mom gets frustrated with me when i suggest supplements or other holistic options. maybe she feels guilty for the same reasons you might. As the daughter I feel she is of another generation and only respects Western medicine, and it's hard to bridge that divide. Her generation almost worshiped/ still worships doctors. I would say that you can't do it all as a caregiver for someone with dementia, and your children are trying to help. Instead of feeling guilt, you might work together on being more of a team. You cannot be expected to do it all. I imagine your children really want to help. It's important to find a way to let them help -and to work together. If that is hard for you , if you are used to doing everything yourself (maybe because others haven't offered enough help) - if you get a chance to talk about these dynamics with your kids and also with a trained professional ( the dementia hotline - part of this organization - is great ), maybe the guilt can lift and you all can work together more as a team.

Invite them to the appointments! Such a good idea. Cheers to that.

Lots of people are into magical thinking, not reality based. People want so much to believe that everything is fixable, but this is a terminal illness. It is a sad truth.

My mother had a couple of incurable illnesses (physical, not cognitive); she died in her early fifties after two decades of difficult, often painful symptoms. An older relative once gave her a copper bracelet, convinced that if she would just wear it, she would get well. A group of people she barely knew wanted to come and anoint her with “healing oil.” She said no on both counts. Over time I have learned to feel more compassion for people who imagine they are trying to help. But as a teenager and young adult I was just angry: Why couldn’t they leave my mom alone? Did they think she was willfully stupid to go through endless surgeries and treatments, getting second and third opinions and quizzing doctors and making hard choices—when just a bracelet or a drop of oil would solve her problems? I was insulted, more than she was, I think.

On the generational question: I think that trust in doctors is more individual than generational. I remember people in my family in the generation born around 1900 who were very skeptical of doctors. Those things vary a lot.

There are so many potential remedies being studied. One thing I am learning though, is that these "remedies" are not a long-term solution. There is currently no known cure for Alzheimer's and often many of these treatments are a waste of money, and worse yet… some of them can be dangerous.

There are studies that show suvorexant (a sleep aid) reduces Alzheimer's proteins, potentially slowing cognitive decline. But, suvorexant can also cause behavioral changes, worsen depression, and induce suicidal thoughts, so it should not be done without medical supervision. There are studies that show that creatine supplementation can improve working memory and executive function, but there are many creatine products on the market and some have been shown to include toxic substances in their ingredients. So, again, it is recommended that supplementation should be under the supervision of a medical professional. There are studies showing that lithium could improve cognition in Alzheimer's, but taking lithium is not something a person should do without the oversight of a doctor.

While the studies show that NAD+ can reduce inflammation and improve cognition, supplementation comes with the risk of cancer and liver issues, and NAD+ may interact poorly with other medications. So, it is not something people should do without the guidance of a medical professional.

Like you, Maru, I carry a lot of guilt on my shoulders, whether I deserve it or not. What I have done is found options that DH and I enjoy and that are known to be safe, and I leave the more controversial "remedies" for DH's neurologist to sort through.

For example, there is a ton of research that herbal teas or decaf green teas can reduce inflammation, improve cognition, and help with sleep. While I see no change in cognition or sleep, we get pleasure out of drinking the tea so it was never a waste of our time or money. Another example is that I recently began using aromatherapy (as Lane Simonian suggested above). While I don't see any change in DH's cognition, I personally find the aromatherapy helps to relax me. So again, it was not a waste of time or money.

@Maru

Another option is, if you deem something safe enough that it does'nt matter one way or the other, is to put said local child in charge of whatever alternative or complementary treatment and make it happen. While they're doing so, you could veg at a coffee shop with a book or get in some retail therapy.

HB