Re: Hydrocephalus testing reply

June 17, 2004

Thanks my moms symptoms are first and foremost gait related but she did score 22

on the mini mental and per my dad she forgets thingsshort term memorey isn't

always as sharp as she could be. Initially diagnosed with PD and 4 months ago

LBD. No hallucinations, no falling, some incontinance but under controlled.

Stooped over posture and shuffling gait legs feel like lead Aricept first but

no real progress now Memantine and for the most part things are slightly better.

Not sure that she that she is doing better due to Memantine or because my dad

moved her to an assisted living facillity. As a care giver my dad had real

problems dealing with her slowness, memorey issues and eating habits. Her hand

strength is poor.

ps4me04 wrote:

Hi,

My mom was dx with normal pressure hydrocephalus BEFORE the LBD dx.

We had read too that the pressure could cause all kinds of memory and

gait problems, so we deceided to have further testing and did the dye-

injection to see if the ventricals were open and flowing well. The

test came back that they were open and the neurologist did not feel

that a shunt would help. Our neurologist too said that the shunt

surgery difficult.

Mom's symptoms pre-dx normal pressure hydrocephalus were, slurring of

speech, never finishing a complete sentence (trailing off), stooped

over shuffle, slight hand tremor, vision problems like not being able

to see the numbers in her check book and do her check book,

forgetting how to turn on the heat or air, not remembering how to

turn the phone off. The hallucinations began shortly after she

started taking dextol for incontinance. Later she was thought to be

depressed (wouldn't you be?) and given Risperdal and that's when the

hallucinations took over and she ended up in the hospital where she

was dx with LBD, she's been on Aricept and doing well, memory great,

vision comes and goes, but her posture and gait not very good. Her

Dr. said that the weakness in her legs was a side effect of the

drug??? No matter what the label is, she still has something. Sher

Welcome to LBDcaregivers.

June 18, 2004

Sher,

I have not read much about normal pressure hydrocephalus. I was hoping

to be able to talk to the neurologist to find out more. So far I have only

talked to dad's pcp. While I like him as a general physician, he diagnosed

dad with Alzheimer's. I didn't think that he was addressing his gait problems

so took it upon myself to find a neurologist. I also had other doctors and

the visiting nurse asking why dad couldn't walk and does he have Parkinson's.

I felt really stupid saying that I didn't know.

I don't know for sure which started first the gait problems or the dementia.

Dad was very good at hiding the dementia. Even today he tries to hide it.

I discovered the dementia when his phone was shut off for non payment.

I lived 1000 miles away and didn't see him much but called him at least once

a week.

Besides the gait problems, stooped and shuffling, when dx only a slight tremor

in his right hand. I have noticed in the last few months that the tremor has

gotten worse and in both hands.

He doesn't really have hallucinations. Sometimes he tells me things that are

strange, but not way out, so I think that he may be dreaming. Dad sleeps

quite a bit. As far as his vision is concerned, I really don't know. Dad has

several clocks in his room and sometimes he can read them. He is always asking

what time it is but I thought that was more the dementia. He doesn't know if

it is day or night. Dad had cataracts removed from both eyes about 20 years

ago.

Back then, they didn't do lens implants in " younger " people. About 5 years

later

they did do the implants. He may also have untreated glaucoma. I called the

opthomologists office this morning for them to look up his records. He hasn't

been

there in over 10 years so they have to bring them out of the archives.

They are supposed to call me back tomorrow. He really needs to be examined,

but add that to the list. This is my frustration surfacing. He doesn't want to

go

to the any doctors, his gait and falling, and two flights of stairs to try to

get him down

have been quite a challenge. The issue of dad's eyes came up last night at the

nursing home. He had fallen yesterday and they were trying to see his pupils.

Dad was moved to the nursing home on Mon. but that turns into another story that

I just

haven't put together yet. Dad has been on Lexapro and Aricept for almost 2

years.

Luckily these are the only medications that he takes so we don't have drug

interactions

to worry about. Other than the LBD or NPH dad is healthy. This does also make

it hard

because he doesn't think that there is anything wrong with him - just a little

problem

with his legs.

It has only been a few days since I have heard about NPH and I am a bit anxious

to

find out what dad's drs. have to say. Thanks for your input.

Gwen

Hydrocephalus testing reply