Confusion and Forgetfulness

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Has anyone suffered from confusion and/or forgetfulness due to PSC?

Every time my husband goes in to see the doctors in the transplant

unit, they ask him if he has gotten forgetful. I hate to say it, but

my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulness for

almost 6 months now. I also understand that vitamin B difficiencies

can cause these symptoms.

Help!! I need some answers real quick before I go crazy!

Janice

[Guest guest]

"my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulnes"Hi Janice-My brother, has suffered from some forgetfulness (he left the broiler on one night, and the smoke alarms went off in the middle of the night). It really startled everyone.We spoke with his doctor at the following visit, and they checked his amonia levels. They were not overly high, but it is now something we watch. He writes things down a whole lot more. He was put on lactulose following that episode. This was about 4 months ago. I would certainly talk to your doc about it.I am sure you will get lots of insight from someone on this group-they are a WEALTH of info and support!Brother, , 30, PSC & UC

[Guest guest]

"my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulnes"Hi Janice-My brother, has suffered from some forgetfulness (he left the broiler on one night, and the smoke alarms went off in the middle of the night). It really startled everyone.We spoke with his doctor at the following visit, and they checked his amonia levels. They were not overly high, but it is now something we watch. He writes things down a whole lot more. He was put on lactulose following that episode. This was about 4 months ago. I would certainly talk to your doc about it.I am sure you will get lots of insight from someone on this group-they are a WEALTH of info and support!Brother, , 30, PSC & UC

[Guest guest]

Thank you ! I seem to in the middle of a battle right now with him saying "I never said that" or "I said that?" or worse yet "I don't remember that conversation". This is totally unlike the intelligent, articulate man I married. He seems to have a very short attention span, also. Thanks for the insight! Janice wrote: "my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulnes"Hi

Janice-My brother, has suffered from some forgetfulness (he left the broiler on one night, and the smoke alarms went off in the middle of the night). It really startled everyone.We spoke with his doctor at the following visit, and they checked his amonia levels. They were not overly high, but it is now something we watch. He writes things down a whole lot more. He was put on lactulose following that episode. This was about 4 months ago. I would certainly talk to your doc about it.I am sure you will get lots of insight from someone on this group-they are a WEALTH of info and support!Brother, , 30, PSC & UC

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[Guest guest]

Janice wrote:

>

> Has anyone suffered from confusion and/or forgetfulness due to PSC?

> Every time my husband goes in to see the doctors in the transplant

> unit, they ask him if he has gotten forgetful. I hate to say it, but

> my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulness for

> almost 6 months now. I also understand that vitamin B difficiencies

> can cause these symptoms.

>

> Help!! I need some answers real quick before I go crazy!

>

Hi Janice,

Yes, there are a number of us in the group who can identify with what

you're seeing in your husband. When the liver function becomes impaired

to a certain extent, it doesn't do as good a job of filtering toxins as

it does in a normal person. These toxins can cross the blood/brain

barrier and cause all manner of confusion, forgetfulness, etc., etc.

This is called hepatic encephalopathy (many of us refer to it simply as HE).

I'm attaching a chart which shows the stages of HE and I bet it will

really ring a bell with you. When we urged my dr. to check my ammonia

level, he really didn't expect it to show anything and was shocked when

it came back quite elevated.

HE makes a normally intelligent person seem to be a blithering idiot! I

was a physics major in college, but when HE struck, I couldn't figure

out how to write a check. I gave up driving 3 years ago because I

couldn't figure out what to do when a car was coming towards me (or if

it was safe to turn .... or how to set the cruise control ... or how

hard I needed to press the brake pedal). But, it wasn't until a year

ago -- Nov. 2005 -- that we put the clues together and realized we were

seeing HE.

My dr. put me on lactulose first (you have to mix it with juice or

applesauce or something), which helped but wasn't enough and gave a bit

of a roller coaster effect. In late Feb. or early March he switched me

to Xifaxin which has proved to be a real winner.

Print out this chart and take it to his dr. and ask him to check the

ammonia level. If the chart doesn't come through to the list, let me

know and I'll email it to you privately.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

Janice wrote:

>

> Has anyone suffered from confusion and/or forgetfulness due to PSC?

> Every time my husband goes in to see the doctors in the transplant

> unit, they ask him if he has gotten forgetful. I hate to say it, but

> my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulness for

> almost 6 months now. I also understand that vitamin B difficiencies

> can cause these symptoms.

>

> Help!! I need some answers real quick before I go crazy!

>

Hi Janice,

Yes, there are a number of us in the group who can identify with what

you're seeing in your husband. When the liver function becomes impaired

to a certain extent, it doesn't do as good a job of filtering toxins as

it does in a normal person. These toxins can cross the blood/brain

barrier and cause all manner of confusion, forgetfulness, etc., etc.

This is called hepatic encephalopathy (many of us refer to it simply as HE).

I'm attaching a chart which shows the stages of HE and I bet it will

really ring a bell with you. When we urged my dr. to check my ammonia

level, he really didn't expect it to show anything and was shocked when

it came back quite elevated.

HE makes a normally intelligent person seem to be a blithering idiot! I

was a physics major in college, but when HE struck, I couldn't figure

out how to write a check. I gave up driving 3 years ago because I

couldn't figure out what to do when a car was coming towards me (or if

it was safe to turn .... or how to set the cruise control ... or how

hard I needed to press the brake pedal). But, it wasn't until a year

ago -- Nov. 2005 -- that we put the clues together and realized we were

seeing HE.

My dr. put me on lactulose first (you have to mix it with juice or

applesauce or something), which helped but wasn't enough and gave a bit

of a roller coaster effect. In late Feb. or early March he switched me

to Xifaxin which has proved to be a real winner.

Print out this chart and take it to his dr. and ask him to check the

ammonia level. If the chart doesn't come through to the list, let me

know and I'll email it to you privately.

Regards,

Carolyn B. in SC

[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn: Thank you so very much! The chart came through and I can see where he is on the chart. He has a doctor's appointment coming up and I plan to ask for the ammonia levels to be checked. The gastroenterologist placed him as a Level 3 in the progression of the disease and think he may need a transplant in about a year and a half. Although he doesn't suffer with the itching and has had only two cholangitis attacks, he is extremely fatigued and not his usual perky self. The info was very helpful and I appreciate the help. Janice Carolyn B wrote: Janice wrote:> > Has anyone suffered from confusion and/or forgetfulness due to PSC?> Every time my husband goes in to see the doctors in the transplant> unit, they ask him if he has gotten forgetful. I hate to say it, but> my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulness for> almost 6 months now. I also understand that vitamin B difficiencies> can cause these symptoms.> > Help!! I need some answers real quick before I go crazy!> Hi Janice,Yes, there are a number of us in the group who can identify with what you're seeing in your husband. When the liver function becomes impaired to a certain extent, it doesn't do as good a job of filtering toxins as it does in a normal person. These toxins can cross the

blood/brain barrier and cause all manner of confusion, forgetfulness, etc., etc. This is called hepatic encephalopathy (many of us refer to it simply as HE).I'm attaching a chart which shows the stages of HE and I bet it will really ring a bell with you. When we urged my dr. to check my ammonia level, he really didn't expect it to show anything and was shocked when it came back quite elevated.HE makes a normally intelligent person seem to be a blithering idiot! I was a physics major in college, but when HE struck, I couldn't figure out how to write a check. I gave up driving 3 years ago because I couldn't figure out what to do when a car was coming towards me (or if it was safe to turn .... or how to set the cruise control ... or how hard I needed to press the brake pedal). But, it wasn't until a year ago -- Nov. 2005 -- that we put the clues together and realized we were seeing HE.My dr. put me on

lactulose first (you have to mix it with juice or applesauce or something), which helped but wasn't enough and gave a bit of a roller coaster effect. In late Feb. or early March he switched me to Xifaxin which has proved to be a real winner.Print out this chart and take it to his dr. and ask him to check the ammonia level. If the chart doesn't come through to the list, let me know and I'll email it to you privately.Regards,Carolyn B. in SC

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[Guest guest]

Hi Carolyn: Thank you so very much! The chart came through and I can see where he is on the chart. He has a doctor's appointment coming up and I plan to ask for the ammonia levels to be checked. The gastroenterologist placed him as a Level 3 in the progression of the disease and think he may need a transplant in about a year and a half. Although he doesn't suffer with the itching and has had only two cholangitis attacks, he is extremely fatigued and not his usual perky self. The info was very helpful and I appreciate the help. Janice Carolyn B wrote: Janice wrote:> > Has anyone suffered from confusion and/or forgetfulness due to PSC?> Every time my husband goes in to see the doctors in the transplant> unit, they ask him if he has gotten forgetful. I hate to say it, but> my husband has been suffering from confusion and forgetfulness for> almost 6 months now. I also understand that vitamin B difficiencies> can cause these symptoms.> > Help!! I need some answers real quick before I go crazy!> Hi Janice,Yes, there are a number of us in the group who can identify with what you're seeing in your husband. When the liver function becomes impaired to a certain extent, it doesn't do as good a job of filtering toxins as it does in a normal person. These toxins can cross the

blood/brain barrier and cause all manner of confusion, forgetfulness, etc., etc. This is called hepatic encephalopathy (many of us refer to it simply as HE).I'm attaching a chart which shows the stages of HE and I bet it will really ring a bell with you. When we urged my dr. to check my ammonia level, he really didn't expect it to show anything and was shocked when it came back quite elevated.HE makes a normally intelligent person seem to be a blithering idiot! I was a physics major in college, but when HE struck, I couldn't figure out how to write a check. I gave up driving 3 years ago because I couldn't figure out what to do when a car was coming towards me (or if it was safe to turn .... or how to set the cruise control ... or how hard I needed to press the brake pedal). But, it wasn't until a year ago -- Nov. 2005 -- that we put the clues together and realized we were seeing HE.My dr. put me on

lactulose first (you have to mix it with juice or applesauce or something), which helped but wasn't enough and gave a bit of a roller coaster effect. In late Feb. or early March he switched me to Xifaxin which has proved to be a real winner.Print out this chart and take it to his dr. and ask him to check the ammonia level. If the chart doesn't come through to the list, let me know and I'll email it to you privately.Regards,Carolyn B. in SC

Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business.