Dementia?

[kaypeeoh]

One neuro says I have executive function problems. A second neuro says I'm too slow to answer test questions and should give up my license. Not ready for that yet. Any comments?

[park_bear]

Are you aware you have double posted on this topic?

[kaypeeoh in reply to park_bear]

No but on FB it's something I do without realizing it.

[park_bear in reply to kaypeeoh]

As you can see this is your second post in a row on this topic. May be indicative of short-term memory issues.

[kaypeeoh in reply to park_bear]

In my case I think it's because I don't know much about FB. Sometimes my PD fingers touch the FB key which drops the post out of sight. I assume it's been deleted and repost. Just a guess.

[Hikoi in reply to kaypeeoh]

Lots of people doublepost. I think its very easy to do and often signals lack of knowledge of technology. People often dont realise you can delete or amend your own texts at any time.We all have executive function problems, it goes with the territory. It is not dementia.

That doesnt say I personally think you should or shouldn't drive. I havent an opinion having not seen you.

[kevowpd in reply to Hikoi]

"That doesnt say I think you should or shouldn't drive"

I think it does? Look at the second paragraph with the check box beside it. Pretty clear that whoever filled out the form thinks K shouldnt be driving?

[kaypeeoh]

So my wife is worried about me crashing into someone and getting sued. This little scooter is so small it doesn't need a license or tags. IF I crash I'm the only one who'd be hurt. There's a gym reopening 10 miles from here. I'd like to join but if I'm not using the scooter I'd need some sort of taxi service. Motorcycle muscle memory tells me to put my legs on the pedals but this thing doesn't have pedals, just a foot rest in front of the seat.

[kevowpd in reply to kaypeeoh]

It seems like its up to you at the moment.

Would you be able to deal with the unexpected? Like a kid running out from a driveway to collect their ball? If you think so, you might still be ok.

[ling]

A visual fields test is indicated.Your eye sight should be checked. This could be a primary reason not to continue driving.

If u can't see clearly, your responses will be slowed as well.

Best wishes.

[Joynb]

You not feeling ready to stop driving is irrelevant. Objectively, you are able or not able to drive safely. Your wife and doctor are more likely to see the reality than you are. I’m not being mean, I’ve got PD too and have to deal with all this personally.

[Juliegrace]

I agree with Joynb. If more than one doctor and your wife have expressed concern then it may be time to give it up.

[Hidden]

When you’re on the road, you’re not the only vehicle out there at the same time. Even if you don’t hurt someone directly, your impaired driving could cause other vehicles to be involved in an accident & other people could be injured. I doubt you’d want that on your conscience, or the distress it would cause your family if you were injured.

My husband was tested a couple years ago. There was a test of vision & mental faculties, with a road test to follow. He did so poorly on the first part they wouldn’t let him get behind the wheel for the second part. Yet he vehemently insisted that he was perfectly capable of driving!

Just because someone believes they can drive safely, unfortunately, it doesn’t make it so. Please listen to your doctor and your family.

[sharoncrayn]

KP,

As I posted to you before, you have what some neurologists call 'Parkinson's Dementia Complex." This is why you asked about "rivastigmine" which is primarily a ALZ drug but also used with PwP in early to mid stage dementia. Whether your dementia would be classified now as LB dementia is debatable. Obviously, your neuro is concerned. Rightly so.

sharon

[bassofspades]

Above all , be honest with yourself. How do you feel about your own safety and the safety of others? Any near misses or close calls lately? If you truly believe that you're going to be ok driving then great. But if something happens and you hit a little kid running after a ball and there was some doubt going on in your heart, you're going to have a hard time forgiving yourself. Good luck my friend !

[Hidden]

It is emotionally so hard to let go of the ability to drive and the independence that comes with it. I am so sorry you are going through this. When in the same situation, my father did not handle it well and he refused to stop driving.

He crashed and was found face down on the side of the road.

At that point he had PD for about 7 years.

Please, stay safe.

[KERRINGTON]

Well, l think it depends on your personality. For instance, if you have alwaysbeen a slower person, then that's your regular self.

[genesurf]

I would trust the doctor and/or my family if they said I should give up driving. People are "naive" to their deficits, meaning that it's very difficult for someone to see their own limitations. Driving requires split-second timing, the ability to anticipate traffic flows, and the need to react instantly without hesitation. It's a brain-heavy task that we take for granted.

If you sell your car, the money you'll save on maintenance and insurance will pay for a lot of Uber or Lyft rides. Think of it this way: you're now being chauffeured, which is a luxury upgrade.

[kaypeeoh]

I think my only good feature is my stubbornness. It got me through 9 years of college and vet med school and 35 years running a veterinary practice. So I reject the idea of 'giving in' when there are options. I'm trying memantine along with rytary. And nilotinib is on my check list. Also red light therapy.

[silvestrov]

Thiamine/vitamin B1 has been a hot topic on HU and most conversations stick with the use of thiamine hydrochloride (mostly), benfotiamine (sometimes) or Thiamine Tetrahydrofurfuryl Disulfide (TTFD) - rarely. As for TTFD, this site claimed TTFD is "The Dopamine Boosting B-Vitamin" ergogenic.health/supplement...

But this post is not about any of the above. It is about a synthetic form of thiamine which almost nevers enters the conversation, sulbutiamine. Sulbutiamine was developed by the Japanese to prevent thiamine deficiency/beriberi and it has been tested on Parkinson's disease patients:

"It has been observed in parkinsonian patients, treated with sulbutiamine, an improvement in cognitive, executive and memory functions, with reduced feeling of fatigue." patents.google.com/patent/E...

Of course if your time has come to quit driving so be it. My father's Parkinson's symptoms became too bad and he had to quit driving. Never-the-less, this supplement my help with cognitive function. As for any Parkinson's disease patient 'results may vary' but it may be worth a try. The reason to not take sulbutiamine is if you are bipolar.

Sulbutiamine, an 'innocent' over the counter drug, interferes with therapeutic outcome of bipolar disorder. europepmc.org/article/MED/1...

Another option possibility is Huperzine A.

Efficacy of tablet huperzine-A on memory, cognition, and behavior in Alzheimer's disease

"Results: About 58% (29/50) of patients treated with Hup showed improvements in their memory (P < 0.01), cognitive (P < 0.01), and behavioral (P < 0.01 functions. The efficacy of Hup was better than placebo (36%, 19/53) (P < 0.05). No severe side effect was found."

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/870...