parkinsons dementia -Memantine

[cabbagecottage]

my husband has been diagnose Parkinsons for 10 years . recently had a mental health assessment and they say he had Parkinson's dementia ??

he still has very good memory but cannot plan , keep up conversation , poor cognivity l coordination . Find the right words .

it has been suggested we try him taking Memantine ,

he can be so sensitive to medications I am concerned it might even make him worse and not better . they seem to think it will help him process his thought easier . these days he keeps switch off to sleep . That is if you can call it sleep

has anyone else had any e xoerience with Memantine please

[easterncedar]

Dear cabbagecottage, I hope someone responds. I would be very glad to hear of anything that helps. What you describe is exactly the state of my sweetheart. He often wants to do something, and can even make a start, but simply cannot follow through or plan a next step or deal with a change. He has trouble conversing since he can't find the words. Although his long-term memory is still quite good, he can't keep track of time at all, and can't convey messages. He can't play games, or follow an audio book, although radio news programs are ok. So, I second your request! Thanks to anyone who has any information to offer. Easterncedar

[cabbagecottage in reply to easterncedar]

A thank you Eastern Cedar , Johnhas been having assessment for Continuing health care and was referred the the mental health consultant .

When she came she tested his memory cognivity , asked him the day date what time of the year etc . he knew the day and roughly the date . The time of the ar he said something that made no. Sense at all . ..

after she left I did the same but asked him what season it was . I find if I ask him the question. A different m change a word for instance he answered correctly

apart from anything else he couldn't keep up .

he was having a particularly good morning at the time .

, but he also finds conversation very very difficult , a he is better at asking a a question or starting. A conversation .

before he was ever diagnosed if we were in company he would suddenly out of the blue change the subject . I thought it was just his impatience , would tell him off for being rude . we had no idea it was anything wrong with him .

one day he suddenly came out with . "will you start making the decisions " . Well I always had lol ., with him of course .

the outcome she told me he had Parkinsons dementia . I asked if it might be Llewy Bodies she. Said no because that kart come before the Parkinsons . I his case I am not so sure because he has go been much the. Same from the start . she had never met him before and he was diagnose about Ten years ago .

Anyway , she said she would like to try the memory ,a lateness tablets .

started with Rivastigmine and he had diarrhoea the whole day and upset tummy so I stopped . she then started the Memantine and he slept all day .

I in hindsight . He does get upset tummy a and now he is sleeping or at least head down with eyes closed switched off . So I can't honestly say it was the tablets . catch 22 .

I am going to try the Memantine again but have been reading up on it and not so sure . It's why I asked if anyone in this site has any knowledge of it .

I told theNurse when she visited that I felt it was a huge responsibility making these very important decisions for him . he is unable to do so himself and after all I am not the proffession just the person who is with him 24/7 and knows him best of all .

Are you finding that his sight is very poor now , spacial awareness , hearing . I I speak he will look for me in the opposite direction even .

john hasn't been outside foe about two years and is hoisted at all times . he is unable to watch or listen to the TV anymore . cannot stand others talking . He will ask me to stop talking .

the nurse told me that if you fill a football stadium you won't find any two suffered the same . similar but not exactly the same

these mads are suppose to help keep more alert and ability to process the thoughts . I am not normally negative and want to try anything but so far nothing has really helped at all

[TL500]

Sorry I don't know any , I would like to know, if you don't mind, your husband's age? I am worried about my memory and things like that

Thanks

[cabbagecottage]

My husband is eighty one but has been having problems for many years .

it's such a complex illness isn't it .

his memory is actually very good , in fact he is the one who often has to remind me .

I think in his case , and I am pretty sure it's the same for most , it's not just a case of memory it is processing the thoughts and coming up with the right answer . on top of that the slowness .

he will ask me all sorts of funny things . if he need the commode for instance we normally us the terms . I need a Wee or Poo . he will call me and then stop . I often have an idea what he might want but I ask check with him and he won't be able to answer . partly because of the slowness and drool controlling his mouth . the I say do you need a wee. And he will say what's the other one and he will come out with a completely different work . I can normally guess correctly .

you mustn't give two many choices . Don't say would you like sausage, beef or fish . that's too much Offer Fish . if they say no offer another choice .

I use to tease him that by the time he found the answer he would have forgotten the question in the first place lol

the more you worry about it the worse it is. When he gets stuck I will change the subject or get him to say ABCD then ask him the question again , It seems to help him unfreeze ,clear his scrambled mind .

I am assuming these tablet are suppose to help that .

I won't start them now until next Monday .

[lazyrideruk]

I am with 'Cabbagecottage' with this. My wife was finally diagnosed with Parkingsons Dementia earlier this year at the special Memory Centre at our local hospital – including a brain scan. The brain scan showed no abnormalities so the final diagnosis is by way of a 107 question test. My wife scored 57. Potential dementia is anything less than 80.

All they could suggest is that we increased her dose of Rivastigmine from 3 mg in the morning to another dose of 3mg at night. This really didn't help. In fact I have stopped giving my wife her last medication of the day- 8pm.: 3mg Rivastigmine+1 Sinemet Plus + Atorvastatin 10mg. She is much more likely to get herself into the toilet during the night – if she remembers where the toilet is! She also wakes up much brighter in the morning. I give her the Atorvastatin at 4 pm with her Sinemet Plus 2x25mg/100mg tablets.

For a couple of weeks now we have started the day with; Sinemet Plus 2 tablets + 3mg Rivastigine + Kapikachhu 2x250mg. Whilst this has not improved her short term memory or her ability to maintain a conversation or to follow a plot on TV, it has improved her posture – both sitting and walking, and she seems much 'brighter' in her self. We follow this up at noon with one Sinemet Plus + 2 kapiachhu 250mg. We also insist she drinks plenty of water.

Both my wife's carers also keep a careful look for any change in my wife's condition and we all agree, she has been much better since we changed her medication. My wife is 78 and has had Parkingsons for some 15 years, but balance/walking has only been a problem for the past 2/3 years with dementia starting a couple of years ago.

I have told the Parkingsons nurse and our GP of the changes to her medication and they agree if it works for her – great!

I cant recommend the Kapikchhu enough. At least it certainly works for us.