Memory problems and anxiety in parkinsons

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1
Hi my dad has pd and was diagnosed a few months ago. They also found he had a silent stroke on his mri scan. He seems to be getting really confused and forgetting things. It reminded me of my nan when she was showing early signs of dementia. I know most of the stuff ive read on parkinsons is about the physical symptoms like shaking and tremor and stiffness and pain. Could you please tell me if these symptoms are parkinsons or dementia. My dad is on no medication as yet. Thank you
2

Only a fully qualified consultant will be able to give you a definitive answer to your question.

I can tell you my own personal condition if it helps.......

My doctor sent me to a consultant thinking I'd had a stroke. It took this consultant about ten minutes to tell me I was in the wrong place. I was then sent to see a neurological consultant who confirmed PD.

I forget things very easily and quite often. This is in relation to things in every day routine........not long term memory loss. I can go to do something, get distracted and then forget what it was I intended to do in the first place.

As for confusion/anxiety, crowded places play havoc with me at times. This is a side effect of my meds. Pre meds I just had the shakes.

My wife works with dementia sufferers and they are much worse than I am. They are a lot older though.

A consultant will be able to test for dementia. The best thing to do is get your Dad the professional help he needs. You are obviously very supportive or you would not be posting on here.

I would just like to say I never go to the docs or the hospital without my wife. I find this invaluable and would definitely recommend you go with your Dad. It helps relieve stress and anxiety and things don't get forgotten when talking to the consultant or PD nurse.

3
Thank you saturn for your reply. My dad rung me up at 7am the other morning and he said he woke up and did not know where he was and could not remember anything from the day before. I spoke to him on the phone the night before but he could not remember anything at all. This really frightened me as he lives on his own. Bought him to his gp that day and told her what happened. She said it could be the pd or dementia. Shes referred him to a clinic nearby and also has done blood tests for dementia. Will get the results next week.
4

hello fibrogirl

Things are really difficult for you and your dad at the moment but take heart.  My OH has Parkinson`s with dementia and he was put on Aricept.  Amazing improvement quite quickly.   Side effects kicked in after 18 months but he`s tried other meds and is now on another one.

I hope you get some answers soon.

Best wishes

hatknitter

5

Whatever the outcome Fibro do not despair.

I have a friend who has neither PD nor Dementia. He had an horrific accident which left him in a coma for many months. He can watch a TV program tonight and watch the same thing again tomorrow with no memory of the previous viewing. He has adjusted to this and we now laugh about memory loss.

Being positive is hard, coming to terms with this sort of thing is scary. I will not pretend for one minute it is easy or without sadness.

I work on the principle tomorrow is important, next year isn't.......not till it gets here anyway.

This is the amusing side.......

My wife argued black was white with me this week in a supermarket that I had NOT bought some ham at a small bakery I had been in before the supermarket. Being in my usual confused mode, I thought, hells bells my memory is getting worse. So we got some from the supermarket.

When we got home there was the ham in the bakery bag. I looked at my my wife.......she put on her

'look at me aren't I cute face'    

and we burst out laughing. It's no use getting annoyed. To hell with the world, they can adjust to me for a change, I've spent long enough adjusting to it.

I hope you get through the diagnosis OK. Whatever happens just be there for your Dad and tell him you'll get through it. Help is at hand and after adjustment it's not all bad.

Morph.