I wish I could shout this from the mountain top: when Alzheimer's or dementia present, get the thyroid checked.......
Bob DeMarcoAlzheimer's Reading Room
Editor
Yesterday I was reminded of our good fortune after I read an article about hypothyroidism and Alzheimer's disease.
What happened? During the television show Everybody Loves Raymond my mother started laughing. Later in the day it got even better.
I had the World series on television and when they started singing the National Anthem-- my mother started singing along. Incredible.
Why is this incredible? For over two years before we discovered that my mother was suffering from a sluggish thyroid -- she did not laugh or smile. Not once.
I am sure you can imagine how disconcerting this was to me. It hurt.
Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room--via Email
Alzheimer's, Thyroid and Hypothyroidism
August, 2008
I wish I could shout this from the mountain top: when Alzheimer's or dementia present, get the thyroid checked.About a year ago, I read an article on hypothyroidism and posted it to this blog.
The article described the symptoms of hypothyroidism and how it is associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease in women only.
The symptoms of hypothyroidism include: forgetfulness, weight gain, depression, dry skin, and fatigue. All of these were present in my mother. As a result, I asked our personal physician to check my mother's thyroid.
Sure enough she was suffering from a sluggish thyroid. He prescribed levothyroxine.
The results of the medication for us were remarkable. Within a couple of days my mother started to smile. Next thing I knew, my mother started to experience an occasional hearty laugh. Something she had not done in years. If you are a caregiver, like me, you will understand how frustrating it can be when your loved one stops laughing and smiling.
I believe you can understand how wonderful I felt, when I heard my mother laugh for the first time in years. My mother continues to smile with greater frequency, and I can tell you she went for years without a smile before the introduction of the drug.
An additional benefit of the thyroid medication included a slow but gradual loss of weight (about 8 pounds so far).
We were fortunate that we read the article on hypothyroidism.
If you, a friend, or a loved one is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's please get the thyroid checked closely.
In the book The Alzheimer's Action Plan: The Experts' Guide to the Best Diagnosis and Treatment for Memory Problems
the authors discuss in detail physical problems that can and do effect memory. The book is worth obtaining and reading. It is full of beneficial information and resources.I am not trying to mislead you here. The prescribed drug did not cure my mother's Alzheimer's. But, there is quite a bit of research which indicates that hypothyroidism can present as Alzheimer's or dementia.For Consistent Insight into Alzheimer's disease --
Subscribe to The Alzheimer's Reading Room
Popular articles on the Alzheimer's Reading Room
- H1N1 Flu Facts, Prevention and Advice
- The Metamorphosis of This Alzheimer's Caregiver (Part One)
- Test Your Memory (TYM) for Alzheimer's or Dementia in Five Minutes
- Does the Combination of Aricept and Namenda Help Slow the Rate of Decline in Alzheimer's Patients
- Five Ways to Keep Alzheimer's Away
- Is it Really Alzheimer's or Something Else?
- Alzheimer's Wandering Why it Happens and What to Do
- 50 Good Reasons to Subscribe to the Alzheimer's Reading Room Now
- World Health Care Spending and Performance Ranking by Country (Table)
- What is Dementia?
- Dementia and the Eight Types of Dementia
- Walmart and this Alzheimer's Caregiver
- Dimebon Connection Study
- Are Alzheimer's Caregivers the Forgotten?
- A Simple Three Minute Test Can Detect the Earliest Stage of Alzheimer's Disease
- Wii a Useful Tool for Alzheimer's Caregivers
- 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures
- The Mini-Cog Test for Alzheimer's and Dementia
Bob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 7,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading Room
