Alzheimer's disease? could that be the problem?

[Robbo]

I’ve searched long and hard for this question at this site and elsewhere on the net. Waiting for doctors appointments is slowly killing me.

The waiting is pure hell.

what’s the difference between adhd and Alzheimer’s disease?

I feel like I’m wasting my time again here. why are so many people so screwed up? why doesn’t anyone seem to care? why do so many people fall the through all the endless cracks in the health care systems?

I’m afraid to come back here any more, all I get is more disappointment

discouragement.

I know, take a number and get in line right?

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[Scattybird]

The straight answer is I don’t know. It is a scary though really – I mean wondering if it’s ADHD we have or something worse.

However, I have a relative with Alzheimer’s and her behaviour is different from mine (ADD). She forgets things and forgets conversations completely but I forget transiently. Eventually I remember albeit sometimes a while later. If someone reminds me of something I forgot to do then usually (but not always) I have some vague recollection. She on the other hand never remembers. So we have the same conversation over and over and over within just 5 minutes and each time it’s completely new to her. The forgetting is more than just forgetting, it’s deeper than that.

Also she doesn’t have ‘butterfly’ conversations like I do.

But of course everyone’s experiences of both problems will be different. You seem pretty ‘switched on’ to me Robbo. Just hang in there and get your ADHD sorted out. People here care about you and yes the waiting is hell. Impatience isn’t our strong point – it’s like they don’t get it really and just make us wait.

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[Wgreen]

I’ve never heard of any linkage between Alzheimer’s and AD(H)D. Alzheimer’s is a progressive dementia. ADD is… well, something else. But while ADD can present somewhat different issues for different people, depending on severity, I think most of us recognize our kids. (Whether they recognize US all the time is a different matter.)

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[Patte Rosebank]

@Robbo, I think I have your answer.

The Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care (located in Toronto, Canada) is just beginning to look at the question of “Is this Alzheimer’s or is it undiagnosed ADHD?”

For several years, my mom has been going there every 6 months, to be tested for Alzheimer’s, by Dr. Peto. She’s very concerned about getting it, because both her mother and grandmother died of it. She and my dad raised the issue of ADHD during her last visit.

Dr. Peto said that the geriatric medical community is only just starting to look into this. In fact, he said that it appears that many cases that were first thought to be early symptoms of Alzheimer’s may actually be ADHD that had never previously been diagnosed in the individuals, because ADHD was always thought of as a condition that only affected children.

As we learn more about the way that ADHD manifests itself at various periods in a person’s life (particularly the periods of great development, like puberty and menopause and seniorhood), there will likely be more cases of Alzheimer’s being ruled out, and lifelong undiagnosed ADHD being ruled in as the cause of the forgetfulness and scatterbrain tendencies.

Add in co-morbidities like depression and anxiety (which my mom has been putting off getting tested & treated for, for DECADES), and the symptoms of that undiagnosed ADHD will be even stronger.

In my mom’s case, Dr. Peto continues to find no sign whatsoever of Alzheimer’s. But he says that it is very clear that Mom’s brain works differently from most other people’s brains. She has trouble picking out the important details when lots of information is coming at her. Also, her brain jumps from topic to topic, very rapidly. When telling a story, she is compelled to include every tiny detail instead of just the main points, which means she often loses the thread of the story. She takes on way too much, and over-plans every detail, but quickly becomes overwhelmed, especially if there’s a deadline. And she often forgets where she put things, or what she went into another room to get.

Those are the same symptoms that I have, so I’m pretty sure her troubles are caused by ADHD, not Alzheimer’s!

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[Anonymous]

Larynxa

It sounds like ADHD and Alzheimer’s have some similar symptoms and their needs to a differential diagnosis.

This is similar to whether it is depression or ADHD? Both have common symptoms (e.g., concentration, mood changes, etc.)

I was diagnosed with depression in university, 25 years later I was told the accurate diagnosis is ADD.

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[nellie]

My grandmother, who died many years ago, had Alzheimer’s for the last decade or so of her life. She was always kind of simple and ditzy, among other things, but from my recollection I would not characterize her with ADD traits. When she began to show signs of Alzheimer’s she became delusional and used to insist things had happened when they didn’t. During the later stages she was very aggressive and definitely had checked out of reality. As far as I know I am nothing like my grandmother and I sure hope there is no connection between the two conditions! I’m pretty sure that I still have my feet securely planted in reality despite my poor detail memory and somewhat spacey tendencies Don’t mean to make light of Alzheimer’s but somehow I don’t think they are comparable – at least not from my experience.

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[Scattybird]

I did read somewhere that folk with ADHD MIGHT be more prone to getting Alzheimer’s in later life. I can’t remember where I saw that so if it was just an internet site then I would treat with caution. But when these folk say that the chances of something are increased by 20% or whatever it might be, then it’s only that increase in a still small chance, but just sounds scary.

Alzheimer’s is increasing in the population because we are living longer so are older. It’s scary when it’s premature though.

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[Robbo]

Thanks you guys, for the many thoughtful answers.

Today was productive, got some more answers.

I feel encouraged by these answers you guys. I’ve been thinking a lot about my family history and especially my mom. After spending a lot of time researching all over the Internet, and here a bunch too, much more the last few days. I know I’m still not an expert enough to diagnose my own mother/family, yet I can easily see tons of ADHD related family problems that made my own symptoms more painful growing up, and that so much of my grief was not the fault of my parents. Any parent, ADHD or not would have had trouble coping with the tasmanian devil energizer jackrabbit (ain’t no bunny) that I was. I was and handful! and I’m not feeling any shame or regret about it. It’s just the cards my family and I got, period. My mom recently got diagnosed and is being treated for sleep apnea. That’s one of many, oh so many factors that co-existed with this. She says she’s never slept so well, and she has more energy during the day than in many years. I’ve been progressively worrying more and more about her having early signs of Alzheimer’s the last 3 or 5 years, but her “foggy brain, la la land” symptoms have cleared up now that she’s using the cpap breathing apparatus at night. She even shared some new! and funny stories about me a while back that made me feel better about my childhood, part of the diagnosis process, real Ah ha! moments. Understanding is making the forgiveness process take a deeper more solid hold. Giving me the freedom to move foreword, past the regret, and “if only” monsters in my head. I forgive the world for not revolving around me.

I’ve really thrown myself into this community in a big way and tried to digest too much information too fast. Sort-of impulsive huh?. Hmm, I wonder where I got that goofy characteristic?

I’ll slow down, get an accurate diagnosis, and accept whatever the truth turns out to be. The quick fix just ain’t gonna happen. I’ve had some real struggles with addictions of all kinds. Mostly adrenaline, anything fun and exiting. Some alcohol, pot, and skirt chasing problems. Always the instant gratification… fortunately life didn’t let me go down those roads too far. The diagnosis won’t be instant gratification either. Life doesn’t work that way. Imagine that? weird…

No more instant gratification? crap!

The last few days has been quite a dramatic adventure for me. I don’t like to admit it, but I have quite an appetite for drama. I (we) experience life as VERY FREAKIN DRAMATIC. Because IT IS!, some how I think I create the drama because I can’t stand to be bored.

Drama is not a crime.

I feel a little sheepish. Like I’ve craved more than my share of attention, and validation here. Seeing that in the mirror is the shits!. It’s all one big comedy fest though. I wouldn’t want to be any other way. Boredom is death!

Learning how to not take myself too seriously seems to be an endless lesson in my life.

It’s okay though. At least I ain’t no termite.

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[munchkin]

It’s hard not to take myself too seriously – especially when nobody else does! Going from pre-diagnosis and having no idea about adult adhd to being medicated and having a little time for it all to sink in is like a completely different perspective on life. It’s been a real shock to the system – very freakin dramatic indeed!

I was just thinking it’s like in that Pirates of the Carribean movie where the ship turns upside down and instead of being underwater, all the water falls away because gravity reversed, and there’s an alternate reality on the other side! The other side’s OK though – it’s good!

Don’t despair – you ain’t no termite – YANT!!!

and WOFH!!!

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[Scattybird]

Addictions, adrenalin need and instant gratification are all classic symptoms of ADHD Robbo. You know what, since taking my meds that exciting side of me has gone and now I am just SOOO boring! It’s less stressful being boring but it’s weird after 49 years of being quite bonkers. I like bonkers. But it’s handy for ‘normal’ life to be boring.

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[Robbo]

Thanks Scattybird.

Yep, bonkers was more fun than a barrel fulla monkees. only sometmes, mostly I’ve been lonely and miserable, if I try hard enough I can think of and write down a lot of good things in my life… Id rather have a temper tantrum and play my music louder than I can scream.

I’ve been writing for more than an hour. All crap… I do have a little bit of hope. just don’t feel it.

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[Scattybird]

Hi Robbo

Feeling lonely and sad is bad. Somehow you have to find a support group where you can go and be yourself with people. There must be some around? But yeah I know, when you feel crap that’s the last thing you feel like doing. But sometimes it can surprisingly make you feel invigorated just to talk to folk.

But writing is good – even if you say it’s crap. It’s a good way of getting things out of your system. Incidentally I haven’t read any crap from you here so either you delete all the crap or you are being hard on yourself. 😉

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[Anonymous]

My biggest fear is, is this the road to Alzheimer,s?

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[Patte Rosebank]

No, it isn’t.

Alzheimer’s can hit people who have ADHD and people who don’t have ADHD. ADHD has nothing to do with it.

ADHD is a genetic condition that you’re born with. Alzheimer’s is something that develops later in life. About the only things the two have in common is that they’re located in the brain, and they’re genetic. If one or both of your parents have it, then you’re more likely to have it.

Alzheimer’s starts in a completely different part of the brain than the part where ADHD lives.

Alzheimer’s is caused by a breakdown of a certain protein (called “tau”) and starts in the part of the brain that’s behind the ears. ADHD is caused by insufficient activity in the right pre-frontal cortex of the brain (behind your forehead, on the right).

Also, the forgetfulness of Alzheimer’s is very different from the forgetfulness of ADHD. I watched my grandmother develop Alzheimer’s, and then die of it. I had 10 years to observe her mental state and how it deteriorated, and it’s very different from my own (and my mother’s undiagnosed) ADHD-related forgetfulness.

So, don’t worry! ADHD is NOT the road to Alzheimer’s!

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