My Alzheimer's Journey

Part 58 - Alzheimer's Symptoms Beyond Memory Loss

The most common symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is memory loss. Not only is memory loss the most common symptom, it is also the symptom that most people know. Unless, you have a family member or a friend with AD, you may not be aware of the other symptoms. The reality is, the other symptoms can have a significant effect on the quality of life for both the person with AD and their caregivers. Beyond actual symptoms, AD causes hardships that are often difficult for families to manage.

Depression is a very common symptom of AD. Most recent studies report between 40 and 50 percent of individuals with AD experience depression. As with all depression, AD related depression can be mild, moderate, or severe. In an October blog post, I discussed the link between depression and AD.

I am experiencing a significant increase in depressive episodes. This is being treated with medication, an increase in physical activity (mostly, walking), and seeking things to keep me engaged and interested.

People with AD may experience agitation and aggression. Agitation manifests as an inability to rest or relax. These individuals tend to worry a great deal. Agitated people have trouble sleeping and they may pace a lot. In some cases, they become verbally and physically aggressive toward others.

In most cases, there is a cause for the agitation and aggression. The most common causes include:

• Pain

• Stress

• Depression

• Too much noise or confusion

• Sudden change in a well-known place or person

• Being pushed by others to do something

• Interactions between two medications

At this stage of my AD, I rarely experience agitation or aggression. When I feel agitated, it is usually due to a noisy, crowded, and confusing environment. I try hard to avoid places like Costco, holiday gatherings, or any community events.

AD significantly disrupts sleep patterns. AD can cause people to sleep less at night and more during the day. Due to sleep disruptions, the quality of sleep is poor. Sleep is important for people with AD because deep sleep clears amyloid-beta proteins, and insufficient deep sleep allows these plaques to accumulate.

My sleep disruptions are a problem that seems to be getting worse. One suggestion a doctor told me is to have a sleep routine. Wake up at the same time and go to sleep at the same time every day. If that doesn’t help, I just have to be like a cat and take frequent naps.

Difficulty performing daily tasks is a lesser known symptom of AD. This can include cooking, doing laundry, and taking care of pets. Fortunately, I am not experiencing this symptom. Linda is happy I am still able to cook and help with our laundry. The cats are glad that I still feed them and clean their litter boxes.

I am often disoriented and confused about where I am. Some individuals with AD have trouble remembering the current year and getting lost while driving or walking. In fact, many caregivers and families have to keep doors locked, so the loved one with AD doesn’t wander off and get lost.

Reactions times to situations become slower as AD progresses. Even though I am in the early stages of AD, I stopped driving for this reason. I scared myself too many times when I did not react quickly to an idiot driver doing something that could have caused a crash. The risks are not worth the benefit I get from driving.

The symptom that finally pushed me to see my doctor is writing difficulties. I leave words out when typing, or I use incorrect words. People with AD may experience written communication problems at different levels. I am dealing with my issues by carefully proofreading documents and articles I write. Now that I am not working, I am less concerned about my mistakes in texts and emails.

The last symptom I want to discuss is a loss of good judgment. Decisions made by an individual with AD may seem irresponsible and inappropriate. This can be engaging in risky behavior, financial mismanagement, poor business decisions, and embarrassing social conduct.

Considering that I likely had AD many years ago, that was only recently diagnosed, I am taking time to think back and consider decisions I made from this new perspective. Looking back is not the most productive thing to do; but, I think it will help me understand some of the regrettable decisions I have made.

Every day, I learn about the hardships caused by AD. Redditors post about the financial, relational, and health hardships they are facing as a result of having a loved one with AD. Many of these real life stories are heartbreaking. The sacrifices families often make to care for a loved one with AD are enormous.

These hardships can also be life changing. Relationships are often damaged or destroyed. The cost of treatments, caregivers, travel, housing, etc are overwhelming and often devastating. Caring for someone with AD takes a toll on the caregiver’s mental and physical health.

People talk about Alzheimer’s being a horrible disease. Linda and I are learning, and experiencing, just how horrible and dreadful Alzheimer’s is.

We need a cure. EndAlz