ptsd Ptsd Or Alzheimer's

[jessie0054]

OK, I have written several times in the last year about different member's of my family i am trying to help. Now it is my husband, He's doing some really out of charater things for him. Usually he is more in control, But lately i am seeing things in him that are starting to worry me.

First i'll tell you he is 30% service connected for PTSD. He ususally fuctions pretty well and these things have been coming on over the last 10-12 months and the lid blew off the pot so to speak today.

I collect coins as a hobby and in the last 4 months he has brought home a roll of the Washington quarters 4 times. I didn't have the heart to tell him i already have them so i just took them and put them away.

I keep his PM medications in the bathroom so he will not forget to take them as he go's through his bedtime routine. I have caught him twice in the last week taking them in the morning!!

A few times even though i have watched him take them he gets up 30 mins later " Oh i forgot to take my pills" So i have to remind him he's already taken them.

Twice in the last month or two he wakes me up out of a very peacefull sleep and ask me if i can't go take a sleeping pill so i can go to sleep. Duh!! I'm already sleeping!!

Somedays he will call me or our son half a dozen times a day and gets upset because we don't answer our cell phone saying ' I'm going to throw that SOB cell phone out the door because you won't answer it" Well i check it to see if i have missed any calls because sometime if i'm in another room and the TV is on i can't hear it ring and ususally no i haven't any missed calls from him.

Last Saturday he got up at 5:30 Am and got dressed and ready to head off to work. I woke up and ask him what he was doing, You don't work on Saturadys.!!

This morning he called me from work very upset, Said he had hid some money in the gargage and some of it was missing and accused me of taking it. [And no, I didn't know he was hidding money and no i didn't take his money!!]

He got even more upset when i ask why he was hidding money and could he maybe have put some of it in a different area and forgot where he hid it?? Boy that was the wrong thing to say!! I'm sure i haven't heard the end of it yet!!

Like i said he usually is in pretty good control and i'm hoping that in the next few hours before he gets off work that he may take sometime and think about the things he said. So maybe he will have cooled off before he gets home. I have never had a reason to fear him, But!!! He loves his money and if he really believes i took any from him i don't know what he might do.

So could be his PTSD getting worse or is he getting Alzhemer's disease??

Jessie

[Jay Johnson]

How old is he? Age is a huge factor in alzheimer's. As far as PTSD causing memory loss: It can, but usually during periods of extreme anxiety and/or disassociative states. Being that he is only rated at 30% I am reluctant to say that he would have such glaring mental errors due to an anxiety disorder.

There are tests that can be done to determine if he has alzheimer's, but can you get him to take said tests?:-(

[jessie0054]

How old is he? Age is a huge factor in alzheimer's. As far as PTSD causing memory loss: It can, but usually during periods of extreme anxiety and/or disassociative states. Being that he is only rated at 30% I am reluctant to say that he would have such glaring mental errors due to an anxiety disorder.

There are tests that can be done to determine if he has alzheimer's, but can you get him to take said tests?:-(

Hello Jay:

He will be 60 next month. And i might add that he is looking at retirement in Jan 08 after 37 years on the same job.

I know that thinking about retirement has caused him stress as he is always worried about money and i don't understand that because he has a very very good amount in the 401K and has planned very well for retirement so money isn't an issue. I think the biggest fear he has is what to do with his time after he retires. And i think this is the route of everything i'm seeing going on now.

I called our son this evening to ask if his dad had said anything "off the wall" to him and i was amazed. I told him about dad's sudden fury this morning and he is going to be here when he gets home, So we will wait and see how he is acting.

Get him in for test?? Maybe with both of us on him!! We'll see.

I also want him to get tested for Sleep Apnea as i know he has it. I have mentioned it to him before but i think he thinks i am joking as he always answers me in a joking " Ya it wakes me up sometimes too!!"

Jessie

[Pete53]

Jessie:

I am sorry but I really feel that it is to early to tell and if it is Alzheimer's. First you need to have him checked out. Than you need to start treatment to slow down the progression of the disease if he has one. One thing I have learned is that its rarely what we think it is anyway.

So hang in there and take each day one at a time. Sometimes the medications can cause those kind of symptoms.

Pete

[jessie0054]

Jessie:

I am sorry but I really feel that it is to early to tell and if it is Alzheimer's. First you need to have him checked out. Than you need to start treatment to slow down the progression of the disease if he has one. One thing I have learned is that its rarely what we think it is anyway.

So hang in there and take each day one at a time. Sometimes the medications can cause those kind of symptoms.

Pete

Pete53:

Thanks, I didn't think about the side effects of his Medications, But i'm going to check them out since they did make some changes in the dosage of 1 of his meds in the last few months. Maybe that's the answer!!

Jessie

[Jay Johnson]

There could be lots of factors that can cause/lead to memory loss and other issues....meds can be an issue, as can poor diet, diabetes, cancer, anemia, and many, many other relatively mild issues. The best thing you can do is have him tested......maybe get him in for some blood work at the very least to see if everything checks out; if they recently changed a dose of meds he could be having a reaction to it.

[jessie0054]

There could be lots of factors that can cause/lead to memory loss and other issues....meds can be an issue, as can poor diet, diabetes, cancer, anemia, and many, many other relatively mild issues. The best thing you can do is have him tested......maybe get him in for some blood work at the very least to see if everything checks out; if they recently changed a dose of meds he could be having a reaction to it.

Jay Thanks again:

Our son is here now and my husband will be home within the next 45 mins and we will see how he acts as far as his reactions today.

I did pull the informations sheet for each of his medications and yes one side effect is Mental/Mood Changes.

We have decided to call the VA in the morning and get him appointments set up for some testing.

Thanks Jessie