I'm most curious to know more about your father's condition, as well as your aunt and other relatives. Has any one of them undergone genetic testing to determine if there is a mutation of the presinilin 1 gene? Are you positively certain that all of these relatives were formally diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease?

If you don't mind, please describe your father's symptoms for me.

Best regards,

J Cottle, MD

Hi Shmoo,

I just read your post and it really hit home with me. Im 19 and my mom was diagnosed with early- onset alzheimers a few years back - a little too late I think as we all seemed to bypass the minor symptoms. But, Im in the same situation as far as college and the emotional strain of not knowing where my place is -- at home to see the last years of my mother's life (even though it seems to not really be her anymore) or at school where Im told she would want me to be. my dad had to retire in order to care for my mother which creates other problems and I often worry for him as he still has a lot of life to live (as Im sure you do for your mother). Anyway, If you would like someome to talk to feel free to reply to me, i understand the isolation as far as being able to talk to friends who have no idea even what the disease is.

Ive just read your posting. I can understand how scared you must be. My boyfriend thinks he may be developing early onset dementia - he is only 37. He also has a family history of this in his family. His dad, his grandad, his auntie and niece all developed this in their late 30's and had all passed away by the age of 42.

He is thinking of asking to be tested for this to see if he has this faulty gene.
Its hard to know what to do for the best.

I can definitely relate. My mother passed away about 2 years ago from early onset alzheimer's disease at age 56. Her mother also passed away from the same disease. I'm not sure how far back in my family it goes.

Daily, I am stiffled by fear that my life will also be taken by this tragic disease. It affects me in ways I'm not even aware of consciousely. I don't plan for a future, don't save for retirement, don't plan to have a family...all because I'm not sure I'll even be around to see it.

It was so difficult to watch my mother suffer. Rather than being crippled by the fear and live like a prisoner, I have been thinking about getting tested. I already fear the worse, so I figure it can only relieve me.

I've been searching for support groups to meet others who are feeling the same things...fearing the same thing as me. But I can only find them for people living with the disease and caregivers.

Any advice or resources any one can pass along would be greatly appreciated!

Hi Shmoo-
I can relate.
I'm 20 and I'm home at a community college helping my dad take care of my mom who is 55 with alzheimer's. We have an aid come to help her out because she can't be alone at all. It's getting really bad and its really tough on me and my dad..
I'm here if you need anyone to talk to!

I hear y'all asking for support so I'm posting. I know it must be scary to have your parents/aunt with this.

I am a 50 year old married woman (no kids) and I just discovered literally yesterday that it is very possible I may have early onset. As I am reading happens with many people, I am trying to think back to how long this has been going on.

My husband says my symptoms could also be due to taking pain pills. I agreed and am going to see if I can taper down and get off them. I know from experience that my pain pills have directly interferred with my memory in the past. Once I went off them, it was great because memory came back to me! So we will see...

That will be tough, since memory and thinking are becoming more problematic, but I'm still at least 90% OK, I think.

I would guess your parents/aunt are very scared. They probably know something bad is going on with them, so they're either trying to figure it out, or they're upset about it, or they're accepting it.

For you children of parents with it or niece/nephew, I recommend you could cope by:

1. Prayer or talking thru this with your friends about how it affects you. It's like, create your own mini-support group with your friends when you need to.

2. Learning more about Alzheimer. Knowledge can be powerful and can also put you at ease. I know it is helping me to learn, because lack of knowledge was making me fearful.

3. Ask you other parent (mom, aunt's husband, etc) how you can help. There are no doubt ways you can help that you might not realize.

4. Also, think up some ways to help, on your own. The act of thinking how to help may make you feel better.

Bless y'all! This is a rough road, but God will get me thru it.

Great advice from Ladywithit. Also, try to keep your sense of humor. I know its hard, but you every defense possible against the stress that comes with being a caregiver.

Hi there

The following article on the net has a lot of information on altzheimer and dementia being treated with zinc supplements Zinc: Immune System, Pregnancy,
Alzheimer's and Acne
Constantinidis, J. (1992). Treatment 0f Alzheimer's disease by zinc compounds.

The RDA for zinc is 25 milligrams daily; however, the studies mentioned above indicate that more can be taken without problems.

Perhaps 50 to 75 milligrams a day would be more realistic since there are so many zinc antagonists in the diet.

Good luck
Kinetico

Honey there are alot of people with understnading..Unfortuantely too many..It is rough but one day at a time..I think that is my standard answer anymore..You may want to get a memory book--it has alot of questions and you cna get these answers before they are gone..It will be something you can draw on when you are talking with your dad..We did this got his history of childhood and events of special memory some he could do many he couldn't but it's there for us and him..Maybe someday it will bring him back for a short time..KD

Hi it is very sad to see so many kids dealing with someone in their family with early age lzheimers. My dads been recently diagnosed too hes 58 Im 28. We think hes had it for about 5 years but only until 2 years ago could the neurologist actually pin point what the disease was. IT IS VERY SAD. There is nothing that can fix it and its like a life sentence for the poor man. The only good thing about this disease is that my dad doesnt really understand anymore that he is not well and even when it comes to him it quickly dissapears. It is more on my mums and me and my brother's shoulders as we are the ones that have watched him go from a strong, very smart, fantastic man to a baby. How can anyone deal with that. He is still ok to be alone but he is very lonely and theres not a lot he can do at home. My mum gives him little jobs to do but they dont keep him occupied for too long. My mums a prisoner in her home, just when her kids are old enough, and independent and she can actually live her life, shes even more stuck than before. She is always upset now and depressed, yet always does her best to take care of him. or cheer him up, or just make him happy, even though shes dying inside..shes lost her spark. What can someone do to help? We stay home with him so she can go out sometimes, but we all work and so does she part time. She will be devastated when she has to quit shes only 52. and a young spirited 52 year old. hmmm very hard at the moment!