Blood Disorders Forum - High cholesterol or neurological symptoms?

Conditions and Diseases > Blood Disorders Forum > High cholesterol or neurological symptoms?

Do you know the difference between good and bad cholesterol? When does cholesterol pose a threat to your health? More info here....

Q: High cholesterol or neurological symptoms?

asked by: DoctorQuestion on February 7th, 2007

My father's had a problem with feeling "muzzy" (wooly-headed), for quite a while - starting last year, and becoming worse.

Later, around September, suddenly having a drink of alcohol caused a "bad head", when it was fine before. My father hasn't been able to drink alcohol since without the same problem appearing in the morning.

Just before Christmas, things seemed to get worse - he now gets frustrated at simple tasks, like cooking a sunday dinner, or finding the passwords for web sites. Also recently, he has been having migraines, which he never had before. He seems to walk a little unsteadily, "walking like an old man". Mainly it's the wooly-headedness. It seems to be worse in the morning and evening.

He's been visiting his doctor for a couple of weeks now, having the blood tests described above. Can this really be cholesterol, as the doctor says? I never heard of any symptoms of cholesterol before like this! Thanks!

Replies(1)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on February 22nd, 2007

Blood Disorders Answer A2336

According to your father’s symptoms (feeling woolly, becoming more sensitive to alcohol, unable to perform some previously normal activities, headache, unsteady walk…), he could be experiencing some type of neurological disorder such as dementia or Parkinson’s syndrome. High cholesterol can’t cause these symptoms directly, but can indirectly affect the body by damaging the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the brain. Atherosclerosis of the brain arteries can then cause cerebrovascular dementia, or Parkinson’s syndrome. You can seek help from a neurologist for a neurological examination.

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