5 Types of Dementia that are Reversible
You can’t ignore the signs. Your elderly loved one forgets things such as appointments, names, and where they put their possessions. You start to worry when they wear the same clothes several days in a row or gets lost navigating a familiar route. You make an appointment with the doctor and begin to panic: What if it’s Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease?
You’re right to call the doctor, but don’t panic just yet. There are many reasons an older person might be experiencing dementia, and not all of them–or even most–are a death sentence. Here are five types of dementia that are both common in the elderly population and reversible:
- Drug Toxicity — Many commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medicines can have dementia as a side effect, especially in older patients. These include antidepressants like Prozac and Zoloft; antianxiety drugs and sleeping pills like Ativan and Valium; anticholinergics like Detrol (used to treat urinary incontinence); antihistamines like Benadryl or Zyrtec; narcotic painkillers like OxyContin and Tylenol with Codeine; statins like Lipitor; and even some chemotherapy drugs. The first step when you notice the signs of dementia in your loved one is to go over their prescriptions and other medicines with the doctor, seeing which might be reduced, eliminated, or replaced to see if that is causing dementia.
- Urinary Tract Infection — As you age, the symptoms of a UTI change from painful physical signs (like burning urine and aching kidneys) to mental confusion that mimics irreversible dementia. A simple test given by the doctor will determine if your loved one has a UTI, which is treatable with antibiotics.
- B-12 Vitamin Deficiency — The symptoms of a B-12 vitamin deficiency mimic those of serious dementia: confusion, agitation, and memory loss. Low levels of B-12 can be the result of disease conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, anemia, tapeworms, and alcoholism. Talk to the doctor about treating a B-12 vitamin deficiency with increased supplements through pills or injections.
- Alcoholism — As discussed above, alcoholism can lead to a B-12 vitamin deficiency which in turn can cause symptoms of dementia. Also, as you age, your ability to metabolize alcohol changes drastically; a 75-year-old who is used to have cocktails and wine every night with no ill effect can find herself drunk on just one martini. Add to this the fact that many elderly people become socially isolated as they get older, especially if they’ve lost a partner. Your loved one may not even realize she’s developed a drinking problem.
- Dehydration — Memory loss, confusion, and fatigue are all signs of both dementia and dehydration. Make sure your loved one is getting enough water to drink, especially during hot or humid periods. If he seems severely dehydrated, your doctor can arrange for him to be rehydrated by IV. Many patients treated for dehydration-caused dementia recover their faculties quickly and completely.
If your loved one starts to show the classic signs of dementia: confusion, memory loss, agitation, and other changes in behavior, do contact her doctor as soon as possible. But make sure you, together with competent medical professionals, rule out these reversible forms of dementia before resigning yourself and your loved one to a worse fate.