Courtesy of Minding Our Elders

Dear Carol: My mom’s short-term memory is slipping badly. Her mother had Alzheimer’s, and I’m sure she’s afraid of hearing that diagnosis. We’re having a heck of a time talking her into seeing a doctor about her memory. What can we do? —Trina

Dear Trina: It’s hard to blame your mom. Who wants to be diagnosed with dementia? However, her reluctance is one reason I write often about the importance of getting an early diagnosis. People need to be reminded that some help is available.

One reason to be checked out early is because what is wrong may not be dementia. Medication side effects, low levels of vitamin B-12, infections, and other health issues can lead to dementia-like symptoms. Once these potential problems are eliminated, the testing for dementia should be done.

If your mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, more can be done for her today than when her mother had the disease. Medications are now available to ward off some of the worst symptoms of Alzheimer’s for months or even years. They don’t work for everyone, and some people can’t handle the side effects they may cause. However, for most people, they are worth trying.

New research is showing promise that medication capable of reversing the damage of Alzheimer’s may be nearer than scientists once thought. So staying in the early stages as long as possible may mean medical advances could reverse the disease before your mother gets to an advanced stage.

On February 23, 2010, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio reported that rapamycin (also known as sirolimus; trade name, Rapamune [Wyeth]), a drug that keeps the immune system from attacking transplanted organs, rescued learning and memory deficits in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s.

One interesting aspect of this research is that if rapamycin shows the same benefits in humans, it is already available and has been approved for use in humans. That means the drug could be used by doctors sooner than if the drug had to go through all of the safety trials of a new medication.

Please keep encouraging your mother to get a checkup. An Alzheimer’s diagnosis is devastating to hear, but there is reason to believe progress is being made that may help even some who are currently developing the disease.