Alzheimers and alcohol posted by LauraL @ 07:17 PM December 13, 2008

LauraL — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 19:17:53 -0000

Hi ConcernedDIL,

I'm sorry to hear about your father in law. Alcoholism is a terrible disease, and it does take the person suffering from it to admit to it and want to get dry and sober.

I can only offer up encouragement to keep talking to him. My own father died of lung and liver cancer, both due to his drinking and smoking, and he simply didn't have it in him to stop, although he tried several times. He enjoyed them and it was too hard to give them up.

If his doctor has warned him, and he chooses to make his own decisions, then you may need to step back and let him do his thing, but try to be supportive of any positive changes he tries to make.

Best wishes to you, good luck, and please come back and let us know how things are going.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by concernedDIL @ 12:00 AM December 13, 2008

concernedDIL — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:00:40 -0000

i am going through a similar situation now. my father in law has been an alcoholic all his life. he has high blood pressure, hepatitis, and has recently been diagnosed with early stages of dementia. last month, he fell without telling anyone, and we only found out when he started complaining of chest pains and we forced him to go to the hospital in an ambulance. it turned out he wasn't having chest pains, he had fractured two ribs from the fall (minor). while in the hospital, they put him through a detox regiment. one week later he was drinking again. the visiting nurse ran into him today, and he had a case of beer in hand.

my husband is really distraught over this situation. we don't know what to do anymore. everyone in the family has talked to him, even my husband's mother, who is his ex wife. his doctor has warned him sternly (and i mean STERNLY) about the dangers of his drinking to his health. he is constantly lying about how much he drinks.

what do we do? we feel totally helpless :(

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Melanie Haiken @ 11:31 PM November 03, 2008

Melanie Haiken — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:31:36 -0000

Jennifer, it sounds like your father-in-law has a complicated set of factors going on, but if he's drinking 5-6 glasses of wine after dinner, this could definitely be one cause of this behavior. Alcohol affects the elderly more strongly than younger people, so drinking that much could definitely cause him to garble words, use the wrong word, have memory lapses, and the other things you describe. If he is also having some dementia and other health issues, it coudl be an interaction of all those factors. My mother was an alcoholic, and I experienced some of the things you're describing. If your father-in-law does not acknowledge having a drinking problem, then you could ask him to see a doctor to have his symptoms evaluated without mentioning the drinking to him. But then when you (or whoever does so) take him to see the doctor, you could ask to speak to the doctor and mention his alcohol intake and ask if that could be contributing to the problem. Another strategy is to email the doctor. If your father in law will not include you in the appointments, you are still permitted to communicate information to the doctor in a one-sided fashion, and email or voicemail can be a good way to do this.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by katey @ 04:20 PM October 07, 2008

katey — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:20:21 -0000

Jennifer,

Hi! --- My sister's MIL was having just weird issues - them not being sure if dementia was involved. She had high blood pressure, so during a routine check-up her son went with her and on the side mentioned the issue to her doctor (he may have called ahead - not sure). Her doctor took it from there.

My dad was diagnosed also by their family doctor, but he knew he was going to find out why his memory was failing. (That was 3 years ago).

Best of luck - it sounds like you already have your hands full -Cathy

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by jennifier @ 02:19 AM October 07, 2008

jennifier — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:19:56 -0000

My father-in-law just moved to our neighborhood. He has lived 5 hours away for the past 16 years, so we have not spent a lot of time with him on a day to day basis. He drinks 5-6 glasses of wine every evening then comes over to my house, after he eats dinner every night. He only spends about 20 or 30 minutes over here, because he wants to get to bed. But when he is over here, he garbles over 60% of his words. He tries to tell me what frozen dinner he had for dinner, and can't remember the words. The last time he had spaghetti & meatballs, he called it pasta & meatrocks. My husband is an architect, and he refers to him as an archaelogist. My brother in law has a phd in criminal justice, and he talks about him like he is an m.d. He is unable to listen to a conversation and contribute to it. It's like he has his own stream of thought, that is not related to anyone else. I don't know if he has alcohol related dementia, or alzheimers, or something else.

I have been trying to get my husband or brother-in-law to go to the doctor with him, to get him evaluated. It is very frustrating, because I am the one that has to deal with him. And I am the one that has to explain to our kids (ages 9,11,13) what is wrong with Pops. I guess the only good thing out of this, is that they know first hand how stupid drinking alcohol is.

If anyone has any pointers on talking to a relative about getting evaluated for dementia, when they are very defensive, it would be much appreciated.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Harriet @ 01:57 AM September 17, 2008

Harriet — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 01:57:18 -0000

I'm glad I found this conversation. I am caring for couple in their mid-80s with mid-stage Alzheimer's, both taking Aricept. Never heard a word from doctor about any contraindication. (I agree with previous posters that internal medicine physicians don't really seem to be paying attention to this.) They are from the generation of a cocktail a day at 5:00 before dinner. One of my clients complained of nausea which increased to the point she didn't feel like doing anything. Family suspected wine consumption might be exacerbating her condition (history of fussy stomach all her life), if not causing nausea. Symptoms were identical to hangover since she usually felt fine by mid afternoon and was ready for her nightly wine.

We were able to remove wine for a month and the difference was incredible. We posted a note on frig--written on doctor's prescription form--no wine for 2 weeks. It was a daily discussion and they were not happy, but followed and we implemented it for a month before returning the wine. They tolerated wine after the abstinence for months (consuming a bottle a day between the two of them) before nausea symptoms gradually reappeared.

They have both said they have lived long, wonderful lives and do not care to go on forever, so they are back to their life-long pleasure of nightly wine. At this point, my main concern is falls. I am going to recommend family find a geriatrician to replace their regular doctor (internal medicine only).

Thanks for your information and comments.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by irish468 @ 07:36 PM September 14, 2008

irish468 — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 19:36:23 -0000

I am so glad to find this website. I need to alk to others in the same situation. My Mom is heavy wine drinker and now showing signs of dementia. We moved her next door to be close so I could watch out for her. It has become way too much for me to handle alone. I have 3 other siblings near us that could help, but they do not. The visiting nurse has already said that she needs to have someone with her or move into assisted living right away. I can take care of my Mom most of the time, but I need some relief every now and then. How do you get your siblings on the ball to help?

Signed, very tired irish woman

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by katey @ 09:32 PM September 07, 2008

katey — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:32:44 -0000

I am so glad I found this website - I have been struggling with the fact my dad still has 1-2 pretty good size glasses of gin each nite along with his other meds, 6-7 of them. My mother feels he sleeps better, and my sister (who lives in the same town) feels "what else does he have to enjoy". Someone mentioned on here that the Meds (in his case Aricept and Namenda) may not be doing their full job.

Living an hour away, I cannot not control things - this is just something I feel very strongly about.

Thank you again

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by JenniferR @ 03:32 AM August 21, 2008

JenniferR — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:32:53 -0000

Thank you for the support.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Melanie Haiken @ 10:13 PM August 20, 2008

Melanie Haiken — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:13:58 -0000

Hi everybody, this is a topic close to my heart, as my mother was an alcoholic with severe memory issues and depression. One thing I wanted to mention is that as the caregiver, you end up being the one checking whether meds can be given with alcohol-- the doctors just don't get this and you can't rely on them to do this. My mother's doctor prescribed Celexa for her depression, a very expensive medication that her insurance didn't cover. One bottle cost almost $150! Then when I looked at the label it said in big letters not to drink it with alcohol, and her doctor knew she was an alcoholic. When I asked her about it, she said he'd cautioned her not to drink while she was taking it -- as if that was a realistic expectation for someone who's addicted. So I guess what I'm saying is that even doctors seem to underestimate the power of addiction and seem to misunderstand that an alcoholic will promise not to drink, yet this is meaningless. Also, Jennifer I too had to take control of my mother's money and limit her access to alcohol -- she was having expensive scotch delivered by delivery boy from the local liquor store and went through all of her savings this way. It is actually a kindness in the long run, I believe, to take control of the addiction this way; however, you should check with your mother's doctor if she will need medically supervised detox. It can be dangerous to detox an elderly alcoholic "cold turkey" without medical supervision. My sympathy is with you and I will help all I can with advice -- I've been there.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by JenniferR @ 05:11 PM August 15, 2008

JenniferR — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:11:12 -0000

Good day, This is the first time for me. I'm glad to find this web site. My mother has alcoholism and alzeimers. Its been a struggle. The doc has said there is nothing to be done. He will not give her any meds as long as the drinking continues. She is one step away from placement but the family has decided to try and dry her out and take all her access to money away. The drinking is the main focus of her life. She cant remember much of anything BUT she does remember her pin number and where the liqour store is. We are trying to keep her dignity in her independent living situation but it is getting really hard to deal with.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Anonymous @ 10:47 PM May 21, 2008

Anonymous — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:47:17 -0000

Hello LauraL,

Unfortunately, an assisted care facility at this point is not an option due to My mother-in-laws children refuse to accept or acknowledge how much she has degraded with her logical thought process. To add more stress to the situation, we have a two year old child and one on the way.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by LauraL @ 11:42 PM May 17, 2008

LauraL — Sat, 17 May 2008 23:42:52 -0000

Hello Anonymous,

That is a stressor! Daily care like that can wear one out, and battles just make it worse. Is it possible that perhaps an outside caregiving situation would work better for you all, assisted care facility?

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Anonymous @ 01:57 AM May 17, 2008

Anonymous — Sat, 17 May 2008 01:57:09 -0000

My Mother-In-Law who is 77 years old lives with us and was as I am finding out a heavy drinker thru the years. She is currently on Namenda twice a day and her doctor has told us she should only have alcohol on extremely speacial occasions and should not be driving. It is a daily fight with her to keep alcohol away from her and the keys to her car. She is still convinced we are making it up about the Doctor saying no alcohol and no driving even though we have a doctors note to show her every day. She is like a bloodhound though and can sniff out alcohol quickly so I can only have a beer or a glass of wine when I go to bed at night. The daily fight is really starting to wear on us.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by LauraL @ 10:10 PM May 07, 2008

LauraL — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:10:58 -0000

It's hard when you want to balance between what you want for her to do, and what she wants to do. At the very least, you might consider contacting her physician and asking him to help her understand what's really the best decision to be made about alcohol and any medications.

Best wishes to you, and let us know how things are going!

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by mtnest @ 07:01 PM May 07, 2008

mtnest — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:01:04 -0000

My mother in law is 83 years old and has alcohol-induced dementia. Hers stems from consistent, daily drinking for over 50 years. Her drink of choice was beer and she had at least 2 six-packs each day during those years. She was in rehab twice. So I sympathize with you. The only reason my mother in law doesn't drink now is because my husband got guardianship of her about 6 years ago after her second time in rehab. If she still had the option, she would be drinking today. So although your mother still insists on drinking while taking the medicine, I have to agree with the other person who posted who said at least your mother is taking the Aricept. Whether it is helpful to its full potential with your mother still drinking ... I don't know, but probably not. However, unless you have the legal authority to make decisions for her or put her in rehab, it is ultimately her decision to continue drinking. Best wishes to you in your struggle.

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Paula Spencer @ 08:40 PM April 29, 2008

Paula Spencer — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:40:47 -0000

I was in a similar position hoping that starting Aricept would be the coincidental means to stop my dad from driving as well as drinking. Unfortunately his doctor didn't see a problem with either. The official Aricept website doesn't address combining the drug with alcohol, and alcohol does not seem to be a contraindication, although many doctors often advise against mixing the two. (The Mayo Clinic for a typical example points out that alcohol can cause side effect interaction with many different drugs and a physician should be consulted about individual cases.) All that said, it's probably a great idea if you can talk to her doctor about it. Some dementia can be alcohol induced and there are such cases of Aricept improving the dementia quite a bit; it may be better in such instances to take the medication even with the drinking rather than not at all. Her own doctor is the best person to evaluate and advise--

Alzheimers and alcohol posted by Anonymous @ 07:56 PM April 29, 2008

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 19:56:48 -0000

Hi all,

I'm new here. My mother is 75 years old and has been diagnosed with the beginning stages of Alzheimers. She is on Aricept. My mother has been a heavy drinker (every night to the point of intoxication) most of her life. When I questioned what her doctor says about drinking alcohol with the meds, she said, "My doctors says it's fine. There's no problem with drinking with it." I don't believe that.

Aside from the obvious speculation that a woman her age should not drink with this medication, does anyone have any hard evidence or experience about mixing the two? Also, should I discuss this with her doctor?

Thanks very much,

Ellen

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