Dementia Support Group

Sorry I can't help you as I've never heard of alcohol causing dementia but then again who knows why one person has it and not the next. My mom never drank a drop of alcohol and no one else in the family has dementia, yet she has it, so go figure. My grandmother (her mother) lived to be 95 and she was bright as a button right till the end and she drank her glass of ''medicinal'' sherry' every day LOL.

I think it can contribute to some kinds of dementia. You know they say alcohol kills brain cells. So it is very possible that excessive
drinking could contribute.

It sure can make a sense that if abused over a long period time it could be a factor.

My husband's Dr.'s have all inquired to his alcohol consumption when we first were diagnosed.

My Dad's neurologist said that he had multiple risk factors, which included alcohol use, smoking, and a head trauma where he was rendered unconcious (twice). He said all of these and many more can contribute to dementia. He also told us that dementia was the most common symtom of Alzheimers. My dad didn't appear to forget things in the beginning, but he had hallucinations of "little gremlins" with big teeth as he called it. Must have been so frightening for him.

Alcohol dementia is quite a bit different, much more bobvious with more physical symptom's. Think of a drunk bum wandering the street. It is called Korsakoff-Wernicke Syndrom. The syndrome is a combined manifestation of two eponymous disorders, Korsakoff's Psychosis and Wernicke's encephalopathy, named after Drs. Sergei Korsakoff and Carl Wernicke.
Wernicke's encephalopathy is characterized by:
1. confusion
2. nystagmus- involuntary eye movement
3. ophthalmoplegia- paralysis of the one or more extraocular muscles which are responsible for eye movements.
4. anisocoria- unequal size of the pupils.
5. ataxia- gross lack of coordination of muscle movements
6. sluggish pupillary reflexes- gross lack of coordination of muscle movements
7. coma and death if untreated
Korsakoff's psychosis is characterized by
1. anterograde and retrograde amnesia.
2. confabulation- formation of false memories, perceptions
3. hallucinations

Also, it is usually a result of ENORMOUS alcohol consumption, and it is because of a lack of thiamine.

Our primary care Dr. told us that excessive alcohol use depletes the body of B vitamins, which are vital for good brain function.

It can be just one factor among many others. And, everyone is
different - react differently to many things.

It is impossible to pinpoint why anyone has this horrible disease for sure.

My Dad hadn't drunk any alcohol for 30 years when he started to hallucinate, but now that you mention it Jamr, the first thing they found wrong was a depleted b12 level. When they started giving him the b12 injections, he improved quite a bit. Now I tell anyone who mentions their parents are beginning to act confused, to be sure and have their b12 level checked.

My husband gets B12 also, it is given for many things.

My husband hasnt drank since 1986, when he became a christian. He does have hallucinations, as well as the memory loss. His b12 levels have been checked and it is ok. Do you think Namenda or Exelon does any good with this type of dementia?

I think Namenda is widely used and well tolerated by most. It is usually given along with Aricept or Excelon or Reminyl. I think they do help, especially in the early stages. They are supposed to slow down the progression of the disease.

One thing - once you start these meds they need to stay on them. If you stop them they go down hill fast.

They are expensive.