Archive | August 2014

The connection between “the sunshine vitamin” and Alzheimer’s

Aug13

Michiganspring2
Easter in Michigan; photo borrowed from Facebook.

“Older adults with too little vitamin D in their blood may have twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease as seniors with sufficient levels of the ‘sunshine vitamin,’ a new study finds.”

According to HealthDay.com, “Vitamin D3 deficiency has been linked to a host of other conditions such as high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and insulin resistance during pregnancy. Most recently, low Vitamin D3 levels have been linked to an increased prevalence of early age-related macular degeneration.”

Read the whole article here.

Makes sense.

My grandmother spent – and my mother is spending – her life in a state with very little sunshine; Michigan. It’s one of the reasons I headed for Florida; the cold is horrible for my Lyme, but the darkness is UNBEARABLE. 

The article says “the findings aren’t enough to recommend seniors take vitamin D supplements to prevent mental decline. ‘Clinical trials are now urgently needed in this area.'”

May I just say bullshit. 

Like Dr. Weil says about coconut oil – what can it hurt??

One of my friends is a cardiologist; he says lack of Vitamin D is an incredibly serious problem in this country. He recommended that I take from 2,000 to 3,000 IU of Vitamin D3.

This article from VRP – Vitamin Research Products – confirms his advice …

“Vitamin D3 deficiency is common in older adults and has been implicated in psychiatric and neurologic disorders. For example, in one study of 80 older adults (40 with mild Alzheimer’s disease and 40 nondemented persons), Vitamin D3 deficiency was associated with low mood and with impairment on two of four measures of cognitive performance…

Conclusion

A growing number of researchers who have widely studied Vitamin D3 are almost begging the general public to consume more of this important nutrient. Due to Vitamin D3’s high safety profile in doses up to 10,000 IU per day and because of the wide role it plays in our health, consuming 2,000 to 4,000 IU per day of this nutrient at times of the year when sunlight is scarce is a prudent way to improve overall health.”

My friend joked that you could lie naked in the sun all day and not get enough Vitamin D. Well, I’m not about to scare the neighbors, but I did go out and buy Vitamin D3 the next day. I’ve been taking it ever since – along with my sugar free, gluten free diet with coconut oil. (I’ve learned coconut oil sucks less if you add it to a nice Thai type tea. Mine is Harney & Sons Green Tea with Thai Flavors of coconut, vanilla, ginger and lemongrass.)

And let’s not forget to get mental and physical exercise every day.

Benadryl, Excedrin PM, Tylenol PM – over the counter drugs that destroy the aging brain; surgeries that seal the deal.

Aug6

meandrichardanaphylacticshock2ALLERGIES ARE PART OF WHAT’S SWIMMING IN MY GENE POOL.

I’ve gone into anaphylactic shock twice; I don’t have health insurance.

The first time it happened – about five years ago – my son and his family were visiting. We stopped at Taco Bell on our way back to the airport. I happened to kick some litter near the curb and felt a tiny pin prick between my toes. Thought nothing of it. (Fire ants are pretty prevalent here in SW Florida.)

He was at the counter placing our order as I sat with my DIL and granddaughters; suddenly I thought I was having a stroke. It’s so hard to describe. Your pulse races and you think you’re going to pass out. I had to lie down.

They were going to call an ambulance, but I imagined a bill in the thousands. I asked my son to call my mom instead. Her allergies are so bad she doesn’t go anywhere without epipens. She has nearly died from bee stings; her throat closes up.

She told Shawn to get me liquid Benadryl and chug some ASAP. Said it works nearly as fast as an epipen.

We rushed to a drug store and I swallowed a gulp in the car. Long story short, we called a friend, the family got to the airport and I survived. Only I knew my life was forever changed; I had to be careful.

The second time I stepped out of my kayak onto the beach and felt a tiny bite; again. On top of my foot. Different type of bug this time, not a fire ant.

I knew what to expect and I was with the friend we called the first time. He got me home, I chugged the liquid Benadryl I kept for emergencies and I was out for the rest of the day. (Photo above.) We thought it was sort of funny. But really, it’s not.

Benadryl knocks me OUT. I can give my 13 lb. Shih Tzu 1/2 to calm her down for a plane. If I take a whole tablet I can’t function. Maybe that’s a good thing.

MOM DECIDED SHE SHOULD TAKE A BENADRYL EVERY NIGHT.

It would help her sleep. (She’s wound pretty tight.) It sounded like a good idea.

Fortunately I don’t have any trouble sleeping. My allergies usually strike during the day and I take Sudafed as needed.

This week my allergies are horrific. It’s jungle in south Florida, the weather is soup and everything is growing. My lips and eyes are swollen and itchy. Google says “go to a doctor.” I was thinking I should start taking Benadryl; then I remembered her memory problems started around the same time as her nightly Benadryl.

I googled “Benadryl” and “memory loss” and found this. I like that it names the drugs. And it’s backed up by many other medical articles on the topic.

“These drugs, called anticholinergics, block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, and are widely-used medical therapies. They are sold over the counter under various brand names such as Benadryl®, Dramamine®, Excedrin PM®, Nytol®, Sominex®, Tylenol PM®, and Unisom®. Other anticholinergic drugs, such as Paxil®, Detrol®, Demerol® and Elavil® are available only by prescription. Older adults most commonly use drugs with anticholinergic effects as sleep aids and to relieve bladder leakage problems.”

The bottom line on this article –

“Simply put, we have confirmed that anticholinergics, something as seemingly benign as a medication for inability to get a good night’s sleep or for motion sickness, can cause or worsen cognitive impairment, specifically long-term mild cognitive impairment which involves gradual memory loss. As a geriatrician I tell my Wishard Healthy Aging Brain Center patients not to take these drugs and I encourage all older adults to talk with their physicians about each and every one of the medications they take,” said Malaz Boustani, M.D., IU School of Medicine associate professor of medicine, Regenstrief Institute investigator and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist.” Read more at: http://phys.org/news198238000.html#jCp
The article is from 2010. Let me say, from personal experience, my mother RAPIDLY developed (and was diagnosed with) cognitive impairment and there IS no hope for improvement.But wait – there’s more.

SURGERY MADE IT WORSE.

Knee replacement surgery shoved her right off the effing cliff. She yanked all her IVs and tried to leave her hospital bed TWICE the night of the surgery.
https://www.mysciencework.com/news/8206/could-surgery-accelerate-alzheimer-s-disease

In the morning hospital staff asked my stepfather why he didn’t tell them she had dementia. Heck, he couldn’t even deal with the diagnosis of “cognitive impairment.” But bless him for living longer than he wanted in order to take care of her. She’s so hostile she makes his life living hell.

This death spiral all happened within about 3 years.My Gram had dementia for about ten years. Her decline was gradual and she transitioned at 96. Not the most loving person when she was “normal” – paranoid and bitchy at her worst, my mother has been furious about her decline and enraged at me for being the first to recommend a neurologist. I am not welcome in her home.I hear she’s better now that she’s “on medication.” Not so hostile.I may drive up for Thanksgiving; she’s already forgetting grandchildren when they come to visit. So I doubt she’ll remember me.