Anyone personally Know an Alzheimers patient with Diabetes? - Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia Message Board

wa5ekh · 02-15-2004, 08:32 AM

My father in Law has many signs that seem similar to Diabetes, but they don't seem to want to do an A1c. Only an occasional blood glucose level. Anyone else notice this? He is in a nursing home now. I checked several Diabetes boards a month or so ago, and I'm still looking.

mary b. · 02-16-2004, 08:52 PM

Hi, Yes my grandma had diabetes and Alzheimers. She needed to have her medicine reduced because she didn't eat regular meals anymore and small amounts when she did. We noticed that her sugar was actually lower most of the time then it was before. She took one Actos and one glyburide a day. The home health nurse would check it in the mornings. And interestingly enough, she used to love bananas and eat them alone........raising her sugar but when she got bad dementia she hated bananas. Hope that helps.

camachinist · 02-18-2004, 01:59 PM

My mom has vascular dementia and diabetes and it is managed with Glucophage XR and diet/exercise.

Google A1c diabetes technolgies.... you don't have to count on the NH to do tests.

We don't test for A1c but I do all the rest of the routine monitoring for diabetes, as well as her other vitals, myself. BP kit, stethascope, glucometer and cholesterol checker all ran a bit under 300.00 total. Got everything on ****.

Does FIL have a confirmed AD diagnosis? What stage? IME, diabetes can have a marked effect on transitory cognition. When mom eats properly, takes her meds on time, and is active, she is much more likely to have a "good" day.

A good friend of ours who's an RN told us diabetes will likely get her before any other health problems or her dementia. I took that advice to heart.

Pat