I was diagnosed with Major Depression and PTS many years ago and was on a lot of medication. My memory even before this was bothering me and then after my diagnosis of depression and meds it got very very bad. I went to a Neurologist and was diagnosed with Alzheimers because of the word tests, MRI and PET scan, went to a secon Neurologist a year later and he threw away the PET scan and said he did not believe in them and I went through a very long word test with him and a Psychiatrist and was finally told I did not have the disease, just Cognitive memory loss due to depression and meds. I am now off the meds and still have the same memory problems I had before, but only worse. No history of this disease in my family and I just turned 55, was diagnosed with Alzheimer' s 3 years ago, do I just have Dementia or could I have masked Alzheimer's because of the depression and meds?
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Caregiving
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Q: Could this be a wrong diagnosis?
Your situation sounds very overwhelming and complex. It sounds as if you have been vigilant in following up with physicians and specialists in the area of cognitive functioning. I can only imagine how confusing it must be to get conflicting information from healthcare professionals.
You questioned whether you just have dementia and I wanted to clarify that definition for you. Dementia is a vague clinical term that describes a cluster of intellectual and psychiatric symptoms. The official definition of dementia is “multiple intellectual losses in the awake state,” which basically means that a person with dementia has several types of problems with the way their brain is working. This type of brain dysfunction can be caused by many different illnesses and diseases—over 60 conditions in total. The idea of having “masked Alzheimer’s because of the depression and meds” is not a part of the clinical terminology. However, it is possible that memory problems can be a side effect of certain medications.
Alzheimer‘s disease cannot be diagnosed 100% percent without a brain autopsy. The diagnosis that is typically given is “probable Alzheimer’s” by ruling out other issues, such as a medical problem. It is not uncommon for people who have a diagnosis of depression to experience memory problems. These memory problems are a direct result of the depression. At times, when the depression is being treated, the memory problems improve. You mentioned you have always had memory problems even before you were diagnosed with Depression and PTSD. This is important when trying to gauge what is normal memory function for you.
It is recommended you continue to be seen by a specialist such as a neurologist or psychiatrist to further assess your needs. You can locate an Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) in your area that specializes in Alzheimer’s disease. If a doctor tells you that you have dementia, the doctor really should investigate further to determine the cause of the dementia. Different causes require different treatments, and some causes are reversible.
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