Huntingdons disease

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Hi all,
just wondered if anyone knows the symptoms of huntingdons disease as i think my father might be suffering from the early stages of it.
the problem is he always misses his turn off when he is driving and today he should have met me and the family back at our house and he drove back to his house,he always seems to forget what he is doing.ie he will go to the kitchen to put the kettle on and when he gets there wonder what he was going to do.
although we can find it funny sometimes and share a laugh it does worry me about the long term.if anyone here suffers from it or has a relative suffering, any experiences /help would be appreciated.
thanks in advance

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From what I understand, Huntington's disease does not affect the mind. It is a muscle wasting disease. It sounds like your dad may have early Alzheimers or a related dementia.

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agreed. he needs to see the doctor for blood tests in case there is a simple reason that can be dealt with, rather than the unpleasant option of Alzheimers

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I have a good friend with Huntington's. It began with her dropping things involuntarily, stumbling, and losing the ability to type well on a keyboard. The mind is only affected in the advanced stages.

I agree. This doesn't sound like Huntington's. Alzheimers, maybe. But then, a lot of things can cause memory loss...a doctor will need to run a variety of tests to diagnose.

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There is a genetic basis for Huntington's disease. Has anyone else in your family had signs of the disease?

If so, you might consider having your father undergo a genetic analysis and you might have one yourself.

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Alzheimer's is only the most common of a number of conditions that rob older people of their dignity. Get your father to a doctor--many of these conditions can be treated. In other's the progress of decay can be slowed.

P.S. Huntington's is inherited. Does this disease run in your family?

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Re: Huntingdons disease

iceman71 wrote:

Hi all,
just wondered if anyone knows the symptoms of huntingdons disease as i think my father might be suffering from the early stages of it.
the problem is he always misses his turn off when he is driving and today he should have met me and the family back at our house and he drove back to his house,he always seems to forget what he is doing.ie he will go to the kitchen to put the kettle on and when he gets there wonder what he was going to do.
although we can find it funny sometimes and share a laugh it does worry me about the long term.if anyone here suffers from it or has a relative suffering, any experiences /help would be appreciated.
thanks in advance

As we all age, there's bound to be lapses in memory. You didn't say how old your father is, but memory loss is normal in the aged and is not really considered to be a sign of a unique disease state. You father might have "hardening" of the arteries that feed his brain, and his lapses in memory could be the result of decreased cerebral flow of blood.

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hi ,
my father is 65,66 in september.yes his dad my grandad had huntingdons which is why we assumed that is what he has got.
my dad went to the doctors about 4 weeks ago for a special"memory" test he got 28 out of 30 right which was good.the doctor wanted him to have more tests but my dad said "even if i have it theres nothing we can do about it".
he can be very stubborn at times and therefore decided not to take any further tests.
i know it worries my mum as well.is there anything which can be done to slow down huntingdons?
the episode tonight when he drove home instead of coming to our house worries me.
i phoned up the house and he answered and i said"what are u doing there"
and he said "well where should i be" and he wasnt joking.
dont really know if i should keep on at him but he is definately more forgetful since he retired at 62.
thanks to everyone for their help

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Can you get him back to the doctor's with the logic that even if his trouble can't be treated a diagnosis will help the family make plans?

You can't do much without information.

Is your mother still alive? Has she noticed memory lapses? If you pick up the nagging about seeing a doctor, this may make her life much easier. He can complain about you to her instead of complaining about her to her.

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Here is some good info on the condition as well as links to sites about the disease:

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorders/huntington.htm

Quote:

Some early symptoms of HD are mood swings, depression, irritability or trouble driving, learning new things, remembering a fact, or making a decision. As the disease progresses, concentration on intellectual tasks becomes increasingly difficult and the patient may have difficulty feeding himself or herself and swallowing. The rate of disease progression and the age of onset vary from person to person

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Your dad is wrong about one thing, iceman. There are new drug therapies that can greatly aid Huntington's sufferers. My friend takes some kind of antibiotic that improves her balance and gives her much better control over her muscles. Don't know how it works like it does, but it's a new treatment. It has made a world of difference for her.

The age of onset with Huntington's is usually the same in each family. My friend was diagnosed at 43. Her mother had been 42.

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iceman71 wrote:

hi ,
my father is 65,66 in september.yes his dad my grandad had huntingdons which is why we assumed that is what he has got.
my dad went to the doctors about 4 weeks ago for a special"memory" test he got 28 out of 30 right which was good.the doctor wanted him to have more tests but my dad said "even if i have it theres nothing we can do about it".
he can be very stubborn at times and therefore decided not to take any further tests.
i know it worries my mum as well.is there anything which can be done to slow down huntingdons?
the episode tonight when he drove home instead of coming to our house worries me.
i phoned up the house and he answered and i said"what are u doing there"
and he said "well where should i be" and he wasnt joking.
dont really know if i should keep on at him but he is definately more forgetful since he retired at 62.
thanks to everyone for their help

First of all, your father hasn't been diagnosed with Huntingtons disease. For your own sake, you need to get this matter settled and you need to have a genetic analysis for yourself, to see if you're prone to the disease.

Very little solid research has been done on this disease, merely because it doesn't affect very many people. There is Huntington's Association and you can contact the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, from the Neurological Section for updates on this disease. You can get tons of info from the internet.

Best wishes.

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Eva wrote:

Your dad is wrong about one thing, iceman. There are new drug therapies that can greatly aid Huntington's sufferers. My friend takes some kind of antibiotic that improves her balance and gives her much better control over her muscles. Don't know how it works like it does, but it's a new treatment. It has made a world of difference for her.

The age of onset with Huntington's is usually the same in each family. My friend was diagnosed at 43. Her mother had been 42.

Yes, the age is usually a bit younger ( 20 years ) than 65 years. Rolling Eyes

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Huntingdons disease

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