Alzheimer’s disease is the commonest of over 100 forms of dementia, a brain disorder that seriously and progressively restricts the ability to carry out normal daily functions and activities. It affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. Alzheimer’s disease was first noted by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor in about 1906, when it must have been an extremely rare condition.
History of the illness
It is just over 100 years ago that neurologist, Alois Alzheimer first described this disease. His patient was a woman who developed dementia in her 50s and died in 1906. Now Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and it is estimated that 24 million people around the world suffer it. By 2040 it has been projected by Alzheimer’s Disease International, that there will be some 81 million sufferers throughout the world, with much of the incidence being in the 'developed' world, that is, that part of the world that consumes most conventional medical drugs.
The incidence of Alzheimer’s, and dementia generally, has increased rapidly, particularly over the last 50 to 60 years. A report published in 2006 by the Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI), mentioned in the Lancet (17 December 2005), calculated that there was a new case of dementia every seven seconds, and predicted that, worldwide, dementia cases are expected to double every 20 years. They estimated that over 24 million people are living with dementia, and 4.6 million new cases are diagnosed each year. There are 4.8 million in Western Europe and 3.4 million in North America. The ADI chairman is reported as calling the situation "a ticking time bomb”.
The Alzheimer's Society published a major study on the social and economic impact of dementia in the UK in February 2007, and again in November 2014. Both were undertaken by King's College London, and the London School of Economics. They provided the most detailed information about the prevalence and impact of dementia in the UK. These are some of the Dementia UK 2014 findings (the report can be downloaded from here).
- One in every 79 (1.3%) of the entire UK population, and 1 in every 14 of the population aged 65 years and over has dementia.
- At the current estimated rate of prevalence, there will be 850,000 people with dementia in the UK in 2015. (In 2007 the estimate was 700,000).
- The total number of people with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to over 1 million by 2025 and over 2 million by 2051.
- There are now 42,325 people with early-onset dementia (onset before the age of 65 years) and 773,502 people with late-onset dementia (onset after the age of 65 years) in the UK. (In 2007 the figure given was 15,000 for early onset).
- In total, 311,730 people with dementia in the UK are living in care homes, of whom 180,500 are living in residential care and 131,230 in nursing homes.
- As in 2007, nearly two-thirds (62%) of all people with dementia in the UK, 505,813 in total, have Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), known to be the most common form of dementia.
- For those with dementia aged over 60 years, an estimated 55% have mild dementia, 32% have moderate dementia and 12% have severe dementia.
- Among people with late-onset dementia, 311,730 (38.7%) are living in care homes (either residential care or nursing homes) and 493,639 (61.3%) are living in the community.
- The total cost of dementia to society in the UK is £26.3 billion, with an average cost of £32,250 per person. (The total cost figure in 2007 was £17 billion).
- The majority of people with dementia are women.
- Family carers bear the main cost , and provide the most care for people with dementia.
Drugs used to treat this disease
As NHS Choices says, there is currently no (conventional medical) cure for Alzheimer's disease “although medication is available that can temporarily reduce some symptoms or slow down the progression of the condition in some people”. These medications are named.
Donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Reminyl) and rivastigmine Exelon (known as AChE inhibitors) can be prescribed for people with early to mid-stage Alzheimer's disease.
When describing these drugs, NHS Choices described their action as follows:
“A number of medications may be prescribed for Alzheimer's disease to help temporarily improve some symptoms and slow down the progression of the condition” (My emphasis).
Most websites do not describe or suggest that these drug have anything but a very minor affect on dementia, or the progress of dementia.
However, in November 2006, NICE ruled these three Alzheimer’s drugs should not be used for new Alzheimer’s patients as they were not good value for money. They are expensive, and have little effect on the disease. NICE said that they should be allowed only for patients with moderate levels of the disease. The drug companies, and some patient support groups supported by the drug companies, put enormous pressure on government ministers to reverse the decision (the drug companies apparently threatened to remove their factories and R&D facilities from Britain). So the decision about the drugs was overturned. (For more information on this event go to this link).
The side effects of these drugs are many and serious. They include
- Diarrhoea
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Indigestion
- Swelling of face, lips, tongue, throat
- Breathing problems
- Abdominal pain
- Lack of appetite
- Hives
- Yellowed skin
- Dizziness
- Slow heartbeat
- Sudden or substantial weight loss
- Weakness
Memantine may be prescribed for people with mid-stage disease who cannot take AChE inhibitors, or for those with late-stage disease. The drug has an enormous amount of side effects, listed here as follows:
- Anxiety
- back pain
- bladder pain
- Bloating or swelling of the face, arms, hands, lower legs, or feet
- blurred vision
- bloody or cloudy urine
- Burning feeling in the chest or stomach
- burning, numbness, pain, or tingling in all fingers except smallest finger
- change in walking and balance
- chills
- clumsiness or unsteadiness
- cough producing mucus
- coughing
- diarrhoea
- difficult, burning, or painful urination
- difficulty with breathing
- difficulty with moving
- difficulty with swallowing
- discouragement
- dizziness
- dry mouth
- headache
- nervousness, agitation
- pounding in the ears
- rapid weight gain
- slow or fast heartbeat
- tingling of the hands or feet
- unusual weight gain or loss
- Abdominal or stomach pain
- black, tarry stools
- bleeding gums
- blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
- blood in the urine or stools, dark coloured urine, decreased urine output
- chest pain
- coma
- cold sweats
- cool pale skin
- Confusion!
- constipation
- continuing vomiting
- convulsions
- dark-coloured urine
- decreased interest in sexual intercourse
- depression
- fainting
- fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
- fear
- feeling sad or empty
- fever
- frequent urge to urinate
- general feeling of discomfort, illness, tiredness, weakness
- heartburn
- High fever
- High of low blood pressure
- hyperventilation
- inability to have or keep an erection
- increased hunger
- increased sweating
- indigestion
- infection from breathing foreign substances into the lungs
- insomnia
- irritability
- joint pain
- hostility
- itching
- large amounts of fat in the blood
- lethargy
- light coloured stools
- lip smacking or puckering
- loss of appetite
- loss of bladder control
- loss of interest or pleasure
- loss of consciousness
- loss in sexual ability, desire, drive, or performance
- muscle twitching
- lower back or side pain
- muscle pain or stiffness
- nausea
- nervousness
- nightmares
- no breathing
- no pulse
- numbness or tingling in the face, arms, or legs
- pain in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
- pain in the joints
- pain or swelling in the arms or legs without any injury
- pain, tension, and weakness upon walking that subsides during periods of rest
- pinpoint red spots on the skin
- pounding, slow heartbeat
- puffing of the cheeks
- rapid or worm-like movements of the tongue
- rapid weight gain
- recurrent fainting
- red irritated eyes
- red skin lesions, often with a purple centre
- restlessness
- seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
- shortness of breath
- sleepiness or unusual drowsiness
- seizures
- severe constipation
- severe headache
- severe muscle stiffness
- severe vomiting
- shakiness
- slurred speech
- stomach cramps
- stomach upset
- sore throat
- sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
- stupor
- sudden severe weakness
- swelling of the face, ankles, or hands
- tenderness in the stomach area
- tightness in the chest
- tiredness
- trouble with concentrating
- trouble with sleeping
- total body jerking
- trouble with speaking or walking
- troubled breathing
- twitching, twisting, uncontrolled repetitive movements of tongue, lips, face, arms, or legs
- uncontrolled chewing movements
- unusual bleeding or bruising
- unusual tiredness or weakness
- unusually pale skin
- vomiting
- watery or bloody diarrhoea
- wheezing
- yellow eyes and skin
Drugs that may cause dementia
The cause of this epidemic, like so many others, is often said to be ‘unknown’. The common causes given are factors such as an ageing population, genetics and family history, and life style factors such as smoking, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
None of these seem sufficient to explain the extraordinary rise in dementia, from 1 in 1906 to the huge numbers outlined above.
Perhaps the main excuse for the rapid rise of dementia in recent decades has been that ‘people are living longer’, and that dementia is ‘a normal part of ageing’. But even this possible cause is no longer viable as younger people, some in their 30’s, are now developing the condition in increasing numbers.
A more realistic cause may be an increased contact with metals like aluminium and mercury (including dental amalgam, a mercury based compound placed routinely in our teeth, in a wet environment that leeches this poison into our bodies, close to our brain). And both metals can, of course, be found in vaccines.
So this is certainly an epidemic that could have been caused by the increased consumption of conventional medical drugs during the last 100 years. The rise in drug taking is reflected, and has been mirrored by the rise of dementia. And the global incidence of dementia reflects the amount of drugs consumed by different countries.
The connection is, of course, not recognised by the Conventional Medical Establishment, although any cursory examination of the British National Formulary demonstrates that there are a large number of Big Pharma drugs that list 'confusion' as a 'side-effect'. Yet there is evidence to connect dementia with drugs, as the two examples here indicate.
Dr Hugh Fudenberg, MD, one of the world's leading immuno-geneticists, has found that people who have had 5 consecutive ‘flu vaccinations between 1970 and 1980 (the years he studied) the chance of getting Alzheimer's Disease was 10 times higher than if he/she had one, 2 or no shots. Dr. Fudenberg said that this was due to the mercury and aluminum elements in ‘flu vaccinations, and that the gradual mercury and aluminum build-up in the brain causes cognitive dysfunction. (Hugh Fudenberg, MD, is Founder and Director of Research, Neuro lmmuno Therapeutic Research Foundation, and this information came from transcribed notes of his speech at the NVIC International Vaccine Conference, Arlington, VA September, 1997).
There is also evidence that common drugs used to treat depression, Parkinson’s disease and allergies can produce symptoms that can be mistaken for early dementia. An article in the British Medical Journal (Feb 2006; 332: 455 – 459) refers to research that says doctors should be aware that anticholinergic drugs can cause confusion, memory loss and disorientation. Karen Ritchie, the author of the article, told Reuters (London) that
"A large number of elderly people are taking medications that can mimic early dementia and are likely to be classed as having early dementia. A very large number of people with so-called early dementia have these effects due to drug consumption. The drugs they are taking are very common - they include things like antihistamines”
"What we showed is that many of the people who are classified in this way have it due to the medication they are taking, and not because they have early Alzheimer's disease".
"The drugs they are taking are very common they include things like antihistamines"
Anticholinergic drugs are prescribed to relieve tremors, muscle stiffness, weakness, anxiety, incontinence and sleep problems, so contracting Alzheimer’s disease as a result should perhaps be described as something more serious than a ‘side-effect’!
The self-published book by Grace E Jackson, called ‘Drug Induced Dementia - a perfect crime’ takes us through, and catalogues the vast amount of scientific evidence that conventional medical drugs are the primary cause of all forms of dementia, which has certainly become one of the more rampant epidemic conditions of our time.
Anyone who is concerned about contracting Alzheimer’s Disease, and anyone who is caring for someone diagnosed with Alzhiemer’s should read this book.
There are many other links to articles associating dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease with taking conventional pharmaceutical drugs, for example:
- Benzodiazepine drugs, including Valium, associated with dementia.
- Our doctors are told that Benzodiazepine use linked with development of dementia
- Three types of drug cause forgetfulness
- Everyday medications cause dementia - sometimes within 60 days of taking them.
- Dementia risk associated with sleeping pills
- One study associated dementia with prescription drugs for hypertension (high blood pressure), heart disease and chronic lung problems, as well as ‘over-the-counter’ drugs for insomnia, poor digestion, and including antihistamines.
- And taking several pharmaceutical drugs, polypharmacy, is also implicated in causing dementia.
- Everyday medications cause dementia-like effects within 60 days (What Doctors Don't Tell You)
“In a study of 3,690 older people taking anticholinergic medication, the researchers discovered that mental functioning began to be affected within 60 days”.
It should not perhaps be a surprise that powerful and toxic pharmaceutical drugs can cause dementia. The brain is the most delicate organ we have, and the most easily damaged. Certainly, anyone who has a relative or friend who has dementia, particularly in the early stages, should examine whether conventional pharmaceutical drugs have been a potential cause of dementia.
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