T:Question about my father	Q:Hello everyone,  I'm newby to this forum & would like some advice about my father who is <age> years old (I am his daughter,  aged <age>). I'll tell you the story as briefly as I can. During <month>,  he passed a flu after which he began having chest and bone pains. We went to the <institution> <num> times,  visited his <professional_practitioner> many many times,  made a lot of tests,  everything was found to be normal. His heart is ok (NB: he had a heart attack <time_period> ago & had an open heart surgery & never had problems of that kind ever since). Since <month>,  he changed a lot : he seems to be panicking about all kinds of things,  can't sleep well,  complains about hot flashes,  he is hyperactive (cannot sit just about anywhere) & is extremely nervous and insecure. Additionally,  he cannot stand heat sources (fireplace,  sun,  stove). The <diagnostic_test> was negative. His <professional_practitioner> now prescribed him a medicine called <medicine> which alleviates the Alzheimer disease's symptoms. My father has not been diagnosed with Alzheimer,  so when I asked the <professional_practitioner> why he gave him that medicine,  he answered that my father might be at the <num> stage of this disease & that this medicine will help his brain work better. I must also tell you that he seems to have developed some phobias,  for example he avoids some foods because of the fear of choking. My mother is very concerned & I'm really worrying about them both. If you have experience with situations like the one described above or if you are a healthcare professional,  please do give me some advice. Could my father be suffering from the Alzheimer disease? What can we do to make him feel better? Is there anything else we should perhaps check? Thank you! 	A:What about anemia?Is his <professional_practitioner> a <professional_practitioner> or <professional_practitioner>? 


A:So he was never like this before having the flu? Did he ever do things before that was a bit odd? Did he have a fever with the flu? What kind of <professional_practitioner> presribed the AD med?


A:Hello again & thank you both for your replies. His <professional_practitioner> (and the one who prescribed <medicine>) is a general practitioner. My father has done many <diagnostic_test> & none has shown anemia. He did not have fever with the flu & before that he was ok. A strange thing but also very important that I forgot to mention yesterday is that he has lost weight,  about <num> kilos. Does anyone know how the Alzheimer's is diagnosed?


A:He needs to be seen by a <professional_practitioner> to rule out other problems first. They will make sure there is nothing else wrong with his brain. But they will have him do a series of cognitive and logic tests and make the determination if he has AD after the testing.  


A:Your response is very precise & helpful. Thank you! 


A:My mom was diagnosed <time_period> ago with AD,  and she saw a <professional_practitioner> or <professional_practitioner> who did a series of tests,  as mentioned above and also interviewed my mom,  well that was part of the evaluation. My mom also had an <diagnostic_test> and in addition,  bloodwork to rule out other diseases. Her diagnosis is probable Alzheimer's because a definitive diagnosis cannot be made until autopsy,  when the brain is looked at for placques and tangles. there is a wealth of information on the Internet that you might want to Google. Just as an FYI,  <time_period> ago,  she began having TIA's,  mini strokes and after <time_period> in the <institution> and every imaginable test,  we learned that they were been caused my medication. She was taking <medicine>,  which can cause strokes in people with high blood pressure. You need to find out what medicaitons uour dad is taking,  including over the counter drugs and supplements. Best of luck, <name>


A:Thank you very much for the information. I don't know much about this disease,  will certainly make a research over the Internet. But we don't know yet whether he has this disease,  there's only a suspicion. Now we 're waiting for the results from some other tests and then we will visit a <professional_practitioner>. Thank you & good luck to you too! 


A:you may find this product like most drugs causes reactions and your dad could be having one or moreYour <professional_practitioner> has prescribed a drug for moderate to severe alzheimers.  * tiredness,  sleepiness, sleeplessness,  or problemssleeping* dizziness* diarrhoea,  vomiting,  or nausea* loss of appetite* feeling anxious* conjunctivitis.  These are mild side effects of themedicine.  


A:Hello there and thank you very much for your reply and for the information provided. He seems to be responding well to <medicine> and he's also taking <medicine> for a while. Not any side effects have been noticed. He is about to be seen by a <professional_practitioner>. I'll keep my fingers crossed so he doens't have Alzheimer's.  


A:Please keep us updated ok <name>?


A:<name> good luck with the <professional_practitioner> and i hope he hasnt got alzheimers.  With the weight loss .  Look at what food he is having a phobia on and try giving him food instead with a high calorie content.  can any one correct me would it be the corret thing to do.  do we have any nutrition experts here? 


A:Hello again & thank you very much for giving me ideas and hope. I will keep you updated as soon as I can.  
