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My wife's Neurologist recommended a Psychiatrist-Experiences?
Caregivers: Dementia | Last Active: Jul 30 3:15pm | Replies (25)Comment receiving replies
@gl66: I'm so sorry to hear you and your wife are going through such an emotionally fraught time right now.
You've said she's been having trouble using the right words and having difficulty communicating - from my understanding of what you wrote, this is impeding her ability to adequately relay her situation to doctors. It appears this is leaving her feeling very frustrated. irritable, anxious, depressed and agitated. Those symptoms may have led the hospitalist who evaluated her to provide an initial diagnosis that may not adequately reflect the degree of symptoms she's been experiencing. There are other conditions that can lead to such behaviors.
I'm wondering if the neurologist may have recommended a neuropsychologist as opposed to a psychiatrist for further evaluation? A neuropsychologist uses assessment tools in addition to interviewing and detailed history of the patient, such as testing to evaluate cognitive, emotional or behavioral disorders in order to more closely hone in on the proper diagnosis and treatment.
Would you be able to ask the neurologist if this type of assessment, by a neuropsychologist, is what what he or she had in mind or if it ought to be considered for your wife?
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I lost most of my cognitive ability three days after the 2nd dose of the COVID shot. I started with terrible brain fog and my mind was so messed up plus I was falling asleep the time. I went to a Neurologist who had more than a few scans taken. She didn't anything in the scans so sent me to neuropsychologist. They tested me all day. They said my IQ has dropped 20 points and said pretty much I had early onset dementia. Two years went by and nothing improved. Then I had a terrible heart attack. The Cardiologist four months earlier said my heart was very strong as you could see it on a monitor. No matter how much I argued that I had swelling in my lower legs, trouble breathing, and cognitive decline to where I was having night seizures and brain zaps, he put me on the treadmill which is old technology and only 60 percent accurate. I was 65 years old and had been sick now for two years. Then the heart attack came. I had a STEMI which is the worst heart attack you could have. Four stents were needed in my Coronary Arteries. It's two years, four years since this all started and I did major heart damage. Their went my life. Medicine is what's keeping me alive. All of the doctors missed what was wrong. I went back last week to see my old friend the neurologist. My brain has gotten worse and she asked if I wanted to see a psychiatrist?? I can't drive, my mind still goes dark to where I get very dizzy. I just wanted to know if she thought I did have dementia. She said well, we didn't see much on the scans. I looked at her and got up and walked out. My last tests showed severe stenosis in my Renal and Celiac Arteries. My cardiologist said my body was to weak to work on due to the heart attack. The COVID shot, where all of this crap started is still a no no to talk about. Yes, I can believe your wife's nurolgist did say psychiatrist. I understand her pain. I don't understand a lot of doctors.