LAURA RYAN
AT his own request, my dad recently came off his medication for Alzheimer’s disease. The condition has worsened. Is this normal?
here are no drug treatments that can cure Alzheimer’s disease or any other common type of dementia.
However, medicines have been developed for Alzheimer’s disease that can temporarily alleviate symptoms, or slow down their progression, in some people.
Medication should be reviewed regularly, and continued for as long as the benefits outweigh any side effects.
If a person with Alzheimer’s decides to stop taking a drug, they should speak to their GP first if possible, or as soon as they can after stopping treatment.
Treatment may also be stopped by agreement with the GP if the person becomes unable to take the medicines in the prescribed way, even with support.
If someone stops taking their prescribed drug, their condition may get worse more quickly.
If your dad wants to restart his medication, it is important that you get advice from his GP. For more help and advice: www.nhsinform.scot I’VE recently noticed reddish-purple stretch marks on my arms and a rounder face. Does it have anything to do with the steroids I’m taking for asthma?
should speak with your GP. The symptoms sound like Cushing’s syndrome, which is a known side effect of taking steroids. People taking high does of steroids in the long-term, often have a build up of cortisol in their blood.
The main treatment for Cushing’s syndrome caused by intake of steroids is to decrease or withdraw the use of corticosteroids.
However, this must be done gradually to avoid any unpleasant side effects.
For Cushing’s syndrome caused from inside the body e.g. a tumour that abnormally produces steroids, surgery to remove the tumour is usually recommended.
If surgery is unsuccessful or it’s not possible to remove the tumour safely, medication can be used to counter the effects of the high cortisol levels. Although treatment is effective, it can take some time to bring the symptoms under control. Left untreated, Cushing’s syndrome can cause high blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. WHAT is a Hookworm infection?
he hookworm larvae are found in soil that’s been contaminated with animal or human faeces. The larvae can infect people if their skin comes into contact with the soil.
Most people infected with hookworm don’t show any real symptoms. The skin of those infected with animal hookworm can display a slow moving red line but this is painless and typically doesn’t cause any harm. However, those infected with human hookworm can experience a red, itchy rash and respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing. In more severe cases, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue may be experienced.
Hookworm infections can be diagnosed by inspecting a stool sample under a microscope in a laboratory. Hookworm infections can be successfully treated by anti-worm medications that can be prescribed by your GP. These medications typically have few side effects and will need to be taken for one to three days.