I got sober 4 years ago after chronic alcoholism for 45 years. By some bit of luck i didn't do any permanent damage to vital organs and at 61 im probably in the best physical condition ive been since my eay 20s. However im sure damage was done along the way. We pay a price for our decisions. Every one. Ill have days of true mental clarity and others where the thoughts slip and slide. Part of it is just getting older but not all of it. Still im grateful for sobriety and this second chance at life.
I am 60 and had a similar journey. I got sober 15 months ago today. I did some liver damage but I lost 57 lbs and am in the best shape physically, mentally, and spiritually that I have been in 20 years. I really appreciate, respect and protect my sobriety and thank God every day for having a second birthday - 13 January 2023.
At last!! I know what kind of dementia my dad had!! Dad thought they'd moved into a new house. He was even argumentative about it, insisting their house was a new residence, but that they still owned the previous one. He was always worried that no one was cutting the grass there. At the nursing home, he claimed he had a long conversation with a fellow patient and that they'd come up with a new idea they were going to patent. He never lost his long-term memory, but did end up with new memories that had never existed. I'm so glad I happened upon this.
I've read that 80% of people with Korsakoff's, die not knowing what they died of. It is not very well known by most doctors. My husband is in the hospital right now with it. He will likely end up in a nursing home. So sad that this didn't have to happen. Strange how your dad had all the same thoughts as my husband. Seems a lot of them do. My husband also has not lost any of his long term memory but constantly makes things up as his reality. That is a main sign of Korsakoff's.
My mother not only suffers from this, she has yet to admit she even has a problem with drinking. I hope others like me get some support from AlAnon. I completed all 12 steps in 2021!
It happens SOOOOOOOOOOO much earlier than anyone admits. And then when you explain to these people they’re NOT REMEMBERING THINGS, they say you’re gaslighting them or “falsely accuse them.” 🙄
@ probably. That’s the other thing no one wants to admit: It can’t NOT HAPPEN. Obviously some people’s minds and brains are way more resilient than others. To all things. Sure. And obviously not everyone that suffers from alcohol abuse disorder does so at the same rate, for as long, at the same volume. But with alcohol it isn’t like……. With smoking cigarettes for example. Cigarettes are horrific and affect your health in a ton of ways. But there really are the rare cigarette smokers that for whatever reason smoke a pack a day and live to 100, WHIKE others get cancers or COPD or heart attacks or strokes and die young from them. Sure. With alcohol abuse….. It’s a GUARANTEE you will lose your faculties, if you abuse it regularly and long enough. It’s a GUARANTEE. Kinda how it’s a GUARANTEE eating badly and not exercising will lead to tons of health issues. It’s a GUARANTEE. Bc of the way it has to be metabolized by your body. I don’t know why people done realize that.
Thank you for this video. It explains perfectly what I experienced with my late husband. He was an alcoholic, and I was told repeatedly by Drs that he did not have dementia. It took a Psychiatrist who met with him only a handful of times over a couple of years to see what I saw. I was told that he did have a form of dementia caused by his alcoholism. It was not explained further to me. You hit every single thing on the nose in this video and now I feel a release from the confusion and guilt I’ve carried for four years.
My mom was diagnosed with Korsakoffs in 1978. I know seeing her drinking all my life till I was 15 always concerned me. I went to AA meetings with her she was doing so well then my grandma died and this was the impetus to the return of heavy drinking . She ended up trying to quit a year later and she got really Ill. She became a closet drinker. Unfortunately she one night went to bed and she started to seize over and over, I heard her and ran to her in bed , she died, the paramedics came revived her, she went to hospital and never came home. She ended up in a care facility which she always said if you guys stick me in one of those places I'll haunt you. I had no choice, the doctors did it. Oh god her short term memory was horrific. I went everyday with pictures, going over stuff and she started to improve. I know my hard work was helping but then my stepdad came and took me to Ottawa. I couldn't see my mom and help her. The phone calls were useless. This was my nightmare that I knew would happen. I only stayed in Ottawa for 3 years I finished school came back to Vancouver but the seperation and time ruined all the hard work. I couldn't get her back. She ended up dying from a perforated appendix. I was crushed. My mom,my best friend was gone. What a horrible time for me, years later my dad died from the same horrible disease and he had lung cancer, then my stepmom died two years later of encephalitis. It just was death after death after death. So when I see really bad drunks, I tell them you do not want this disease. It's a horrible way to live and then die not remembering, what a lonely way of living in your mind. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
@@Me-mn4nw actually he didn't. I went from watching my mom be an alcoholic in my childhood to teens and then moving to my stepdads only to find out he's worse. I saw much worse drinking, violence, verbal abuse and he didn't bond with me. I disliked what he was doing to my stepmom, cheating, verbally abusive. It was really hard but I did school and then moved back here so my mom wasn't left alone dying in a nursing home. I had to grow up fast and I saved myself . I learned how to get educated, I went to work and I worked for myself and had a strong work ethic. My stepmom was more of a parent, I hated her but when I moved back and became an adult I then saw what she was trying to instill in me and I can say it was her that I truly loved. My dad died four years later and then she died 2 years after him. Bad period of time for me. I am alone . I miss my mom, stepmom. It's hard sometimes but I dig up strength and think how they would tackle it and I move on.
@@gregbell3559 Sweetheart I came from a large abusive family with a mother who forced me to drink alcohol before handing me off to my incestious, abusive, alcoholic, father. I had to run for my life at the age of 16 after spending my childhood sleeping outside in the weather running from dad as he shot at me. My parents were wealthy and dad was in politics. People were ignorantly jealous of the so called little rich girl. Guys only dated me for arm candy and my father's money and power. Life is hard and we are all alone just trying to make it through another day.
I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this alone…it is not a child’s job to care for the adults in their life. So much trauma I am sure you are the end of the road for generational traumas that haunt so many families. It is so sad that we as family have no power to help our loved ones struggling with addictions and mental illness. We must do better we must have some power to help those who need it most….may your life be filled with blessings and may your story help others find their❤ way to healing…
@@pinchebruha405 thank you for your kind words. Parents don't realize how a socially acceptable drug can cause such destruction in families they just don't get it. Then it's too late all the outside damage is done and then the inside is done but they don't see that, they are too hooked. I watch a tv show called Dr. G. It's awesome she points out what damage alcohol does and boy I'm so happy I don't drink at all.
My partner of 27 yrs has been an alcoholic all his life. I recently started thinking he had some sort of alcoholic dementia or short term memory loss. This video hit every single symptom of his and gives me comfort that this is what he has..if that makes sense.
Dr Kim you are so right, once you are diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome it is irreversible! It only gets worst! I know for sure my husband past away one year ago!
Four years. Last two years had to was the worst decline. Never stopped drinking or realized he had alcohol problem. They lose the short term memory and the confusion
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I am currently caring (live in, for the past two years) for a relative with this condition. Shes 76 pounds, unable to walk, sit up, reposition herself and incontinent of bowels and bladder. She is truly 100 percent dependent. Because this is a 24 hour/365 day JOB for me, and her husband is completely unwilling to put her in a nursing home, or pay for outside help...its taken over my life. She attempts to get up, thinking the oven is on or she has to cook and will fall, forgetting her legs have atrophied and she essentially is permanently in the fetal position. One good thing thats come from watching her slow decline is im in recovery now too. I was a daily drinker and i can tell you, i never want to experience what she is or put the responsibility of caring for me on anyone else. Its been 5 years of her slow decline (2 of those yrs me caring for her) but shes seemingly healthy physically (covid 3x, recovers from illness quickly, no gray hair, ect) and im not sure how much longer i can physically and mentally care for her...i assumed she would pass by now...which makes this whole condition even more insidious...its debilitating but you dont die from it.
You are an angel for doing that, but you absolutely should not have to. Don't let her alcoholism ruin your life too. Big hugs to you ❤ I hope you can get some relief soon.
My father was an alcoholic most of my childhood. He needed emergency surgery and lied to the doctor. He woke up during the surgery and went ballistic. They induced a coma for nearly 4 weeks to get him off. All he does now is drive around and try to remember his life. It's super sad. Weird how he still remembers I owe him 50$ bucks tho.😅
I think my father has this, his memory all of a sudden crashed. Hes "healthy" as a horse, eats nothing but healthy foods, but he drinks in excess every weekend for the past 50+yrs. He will argue tooth and nail hes not an alcoholic because he "only drinks on weekends" and has held a job all his life. I dont think hes ever gone a week without drinking. Its scary.
I was on this path for 20 years (I'm 40 years old) and didn't think I had a problem because I never drank during the week, went to the gym 5 times a week and held my job. A year before I got sober my entire life started falling apart, I couldn't stop drinking even if I had something important to do and I was drinking Friday/Saturday/Sunday all day long. I could hardly make it through a gym session. I'm a year and 7 months sober and I'm happy I caught it in time, quitting a few days after my 39th birthday. I could easily have been like your Dad. I hope he's ok.
Sorry to hear this. I hope he finds his freedom. I would offer this, however; sometimes people just need a bit of help dealing with stuff, even if it’s not really healthy help. Veterans seem to manifest this a lot.
My dads very similar. Because he held a job and doesn’t drink all day everyday he’s not an alcoholic. He’s dr has asked him to drink less because it’s starting to affect his liver. His short term memory is patchy. He remembers some things but not all things. It seems to be getting worse as I have started back at university and some attendance is online and some is in person. He struggles to remember when I am going in to uni and when I get home. He is very anxious about stuff like if I get a cleaner to come to my place and how long they stay because his cleaner only stays an hour and a quarter. We’ve tried getting psychologists, nutritionists, men’s groups, drs, his friends and family. He refuses some and doesn’t call back others he argues and fights if we call back to make appointments. He won’t accept help from his brother or sister. I can’t help him anymore and have stepped away to do stuff for me. It’s sad. He can’t go more than 2 days without alcohol and more than a few hours without thinking about or planning what and when to drink.
My grams grew up during the "Mad Men" Era. Liquid lunches was a thing. Cocktails b4 dinner EVERY NIGHT. My 110lb grams drank 3 shots of liquor every night for 40yrs. The last 10yrs she's cut back to 1 drink instead of 2/night. This doesn't count their "social " drinking. Grams is 94. I'm not putting her in rehab now.. it's done & too late. Her best friends & husband has passed. She keeps on going because she has to but she's lonely. She doesn't do well by herself. I'm going to pump her full of B1 in the morning & afternoon. 6pm is cocktail 7pm dinner 7:30 movie.
My mother was diagnosed with Korsakoff's when she was 40 years old. She died when she was 70, of lung cancer. It was so very confusing to grow up in this family dynamic. My mother died in 1993.
My sweet grandmother was like a fragile broken child...when I was a child it was heartbreaking for my mother and I feel like I never really got the chance to know her...
My mother in law currently has this...she's 100% normal presenting but constantly forgets things we tell her. She'll also tell me the same story about when it snowed at her place decades ago whenever we discuss how cold it is at her place. She also keeps using Facebook status update as a search engine, regardless of us having to tell her to use internet explorer. She also will tell us about events she did yesterday like having dinner with her friend when we 100% know she was home all day and didn't even speak to her friend. Little things like that. She's retired now and is happy and comfortable but her 2 bottles of wine a night for 20 years has left her brain scrambled.
Please check into coconut oil for her brain; as people age, carbs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, but ketones (in coconut oil) can. Especially if she drinks, this might help.
@@trevntiUhh this doesn't just happen overnight...you're in denial. Nobody should be drinking 2 bottles of wine at night. This absolutely can happen to you if you don't change.
It’s horrible to see. I remember visiting a loved one in the hospital and nearby was a relatively young man or at least early middle age apparently dying of liver disease. It was tough to see as the family would come by. It was many years ago but the sorrow of the family at such a relatively young passing left an impression on me.
My second husband had this. It was so frustrating because unless you spent time with him, it wasn’t obvious. He had a set of sayings to get through conversations or repeated what the other person said. It was a 21/2 year nightmare for me. When we met, I had no idea he had a problem. He started when I went to work so I never saw it. He stopped drinking with the diagnosis, but it was too much for me.
I just finished a research paper on 8 types of dementia, including Korsakov Syndrome. I actually thought that vitamin B deficiency played a bigger part in conjunction with the alcoholism.
I have a friend thats an alcoholic and he has gone down hill lately with repeating himself over and over, its basically impossible to talk to him anymore. He has most of this.
Thank you for this. I hope a lot of people see this so that they can get help for suffering loved ones before it gets to this point. This happened to my best friend. She seems to have a genetic predisposition to dependence on pills or alcohol, as others in her family have suffered also. The family is educated and cultured, and she hid her alcohol use well. She was high functioning at work until she became very sick. I didn't know what was wrong and would often cover for her at work. Finally I took her to a doctor, as her husband was absolutely clueless and refused to help her. Her liver was starting to fail. She was called by her doctor's office to immediately check into the hospital. I took her in and she stayed for six weeks. Initially, it looked like she had Guillian-Barre, and maybe she did. Then her wild stories started. She was visiting dead parents, or people who live in other states were coming to see her. She didn't know who I was or where she was or how old she was. She has recovered a lot more than I thought she would. It has been about 15 years. She has severe chronic nerve pain--peripheral neuropathy. It has been so difficult to see my beautiful, talented and kind friend suffer like this. But she has stayed off alcohol and stayed close to her family. She still suffers and can't work, but for what she went through, I would say a success story.
tysvm for this.... my uncle died of it.... unfortunately i wasnt in the country at the time. im an alcoholic too but have found with valium i can stay off it (i have several other medical conditions both physical and mental that benefit from it too which is why i was prescribed it) .... its been four years now n im doing gr8 n even my detox doctor said i no longer need outpatient appointments coz i was doing really well xxx
@@kellyjofrey4192 ive come off it before fer years.... never had a single withdrawal symptom.... in fact i never take as much as im prescribed.... i dont need it half the time
@@Armistead_MacSkye i dont take enuff for that.... only when i need it maybe 10mg a couple times a week when im really stressed out or have to go in public with my PTSD etc
Thank you very much Doctor, this is really important information and so helpful to many worldwide suffering from alcohol related issues. I stopped using alcohol 23 years ago but have been left with some physical health issues related to it even after all of these years. Take care, David.
Thank-you for bringing the awareness and clarifications, I could write the book. The more than worst part for mom was once diagnosed as Korsakoff she developed terminal cancer, ironic saving grace she could not remember she had it from moment to moment, you just stop saying she does. I truly believe her pain was lessened.
My father just started presenting symptoms of this. It’s an awful disease and it’s almost totally preventable. He’s been in hospital for 2 weeks and has no idea why despite repeated attempts to explain it to him. It’s a hellish nightmare. And I’ve got no other family to help me deal with it.
This happened to my mother. It started in her mid-to-late 50's. She died at the age of 62, unable to seat herself on a toilet or lift a spoon to her mouth. She was a wonderful person with a terrible problem. I miss her...
Someone who works in a nursing home told me about one patient with alcoholic dementia. He was in his fifties, and because the disease has stopped progressing because he has stopped drinking, he may live for many more years. Except, he won’t remember any of them, and will always need nursing care.
I has diagnosed with Wernickes. Spent a week in the hospital. B-1 drip helped along with physical therapy. It is a strange aspect trying to reconfigure your body at 38.... Like waking from a dream. Glad I stopped it when I did.
I just stopped drinking 4 months ago for no reason just woke up and said I’m done. I drank pretty much every day around 4-6 drinks a day on average for about 20 years hopefully this disorder doesn’t hit me !
Thank you! My husband just stopped caring about other people. No empathy, which is NOT like him. He hides his life. I find gallons HANDLES of vkdka hidden in weirdvplaces. don't know what to do. My husband does this. I can't explain it well, so this helps a LOT. I'm terrified he's permanently not my husband anymore. What do I do?! It's devastating. His family doesn't understand. They live in a different state. They don't have to deal with it daily. He went from telling the truth to what my kids and I would call out as a pathological liar, just lies, and lies. He started saying things like, "I've never tried to hurt anyone ever." He'd say the most hurtful things to me. He was never like that before. The opposite, actually. Thank you so much. Any detox centers that you recommend?
There's a medicine i forgot the name. It is used as a deterrent for alcohol intake. If the person takes alcohol after taking the medicine, they will experience nausea and vomiting and overall very unpleasant experience.
Sometimes, the liver is so compromised that ammonia levels in the blood get really elevated. These people can get aggressive and hallucinate. Interestingly, the hallucinations described to me were almost exactly the same as Big Chief in the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Wires, and machines, big wheels and cogs running the world behind the scenes....There's a medicine that lowers serum ammonia levels, but it has intestinal side effects, so patients aren't always compliant.
hello Dr my girlfriend became a alcoholic 7 years ago . she was 40 at the time . now 47 . with her heavy drinking she repeats herself and when she is drunk she has fits in her hands and mouth . what is this ? as it’s very distressing to witness . she went to rehab but only lasted 3 weeks .
Hubby had a stroke in Nov. '23 and now has transcortial aphasia. Looking back, prev to stroke he had many of these symptoms. His CT shows prev. White spots. We are working on recovery and vit. supplements. My mom and dad were both in AA, 30+ years sober. I wish this had not been 'hitting bottom' for my hubby but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Blessings to y'all.
July 31st 2021 I woke up in the morning, got up out of bed and immediately collapsed. My boyfriend woke up and says I was asking weird questions like where are we? How long have we lived here? He called 911 and I was in hospital for 2 months. I was completely numb from the chest down, incontinent, in a wheelchair with no memory as to what happened, why I was in the hospital... Side note: I only drink a few times a year and never to get really drunk. I was a heavy marijuana/tobacco smoker. A few months before I collapsed I started throwing up a few times a day. Nothing I did was helping. Marijuana made me feel less nauseated but I would still throw up. In hospital I was on IV Thiamine (B1). At home I take a B1 supplement daily. I went home in a wheelchair, in diapers. It SUCKED! but after a year and lots of physiotherapy I was able to slowly start walking again. First with a rollator, now with just a cane. After about a year and a half I started getting a bit of feeling back, I was able to tell when I needed to use the washroom and stop wearing the diapers. My memory has also improved quite a bit over the last 2 1/2 years. Im not where I used to be memory wise, but Im hoping I can keep improving. Just wanted to say if you are going through this yourself or with a family member, there is hope!
I am really concerned about this with my ex. She had bariatric surgery, and drinks. She is either the world's worst liar and gaslighter, or has these memories just pop into her head. Trying to tell me we had conversations back when we were married that I know never happened, saying that she tried to pay bills but got turned away, or that she did but lost the receipt and they have poor record keeping, that sort of stuff. But if I bring up her drinking, holy crap it's aggressively rebuffed. I guess it's normal for everyone to have a closet full of alcohol?
Everyone I know, personally, who had Alzheimer's or is in the process of developing serious memory loss, has been a heavy, everyday drinker. The scariest incident I had was on the phone to my sister. We were talking about my nephew being irresponsible and how she wouldn't help him out even though he was trying to change. She said to me, "Well, that's not how I was raised. I was raised to take responsibility for my actions." It was totally lost on her that she was speaking to ME, HER SISTER! It was as if she was speaking to an acquaintance who didn't know her history. I explained to her that mom and dad would do anything to help us and they never turned their back on us. She was silent after that. I think it's because she realized at that moment who she was speaking to. Besides that incident, her memory is trashed. She tends to convolute incidents we both lived through. She drinks wine every day, but it's a really big bottle and has drunk for decades. I don't even know how to address the situation with her, my baby sister.
dear Dr my girlfriend is a alcoholic as in every day . she is displaying these symptoms you describe . i sailed away to another country but stay in touch . she wants to come to me and said she won’t drink. she went to rehab but only lasted 4 weeks . i care deeply but i can’t trust her . she has fits when drunk . in her mouth and hands. it’s scary to witness.
Alcohol keeps you stuck especially if you're an abuse victim. If you can quit and get some counseling you have a chance of moving past what happened to you. Take care.
Glad this showed up in my recommended feed…. just finished watching the US version of Shameless, Frank (William H Macy) is diagnosed with Alcohol Dementia in the middle of season 11 (but his loss of cognitive functions and memory are just barely noticeable before the diagnosis) Does the show portray the disease accurately??
Wait a minute. That first part with the W that I can't spell, is it happening just when the person is drinking alcohol or they have the symptoms all the time, even when they aren't drinking. That's important to know. It seems to me the description is typical of any drunk person, so is the W thing merely the state of being drunk?
I'm a recovering alcoholic and everytime I went to rehab they gave me thiamine I thought it was to increase my appetite. I'd always ask to be taken off of it after a few days because it made me so hungry. I had no idea it helped with brain function. Maybe I should start it again
Someone I love had a brain injury and he claims his Doctor said it was okay to drink. He’s underweight but claims he walks every day to pick up something to eat. His small income is spent, paying the rent on his rent subsidized place (because he never kept a job long). The rest he says he pays for his phone and food plus electricity. Last time he didn’t have a roommate I was worried he was going to freeze to death. I had to leave him where he was because he is not the person I used to know and had no desire to change.
I have a 66 yr old father inlaw who has just shown up in the worst way hes lived in thialand 7yrs sitting in bars drinking and smoking his lfe away hes returned looking like hes 88yrs old cant walk has no balance had a stint put in his lower leg from blockage in hij artery realised a yr later hes not getting better so he returned home to 🇦🇺 im at a loss as to what we do with him he cant do anything and don't try except get in his scooter an drive to pub all day hes lost control of bladder a bowls but hes fine got him into Drs running MRI aultrasou ds bloodtests im certain hes got drinking dementia my friend died 5 yrs ago of the same thing at a young age 46 my father inlaw remi ds me of my friend abd yet anything we say to him hes not intrested and yet he expects us to look after him😢🤯😡im praying these Drs will guide us in right direction but u feel hes Dr is a bit like myself "u sat in a bar for 7ys in thia land what do u except "my partner is torn as hes never got along with his dad and left home at 13 ,yet here he is moving in its divided our family and everyone is miserable 24/7 and he just sits there downing 1 stubby after another,i now know why he left home 13!!
My sister has auto brewery syndrome and has recently starting displaying these symptoms. Has there been any study’s on this connection? She lives in Arkansas and very hard to get her proper help. Anyone you may be able to give as a long distance reference/referal? At a loss of what to do for her. There are 5 people on rotation looking after her and we can get any answers.
It is an interesting phenomenon, but one that we rarely see today. Supply of the B vitamin complex and not least thiamine makes this only case studies or curiosity at best. In the last 15 years, we have not encountered a non-reversible case in our clinic. If you look even further back in time, however, you see that alcoholic dementia was more common, but even today's alcoholics have apparently learned the lesson of eating reasonably nutritious meals, and many of them know about the syndrome, and take vitamin B complexes. It is of course most advisable that they avoid alcohol altogether. However, the reality looks different. Then we must remember that alcoholic dementia is one of the last stages of severe alcohol abuse. But sure, we give thiamine on a generous basis. It also turns out that the more B vitamin intake, the lower the risk of convulsions and delirium. We should also not forget easily absorbed magnesium in high doses as prophylaxis.
In instances where korsakoffe syndrome happens without wernickes, does the onset of memory loss normally happen gradually or does it have an acute onset?
Finally I now have a name for what my husband has. I keep saying it is dementia, but it is dementia related to alcohol and I didn’t have a name for it.
Hello Doc. Andrew. I'm here to ask a question I hope you'll respond. I've been unable to sleep since 2016 every night, I saw your video on melatonin so bought one bottle, I take 3 grams every night and it has no effects on me, I'm still wide awake as usual. So does it work for everyone or it doesn't help for some people?
Yeap, I believe my mother in law has this syndrome.The confabulation and memory deficit is happening. When we figured out she has dementia as she started to live with us a few months ago when she got evicted, I did my research and I started trying to get her to drink orange juice with an increased dose of Vitamin B and no alcohol and higher protein intake. We noticed in the next 6 weeks that her mental clarity was much much better. But when she was able to get alcohol and started drinking constantly again , it all went downhill. Now we are in a process of moving her in a living assisted place , my house is NOT safe for her at all plus she keeps feeding my dogs wet cat food😡. She won’t listen when I tell her not to even when I catch her doing it. She has a preconceived notion that they are hungry and without food. It is a tragedy, I see my husband going through the realization of her condition.She does not recognize him as he is at all. Her case is not reversible, her brain is already affected. Your explanation is excellent, clear and simple .Thank you.I am sharing this.
OMG I’m literal dealing with the same exact thing right now!!!! It’s my FIL though and he is so stubborn and we haven’t given him his money, wallet etc. he was also evicted bc he was a nasty alcoholic. He lives in our home now and it’s gotten to the point I’ve become a recluse to my room. He has become so unhygienic, mean, lies a lot, calls police on us and luckily they’re on our side but have suggested a home. He wastes their time and resources. It’s horrible. He got his phone back this summer and he started calling random people and even tried to get a “lady of the night” to come to our home 😡 it’s been this way over a year. I SO empathize with you!!! ❤ it is so hard to deal with this brain rotting disease but the worst part is he’s too far gone like your mother, and we don’t know what to do with him as he is “special” now. He also made my once beautiful home a place I don’t even want to be at, so I just hole myself into our room.
My uncle was diagnosed and hospitalised due to Korsakoff's Syndrome. He used to talk about his visits to the Queen amongst other made up stories. Obviously being hospitalised meant he was taken through alcohol detox and stopped drinking. According to my relatives, one day he just asked why he was in the hospital. The delusions went away, but he had very little memory of his time in hospital.
I lost my memory after a suicide attempt at 21 when i swallowed 60 diazepams; now i drink, who's to tell which is from what; yeah ok, i don't have eye or balance issues; memory is fine, i remember everything since i was a kid, nothing that happened yesterday
My late Mom was alcohol dependent, drank fist to fist with my Dad. They were very "Social" and had no pastimes except boating, which meant taking short trips and anchoring out with other boaters and drinking the summer days away. NO WAY my mother had Alzheimer's. I saw my grandfather and father-in-law die from that and it was much faster and both became unable to walk, etc. My Mother went a good 10 years or more with "Alzheimer's" but NEVER stopped walking (out the door in all weather, all times of night), so the house was armed with alarms and cameras and she even had an ankle monitor. Finally it was a fall in the house that cracked her ribs (but she couldn't tell us what hurt, couldn't talk) that resulted in her hospitalization and morphine drip and death. My 91 year old father STILL insists that she had Alzheimer's, that the lifetime of boozing daily was never a problem, because as is often the case, the partner/spouse/friends don't want to look at their OWN alcoholism. All dementia sucks, this one has a known cause and when people involved don't want to admit that, it's a death sentence. My sister and I would slip notes to their doctor ("They drink every single day!") and were asked about it and warned to stop, and they never did. So, yes, anger is part of the mourning. 91 year old father still having his stout every evening. I give up.
My mom died of alcoholism. She was 51. Her youngest child was 15 at the time. My heart will never truly heal from it. Sometimes, looking into the sweet faces of my two toddlers, I feel my heart breaking again at the thought that she never got to meet them.
When the drunk makes false accusations, and insists you did something, when in fact you did not --- Is that a sign of Korsakoff Syndrome? This person is an abusive alcoholic who's been drinking chronically for over 50+ years!!
I got sober 4 years ago after chronic alcoholism for 45 years. By some bit of luck i didn't do any permanent damage to vital organs and at 61 im probably in the best physical condition ive been since my eay 20s. However im sure damage was done along the way. We pay a price for our decisions. Every one. Ill have days of true mental clarity and others where the thoughts slip and slide. Part of it is just getting older but not all of it. Still im grateful for sobriety and this second chance at life.
Thank you for sharing Timothy. Hopefully someone sees your comment here and it offers some hope to others. Appreciate you sharing your story.
Congratulations on your freedom; you sure dodged a bullet
Take lots of vitamin B12, this will keep you in too shape mentally, it helps prevent dementia, I read an article on it
Oh, you did damage. It will show up sooner or later. Alcohol is deadly poison.
I am 60 and had a similar journey. I got sober 15 months ago today. I did some liver damage but I lost 57 lbs and am in the best shape physically, mentally, and spiritually that I have been in 20 years. I really appreciate, respect and protect my sobriety and thank God every day for having a second birthday - 13 January 2023.
At last!! I know what kind of dementia my dad had!! Dad thought they'd moved into a new house. He was even argumentative about it, insisting their house was a new residence, but that they still owned the previous one. He was always worried that no one was cutting the grass there. At the nursing home, he claimed he had a long conversation with a fellow patient and that they'd come up with a new idea they were going to patent. He never lost his long-term memory, but did end up with new memories that had never existed. I'm so glad I happened upon this.
😊
My Dad had it too. 😢
I've read that 80% of people with Korsakoff's, die not knowing what they died of. It is not very well known by most doctors. My husband is in the hospital right now with it. He will likely end up in a nursing home. So sad that this didn't have to happen. Strange how your dad had all the same thoughts as my husband. Seems a lot of them do. My husband also has not lost any of his long term memory but constantly makes things up as his reality. That is a main sign of Korsakoff's.
My mother not only suffers from this, she has yet to admit she even has a problem with drinking. I hope others like me get some support from AlAnon. I completed all 12 steps in 2021!
Congratulations ❤❤❤❤❤
It happens SOOOOOOOOOOO much earlier than anyone admits.
And then when you explain to these people they’re NOT REMEMBERING THINGS, they say you’re gaslighting them or “falsely accuse them.”
🙄
An ex-lodger of mine has a serious alcohol addiction, and I feel like she has developed this condition.
@ probably.
That’s the other thing no one wants to admit:
It can’t NOT HAPPEN.
Obviously some people’s minds and brains are way more resilient than others. To all things. Sure.
And obviously not everyone that suffers from alcohol abuse disorder does so at the same rate, for as long, at the same volume.
But with alcohol it isn’t like…….
With smoking cigarettes for example.
Cigarettes are horrific and affect your health in a ton of ways. But there really are the rare cigarette smokers that for whatever reason smoke a pack a day and live to 100, WHIKE others get cancers or COPD or heart attacks or strokes and die young from them. Sure.
With alcohol abuse…..
It’s a GUARANTEE you will lose your faculties, if you abuse it regularly and long enough.
It’s a GUARANTEE.
Kinda how it’s a GUARANTEE eating badly and not exercising will lead to tons of health issues.
It’s a GUARANTEE.
Bc of the way it has to be metabolized by your body.
I don’t know why people done realize that.
Thank you for this video. It explains perfectly what I experienced with my late husband. He was an alcoholic, and I was told repeatedly by Drs that he did not have dementia. It took a Psychiatrist who met with him only a handful of times over a couple of years to see what I saw. I was told that he did have a form of dementia caused by his alcoholism. It was not explained further to me. You hit every single thing on the nose in this video and now I feel a release from the confusion and guilt I’ve carried for four years.
My mom too was told shes got dementia due to alcohol
I was so confused
Seeing someone with this when I was in rehab was enough to make me stop. Not joking
My mom was diagnosed with Korsakoffs in 1978. I know seeing her drinking all my life till I was 15 always concerned me. I went to AA meetings with her she was doing so well then my grandma died and this was the impetus to the return of heavy drinking . She ended up trying to quit a year later and she got really Ill. She became a closet drinker. Unfortunately she one night went to bed and she started to seize over and over, I heard her and ran to her in bed , she died, the paramedics came revived her, she went to hospital and never came home. She ended up in a care facility which she always said if you guys stick me in one of those places I'll haunt you. I had no choice, the doctors did it. Oh god her short term memory was horrific. I went everyday with pictures, going over stuff and she started to improve. I know my hard work was helping but then my stepdad came and took me to Ottawa. I couldn't see my mom and help her. The phone calls were useless. This was my nightmare that I knew would happen. I only stayed in Ottawa for 3 years I finished school came back to Vancouver but the seperation and time ruined all the hard work. I couldn't get her back. She ended up dying from a perforated appendix. I was crushed. My mom,my best friend was gone. What a horrible time for me, years later my dad died from the same horrible disease and he had lung cancer, then my stepmom died two years later of encephalitis. It just was death after death after death. So when I see really bad drunks, I tell them you do not want this disease. It's a horrible way to live and then die not remembering, what a lonely way of living in your mind. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.
Thank Goodness for your Step Dad! I hope you know he saved you!
@@Me-mn4nw actually he didn't. I went from watching my mom be an alcoholic in my childhood to teens and then moving to my stepdads only to find out he's worse. I saw much worse drinking, violence, verbal abuse and he didn't bond with me. I disliked what he was doing to my stepmom, cheating, verbally abusive. It was really hard but I did school and then moved back here so my mom wasn't left alone dying in a nursing home. I had to grow up fast and I saved myself . I learned how to get educated, I went to work and I worked for myself and had a strong work ethic. My stepmom was more of a parent, I hated her but when I moved back and became an adult I then saw what she was trying to instill in me and I can say it was her that I truly loved. My dad died four years later and then she died 2 years after him. Bad period of time for me. I am alone . I miss my mom, stepmom. It's hard sometimes but I dig up strength and think how they would tackle it and I move on.
@@gregbell3559 Sweetheart I came from a large abusive family with a mother who forced me to drink alcohol before handing me off to my incestious, abusive, alcoholic, father. I had to run for my life at the age of 16 after spending my childhood sleeping outside in the weather running from dad as he shot at me. My parents were wealthy and dad was in politics. People were ignorantly jealous of the so called little rich girl. Guys only dated me for arm candy and my father's money and power. Life is hard and we are all alone just trying to make it through another day.
I’m so sorry you had to go through all of this alone…it is not a child’s job to care for the adults in their life. So much trauma I am sure you are the end of the road for generational traumas that haunt so many families. It is so sad that we as family have no power to help our loved ones struggling with addictions and mental illness. We must do better we must have some power to help those who need it most….may your life be filled with blessings and may your story help others find their❤ way to healing…
@@pinchebruha405 thank you for your kind words. Parents don't realize how a socially acceptable drug can cause such destruction in families they just don't get it. Then it's too late all the outside damage is done and then the inside is done but they don't see that, they are too hooked. I watch a tv show called Dr. G. It's awesome she points out what damage alcohol does and boy I'm so happy I don't drink at all.
My partner of 27 yrs has been an alcoholic all his life. I recently started thinking he had some sort of alcoholic dementia or short term memory loss. This video hit every single symptom of his and gives me comfort that this is what he has..if that makes sense.
Dr Kim you are so right, once you are diagnosed with Korsakoff syndrome it is irreversible! It only gets worst! I know for sure my husband past away one year ago!
Merhaba, kaç yıl bu hastalıkla yaşadı eşiniz?
Four years. Last two years had to was the worst decline. Never stopped drinking or realized he had alcohol problem. They lose the short term memory and the confusion
Same happened to my dad. So sad.
@@susanstone9161 cevap verdiğiniz için çok teşekkür ederim. Son iki yılı zor geçtiğinden bahsetmişsiniz Sizin için sorun değilse son iki yılı nasıl geçti nelerle karşılaştınız ne gibi zorluklar yaşadınız kısaca bahsedebilirimsiniz
@@gemineye1e1even malesef benim babamda öyle
I am currently caring (live in, for the past two years) for a relative with this condition. Shes 76 pounds, unable to walk, sit up, reposition herself and incontinent of bowels and bladder. She is truly 100 percent dependent. Because this is a 24 hour/365 day JOB for me, and her husband is completely unwilling to put her in a nursing home, or pay for outside help...its taken over my life. She attempts to get up, thinking the oven is on or she has to cook and will fall, forgetting her legs have atrophied and she essentially is permanently in the fetal position. One good thing thats come from watching her slow decline is im in recovery now too. I was a daily drinker and i can tell you, i never want to experience what she is or put the responsibility of caring for me on anyone else. Its been 5 years of her slow decline (2 of those yrs me caring for her) but shes seemingly healthy physically (covid 3x, recovers from illness quickly, no gray hair, ect) and im not sure how much longer i can physically and mentally care for her...i assumed she would pass by now...which makes this whole condition even more insidious...its debilitating but you dont die from it.
Whatever happened to compassionate euthanasia?
wait a minnut. you so all that for free??
hun call the goverment so she can get help'
It's time to let go and....leave. But first find help making the transition. You're not God.
Walk away now , leave it to her husband this is not fair and not your problem
You are an angel for doing that, but you absolutely should not have to. Don't let her alcoholism ruin your life too. Big hugs to you ❤ I hope you can get some relief soon.
My father was an alcoholic most of my childhood. He needed emergency surgery and lied to the doctor. He woke up during the surgery and went ballistic. They induced a coma for nearly 4 weeks to get him off. All he does now is drive around and try to remember his life. It's super sad.
Weird how he still remembers I owe him 50$ bucks tho.😅
I think my father has this, his memory all of a sudden crashed. Hes "healthy" as a horse, eats nothing but healthy foods, but he drinks in excess every weekend for the past 50+yrs. He will argue tooth and nail hes not an alcoholic because he "only drinks on weekends" and has held a job all his life. I dont think hes ever gone a week without drinking. Its scary.
I was on this path for 20 years (I'm 40 years old) and didn't think I had a problem because I never drank during the week, went to the gym 5 times a week and held my job. A year before I got sober my entire life started falling apart, I couldn't stop drinking even if I had something important to do and I was drinking Friday/Saturday/Sunday all day long. I could hardly make it through a gym session. I'm a year and 7 months sober and I'm happy I caught it in time, quitting a few days after my 39th birthday. I could easily have been like your Dad. I hope he's ok.
He's a functioning alcoholic. We learned that in A A and Alanon
Sorry to hear this. I hope he finds his freedom. I would offer this, however; sometimes people just need a bit of help dealing with stuff, even if it’s not really healthy help. Veterans seem to manifest this a lot.
My dads very similar. Because he held a job and doesn’t drink all day everyday he’s not an alcoholic. He’s dr has asked him to drink less because it’s starting to affect his liver. His short term memory is patchy. He remembers some things but not all things. It seems to be getting worse as I have started back at university and some attendance is online and some is in person. He struggles to remember when I am going in to uni and when I get home. He is very anxious about stuff like if I get a cleaner to come to my place and how long they stay because his cleaner only stays an hour and a quarter. We’ve tried getting psychologists, nutritionists, men’s groups, drs, his friends and family. He refuses some and doesn’t call back others he argues and fights if we call back to make appointments. He won’t accept help from his brother or sister. I can’t help him anymore and have stepped away to do stuff for me. It’s sad. He can’t go more than 2 days without alcohol and more than a few hours without thinking about or planning what and when to drink.
My grams grew up during the "Mad Men" Era. Liquid lunches was a thing. Cocktails b4 dinner EVERY NIGHT. My 110lb grams drank 3 shots of liquor every night for 40yrs. The last 10yrs she's cut back to 1 drink instead of 2/night. This doesn't count their "social " drinking. Grams is 94. I'm not putting her in rehab now.. it's done & too late. Her best friends & husband has passed. She keeps on going because she has to but she's lonely. She doesn't do well by herself. I'm going to pump her full of B1 in the morning & afternoon. 6pm is cocktail 7pm dinner 7:30 movie.
My mother was diagnosed with Korsakoff's when she was 40 years old. She died when she was 70, of lung cancer. It was so very confusing to grow up in this family dynamic. My mother died in 1993.
My Mom was an Alcoholic , who developed Dementia. I have never heard of this? Great info! Thank you
Thank you Dr. Kim. You did a great job explaining this awful condition
My sweet grandmother was like a fragile broken child...when I was a child it was heartbreaking for my mother and I feel like I never really got the chance to know her...
My mother in law currently has this...she's 100% normal presenting but constantly forgets things we tell her. She'll also tell me the same story about when it snowed at her place decades ago whenever we discuss how cold it is at her place. She also keeps using Facebook status update as a search engine, regardless of us having to tell her to use internet explorer. She also will tell us about events she did yesterday like having dinner with her friend when we 100% know she was home all day and didn't even speak to her friend. Little things like that. She's retired now and is happy and comfortable but her 2 bottles of wine a night for 20 years has left her brain scrambled.
Please check into coconut oil for her brain; as people age, carbs cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, but ketones (in coconut oil) can. Especially if she drinks, this might help.
Look into ALCAR (nacteylcarnitine), too.
Glad this doesn’t affect everybody the same (as I drink 2 bottles a night). But in all seriousness
@@trevntiUhh this doesn't just happen overnight...you're in denial. Nobody should be drinking 2 bottles of wine at night. This absolutely can happen to you if you don't change.
It’s horrible to see. I remember visiting a loved one in the hospital and nearby was a relatively young man or at least early middle age apparently dying of liver disease. It was tough to see as the family would come by. It was many years ago but the sorrow of the family at such a relatively young passing left an impression on me.
My second husband had this. It was so frustrating because unless you spent time with him, it wasn’t obvious. He had a set of sayings to get through conversations or repeated what the other person said. It was a 21/2 year nightmare for me. When we met, I had no idea he had a problem. He started when I went to work so I never saw it. He stopped drinking with the diagnosis, but it was too much for me.
I think you will find that it is known as wet brain among recovering alcoholics, certainly those that have recovered from alcoholism through AA.
I just finished a research paper on 8 types of dementia, including Korsakov Syndrome. I actually thought that vitamin B deficiency played a bigger part in conjunction with the alcoholism.
Korsakoff's is a B12 deficiency, caused by alcohol. You cannot process B1 because of alcohol!
I have a friend thats an alcoholic and he has gone down hill lately with repeating himself over and over, its basically impossible to talk to him anymore. He has most of this.
Thank you for this. I hope a lot of people see this so that they can get help for suffering loved ones before it gets to this point. This happened to my best friend. She seems to have a genetic predisposition to dependence on pills or alcohol, as others in her family have suffered also. The family is educated and cultured, and she hid her alcohol use well. She was high functioning at work until she became very sick. I didn't know what was wrong and would often cover for her at work. Finally I took her to a doctor, as her husband was absolutely clueless and refused to help her. Her liver was starting to fail. She was called by her doctor's office to immediately check into the hospital. I took her in and she stayed for six weeks. Initially, it looked like she had Guillian-Barre, and maybe she did. Then her wild stories started. She was visiting dead parents, or people who live in other states were coming to see her. She didn't know who I was or where she was or how old she was. She has recovered a lot more than I thought she would. It has been about 15 years. She has severe chronic nerve pain--peripheral neuropathy. It has been so difficult to see my beautiful, talented and kind friend suffer like this. But she has stayed off alcohol and stayed close to her family. She still suffers and can't work, but for what she went through, I would say a success story.
tysvm for this.... my uncle died of it.... unfortunately i wasnt in the country at the time. im an alcoholic too but have found with valium i can stay off it (i have several other medical conditions both physical and mental that benefit from it too which is why i was prescribed it) .... its been four years now n im doing gr8 n even my detox doctor said i no longer need outpatient appointments coz i was doing really well xxx
Have fun trying to withdrawal from the Valium. Benzodiazepine withdrawal can take years
@@kellyjofrey4192 ive come off it before fer years.... never had a single withdrawal symptom.... in fact i never take as much as im prescribed.... i dont need it half the time
QueenG: Diazepam increases your chances of dementia.
@@kellyjofrey4192It does not take "years." The half-life of Diazepam is days, not weeks or years.
@@Armistead_MacSkye i dont take enuff for that.... only when i need it maybe 10mg a couple times a week when im really stressed out or have to go in public with my PTSD etc
Thank you very much Doctor, this is really important information and so helpful to many worldwide suffering from alcohol related issues.
I stopped using alcohol 23 years ago but have been left with some physical health issues related to it even after all of these years.
Take care, David.
You' my friend are an excellent M.D. you've earned my sub🤙🏼
Very well articulated
Thank-you for bringing the awareness and clarifications, I could write the book. The more than worst part for mom was once diagnosed as Korsakoff she developed terminal cancer, ironic saving grace she could not remember she had it from moment to moment, you just stop saying she does. I truly believe her pain was lessened.
My father just started presenting symptoms of this. It’s an awful disease and it’s almost totally preventable. He’s been in hospital for 2 weeks and has no idea why despite repeated attempts to explain it to him. It’s a hellish nightmare. And I’ve got no other family to help me deal with it.
Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Please get help for yourself for when he gets out. You need a life of your own as well.
Very best explanation I have heard! Thank you!
I think you missed a big piece of what can happen. The hallucination's are the worst.. I was very lucky the ED Doc figured out was going so quickly.
thank you for teaching people what to look out for, my dad just passed away from this horrid disease. he lasted 3 years after diagnosis.
This happened to my mother. It started in her mid-to-late 50's. She died at the age of 62, unable to seat herself on a toilet or lift a spoon to her mouth. She was a wonderful person with a terrible problem. I miss her...
Do you think you might be able to do a video on cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome....
cannabinoid hyperemesis is the reason I have WKS
Extremely helpful video. Thank you
Someone who works in a nursing home told me about one patient with alcoholic dementia. He was in his fifties, and because the disease has stopped progressing because he has stopped drinking, he may live for many more years. Except, he won’t remember any of them, and will always need nursing care.
A brilliant vid. Thanks doc.!
I've got it so did my dad and several of my friends. I'm sober now but the damage is done
I has diagnosed with Wernickes. Spent a week in the hospital. B-1 drip helped along with physical therapy.
It is a strange aspect trying to reconfigure your body at 38....
Like waking from a dream.
Glad I stopped it when I did.
I just stopped drinking 4 months ago for no reason just woke up and said I’m done. I drank pretty much every day around 4-6 drinks a day on average for about 20 years hopefully this disorder doesn’t hit me !
I've worked in several nursing homes. Many residents are in their 50s and 60s with this diagnosis.
Thank you! My husband just stopped caring about other people. No empathy, which is NOT like him. He hides his life. I find gallons HANDLES of vkdka hidden in weirdvplaces. don't know what to do. My husband does this. I can't explain it well, so this helps a LOT. I'm terrified he's permanently not my husband anymore. What do I do?! It's devastating. His family doesn't understand. They live in a different state. They don't have to deal with it daily. He went from telling the truth to what my kids and I would call out as a pathological liar, just lies, and lies. He started saying things like, "I've never tried to hurt anyone ever." He'd say the most hurtful things to me. He was never like that before. The opposite, actually. Thank you so much. Any detox centers that you recommend?
There's a medicine i forgot the name. It is used as a deterrent for alcohol intake. If the person takes alcohol after taking the medicine, they will experience nausea and vomiting and overall very unpleasant experience.
Antabuse (disulfiram) is likely the med you mean
@@rocqitmon yea that one. Thanks!
Sometimes, the liver is so compromised that ammonia levels in the blood get really elevated. These people can get aggressive and hallucinate. Interestingly, the hallucinations described to me were almost exactly the same as Big Chief in the book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Wires, and machines, big wheels and cogs running the world behind the scenes....There's a medicine that lowers serum ammonia levels, but it has intestinal side effects, so patients aren't always compliant.
hello Dr my girlfriend became a alcoholic 7 years ago . she was 40 at the time . now 47 . with her heavy drinking she repeats herself and when she is drunk she has fits in her hands and mouth . what is this ? as it’s very distressing to witness . she went to rehab but only lasted 3 weeks .
I have seen videos of people who drank badly and developed a type of Alzheimers So sad. Thank you for this video!
Worked in a community hospital.in ireland saw a lot of it, they act like zombies very scary.
I never had problems or even an inclination to alcohol.
Thank you for this video. Now I have a better understanding
Good information thanks
super helpful ! thank you
Hubby had a stroke in Nov. '23 and now has transcortial aphasia. Looking back, prev to stroke he had many of these symptoms. His CT shows prev. White spots. We are working on recovery and vit. supplements.
My mom and dad were both in AA, 30+ years sober. I wish this had not been 'hitting bottom' for my hubby but the Lord works in mysterious ways. Blessings to y'all.
July 31st 2021 I woke up in the morning, got up out of bed and immediately collapsed. My boyfriend woke up and says I was asking weird questions like where are we? How long have we lived here? He called 911 and I was in hospital for 2 months. I was completely numb from the chest down, incontinent, in a wheelchair with no memory as to what happened, why I was in the hospital... Side note: I only drink a few times a year and never to get really drunk. I was a heavy marijuana/tobacco smoker. A few months before I collapsed I started throwing up a few times a day. Nothing I did was helping. Marijuana made me feel less nauseated but I would still throw up. In hospital I was on IV Thiamine (B1). At home I take a B1 supplement daily. I went home in a wheelchair, in diapers. It SUCKED! but after a year and lots of physiotherapy I was able to slowly start walking again. First with a rollator, now with just a cane. After about a year and a half I started getting a bit of feeling back, I was able to tell when I needed to use the washroom and stop wearing the diapers. My memory has also improved quite a bit over the last 2 1/2 years. Im not where I used to be memory wise, but Im hoping I can keep improving. Just wanted to say if you are going through this yourself or with a family member, there is hope!
Nice job Explaning doc.
This is scary. I have drank all of my life since my teen years. 😢 I feel most of these at my younger age.
I am really concerned about this with my ex. She had bariatric surgery, and drinks. She is either the world's worst liar and gaslighter, or has these memories just pop into her head. Trying to tell me we had conversations back when we were married that I know never happened, saying that she tried to pay bills but got turned away, or that she did but lost the receipt and they have poor record keeping, that sort of stuff. But if I bring up her drinking, holy crap it's aggressively rebuffed. I guess it's normal for everyone to have a closet full of alcohol?
So very interesting. Never heard of this syndrome. I believe I may have this. Dr. Kim, how is this condition diagnosed?
Everyone I know, personally, who had Alzheimer's or is in the process of developing serious memory loss, has been a heavy, everyday drinker. The scariest incident I had was on the phone to my sister. We were talking about my nephew being irresponsible and how she wouldn't help him out even though he was trying to change. She said to me, "Well, that's not how I was raised. I was raised to take responsibility for my actions." It was totally lost on her that she was speaking to ME, HER SISTER! It was as if she was speaking to an acquaintance who didn't know her history. I explained to her that mom and dad would do anything to help us and they never turned their back on us. She was silent after that. I think it's because she realized at that moment who she was speaking to. Besides that incident, her memory is trashed. She tends to convolute incidents we both lived through. She drinks wine every day, but it's a really big bottle and has drunk for decades. I don't even know how to address the situation with her, my baby sister.
dear Dr my girlfriend is a alcoholic as in every day . she is displaying these symptoms you describe . i sailed away to another country but stay in touch . she wants to come to me and said she won’t drink. she went to rehab but only lasted 4 weeks . i care deeply but i can’t trust her . she has fits when drunk . in her mouth and hands. it’s scary to witness.
I really don't want to tell anyone about my abusive upbringing or my life in the infantry when I left home. "I drink, therefor I am"
Alcohol keeps you stuck especially if you're an abuse victim. If you can quit and get some counseling you have a chance of moving past what happened to you. Take care.
@@Captainoftheheart Thank you friend. I am an expert on quitting. I have done it a thousand times.
@@davidpalmer4184 I understand. Me too.
Yeast over growth, leaky gut happens. Yeast goes blood born becomes fungus, gets in the brain!
Would be good to see a video on DTs. (Checked but I didn’t see that you had made one yet.)
Great idea! Will make a video on that topic. Thank you for watching!
Awesome. Thanks for being open to the suggestion.
Glad this showed up in my recommended feed….
just finished watching the US version of Shameless, Frank (William H Macy) is diagnosed with Alcohol Dementia in the middle of season 11 (but his loss of cognitive functions and memory are just barely noticeable before the diagnosis)
Does the show portray the disease accurately??
Wait a minute. That first part with the W that I can't spell, is it happening just when the person is drinking alcohol or they have the symptoms all the time, even when they aren't drinking. That's important to know. It seems to me the description is typical of any drunk person, so is the W thing merely the state of being drunk?
Wernicke is caused by chronic alcohol use disorder.
No.
Wernicke's is the first stage, Korsakoff is the long term stage. Its like this all the time, not just when intoxicated.
Wendy Williams comes to mind...
Right!
Slap foot is one of the symptoms. Not being able to remember all three items on a blue plate special is another.
Dr. Kim, is it true that untreated psychosis can lead to dementia?
Untreated psychosis leads to schizophrenia. Dementia is a degenerative disease
I believe it's happening to me and has been but I'm always too drunk/deluded to realise.
I'm a recovering alcoholic and everytime I went to rehab they gave me thiamine I thought it was to increase my appetite. I'd always ask to be taken off of it after a few days because it made me so hungry. I had no idea it helped with brain function. Maybe I should start it again
😳 I’m about to become a caregiver to someone who has just been diagnosed. Have I bitten off more than I can chew ⁉️⁉️⁉️
Someone I love had a brain injury and he claims his Doctor said it was okay to drink. He’s underweight but claims he walks every day to pick up something to eat. His small income is spent, paying the rent on his rent subsidized place (because he never kept a job long). The rest he says he pays for his phone and food plus electricity. Last time he didn’t have a roommate I was worried he was going to freeze to death. I had to leave him where he was because he is not the person I used to know and had no desire to change.
I have a 66 yr old father inlaw who has just shown up in the worst way hes lived in thialand 7yrs sitting in bars drinking and smoking his lfe away hes returned looking like hes 88yrs old cant walk has no balance had a stint put in his lower leg from blockage in hij artery realised a yr later hes not getting better so he returned home to 🇦🇺 im at a loss as to what we do with him he cant do anything and don't try except get in his scooter an drive to pub all day hes lost control of bladder a bowls but hes fine got him into Drs running MRI aultrasou ds bloodtests im certain hes got drinking dementia my friend died 5 yrs ago of the same thing at a young age 46 my father inlaw remi ds me of my friend abd yet anything we say to him hes not intrested and yet he expects us to look after him😢🤯😡im praying these Drs will guide us in right direction but u feel hes Dr is a bit like myself "u sat in a bar for 7ys in thia land what do u except "my partner is torn as hes never got along with his dad and left home at 13 ,yet here he is moving in its divided our family and everyone is miserable 24/7 and he just sits there downing 1 stubby after another,i now know why he left home 13!!
My sister has auto brewery syndrome and has recently starting displaying these symptoms. Has there been any study’s on this connection? She lives in Arkansas and very hard to get her proper help. Anyone you may be able to give as a long distance reference/referal? At a loss of what to do for her. There are 5 people on rotation looking after her and we can get any answers.
Same here.well done
It is an interesting phenomenon, but one that we rarely see today. Supply of the B vitamin complex and not least thiamine makes this only case studies or curiosity at best. In the last 15 years, we have not encountered a non-reversible case in our clinic. If you look even further back in time, however, you see that alcoholic dementia was more common, but even today's alcoholics have apparently learned the lesson of eating reasonably nutritious meals, and many of them know about the syndrome, and take vitamin B complexes. It is of course most advisable that they avoid alcohol altogether. However, the reality looks different. Then we must remember that alcoholic dementia is one of the last stages of severe alcohol abuse.
But sure, we give thiamine on a generous basis. It also turns out that the more B vitamin intake, the lower the risk of convulsions and delirium. We should also not forget easily absorbed magnesium in high doses as prophylaxis.
Where is your clinic? I have noticed my husband usually perks up with B1 therapy and all B's but not this time. Tragic. He still drinks . Thanks..
It is grossly underdiagnosed.
Thank you so much for this video. If the person stops drinking does the disease continue to progress?
What are the states of Korsakoff my husband has it for almost 4 hearts now and he has completely lost his speech
I'm 71 and I've been boozing since I was 14 but I don't remember anything so what's your problem,...hic?? What day is it, what is the time...??
In instances where korsakoffe syndrome happens without wernickes, does the onset of memory loss normally happen gradually or does it have an acute onset?
Finally I now have a name for what my husband has. I keep saying it is dementia, but it is dementia related to alcohol and I didn’t have a name for it.
When to ask for help. My husband and I know I have wet brain
you look too young for that ; what are your symptoms?
@@ohdwightNobody is too young. It’s a vitamin deficiency, any age can develop this if these are deficient long enough.
Hello Doc. Andrew.
I'm here to ask a question I hope you'll respond. I've been unable to sleep since 2016 every night, I saw your video on melatonin so bought one bottle, I take 3 grams every night and it has no effects on me, I'm still wide awake as usual. So does it work for everyone or it doesn't help for some people?
Don't drink to get to sleep.
3 GRAMS????????????? ?????????
Why do I communicate as he does in casual conversation ?
Yeap, I believe my mother in law has this syndrome.The confabulation and memory deficit is happening.
When we figured out she has dementia as she started to live with us a few months ago when she got evicted, I did my research and I started trying to get her to drink orange juice with an increased dose of Vitamin B and no alcohol and higher protein intake. We noticed in the next 6 weeks that her mental clarity was much much better. But when she was able to get alcohol and started drinking constantly again , it all went downhill.
Now we are in a process of moving her in a living assisted place , my house is NOT safe for her at all plus she keeps feeding my dogs wet cat food😡. She won’t listen when I tell her not to even when I catch her doing it. She has a preconceived notion that they are hungry and without food.
It is a tragedy, I see my husband going through the realization of her condition.She does not recognize him as he is at all.
Her case is not reversible, her brain is already affected.
Your explanation is excellent, clear and simple .Thank you.I am sharing this.
OMG I’m literal dealing with the same exact thing right now!!!! It’s my FIL though and he is so stubborn and we haven’t given him his money, wallet etc. he was also evicted bc he was a nasty alcoholic. He lives in our home now and it’s gotten to the point I’ve become a recluse to my room. He has become so unhygienic, mean, lies a lot, calls police on us and luckily they’re on our side but have suggested a home. He wastes their time and resources. It’s horrible. He got his phone back this summer and he started calling random people and even tried to get a “lady of the night” to come to our home 😡 it’s been this way over a year. I SO empathize with you!!! ❤ it is so hard to deal with this brain rotting disease but the worst part is he’s too far gone like your mother, and we don’t know what to do with him as he is “special” now. He also made my once beautiful home a place I don’t even want to be at, so I just hole myself into our room.
Thank you.
My uncle was diagnosed and hospitalised due to Korsakoff's Syndrome. He used to talk about his visits to the Queen amongst other made up stories.
Obviously being hospitalised meant he was taken through alcohol detox and stopped drinking.
According to my relatives, one day he just asked why he was in the hospital. The delusions went away, but he had very little memory of his time in hospital.
I lost my memory after a suicide attempt at 21 when i swallowed 60 diazepams; now i drink, who's to tell which is from what; yeah ok, i don't have eye or balance issues; memory is fine, i remember everything since i was a kid, nothing that happened yesterday
It's even affecting my eyesight, I need to address it
Wendy williams??
Exactly!
What does "in 12.5 patients" mean?
My late Mom was alcohol dependent, drank fist to fist with my Dad. They were very "Social" and had no pastimes except boating, which meant taking short trips and anchoring out with other boaters and drinking the summer days away. NO WAY my mother had Alzheimer's. I saw my grandfather and father-in-law die from that and it was much faster and both became unable to walk, etc. My Mother went a good 10 years or more with "Alzheimer's" but NEVER stopped walking (out the door in all weather, all times of night), so the house was armed with alarms and cameras and she even had an ankle monitor. Finally it was a fall in the house that cracked her ribs (but she couldn't tell us what hurt, couldn't talk) that resulted in her hospitalization and morphine drip and death. My 91 year old father STILL insists that she had Alzheimer's, that the lifetime of boozing daily was never a problem, because as is often the case, the partner/spouse/friends don't want to look at their OWN alcoholism. All dementia sucks, this one has a known cause and when people involved don't want to admit that, it's a death sentence. My sister and I would slip notes to their doctor ("They drink every single day!") and were asked about it and warned to stop, and they never did. So, yes, anger is part of the mourning. 91 year old father still having his stout every evening. I give up.
I know the pain
Why is alcohol legally sold ????
Is this the same as wet dementia?
Its also referred to as wet brain
My grandmother had severe Korsakoff Syndrome in the last 5-ish years of her life. Lifelong raging alcoholic.
My mom died of alcoholism. She was 51. Her youngest child was 15 at the time. My heart will never truly heal from it.
Sometimes, looking into the sweet faces of my two toddlers, I feel my heart breaking again at the thought that she never got to meet them.
Since you are a Dr. Why do you you only offer a subscription and not a follow?
If you truly care. Knowing most alcoholic's don't have money. You don't offer a follow.
I apologize. I'm now listening to your guide on other posts.
We used to call it wet brain but I did not go to school for eight years to do youtube videos
There are no hopless addicts,just helpless
Aren't you wager life with odds jam???
If I want to drink it is my choice
When the drunk makes false accusations, and insists you did something, when in fact you did not --- Is that a sign of Korsakoff Syndrome? This person is an abusive alcoholic who's been drinking chronically for over 50+ years!!
I think my husband was developing that before he died
drinky funtime 🍸
🧠 turns into 💩
😂 sugar accelerates the brain rot