Dr. Gott: Alzheimer’s causes fatigue

Dear Dr. Gott: My 83-year-old mother has suffered from debilitating fatigue for the past two years. She had mild anemia that responded to monthly Procrit injections, keeping her hemoglobin in the 12.8 to 13.5 range. She also has mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s, which has been treated with Namenda for the past year.

We have had her checked out by a neurologist, cardiologist, pulmonologist, hematologist and endocrinologist. None has found any medical problems that would explain her extreme fatigue.

Dear Reader: It sounds to me that you have covered all the bases, leading to my conviction that her overwhelming fatigue may be a consequence of her Alzheimer’s disease. Debilitating medical problems in the elderly often can be accompanied by depression and exhaustion.

Perhaps now is the time for your mother to accept her age, the consequences of the aging process and her dementia. Her physician should be brought in to a family meeting to help determine decisions for the future.

Maybe it’s time for you to call on help from resources within your community and to consider the possibility of appropriate nursing-home placement. Let me know your decisions.