[my2sons]

Anyone have any firsthand experience with this? Close family member was recently diagnosed with this by a psychiatrist. She apparently was a long term ETOH drinker with a recent binge, which she was hospitalized after with malnutrition, dehydration, severe electrolyte imbalance, needed blood tx for gastric ulcer, pancreatitis. Violent behavior on the regular nursing floor (DT's?) and a week of inpatient Psych. Now she's back home and doesn't remember events leading up to hospitalization and has obvious short term memory problems. She received 3 doses thiamine and MVI IV fluid in hospital, and continues to take vitamins at home. Wondering what the typical prognosis is. Is memory impairment permanent? I guess I'm understanding this disease as basically brain damage caused by thiamine deficiency since her ETOH damaged liver wasn't absorbing it and she was boozing instead of eating. Having trouble believing that she went from a "functioning alcoholic" (employed, taking care of herself) to being forgetful and dependent. Doc suggests that she will not be able to take care of herself anymore and recommends filing for disability ASAP. Any comments! Thank you.

[Nurse Ratched]

http://www.healthcentral.com/mhc/top/000771.cfm

Good source on basic info. It presents similar to Parkinson's in a lot of ways. Not generally progressive, assuming the person stops drinking (which many do not) but whatever degree of memory impairment exists is usually permanent.

Hoping for the best for your family member.

[lucianne]

I was assigned to a patient with Wernecke-Korsakoff syndrome during my psych clinical and I will never forget her. We spent a lovely day together while she spun one wild story after another about her life. She was quite charming and interesting, but her dementia was severe and irreversible. She will never be able to take care of herself.

I think your understanding of the disease is pretty accurate from what I remember. I'm sorry your family is having to deal with this and hope you are able to find care for your relative.

[kids]

It took me a minute to remember what it is (has been a long time). My only experience with WK was one patient in her 70s that I took care of in the late 1980s. Due to co-morbidities the symptoms were totally masked.

(btw, it is spelled Wernicke-Korsakoff)
Medline also has some good info http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/000771.htm

Also, the Family Caregiver alliance has a less clinical fact sheet (with a printable version) that may be help your non-medical family members understand what has and is happening.
http://www.caregiver.org/caregiver/j...jsp?nodeid=580

[earle58]

i've had a few patients with this type of dementia....it is indeed irreversible and very sad since it was preventable.

[PsychoGirl]

I just learned about this. Korsakoff's syndrome is caused by a thiamide deficiency commonly found in extreme alcoholics. It's characterized by SEVERE memory loss.

[Murt]

A very intresting one which i see on a regular basis.

Its basically caused because alcoholics get their calorie intake from alcohol and can go weeks without eating. The get a B- vitamin (thiamin) shortage which is involved in transforming sugar to a form that the brain can use.

When an alcoholic finally gets care its vital they get intra muscular Thiamin before they ingest sugar. Thats why dr's should allways give im Thiamin to any unconcious patient before giving iv glucose etc which if not done can cause severe brain damage.

Anyway the disease (or Thiamin deficency)is dignosed by nystagmus (shakey eye movements), memory loss, confabulations (impressive bullshitting).
Normally we give them im Thiamin daily for 21 days beause alcoholic have dificulty taking up per os as their stomachs take a few weeks/days to recover and be able to absorb it.

It not reversible but it wont neccesarily get worse, but they have to stop drinking. As ppl have mentioned they're normally very charming, happy patients.