3/4! Hello!

Newcomer introductions, personal anecdotes, caregiver issues, lab results, and n=1 experimentation.
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daydreams1991
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3/4! Hello!

Post by daydreams1991 »

Hello! Thank you so much for opening up this community. I’m a female 3/4 (guessing 3 and haven’t had a computer to check my full report) and 23andme sent my report to me on MY BIRTHDAY, ouch. My mom is 3/3 and sister is 3/3 so it was a pretty big shock.

I was pretty terrified of this result at first but now I feel like I could really do a lot to improve my situation. Even though it was incredibly painful, I’m glad I know now. I’m 28 and apparently have a great start on things!

Unfortunately, my family history is blotchy on AD (which is also why I was so shocked by my 3/4 status!). After asking around my family, my now confirmed 3/4 dad said that my great grandmother had AD, but her son, my grandfather, died in his 50’s due to an accident. I have a feeling my dad got his 4 from him but we have no idea if my grandfather would have had AD or not. My dad’s mother died of a heart attack in her late 70’s BUT her mother (my other great grandmother) lived until she was 100 with a perfectly clear mind. Fortunately, my mom’s parents are both doing incredibly well in their late 80’s and we have no known AD history. I’m hoping the genes I got from her side will help me!

Fortunately, my dad is in his 50’s and works out heavily and follows a very healthy diet that’s borderline keto. I have little worries about him getting AD but I know I would be there for him if he ever did. Maybe he’ll show up here someday! Who knows.

I have just a few questions for now and apologize if these have been answered already.

1. I see some people follow the keto diet here. I’m strapped on funds and won’t likely be able to afford to eat that way anytime soon. So long as I keep at other suggested eating and prevention methods, am I doing enough to prevent future AD?

2. I suffer from very minor partial seizures (one 10 second one every 2-3 months) and take a low dose epilepsy medication that does not lower cognition, so it hasn’t been connected to AD. I know that AD can cause seizures but can seizures cause AD?

Thank you so much again! Looking forward to talking with you.
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Davida
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by Davida »

daydreams1991 wrote:Hello! Thank you so much for opening up this community. I’m a female 3/4 (guessing 3 and haven’t had a computer to check my full report) and 23andme sent my report to me on MY BIRTHDAY, ouch. My mom is 3/3 and sister is 3/3 so it was a pretty big shock.

I was pretty terrified of this result at first but now I feel like I could really do a lot to improve my situation. Even though it was incredibly painful, I’m glad I know now. I’m 28 and apparently have a great start on things!
.
Hi daydreams1991 and welcome to the Apoe4 community! I'm so glad that you posted and shared a bit of your story with us.

WOW! What a birthday present. I imagine you feeling scared and terrified when you discovered your Apoe4 status. Many feel overwhelmed learning of this news. Yes, having the gene increases one's risk of late onset Alzheimer's but it certainly is not a death sentence. Knowledge is powerful and with your wonderful attitude, age on your side, plenty of zest and determination you can set a blueprint for a long and healthy life ahead.

Viewing our Primer is a great place to start to gather more information on the Apoe4 gene and additional prevention strategies, if you haven't already. And on Wiki, there is an in-depth article on the Ketogenic diet. It may offer some tips for your personal situation. Also, using the magnifying glass on the tool bar near your name will allow you to search topics of specific interest to you, such as seizures.

Again a warm welcome and I encourage you to continue sharing your journey with us. I think you will find this to be a very caring and supportive group.

My best,

Davida
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Sara
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by Sara »

daydreams1991 wrote:
1. I see some people follow the keto diet here. I’m strapped on funds and won’t likely be able to afford to eat that way anytime soon. So long as I keep at other suggested eating and prevention methods, am I doing enough to prevent future AD?

2. I suffer from very minor partial seizures (one 10 second one every 2-3 months) and take a low dose epilepsy medication that does not lower cognition, so it hasn’t been connected to AD. I know that AD can cause seizures but can seizures cause AD?
Hi daydreams1991 and welcome to the apoe4.info site! I want to preface my comment by saying that I am not a clinical person but you mention that you have a minor partial seizure disorder and I wonder if you have ever tried the keto diet to determine it's effect on your seizures? I have heard that it is commonly used with young individuals as a treatment for seizures. The expense might be worth the effort with the result being a double win. That said... I realize it might be slightly more expensive but you might be able to gradually implement some of the components of the keto nutritional plan and add more as circumstances allow. I think you said that your father follows keto so maybe he can be a support person to you. Warm Regard and Best Wishes!
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Surviving loved one who transitioned with AD
daydreams1991
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by daydreams1991 »

Thank you both so much for your responses! It’s good to know I’m not alone.

I should have clarified in my post that I’ve been on the gluten free diet for 18 years due to possible Celiac disease (and guess who is for sure staying on it!). I’ve also been pretty relaxed on dairy but now I’m looking into cutting it out too. I basically am thinking about doing the Mediterranean diet right now as a way to me getting started on reducing my inflammation which I’m almost certain is the main cause of my mild anxiety and depression. I’ve seen some conflicting evidence about the keto diet being good or bad for 4’s so I’m not really sure I want to dive deep into it. In a few years time, if we see more evidence for its overall benefits then I might jump on board. I do appreciate any clarification to my confusion though!

As for the seizure thing, it’s 100% controlled with low medication. I haven’t seen evidence for the keto diet being able to solve my very minor seizures but I do wonder if something like that could help.

Thanks again for all of your advice!
mike
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by mike »

daydreams1991 wrote:Thank you both so much for your responses! It’s good to know I’m not alone.
A couple points. The most important part of the keto diet is to lower your carb intake. Gluten free is a good start, but more important is to be sugar free and simple starch free. No soft drinks or juice. Stay away from rice, potatoes, bread, etc. Go easy on fruit - choosing berries instead of bananas.

3/4's can beat this! And the fact that your mom was 3/3 is actually in your favor, since the female parent plays a larger role in determining your chances. It is likely that mitochondria plays a role, and these genes only come from your mom.

Get as much exercise as your doctor permits. This is huge in terms of maximizing blood flow to the brain. Some of it should be strength building.
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daydreams1991
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by daydreams1991 »

Thanks Mike! I actually cut out soda and other sugars more than two years ago as a way to manage my anxiety (and it’s improved so much since then!). I’m willing to say goodbye to my beloved white grape juice. Maybe I’ll send my final container off a waterfall for a Viking funeral or something.

That’s great news to hear about my mom! I’ll be sure to give her an extra tight hug next time I see her.
Moonstone
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by Moonstone »

Hi daydreams1991,
I'm wondering what low-dose epilepsy medication you're taking? (I'm asking because this might be something to explore for my mom, as she has partial seizures every few months, but I think they're always during the night and generally related to not wearing her C-pap part of the night.)
Thanks!
Moonstone
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floramaria
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Re: 3/4! Hello!

Post by floramaria »

Moonstone wrote:Hi daydreams1991,
I'm wondering what low-dose epilepsy medication you're taking? (I'm asking because this might be something to explore for my mom, as she has partial seizures every few months, but I think they're always during the night and generally related to not wearing her C-pap part of the night.)
Thanks!
Moonstone
daydreams1991 wrote:As for the seizure thing, it’s 100% controlled with low medication. I haven’t seen evidence for the keto diet being able to solve my very minor seizures but I do wonder if something like that could help.
Hi Moonstone, I quoted both of you here so that daydreams will know that you asked a question; for another user to be notified that you replied to a post, you can use the quote function. This is in the upper right hand corner of the post you are responding to. You don’t have to quote the entire post; you can edit it.

There is a section of our WiKi that provides at lot of tips including how to quote people so they se your replies, how to send private messages, how to search for previous posts on a topic you are interested, and how to subscribe to a thread. You can find it here:
How-To Get the most out of the ApoE4.info website

I hope you hear back from daydreams1991!
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