Doubts, Depressing Reviews

[thehuntbox]

Wondering if others have read the single star reviews of The End of Alzheimer's on amazon. Many people seem to express the knee jerk opinion that it's snake oil. I have to say, the commercialization demonstrated by Apollo Health and their slick ads are very much of a turn-off and move the dial toward the possibility that it's just a money making scheme. I don't want to think that, since there doesn't seem to be any other game in town, but...

I know this isn't a forum primarily devoted to Bredesen Protocol, but I thought that if any place would supply an informed opinion on this, it would be here. Thanks.

[Plumster]

The reviews (over 1300 of them just on Amazon) look great to me! I read one negative one stating they had not had success. Bredesen states in his book that it's all about making the changes as early as possible and that if a patient is too far along, they can't save them.

[NF52]

Wondering if others have read the single star reviews of The End of Alzheimer's on amazon. Many people seem to express the knee jerk opinion that it's snake oil. I have to say, the commercialization demonstrated by Apollo Health and their slick ads are very much of a turn-off and move the dial toward the possibility that it's just a money making scheme. I don't want to think that, since there doesn't seem to be any other game in town, but...

I know this isn't a forum primarily devoted to Bredesen Protocol, but I thought that if any place would supply an informed opinion on this, it would be here. Thanks.

Welcome, "thehuntbox",

I confess I was intrigued by your user name and looked it up, to find both English hunting cottages and living spaces above horse barns. So I learned something new today thanks to you!

As for the forum having an informed opinion, we individually have lots of informed opinions. They just aren't necessarily the same ones! That's because the field of cognitive health and dementia prevention is so rich in resources, so complex in variations on risk factors and so rapidly evolving with scientific and participant-driven study. Our goal is less to tell people what the right approach is, than to listen well and suggest sources for information, or clear up misunderstandings. Julie Gregory, the Board President of ApoE4.info has known Dr. Bredesen for years and is collaborating with him on a sequel to his first book that will come out this summer. I think it's fair to say that she would characterize his approach as not a "one size fits all" but as looking for the root causes that contribute to insulin resistance, inflammation, low energy, toxicity, gut issues, poor sleep, stress, pain, etc. and addressing those in ways that are sustainable for a lifetime.

We encourage all users to consider our Primer as a great source for information on these possible risk factors, and strategies that you can use to minimize or avoid them. It is written by a physician and Board member who is herself ApoE 4/4 and who believes that explaining what areas are strongly supported by almost everyone (ex. avoid head injuries, reduce or avoid insulin resistance, reduce highly processed foods) and what are open to individual needs and preferences (best foods for your diet).

You may want to share more about what led you to looking at Dr. Bredesen's book, and we hope you'll feel free to ask more questions. We may not agree on everything as a group, but we do agree that we learn best from each other's knowledge and experiences.

[PSu82537%a6r_dnz]

Hello huntbox….
I hope you don't let a negative review prevent you from benefiting from this book. I have read the book, implemented some of the strategies suggested, and hope to implement more. I attended an event where Dr. Bredesen spoke in person and I found him to be very credible, humane, and the polar opposite of a "snake oil salesman". I do agree with your implied point that some of the attempts by third parties to profiteer off of Dr. Bredesen's work are very heavy-handed and predatory, but that should only reflect on those persons who are doing that sort of thing. You don't have to spend many thousands of dollars to benefit from Dr. Bredesen's work. This forum is free, the book is well worth whatever it costs, and you can get started in very small steps that cost little or nothing to do.

[HopefulCaroline]

Wondering if others have read the single star reviews of The End of Alzheimer's on amazon. Many people seem to express the knee jerk opinion that it's snake oil. I have to say, the commercialization demonstrated by Apollo Health and their slick ads are very much of a turn-off and move the dial toward the possibility that it's just a money making scheme. I don't want to think that, since there doesn't seem to be any other game in town, but...

.

huntbox,
An official welcome to the site! We are happy you have joined us. As a survivor of a TBI and having watched relatives suffer from full blown Alzheimers, I have successfully used Bredesen's protocol, on my own, as a guide for the way I live. I can't be sure that it has made a difference but I have yet to suffer any effects of cognitive decline. Many more 'mainstream' doctors are now supporting and recommending aspects of what Bredesen has long championed. For me, I believe the elements I have implemented certainly have not hurt but likely helped my longterm outcome. If you are so inclined, we would encourage you to share your story in the Our Stories section and tell us a little more about what brought you to our community. In addition to the Primer that NF52 referenced, the Wiki is a great resource that has more details on Bredesen's protocol as well as others.

Please reach out if we can help support you in any way.

Sincerely,
Caroline

[thehuntbox]

Thanks to all for your replies. I'll respond generally to everyone: "thehuntbox" has a much more mundane origin. "Hunt" is part of my name and when I formulated my email address they were often referred to as "boxes", so the natural contraction "thehuntbox".

I've actually already read The End of Alzheimer's and found it intelligent and informative, and convincing. I still find many of the one star reviews depressing, though I guess that shouldn't be surprising. (I've also read a few other books and much online.) I think there is a contingent of people who cared for severely ill relatives who are offended that there may have been an alternative. These people of course have my extreme sympathy, though the responses they leave online can be both blistering and seem borderline hurtful.

The concept that AD is a lifestyle disease "seems" correct to me; it has the feeling of correctness to it.

I happen to be concerned about my mother, though I know many here are geared toward awareness and prevention. She has been demonstrating symptoms of decline for a year or two. About a half year ago I quizzed her on memory loss and she said, to effect, "I'm 82, what do you expect?" Unfortunately I allowed that to satisfy me, though I should have known better. It's actually a little disheartening to realize how many people are mollified by the (incorrect) opinion that advancing years can explain any and all manner of decline.

I don't know her apoE status (or my own). We live in the Big Island of Hawaii where there is scant health care selection. There is a functional medicine specialist and Bredesen trained physician 80 miles away from us who doesn't take health insurance and charges $350 an hour. This of course triggers my paranoia about profiteering, but I'm probably going to make an appointment with her anyway and hope for the best. I really have no idea what else to do. My mother, lifelong extremely proactive in her health, has suddenly turned utterly apathetic about her cognitive health. So right now I'm kind of caught in a bizarre Twilight Zone situation where establishment medicine has nothing to offer, my mom is hostile to the notion of doing anything, and I'm Chicken Little, thinking the sky is falling.

[slacker]

The concept that AD is a lifestyle disease "seems" correct to me; it has the feeling of correctness to it.
...
My mother, lifelong extremely proactive in her health, has suddenly turned utterly apathetic about her cognitive health.

I understand your ambivalence and desire to help your mother. The cost of working with a Bredesen practitioner is typically not covered by insurance, and is expensive. Supplements add up. Some labs will be covered by insurance but difficult to know in advance, since our medical costs are rarely transparent. We all struggle with this and learn as we go. This community is here to support you and share our experiences.

I think that calling AD a lifestyle disease is an oversimplification. Calling it an environmental disease seems more accurate to me. We live in an environment (culture/society) where healthy foods are more expensive, we are expected to work long hours, have high stress, etc. Health and balance are not prioritized by our culture. Environmental toxins such as mold, tick borne diseases, pollution, and heavy metal exposure can cause cognitive decline; these contributors are included in Bredesen's protocol.

edited:
I also wanted to mention that everyone has to be on board for the Bredesen approach to have a chance to work. If your mother continues to be apathetic and is not able to make the changes needed, it will be difficult to see improvement. It's always possible that she will feel more hopeful after seeing the Bredesen trained provider. Good luck!

[thehuntbox]

I think that calling AD a lifestyle disease is an oversimplification. Calling it an environmental disease seems more accurate to me. We live in an environment (culture/society) where healthy foods are more expensive, we are expected to work long hours, have high stress, etc. Health and balance are not prioritized by our culture. Environmental toxins such as mold, tick borne diseases, pollution, and heavy metal exposure can cause cognitive decline; these contributors are included in Bredesen's protocol.

I agree entirely with this. Thanks for your reply.

[floramaria]

I know this isn't a forum primarily devoted to Bredesen Protocol, but I thought that if any place would supply an informed opinion on this, it would be here. Thanks.

Hi, thehuntbox,
As someone who is at risk of AD myself, both genetically and with a strong family history, I greeted Dr Bredesen’s approach to Alzheimer’s disease with excitement and enthusiasm. I read his early studies before his book was published and was an “early adopter”. His approach makes sense to me, and offers hope where hope did not exist. I have implemented the ReCODE protocol in my own life, and became a health coach to help others who are trying to do the same. I can say first hand that my cognition has improved, primarily in areas related to speaking and spatial orientation, like knowing where I am when I am driving. On a non-subjective level, I have seen clients who follow the protocol improve their MOCA scores. But it is not easy. It takes a lot of motivation and commitment to make and maintain significant changes in areas like diet, detoxification, exercise, brain stimulation, reducing stress and prioritizing sleep.
I know some people are waiting for medical science to come up with the drug that will be the solution. “Just take this and you’ll be fine” is certainly a simpler approach. But that pill or group of pills doesn't exist yet. And meanwhile, many studies, not just Dr Bredesen’s show very positive results in maintaining and improving cognitive from following recommendations related to lifestyle.

[thehuntbox]

I know some people are waiting for medical science to come up with the drug that will be the solution. “Just take this and you’ll be fine” is certainly a simpler approach. But that pill or group of pills doesn't exist yet. And meanwhile, many studies, not just Dr Bredesen’s show very positive results in maintaining and improving cognitive from following recommendations related to lifestyle.

Bredesen himself seems to think that conventional drug treatment will probably play a role, for instance in clearing amyloid protein after the synaptic clastic- blastic- balance is restored. However, clearing amyloid without addressing the causes often seems to make things worse. You probably know all this already; I'm just stating it as a review. AD patients who suspend the protocol often seem to relapse. Of course, the protocol itself is new; so there's no way to know for sure whether at some point a brain might recover fully just by addressing the clastic/blastic imbalance.

I share your opinion that this approach seems to "make sense", and I've heard the same thing over and over, from experts and laypeople alike. There will always be naysayers (the one star reviews). I think it's prudent to be mindful of them. Unfortunately there will always be charlatans and frauds and those willing to profit from the desperation and misery of others. Bredesen himself seems genuine to me. Unfortunately that doesn't guarantee that the system that might develop from his protocol is entirely on the up and up.