We’ve all been taught to follow our doctor’s instructions, but is that always a good idea? When it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, the answer is no.
If your doctor tells you that the standard medication and/or clinical trials are the only options and to get your affairs in order, it’s not a good idea to follow that advice.
The standard three-step process —
- Go to a doctor after symptoms of cognitive decline become worrisome
- Get a diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or Alzheimer’s
- Be a good patient by taking a medication that won’t stop the disease
— only leads to taking additional medications in an effort to control anxiety, sleep, incontinence, aggression, depression and other issues that can accompany Alzheimer’s as it gets worse. Each medication comes with its own set of side effects. The standard of care is bad for brain health, overall wellness and quality of life.
Why do I say that? Because I’ve seen the results of the standard of care over and over again throughout my life. The worst thing you can do in 2023 is follow the standard medical approach from the 1990s that doesn’t even attempt to find and treat all the hidden contributors to the disease. Let me pause here and say that doctors are required to follow the standard medical approach or they risk a lawsuit.
But since you and I aren’t required to accept an approach that’s outdated and doesn’t work, what could we do instead?
- Start taking care of your brain health before you have symptoms of cognitive decline.
- Don’t ever assume cognitive decline is normal. That assumption causes you to wait for it to get worse.
- Don’t wait for symptoms to get worse because the longer you wait, the worse it may get and the more
difficult it will be to reverse. - Learn how to take matters into your own hands. That includes getting the testing you need proactively and
even doing some of it on your own once you learn how. - Seek help from a functional health practitioner who uses a proven method for reversing cognitive decline.
Even someone with moderate or advanced Alzheimer’s can benefit from using the Bredesen protocol. Check out what they’re doing at Marama, a full-time Alzheimer’s care facility.
And here’s some good news about reversing Mild Cognitive Impairment from one of my clients who didn’t want to follow the same old tired approach:
She has a maternal family history of Alzheimer’s disease. She scheduled an initial consultation with me shortly after her neurologist diagnosed her with Mild Cognitive Impairment and prescribed one of the standard Alzheimer’s medications. I asked her to contact her doctor and talk to him about discontinuing the medication since she had only been on it for a short time. She received approval to discontinue her medication, and we ordered her initial tests to identify hidden contributors to her cognitive decline. As she began to implement the recommendations she had health improvements, including the reversal of her cognitive decline and arthritis in her hands.
It’s been a year and a half, and her MCI has not returned. Neither has her arthritis.
The Bredesen Protocol has been proven to work in people who have Mild Cognitive Impairment. It has also been shown to help people who already have a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Everyone doesn’t improve for a variety of reasons, but more and more people are using it and seeing results as the news gets out.
When it comes to Alzheimer’s, you already know there’s no standard medical approach for preventing dementia, and the medications prescribed after a diagnosis don’t work. In fact, the doctor most likely will tell you that as she writes a prescription. Most people accept it because they feel they have no other option.
The good news is there is another option, and you do have access to the power of prevention.
Angela Chapman is a Bredesen ReCODE Practitioner, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner and Functional Health Educator. If you’re searching for ways to prevent or fight Alzheimer’s disease, her Sunday email is a great resource for you.