After learning that my boyfriend's father was suffering from HD's disease and his aunt and grandfather has died from HD's Disease I became very concerned, since his chances of getting the illness is 50%. I have done some research on the disease but havent found much information about early symptons. He does have a bad temper at times and sometimes seems forgetful and argumentive. He has two sisters and one has taken the HD test and was negative for the disease. He is a 19 year old and is very smart and works very hard. It almost seems unlikely for him to development this illness but because of his temper it sometimes makes it more likely. He never talks about HD's disease and I dont know what I would do if he was too develop this disease. But because of his temper and attitude I dont know whether to associate this with the disease or just him being himself. I hope i dont sound like a mean person, but I really concerened and worried. So what my question is....is there a way for me too see symptoms of him developing the disease and is there anything I should do or should not do? Is it recommended to take the HD test so prevention and treatment can begin if the test comes back positive?

Depression, rage, uncontrollable anger(many times at objects instead of people), balance problems, eye movement, failure to be able to concentrate on but one thing a t a time, short term memory loss are some of the first symptoms for many persons with HD. There are no cures, no controls, but some medications will relieve the depression and help control tempers. Symptoms seem to vary, as some have the more emotional symptom, others have gait and balance problems. Please feel free to e-mail me!

Lauren wroteHe is a 19 year old and is very smart and works very hard. It almost seems unlikely for him to development this illness but because of his temper it sometimes makes it more likely. Lauren, I don't know what to tell you,Being smart and a good worker has nothing to do with it, he has a 50% chance of getting the disease,thats a coin toss, yay or nay,when I was 19 I had a foul temper and would tend to get in a blind rage at times, mostly at things not people,a lot of mood swings ect.But now I am 56 and still reasonably stable*smile*.What you need to do is have a very serious discussion between the two of you concerning your future,and your hopes for a family,what are your plans? ect. You mentioned "Prevention" There is only one Preventive measure you can reasonably take concerning HD.Don't Have any Children.And you'd be well advised to be free and candid when discussing this with your boyfriend.And Lauren,no one thinks you are a mean person,we all understand your concern,because HD is the meanest Monster you will ever encounter.Good Luck For You Guys. Ron C.

The emotional problems of your boyfriend could be symptoms of HD or, then, they might not be. Other symptoms might be problems at work with organizing thoughts, tasks, etc., difficulties in thinking abstractly and concentrating. Physical symptoms might include balance, clumsiness, involuntary movements of head, hands, and feet.

Being tested would provide knowledge and a basis for planning but would be useless as far as prevention is concerned as there are no effective treatments at present. There can be negative consequences of testing, too. Some people have difficulty handling the results, even if the results reveal the tested person to not have the defective gene, i.e. to not have HD. A positive result can make it difficult to get insurance. I was tested about five years ago and came out negative. I've never regretted being tested.

I'd recommend that your friend see a neurologist who specializes in HD. He/she can detect symptoms much better than you or I and can discuss the test or refer your friend to a genetic counselor for the discussion. Just as important, the neurologist may be able to prescribe medications to help control your friend's emotional problems. If he does have HD, it will be good to have established a relationship with a neurologist early on.

Finally, there's hope--lots of it. First, there's hope that your friend doesn't have HD at all. Second, if he does, there is a tremendous amount of really promising research going on now, and the researchers feel that it's only a matter of a very few more years before there will be effective treatments for HD and maybe even therapies which can reverse the course of the Disease.

You two might consider, also, finding an HD support group to attend. There's a lot of value in being able to discuss HD with people who are coping with aspects of it all the way from being at risk to caregiving and living with HD.

I wish you the best.

Tom

I've been clumsy all my life. sometimes this can be a sign of HD, but it is a hard thing to diagnose if your not a doctor. the most important thing right now is not to worry about the signs so much as give your boyfriend the support he needs, believe me he'll need a lot. there are support groups and testing centers on www.hdsa.org. that is a great way to get more info. the most important question is whether or not your bfrnd wants to get tested. if he doesn't then let him be. it is a tough decision either way. I myself tested positive six months ago. the day i turned 18 i had an appointment. i've been primary caregiver for 18 yrs and a month ago put my father into resthome. the decison to test is difficult for many people. For me it is a confirmation that i will not have children and a better way for planning for the future. it hasn't changed much outside of planning things out better. i commend you for sticking with your bfrnd, a lot of people can't handle the pressures of this disease. check out the support clubs at clubs.yahoo.com there are many people there willing to listen.
shelly

i dont know anything about the first signs of huntingtons but i'm terrified that i may be starting of with the illness..iv'e known for about 6 months that a brother from my mothers first marrage died from huntingtonss.our sister has also been tested but come back clear.i didn't know anything about huntingtons untill about 8 months ago.my step brother and sister live in a different city and ive only met them a couple of times.i didn't know they existed untill 1985 when they found me after 3 years searching.they told me then about the illness but been only 15 i didn't realy take it in.
last october i did a training course about huntingtons as part of my job(i care for peoiple with special needs and mental health problems) i talked to people who care,docters,self help groups ,charaties and people with huntingtons on this course.it scared me.the laws of logic and gambling mean i've got a 4 to 1 chance of having the illness.the way lifes are destroyed,the way the illness destroys the person and the feeling of isolation are terrible.find out as much infomation as you can from INFORMED people as you can before making dissisions. good luck and sorry about the spelling mistakes. john

i dont know anything about the first signs of huntingtons but i'm terrified that i may be starting of with the illness..iv'e known for about 6 months that a brother from my mothers first marrage died from huntingtonss.our sister has also been tested but come back clear.i didn't know anything about huntingtons untill about 8 months ago.my step brother and sister live in a different city and ive only met them a couple of times.i didn't know they existed untill 1985 when they found me after 3 years searching.they told me then about the illness but been only 15 i didn't realy take it in.
last october i did a training course about huntingtons as part of my job(i care for peoiple with special needs and mental health problems) i talked to people who care,docters,self help groups ,charaties and people with huntingtons on this course.it scared me.the laws of logic and gambling mean i've got a 4 to 1 chance of having the illness.the way lifes are destroyed,the way the illness destroys the person and the feeling of isolation are terrible.find out as much infomation as you can from INFORMED people as you can before making dissisions. good luck and sorry about the spelling mistakes. john

John,
HD is a dominate gene. You have a 50/50 chance of not getting it. It is like eye color or anything else inherited. You get one gene from your mother and one from your father. Each parent has two genes. So you could get two good genes or
one good and one bad. But your chances are still 50/50.
There is research beinging done with families with children from parents both having HD, but their chance is still 50/50. Each parent still has a good gene and a bad gene.
Having HD is not the end of the world. You can still live a productive and postitive life for some time after you have signs. And YOU are NOT ALONE. There is a whole HD Family out here willing to offer support. Diana

Unfortunately, there is no prevention or cure. But a good doctor with a good understanding of the disease can prescribe medications for symptoms such as
depression or aggression or chorea movements. It depends on the person, if knowing is helpful or not. Denial is a BIG element of the disease also. Diana