My husband of 44 was just recently diagnosed with HD, cag repeat 45 (we did not know it ran down his family line as the most likely carriers died in their 50's from other causes and did not show symptoms prior). The way HD runs down family lines it's occured to me that maybe folks on this site might be related to each other down the line somehow(just a side thought).
My question is.... is it unusual for a phd to not show signs of depression or outburst/anger type emotions prior to showing physical chorea type symtoms? My husband started having chorea about age 38 but he is very easy going and pleasant and I never recall him ever having any depression or unusual outburst or anger and from what I've read usually the first onset symtoms is emotional/mental. He is showing signs of memory lapses now on top of chorea, but not depression or getting upset/out of control. Thank you, I have learned a lot from reading your postings.

LizzieAnn,

It is new in my family as well. Last year we learned that my mother-in-law had HD with no prior family history, her father, where they think it came from, even died in old age.

Initially, they didn't know what was going on with her, they first thought restless leg syndrome because she couldn't keep her legs still while sitting or sleeping, but that came back negative, as did every other test until HD. She is 56 (42CAG) and only has chorea. Mostly in the form of not being able to sit still (minor rocking back and forth, crossing and uncrossing her legs), and droping things, however medicine has helped with both these things. At this point these are the only symptoms she has, no emotional or cognitive effects. Based on this, I think its entirely possible to have only movement symptoms or to show those first.

-Cole

I am sorry to hear of your hubby's HD results . Although many people have emotional ups and downs before other symptoms , I think HD runs a very wide gamut of symptoms in each individual . All my best. db

Lizzieanne,

I am sorry about your husbands results. My mother never displayed anger or had any outbursts. Her main symptom was chorea. She was a very pleasant person.

Misty

HD doesn't always mean psychological problems. I think it was reported 90% do... but that means 10% don't and there has to be a certain percentage that is mild and not really bothersome. One symptom I rarely mention here is my wife had was auditory and visual hallucinations. Only 1% of HD patients have these. That would unnecessarily add to the scariness of HD. When you read here you hear all of the stuff but things are spread out over many people. Few have all the bad stuff in one patient. The people having the toughest time tend to post more. Most people who are not having that tough of a time have less need to post. I think those are at least the silent but equal base of people if not the silent majority. It's good to be reminded that there are plenty of sufferers who are not having major behavioral issues.

Thank you all for your responses as it has helped clear up the issue for me and actually your responses have eased my mind.

Eric,

What you wrote about "people having the toughest time tend to post more" and therefore we may be reading more of the extreme symptoms makes sense. LizzieAnn

Hi

I am 44 with a cag count of 45, I think the first thing I noticed was forgetfullness and my stubling and losing my balance. I think this has been going on for 2 years, with severe depression and crying all the time.

My father started with memory, cognitive and chorea, no emotional outburts of any kind. Me, i have no chorea, but i have some memory, cognitive and emotional problems. So two people in the same family presenting differently. I have no body movements of any kind, but have trouble with space awareness around me, and sometimes trip over things.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/2008 05:55PM by Barb.

Your husband's situation is similar to my mother's in that there was absolutely no family history with her parents, aunts and uncles, and cousins living well into their 80s and some into their 90s.

My mother only had physical symptoms for the longest time, she was a secretary and could no longer type, walking into things, she couldn't sit down, meaning that she missed the chair completely when she attempted to sit and ended up on the floor, and she broke things when try to place them, for example putting glasses and dishes on shelves after cleaning them. I think it was her depth perception that went first. She was like that for several years before any emotional problems became obvious to us. Unfortunately for us when they came they came with a vengance.

I don't know if a study has been done, but my guess would be that depression hits those early who have a family history of HD and so know what future lies ahead of them. Just my opinion! In the months leading up to my test I was a wreck and I can easily understand why depression is highly correlated to a positive diagnosis.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2008 09:49AM by BigMac.

I guess HD takes different and similar courses on each person.

Since I was little that my mother had very strange reactions that I never understood. Actually I thought she was a bad person.

She always played psychological mind tricks on me and my sister, making us feel bad for anything, or start yelling for no reason saying very bad things that you should never listen, especially from your mother. Sometimes I still question if this behavior had something to do with HD since at that time she was kinda young (CAG rep of 43).

I've also noticed that this behavior follows some kind of pattern, I think that there are dates that mean something to her and she stats misbehaving. The other day, I had to call the cops because she started beating up my aunt (that I think also has HD, just waiting for the results) just because she told an ex-colleague of my mother that she was at home.

She was so nervous and violent that I had to grab her until the police arrived. The next day she was perfectly normal.

Chorea has arrived recently but I guess all the other symptoms have been there for a long long time.

HD has been in my family for at least 3 generations but all the doctors diagnosed them with Parkinson's.

I found out about HD on my family last October, by coincidence, and it made me look into my mother in a different way.

I'm happy for those who do not have this kind of reactions and only chorea, it's a blessing amongst all the rest ...

Barb, I am glad you don't have Chorea.

Misty

My FIL is advanced HD and has only ever been sweet and kind. He has never had any outbursts. I'd have to say with my husband it is mostly physical too...occasionally I think I see a slight bit of increased irritability, but then stress can do that to non-hd people too.