Helena’s Story
August 5 2024 | Last Updated: Aug 5 2024
Helena, Winnie’s best friend.
Reversal in 3 months
Alcohol, Vitamin Deficiency, Medication, Social Life
Helena was 69 years old. She had two loving daughters and a son-in-law that she adored.
She had always enjoyed drinking wine, and in the last 20 years her drinking has taken on a more prevalent role in her life.
After her husband passed away a year ago, her drinking had increased even more, and she stopped spending time with friends and family.
Her daughter brought her to see a geriatrician for concerns about short-term memory problems.
Her memory testing was initially 20/30
(low, at the level of pre-dementia).
Helena’s geriatrician came up with the following plan:
1) Slowly reduce the amount of alcohol she was drinking
2) Start taking Thiamine (B1 vitamin) 100mcg and B12 vitamin 1000mg daily
3) Stop taking Lorazepam (a sleeping pill)
4) Spend more time with friends and family
What Happened Next?
3 months later, Helena had gradually cut down on alcohol.
She was still drinking, but only half as much.
She was also taking the recommended Thiamine and B12 vitamins, and had stopped her sleeping pill.
Her daughter had reached out to friends and family, and her brother had come to visit from oversees for a month.
Her daughter reported - “she’s like a new woman”.
Her memory testing was now 26/30
(normal).
What does Helena’s story teach us?
Helena’s memory problems came from 5 big things:
Alcohol
Vitamin deficiencies
Sleeping pills
Lack of social life
By improving her root causes, Helena was able to improve her memory in just 3 months.
It also shows that you don’t have to strive for perfection to make a difference in your health - Helena still drinks 2 glasses of wine every day (more than the recommended amount), but her choice to drink less is still helping to improve her memory.
Big congrats to Helena for making changes for big results!
Disclaimer: The stories shared on this website are composites of several clinical cases, designed to protect individuals' privacy. They are intended for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice or a reflection of any specific person. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, is purely coincidental.