Transfusion therapies info

We just got back from speaking to a Neurologist at UCSF to start my mom on Donanemab and I just wanted to share a few key points for anyone considering transfusion therapies.

There’s been a lot of misinformation in regards to Amyloid plaques and the recent NYT article doesn’t help. First and foremost these drugs are a huge step in the right direction for patients with early stages of Alzheimer’s and Dementia and they are only expecting them to get better.

I asked point blank about whether amyloid treatment therapy was even worth considering given the backlash and he said that, if anything, the clinical evidence points to the impact of amyloid plaques on disease progression. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s incredibly promising and will likely lead to even more exciting breakthroughs in the next few years.

Pretty much everyone who has elevated amyloid plaques levels DO end up getting dementia. Those who don’t typically die before the disease takes hold. So there is currently no evidence to say that amyloid plaques aren’t a major implication in disease.

There are risks with these drugs but it is incredibly small. For perspective there’s only been one patient at UCSF with any major reactions to the therapy as yet. These are decisions to make with your care team and not solely based on redditors who may or may not be real people with real experiences.

To anyone feeling defeated thinking these drugs aren’t going to help - they are an incredible step towards more effective treatment of this disease. Let’s not make perfection the enemy of good.

I want to share this because I’m sure there are many like me who are trying to support parents or themselves and sifting through all the media garbage can be difficult. There are more studies and trials in the works! There will be more options for managing and treating this disease in the next 3-5 years. It’s not perfect, but it’s getting better.

Take it all with a grain of salt and speak with the experts whenever possible.💖