Sorry, but (exceptionally) this post is not about so-called alternative medicine (SCAM).
During the last weekend, I had the displeasure watching video clips of Donald Trump being unable to lift a glass of water one-handedly and being unable to walk normally down a ramp. Many observers agree that his health has been in steady decline ever since he was taken to the hospital late last year. Now Trump seems to have deteriorated to the point where he sounds and acts like a zombie, loses his temper, acts irrationally, etc. To me, there is no question: this man is seriously ill, physically and mentally.
Why is that any of my business?
The answer is simple: because he is rapidly destroying not just the US but, with it, much of the world as I know it. Therefore, I feel that Trump’s health should be all our business.
So, what disease might he be suffering from?
There is very little to go by for answering this question. His medical check-ups have apparently attested him perfect health, but they seem as trustworthy as a 4 £ note. Even when he was rushed to hospital, we learnt nothing about his condition. This means, we merely have little more than what we see of his behaviour to suggest a diagnosis which inevitably must remain guesswork.
Watching Trump, I often asked myself: could he be suffering from neurosyphilis? It would certainly fit in with his past life-style.
Neurosyphilis is a syphilis infection of the spinal cord or brain of people who had syphilis that has not been adequately treated. It can occur many years after they had their first infection. The physical symptoms are highly variable and can include:
- Having abnormal gait
- Loss of balance
- Not being able to walk normally
- Visual disturbances
- Headaches
- Incontinence
- Numbness in legs, toes, or feet
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Stiff neck
- Muscular weakness
- Abdominal pain
Most of these have been displayed by Trump. In addition, there are mental symptoms that are also highly variable and can include:
- Irritability
- Loss of ability to concentrate
- Delusional thinking
- Grandiosity
- Problems with memory
- Lack of insight
- Impaired judgment
- Emotional instability
Patchy hair loss can also be a sign of the later stages of syphilis, and is something that I find hard to miss when observing Trump.
I know that neurosyphilis is highly speculative as a diagnosis of Trump’s condition. What is not speculative, however, is that he is gravely ill. As such, he should not be in the Oval Office making decisions that affect us all.
Whatever disease Trump has, he is a serious danger to mankind.
56 Responses to What disease might Donald Trump be suffering from?
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Excellent analysis! We should wait and see: neurosyphilis would surely be more or less confirmed if he does do what many are predicting come November, namely cancelling the US presidential election which he would otherwise lose.
if he looses the election, I fear that he might call it rigged, try to ignore the result and stay in power.
He’s set up a private army. He will have war gamed plans to stay in power.
Seth Abramson’s books tell alll. They not not hyperbole or fiction.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Seth-Abramson/e/B002D6CN6S
I have similar concerns. Fortunately, top military brass have indicated that they support the Constitution and not the president. We shall soon see how this plays out.
I believe the clear signs of a significant health issue(s) are only exacerbating his well-established proclivity for narcissistic and belligerent behaviors.
@Norman Pettit
Ahhh, yes Norman
You don’t agree with his politics, therefore he must be ill.
and you seem to agree with his politics and cannot explain the plethora of pathology he displays, or can you?
Donnie Trump. Genetically infirm, morally reprehensible, and mentally unsound. A Syphilitic wreak of a human being. Uninstall. Reboot. UNINSTALL him and his feckless, craven, murder of chinless crows.
GOOD PREDICTION!!!! Here we are June 2021, and we have a perfectly normal, healthy, president of the US. Thank you Biden!
Trump is currently entertaining fantasies that he will be reinstated as President! https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2021/06/donald-trump-august-reinstatement
Which suggests he’s become even more bonkers. Maybe it’s an aftereffect of Covid-19.
It’s a dangerous fantasy, it might inspire his followers to more violence.
I wouldl think that this man is showing signs of OBS or /tertiary Syphilis
I had to look up OBS as I wasn’t familiar with the acronym (I presume you mean organic brain syndrome). I learnt it as GPI (general paralysis of the insane), though I have only seen two cases of tertiary syphilis in 30 years of practising medicine. Perhaps he also has tabes dorsalis (syphilitic degeneration of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord, which are required for joint position sense); this would account for his fear of stairs.
I saw a tweet from Dr Jen Gunter who suggested trump would very likely be tested for Neurosyphilis . Is it treatable?
Dementia? Reminds me of my father who had parkinson’s and some dementia. Can’t walk down inclines or steps. Had trouble holding his tea mug towards the end.
Agreed he’s a ticking time bomb. Very scary. The whole of Trump’s reign has been hugely worrying on so many levels.
(I am not a medic – guessing a lot here).
unfortunately all of this is guess-work.
yes, neurosyphilis is treatable but does not always lead to a full restoration of health.
Yes either way I don’t think he’ll go quietly. Very worrying situation.
I was rather shocked to see the physical behaviour at the West Point ceremony but there has been a very worrying decrement in his speech patterns and vocabulary over a number of years.
A few people I know have said that Trump appears to be displaying the symptoms of worsening dementia, possibly multi-infarct related. And people have been commenting on this for over a year in big media outlets.
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/04/09/does-donald-trump-have-dementia-we-need-know-psychologist-column/3404007002/
I cannot help but wonder, with the divergence from the usual SCAM theme, if Joe Biden might not also fall under the same suspicion, though not Neurosyphilis per se. He has been exhibiting apparent signs of early dementia for some time., or so it would seem. Is either candidate for what is arguable the most powerful position in the free world likely to be fit for office come January 2021? From a purely medical standpoint. I will not venture in to the alternative views.
@Lenny
That would be false news.
DJT functions at a much higher level than people his age, in fact most people younger than him.
Evidently you have Trump mixed up with Joe Biden.
“DJT functions at a much higher level than people his age”
This would possibly be true if he were six, RG, but he’s not. Trump is thicker than a Royal Marine’s foreskin. I personally know a number of people who were involved with his visit to my city last year and the diplomatic protocols which had to be followed to avoid making him look stupid or say something stupid were considerable. He has the intellect of a damp cardboard box, the attention span of a goldfish and the reasoning abilities of a child. The cognitive dissonance this triggers in you is obviously considerable, RG. It might be best to deal with it.
I also hope that Trump hasn’t got PSP. It is a vile disease. Three people I know died of it and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
you must be one of tRUMPS inbred redneck followers
Not a follower, just a voter…. just one of the 63 million.
In more words than I care to type here.
Watch this link, and you will learn why the electorate reluctantly voted for the conservative choice…. and will again.
https://www.facebook.com/DailyWire/videos/261917665199145
The electorate voted for Hillary Clinton, by majority. Our ridiculous and outdated electoral college system saw the electorate denied. And before you say it, I’m neither liberal or conservative, I am what the Brits call a floating voter, swayed by evidence.
@Grommet
The electorate elected the conservative choice within the system that the USA has established and operated within since the beginning.
If you don’t like the system, you can choose not to participate, you can change the system, or you can leave.
OR, you can choose to simply whine and cry about the outcome, like the rest of the snowflakes.
Re Mr Biden:
Never mind 2021, more to the point, if elected, would he last four years?
And if not, who takes over?
The VP?
Who would be Biden’s running mate in the November election.
And who is to be…!
@Richard Rawlings
Joe Biden is not fit for office of the president
About half the time he gets in front of the camera he injures himself. Currently Biden is being kept in his basement away from the media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IrZXz_22rk
Using evidence based speculation I would punt that Trump has recently seen a homeopath.
It is a rare and special pleasure to agree with you fully on THIS blog. Let’s revel in this rare moment.
Trump genuinely believes himself to be a first class leader and among the best POTUS that have ever drawn breath. That is symptom enough for me. Anyone in that role must be filled with doubt and uncertainty, this, it seems to me, is only quelled by a fierce desire to do good in the world for the benefit of all mankind. I see in Trump the former and not the latter. In my opinion this is no fit man for that office.
I would add though, caution must always be applied when judging anyone by their former behaviors or ancestors, as Henry V sets out ” a strawberry may grow neath a nettle”.
Tertiary neurosyphilis is staggeringly rare in this day and age. More common is PSP – progressive supranuclear palsy, and it is this which seems to be occupying the Twitterati at the moment.
Let’s play Tick The Box
“The pattern of signs and symptoms can be quite different from person to person. The most frequent first symptom of PSP is a loss of balance while walking. Individuals may have unexplained falls or a stiffness and awkwardness in gait.
As the disease progresses, most people will begin to develop a blurring of vision and problems controlling eye movement. In fact, eye problems, in particular slowness of eye movements, usually offer the first definitive clue that PSP is the proper diagnosis. Individuals affected by PSP especially have trouble voluntarily shifting their gaze vertically (i.e., downward and/or upward) and also can have trouble controlling their eyelids. This can lead to a need to move the head to look in different directions, involuntary closing of the eyes, prolonged or infrequent blinking, or difficulty in opening the eyes. Another common visual problem is an inability to maintain eye contact during a conversation. This can give the mistaken impression that the person is hostile or uninterested.
People with PSP often show alterations of mood and behavior, including depression and apathy. Some show changes in judgment, insight, and problem solving, and may have difficulty finding words. They may lose interest in ordinary pleasurable activities or show increased irritability and forgetfulness. Individuals may suddenly laugh or cry for no apparent reason, they may be apathetic, or they may have occasional angry outbursts, also for no apparent reason. Speech usually becomes slower and slurred and swallowing solid foods or liquids can be difficult. Other symptoms include slowed movement, monotone speech, and a mask-like facial expression.”
It’s a persuasive list of sympoms, is it not?
Yes, however, these same symptoms I display on Saturday mornings between 7.00 and 10.00.
Do you think political posts that are bias will make half your audience think twice about science? My favorite science base sites lean left, shouldn’t science be non-bias? The man for a 70+ years old golfs and very active compared to many in his age group. He is an asshole but why acknowledge him, if he was truly sick, we would know. Do the left leaning politicians and groups really spend a lot on grants or approvals of grants? Politics and science have a place but when a scientist openly displays a leaning it corrupts his findings and sincerity with actual research.
The man is a narcissist, always has been, many in politics are.
I see your point, but I don’t share it.
That is actually honest and clarifying, thanks.
https://edzardernst.com/2016/12/the-most-important-paper-i-ever-published/
Having now read this incredibly powerful 2016 blog post, I am prompted to ask (and I know it’s going off-topic) a question I’ve been wondering about: whether the reason Dr John Henry Clarke, a very prominent homeopath in his day, isn’t mentioned in “Homeopathy, the Undiluted Facts” is a feeling that his virulent anti-Semitism precluded him from mention, in otherwise civilised company?
I knew about Clarke when I wrote the book but decided not to mention him. I felt it would contribute little and might look as though I had an axe to grind, if I did mention him.
Thank you for the clarification regarding J. H. Clarke (and sorry for dragging this thread off-topic). I realised that you would of course know of him, and that there must be a reason for omitting him. (And now, how about the omission on Nelsons Homeopathic Pharmacy…..)
Tertiary syphilis is very rare these days, but doctors still test for it when investigating dementia as it is one of the readily treatable causes (essentially high-dose antibiotics). It is very variable in its presentation and used to be known as the Great Mimic; this means that it is in the differential diagnosis of almost any strange combination of symptoms, though more common causes these days include TB, lymphoma, brucellosis and paraneoplastic syndromes.
I have only seen two cases of tertiary syphilis in my life. The first was when I was a medical student – it was an elderly lady who had the classical signs of tabes dorsalis (damage to the dorsal columns of the spinal cord leading to absent joint position sense and a characteristic stomping gait). The second was when I was working in acute medicine – it was an elderly man who collapsed with sudden and massive heart failure (heart failure is failure of the heart to pump adequately, it is not cardiac arrest); this turned out to be due to syphilitic aortitis, leading to incompetance of the aortic valve (another classical presentation); he did very well with treatment.
A colleague of mine worked for a psychiatrist who seemed to have frontal lobe problems, tending to perseverate and prescribing the same treatment for every patient he saw in a session (whether it was CBT, major tranquillisers or ECT); his juniors would try to reprogram him between patients. He was eventually removed from practice because he was unsafe, but got much better after a course of penicillin.
Neurosyphylis used to be known as GPI (general paralysis of the insane).
It is fun to speculate what conditions politicians and other celebrities might be suffering from, but I think in the case of Trump it is a personality disorder. One big problem is that we expect peoples behaviour to fall within a range that we consider normal, and people with personality disorders behave differently and in quite disconcerting ways, which makes them quite disturbing to interact with and difficult to manage.
@Dr. JMK
It amazes me that so many are focused on personality, rather than policy. I don’t support or vote for anybody on the basis of personality.
To each their own.
lots of things amaze you, my dear. that is because you are rather ignorant – here you are ignorant of the fact that this is a post about \trump’s health.
@EE
https://www.newson6.com/story/5ee7ac2cf286b72797045128/president-trumps-tulsa-rally-draws-1-million-ticket-requests-vice-president-pence-to-attend
He would not appear to be a madman as you imply.
When you (Edzard) have one million followers at one meeting ….. let me know.
Hitler had even more followers, I believe.
“President Trump’s Tulsa Rally Draws 1 Million Ticket Requests”
1. And you are so naive as to believe this? Oh dear … One of Trumps first blatant lies mere minutes(!) into his presidency was about the public attendance at his inauguration. From then on, it quickly became clear that Trump is a pathological habitual liar who doesn’t care about truth or facts, about people, or even about the U.S.. All he cares about is himself – and most importantly how he perceives himself: as a winner. Hence the need for boasting huge numbers of fans, regardless whether they are real or not.
2. The venue in Tulsa where he planned his rally can only hold some 20,000 people. So it is impossible to say whether this figure of 1 million is correct or not, because there will not be one million people anyway.
3. Then again, I’m afraid that Trump’s poor mental health will actually attract a crowd – just like a really nasty house fire … Even I have to admit to a kind of horrified fascination for Trump’s continuous infantile outbursts, his volatility at anything he perceives as criticism or a threat, his endless stream of lies (some 20,000 up until now), his utter disregard for even basic human politeness, and his total lack of leadership in the face of several severe crises.
It is like watching a huge, gaudy mansion being engulfed by flames, with smoke billowing from the roof and windows, and frequent explosions from inside – and secretly hoping that the whole architectural disaster will collapse before your eyes – preferably before the arrival of the fire brigade.
But even if you are obtuse enough to ignore the endless list of Trump’s appallingly bad traits, do you seriously believe that it is a good idea to bring thousands of people together in this day and age?
I think it is a dangerous and very, very dumb idea. And even though I think that anyone voluntarily attending this rally must be almost as stupid as Trump, I still feel sorry for them. Because there is a significant chance of contracting and spreading Covid-19 in such a crowd – and each and every one of those suckers will have signed a waiver pre-empting any lawsuits, should they get infected.
I sincerely hope that Trump himself will be the only real health problem there with his chronic foot-in-mouth disease, and that all those people get away with their health afterwards. But fast rising coronavirus numbers paint a rather grim picture …
Only in the good old US of A…
@Richard Rasker
Richard, you have an interesting flare of the imagination, have you ever considered being a fiction writer ?
@RG
Nah, I’m lousy at making things up. And besides, who needs fiction if factual reality in the US (and please note that this differs significantly from Trump’s perceived ‘reality’) surpasses even the wildest imagination?
But I’ll take your words as a compliment anyway.
RG
Regardless of policies, a leader should also have the qualities of leadership, particularly a head of state whose actions have repercussions beyond his own electorate.
@Dr. JMK
Yes Doc, you are correct.
The problem is that leadership in the USA has been missing for decades, not only at the president level, but the entire Congress. Therefore the electorate was willing to gamble on an experiment and hire a person that would represent them, and fulfill the promises they made to get elected. Those that voted for DJT are mostly satisfied with his accomplishments, perhaps not as many with his personality.
There was a field of seventeen candidates that ran for the nomination of the Republican Party in 2016, out of all of them…. DJT was my last choice. Long before Ben Carson (the brain surgeon) announced he would run, he was my first choice. After some time, I came to the conclusion that Ben was not the best choice for what needed to be done. My next candidate preference was Carly Fiorina (former Hewlett Packard CEO), whom I would like to have seen elected to this day. You might notice a common thread among the three…. NO former POLITICAL EXPERIENCE.
There are many like myself that voted for Trump because we could NEVER vote for HRC. I stand by my decision to this day. Hillary will soon be testifying under oath… finally.
“There are many like myself that voted for Trump because we could NEVER vote for HRC. I stand by my decision to this day”
Indeed. We in the UK have never really grasped the depth of loathing felt for HRC by huge numbers of Americans. And never really understood why people voted for Trump.
I read a book called Another Fine Mess by British writer Tim Moore in which he drove across the USA in a vintage Model T visiting each state which voted for Trump and talking to people about it. Highly illuminating about modern USA. And not at all snarky – it helped me understand the mindset of so many.
Lenny,
There was also a BBC televisionseries recently, Miriam’s Big American Adventure, where Miriam Margolyes (a well-known Jewish Lesbian actress whom some may remember as Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter films) travelled round the USA and talked to people from all walks of life trying to understand their lives and their values. It was very entertaining but also enlightening. Though she is not somebody known for her patience with anybody whom she considers a fool, and there was a very funny moment where she got into an argument with an obnoxious man in an upmarket retirement village and took the mickey out of him by putting on a New York accent (she is English) which seemed to convince him that she was American. It is now available through Amazon Prime Video and well worth watching.
I consulted my spirit guide and Samuel Hahnemann advised me that Trump is showing signs of ADRs from hydroxychloroquinine which he actually has been taking. This is ironic as Sams first proving was China officinalis in 1790 which of course contains Quinine.
Please google “Trump” and “syphillis” and find out that the idea is not new.
Let’s see
dizziness.
muscle weakness.
slowed reflexes and responses.
moodiness, such as irritability.
All signs of fatigue.
Of course dealing with an attempted impeachment, slanted media, a novel deadly virus, middle east, China, North Korea all the while trying to build a strong US econmony only to have to “shut it down”…no problem.
But i am enjoying this blog…watching doctors trying to play doctor.
thank you for yet another moronic comment.
Please continue…it is amusing to see MDs trying to do a diff dx from a few video clips.
Being fucked in the brain.