Managing Medications

Questions and Answers

1. How do we prevent drug interaction problems?

   - My mom has been battling major health issues for the past 18 months, but with all that, the one thing that had us calling 911 and rushing her to the ER were drug interactions. This happened on two separate occasions. I read the other day in Consumer Reports Health that drug interaction problems was a top killer of adults (how sad)...
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2. Our 81 year old mother was recently diagnosed with dementia. How should she be convinced that she should not be administering her own medication?

   - Our 81 year old mother was recently diagnosed with dementia. How should she be convinced that she should not be administering her own medication?
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3. Could meds be causing her aggression?

   - My mother has been taking Aricept for two years and her doctor just added Namenda to her daily meds. Since taking Namenda for the last month, she's become noticeably more aggressive/angry. We returned her leased car six months ago and she's very angry that we took her car away. We try to tell her it was for her own safety and for that of others...
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4. My spouse has Parkinson's with mild dementia. She is having...

   - My spouse has Parkinson's with mild dementia. She is having several of the symptoms of Alzheimer's but is being treated for Parkinson's only. Exelon patch is supposed to improve memory but the dementia seems to be getting worse. Would Aricept be a medication she should try?
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5. Can I insist on medication for my mom?

   - My mom has Alzheimer's and is to the point not wanting to eat or drink. The nurse says she can't have Ativan for depression or anxiety because she wants to sleep all the time, but she didn't before when she was at another nursing home. What do you think I should do? It helped her in 30 minutes to be herself...
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6. I want the doctor to stop Ativan, but he won't listen!.

   - My grandmother is 95 years old and has dementia. She has a doctor who has her on Risperdal twice a day. If she has a 'mean' fit, they give her Ativan. I have asked to the Ativan stopped because I feel she is being overdosed by both drugs.
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7. Is my father hallucinating from his medication?

   - My father was in the hospital in January with pneumonia. After a week's stay we convinced the doctor to allow him to go home because he could not sleep or didn't want to eat much.
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8. Who's qualified for dispensing medication to assisted living patients?

   - Are nurses’ aids and healthcare technicians qualified to dispense medications at my mother's assisted living facility? Find out at Caring.com.
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9. FAQ: Can I Become Addicted to My Prescribed Opioid Pain Relievers?

   - Learn how opioids work in people with chronic pain, and whether you should worry about developing an addiction to prescribed opioid pain relievers.
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10. Why does my father keep refusing to take his medicine, and how can I get him to take it?

    - My father, who has colorectal cancer, constantly "forgets" to take his medicine or refuses it outright. He gets really annoyed when I nag him, and I'm getting frustrated that he's not following the doctor's orders. What should I do?
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