Treatment and Medication for Alzheimer's and Other Dementias Questions

1. FAQs: Can Dementia Medicines Raise the Risk of Falling?

   In a way, yes. The drugs that are FDA-approved for the treatment of dementia (donepezil, galantamine, rivastigmine, and memantine) are not thought to significantly increase the chance of a fall. However, dizziness has been reported as a side effect of these medications in a minority (about 8 percent) of users...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. How Do I Help Someone With Dementia Remember to Take Medications?

   You're right not to leave it up to the person. Even in cases of mild or early dementia, it's common to have poor prospective memory -- that is, memory for events in the future -- like taking medication or keeping appointments. It's also hard to form new habits, whereas longtime pill-taking routines may be easier to remember and maintain...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

3. Is Haldol effective for dementia-related delusions?

   Low dose Haldol may be quite helpful in treatment of delusions that upset the patient but may also cause some unwanted effects, e.g., more rigidity and decreased emotions. Another medication that has the same effect on delusions and may have less unwanted effects is Risperdal.
   1 Expert Answer

4. How can I get my mom to take her medication without fighting with her about it?

   I often have patients with dementia that have refused to take medications. I have tried all kinds of tricks to get them to take their meds; talking with them, hiding meds in ice cream, telling them it's candy, etc. These might work for a little while, but it usually doesn't last...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

5. My Mother is 93 year old with Alzheimer's. What medications can help reduce her anxiety?

   You should try first non-pharmacological means to reduce anxiety of your mother. Try relaxing music, comfortable environment, lavender scent, etc. If that is not sufficient, it is possible to make a solution from anti-anxiety pills, such as Ativan. You need a pestle and mortar to grind a pill into fine powder and suspend that in milk or water...
   1 Expert Answer

6. Can tremors be treated or minimized?

   Maria: You ask if tremors can be treated or minimized. Not being able to eat without dropping his food must be very frustrating and discouraging for your father. Tremors are involuntary muscle movements and the hands are the most commonly affected...
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7. FAQ: Alzheimer's Is Making My Loved One Shuffle; How Can I Prevent Him From Tripping and Falling?

   To reduce the chance that your loved one with Alzheimer's will fall due to a shuffling gait, take the following steps:
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

8. Our 81 year old mother was recently diagnosed with dementia. How should she be convinced that she should not be administering her own medication?

   This is just the first of many issues like this: driving, finances, living alone, etc. All will require family intervention at some point. Now is a good time to think about how to approach these issues. In general, I recommend that you think about it as a partnership...
   1 Expert Answer

9. My mother thinks that there are people hiding in her cabinets.

   What you are describing could be a visual hallucination or a delusion (a mistaken belief). In either case there are many possible causes. Sometimes sensory loss, in the form of vision and hearing loss, causes people to hear and see things that are not there...
   1 Expert Answer

10. What causes a person with dementia to talk endlessly for hours?

    It’s called verbal agitation and perhaps it happens because the person has lost some inhibitions that remind him to stop talking. I also think that sometimes they are saying, “I’m still here” and the endless talking or physical movements are ways they ca...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

11. Why would my mother be prescribed Arresta if her doc says she does not have dementia or Alzheimer's?

    Your mom's doctor has no incentive not to tell the whole story; have you asked him or her this question directly? If you suspect your mom is beginning to have memory trouble, it's a good idea to obtain a HIPAA release now so that you can discuss her medical records directly with her physicians instead of hearing about her condition secondhand...
    1 Expert Answer

12. What can cause the parent to see things and people that are not there?

    What you are describing could be a visual hallucination or a delusion (a mistaken belief). In either case there are many possible causes. Sometimes sensory loss, in the form of vision and hearing loss, causes people to hear and see things that are not there...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

13. What are some yoga exercises that a person with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's could do?

    The appropriate yoga exercises for people with Alzheimers and Parkinsons vary widely depending on what stage of the disease the person is in. I can, however, offer you a few tips. First, people with Parkinson's gradually develop a rigidity to their movements and a difficulty initiating movments...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

14. What sundowning medications can help with Sundown Syndrome?

    Sometimes antidepressants and antipsychotics are prescribed to counter the aggression and combativeness that can characterize sundown syndrome, the decline in behavior in someone with Alzheimer's that often occurs after sunset or in the early evening. It's not known what causes sundowning, but fatigue and the internal body clock may be involved...
    1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

15. How do I deal with my mother, who has Alzheimer's, when she wants to "go home"?

    I appreciate that you do not want to use medication , try behavioral interventions first. Alzheimer's housing anxiety is not unusual . The reason why she feels as if she must leave is that at the end of the day for most people in their younger years (where she might be in her mind,) it is a time...
    1 Expert Answer, 11 Community Answers

16. My husband has Alzheimer's and his mood swings are difficult to deal with!

    The physical and chemical changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s often affect mood, energy and spirit. Serious mood swings and personality changes are common. This is true of other dementias as well, especially Frontotemporal Dementia, which damages the frontal and temporal lobes of the brbrain...
    1 Expert Answer

17. Are his meds making his dementia worse?

    Vascular dementia is different than Alzheimer’s because it is caused by decreased blood flow to the brain, while Alzheimer’s is thought to be the result of a buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain but the symptoms can be similar. And, it is possible that medications can worsen these symptoms.
    1 Expert Answer

18. As her POA, how do I convince my cousin who I suspect is suffering from Alzheimer's to take a test for competency?

    There is no easy answer to convince your cousin to take a competency test for Alzheimer’s. It may take patience...a lot of patience!
    1 Expert Answer

19. How can I help my mother-in-law with Alzheimer's to stop refusing to take her medicine?

    Medications can be difficult. As you rightly point out, sometimes saying no is a way of gaining control. Other times the person simply does not understand the need. Also, some people have difficulty swallowing pills and this may increase as the Alzheimer's gets worse...
    1 Expert Answer

20. How can we cope with my dad's severe sundown syndrome?

    Your poor father has a lot on his plate. Most of us would feel angry and frustrated dealing with the pain and discomfort he must be feeling at night. It sounds as though his physical care needs are quite high. Is it realistic at this point to think about caring for him at home...
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer