Is there an alternative to Seroquel?
Answers
Seroquel and Haldol belong to the class of medications called antipsychotics. All these medications can cause stupor if they are used in high doses. It would be preferable to treat his possible depression by higher doses of Zoloft (50 mg is a minimal starting dose) and if necessary potentiate the effect of Zoloft by administration of Abilify. Abilify is also an antipsychotics but it was recently approved for combination with antipsychotics and is probably the least likely to cause sedation.
“Hollering” at night may be caused by a lack of activities during the day that would keep him from napping. He would benefit from being on an Alzheimer unit that would have an appropriate activity program.
My mother (86 is in mid-stage Alz, still living in an assisted-living situation and has been maintaining pretty well with a combination of Effexor and Zyprexa for a couple of years now. Her MD, a senior cognitive specialist, tells us that the anti-psychotic regimen normally tapers off as the disease progresses so that might be something to inquire about if your father actually needs it. (these are very expensive meds!) Yes, I'm sure the Zyprexa (olanzapine) makes her a tad "groggy" but it has helped control her delusional episodes so that she can continue to live in where she is. (We are planning to taper her and see if she still needs it.) A note on Effexor (venlafaxine): while it is an effective anti-depressant for many, it can be difficult to discontinue without some very unpleasant side effects - something to keep in mind if "switching" anti-depressants. Hope this is helpful info and good luck with finding a better protocol for your father.
My mother (86) is in mid-stage Alz, still living in an assisted-living situation and has been maintaining pretty well with a combination of Effexor and Zyprexa for a couple of years now. Her MD, a senior cognitive specialist, tells us that the anti-psychotic regimen normally tapers off as the disease progresses so that might be something to inquire about if your father actually needs it. (these are very expensive meds!) Yes, I'm sure the Zyprexa (olanzapine) makes her a tad "groggy" but it has helped control her delusional episodes so that she can continue to live in where she is. (We are planning to taper her and see if she still needs it.) A note on Effexor (venlafaxine): while it is an effective anti-depressant for many, it can be difficult to discontinue without some very unpleasant side effects - something to keep in mind if "switching" anti-depressants. Hope this is helpful info and good luck with finding a better protocol for your father.
