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Prevagen

My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in August 2021 and has been very resistant to the diagnosis and any medication. She finally agreed to take Celexa and Aricept and eventually Namenda. However, she stopped taking her meds in February because she said she was tired of everyone else telling her what to do. Now, I have discovered that she has been spending a fortune ($50-$60 for a 30-day supply) on Prevagen. I am so frustrated that she is wasting her money on a supplement that is under investigation and has no scientific data showing efficacy but she won’t take the prescription medication that her neurologist has explained she needs. Anyone have similar issues?

Comments

  • Fairyland
    Fairyland Member Posts: 178
    100 Comments First Anniversary
    Member

    That is really frustrating! But unless and until you can get control of the finances, I would think- it’s her money.  Sadly. Early signs of dementia in my mom was purchasing weird stuff and subscribing to endless charities, new and old, giving again at every request, so you can imagine the mountain of begging junk mail and phone calls that turned into!

    I have POA and had to get my mom’s credit card cancelled twice because she kept giving the number out to phone scammers, and I intercepted the second replacement card. In the end I got her a special debit card that I control online how much is on it, and can see what she spends and where. I also stopped the incoming landline phone calls except from approved (by me) friends and relatives. Mom could only use her landline really. I took over the cell because she couldn’t work it.

    I’ve heard of people letting them have a credit card with the number on the back scratched off so they can’t make phone purchases. 

    But mine is not with-it anymore, enough to order her own replacement card, figure out who to phone etc. 

    I’m sure others will come along with better advice for you, but maybe one idea is to try to change her tv watching habits, if that is what is exposing her to the endless Prevagen ads? Tv “broke”, offending channels blocked with parental controls, replaced with something you control? Not that I know how to do that. 

    Or, kindly take over and fill her medboxes for her and swap out the pills, say these are the new formulation if they look different. Even...Tell her how great the stuff is, and how clever she is to have discovered it, you now realise? No, I couldn’t do that either.

  • Bob in LW
    Bob in LW Member Posts: 91
    25 Care Reactions Second Anniversary 10 Comments
    Member
    My SO tried Prevagin, and, of course, it was expensive and ineffective.  Later, a pharmacist told us that none of the ingredients in Prevagin actually reach the brain.  Memory loss caused by Alzheimers is irreversible, so any drug that claims otherwise is a waste of money.  When you see what they charge for it, you can understand how they can afford all of those expensive TV commercials.
  • Jerome Likes Pie
    Jerome Likes Pie Member Posts: 53
    10 Comments First Anniversary
    Member

    Hi BookwormRN,

    I have asked several doctors about Prevagen, and they said it is a waist of money.  Our neurologist also said that Aricept, IF it is effective, can be expected to slow down the symptoms by up to 10%.  After about 6 months of Aricept and some side effects, we gave up on it, but I have heard others found it somewhat effective.

    My best advice is to take control if you haven't already.  Get your Durable POA for Finances and Durable POA for Health Decisions executed and start to terminate, block, and regulate any of the avenues that can result in poor decisions on your LO's part.  If fact, make sure you are the one to execute any decisions.  I contacted my LO's doctors, financial advisors, etc. and let them know not to execute any of my LO's decisions if she contacts them, and I asked them to call me instead (I sent them a copy of the POA).  Then, after we disconnected her fixed line phone (she uses her iphone), I made sure my number was the contact number for all of her doctors, accounts, etc.

    This is a tough stage full of denial and emotion, and it is hard on our LO's to give up control so use care and empathy and practice your approach.  You may need to be creative and invent some fiblets and keep telling her it is a team effort.  You want to avoid getting into a cycle of correcting all of the scams she falls for and financial mistakes that she makes, because from my experience, it can be extremely time consuming.  Taking control will ultimately save you time and frustration... and money.

    So, take over with a smile! 

    Pie

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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