Aricept

Katie S

Hello All,
My mother was started in Aricept in March. She started having hallucinations that were very distressing to her. She stopped sleeping and eating. She ended up in the hospital with suicide attempt.
Prior to this she was pleasantly confused and able to take care of herself and light household chores.
Aricept has been stopped for 6 days and she is still agitated and cannot be discharged safely.
Has anyone had this experience? Is there hope she can return to normal.
My heart is breaking

Lynn24

My mother was prescribed Aricept a few months ago. She had adverse effects such as increased anxiety, which involved pacing, decreased appetite even though she complained of being hungry, and lack of sleep. After taking it for two weeks I stopped giving it to her, and within a few weeks she was back to her normal behavior patterns. Seroquel has helped with sleep and anxiety for the past month. Hope this helps and I pray that your mom gets better soon, because this is a grueling process as we serve as caregivers for our LO’s.

Ellie72

How are things going with your mother? My mother started talking Aricept about a month ago and it has not gone well. Not as bad as your mom though. She is more agitated and having outbursts.

Lynn24

She is now taking Seroquel of which is much better. I admitted her to hospice comfort care a few weeks ago, to help with bathing agitation and also she has a case manager RN that coordinates all of her medical care, as well as a social worker to coordinate quarterly respite care in a local facility. Thanks for asking.

Ellie72

Glad you got it worked out for both of you. Living though this is hard for everyone involved. Taking my mom to the neurologist tomorrow, will ask for a different med.

Lynn24

Many blessings on her Neurology appointment tomorrow.

David1946

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/205842#Comment_205842

I am taking both Seroquel and Aricept and so far they are both working fine. My hallucinations are very rare. Sometimes I am driving and end up getting lost and panic when I can not find my way can home, other time I just wake up screaming NO NO NO NO .

MarDel0917

Hi Katie S. My BF of 44 years old just within the last few weeks but super bad this last week sees "a man I'm the mirror" and sees his reflection as a threat. To the point that I had the maintenance man of our apartments take his mirror down and I covered mine today. When I went home for lunch he seemed calm. He just went up to 10mg in January. What kind of hallucinations did your mom have.

We are all in this together. 💜

Bryahsmom2005

My father has been taking Aricept. For the last year and I have him take his aricept every morning with breakfast: the one day that he took it later in the day he had a hallucination that there was a snake in his room to the point where I had to take the comforter and place it in a garbage bag and place it in another room.. that was the only time he hallucinated however he walks and talks in his sleep and it is very loud and boisterous.. hang in there