New Here

Shan1979

Hello. I am new here. I am assisting my father with taking care of my mother who is 87 years old. She’s having a lot of insomnia lately and stays awake all day and night for two days. She’s been prescribed medication but that doesn’t seem to help. Any suggestions?

SDianeL

welcome. Insomnia is very common in dementia. I would talk to her doctor about increasing the dose or changing the medication to a different one. A Geriatric Psychiatrist is the best type of doctor to prescribe anti psychotic meds. You might try to get a referral to one. Be sure to tell the doctor about her not sleeping. Seroquel is one drug that many doctors prescribe. You can search old posts for Seroquel to see what the caregivers say. The search thingy is at the top of the page. Some have had success with CBD but be sure to ask the doctor before adding it.

Shan1979

https://alzconnected.org/discussion/comment/256113#Comment_256113

Thank you for the information. I didn’t know that Seroquel would be a medication to help with insomnia. Someone suggested that I talk with her doctor about Trazadone.

towhee

Trazodone is another antidepressant like mirtazipine with a strong sedative effect. It is often used as a sleep aid. Seroquel is usually used for delusions/hallucinations but can be used as a sleep aid when other medications are not effective. Sometimes you just have to keep trying until you find what works.

Deborah Rose

Trazadone is an antidepressant that is much safer than the antipsychotics, Seroquel & Zypreza.