Seroquel
If there was a bridge close by, I would be jumping off!! DH ALZ 6 years now, on Seroquel since last Dec. He is currently taking 1 25mg morning, 1 50mg afternoon, 1 50mg evening. Four days ago his delusions were getting worse. He thinks our house is not our house & wants to leave. This has been going on four days in a row. You cannot redirect with him, ever!! It starts before sundowning too! I reached out to our PCP about the medication. He thinks the dementia might be getting worse. His neurologist said maybe take a vacation from the medication & see if that’s the problem. The reason he’s on the medication was delusions, agitation & always wanting me to leave because it wasn’t me, HELLO! Has anyone else experienced this with this medication. I read too much Seroquel can cause delusions, but I would think what he is on is not too much.
Comments
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I would not stop it abruptly by any means. If his meds need to be changed, it should probably be on a geriatric psych ward. I would take him to the ER for evaluation--things like a UTI need to be ruled out, but I would insist on his being admitted and say (and keep saying) that you cannot manage him at home in his current state.
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I went through something similar. DH thought we were in our house temporarily and that our real house was the one we sold over 2 yrs ago. He wanted to leave our house and insists that the people in our old house had no right to be there and he wanted to go throw them out. This was a concern as our prior home is only a couple miles away. When I explained we sold it he was irate with me for selling it from under him. This among other delusions went on for hours and hours every day. Ended up taking him to the ER and he was hospitalized. Two of his meds were swapped out for different meds. He is so much better! It seemed to me he went back a stage. He still has these delusions which is unnerving to me. But they are occasional, fleeting and without the intensity. So I agree with those that recommend an admission for an evaluation and med adjustment.
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Your PCP seems not to know much about dementia. The dose you are giving is pretty low. We always had to increase it a bit as time went on.
You need a geripsych or neuropsych dementia specialist who knows what you are going through and what is happening to your DH.
- We also are at 3x daily and by early mid-stages had to give 50, 50, 50
- then pretty quickly went up to 100 (after a long night the amount in his system was low), 75 and 75
- then we found a sweet spot at 100, 100, 100 to maintain his composure during the day with no sedation.
- ***If there was wacky behavior at any time, 9x out of ten, DH had a UTI (and least twice or 3 times), OR, I later found he didn't really swallow the Seroquel like I thought, so he actually had missed a dose.
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My DH is on risperidone (another antipsychotic similar to Seroquel) for delusions the same as your husband. The geripsych explained that the risperidone would lessen the delusions, but not get rid of them. As of now, my DH has full blown delusions about twice a week, which is better than every day.
I don't think Seroquel causes delusions and I would find a geripsych to do the prescribing.
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Ok, I will see about seeing a geripsych. My question is how do you talk to the doctor about what DH is doing when he’s sitting there beside you & knows what’s said. I’ve been to his other doctor’s & they ask him how’s your memory doing & my DH just looks at me & I look at the doctor (thinking, you gotta be kidding!) 😮
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My husband has been given Seroquel for his delusions, but I only give it to him when they are causing him to be highly agitated. Mostly he talks to the pillows, the coat hanging on the door hook, himself in the mirror, etc. His "friends" don't seem to upset him, or bother him, so I allow them to go on. When he gets confused about our house, I just tell him we're just staying at my house for a while. It usually bridges the gap for a while.
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A good way to correspond with the doctor, prior to an appt, is in writing, either through the practices patient portal or an email or note that the doc can read before you arrive. You can put any concerns there and explanations of behavior without it being in front of your DH. Also, video evidence is helpful so the doctor can actually see the behaviors him/herself. That you would want to provide before you sit down with his doctor too.
Im very sorry for these struggles, I hope you get some relief soon.
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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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