To medicate or not to medicate

CMD1 · August 20

I'm researching how often a newly diagnosed person chooses to use the medication protocol for Alzheimers. I understand the side effects of brain bleeds is as high as 1 out of four patients. Trying to help my loved one decide on way forward. Appreciate your comments/experience!

SusanB-dil · August 21

hello and welcome - I'm sorry, but not sure we are quite understanding your question. Whether or not your LO should take alz meds, and which ones, would be up to you, LO, and their doctor. We have found MIL's meds to be helpful. Any that are no longer useful, we no longer use.

persevere · August 21

If you’re talking injections of lemb(don’t know the name) I’m not a fan. But I do think aricept (dozapil) which is usually the first oral prescribed is worth the try. My wife was on it for a couple years at first but the side effects were just too much. When she came off I noticed a more rapid decline.

Quilting brings calm · August 21

I believe you are asking specifically about the injections/infusions/IVs that have become available in the last couple years. They are really only for the early stages. You are correct that there is a high percentage of brain bleeds. This is problematic when you are talking about a disease where the brain is already having issues. There are a few people here that are using them - you can do a search by medication name to find those discussions.

There are a few tablet or patch medications that have been around for quite a while. These don’t really delay the progression as much as they just mask the symptoms of the stage the person are in. There are also medications given to alleviate anxiety, depression, agitation etc. Those have been around for quite a while too. You may see some of those with warnings about the elderly. However … what works is what works, and dementia is a progressive terminal condition.

WillisL · August 22

My mother had a horrible side effect from donazepil, Aracept. She got up looking for my father who died 10 years ago and we couldn’t stop her or do anything to get her back to bed. It was after 1 week. I was watching because I really didn’t want to medicate her for this very reason. Really scary. My note to her neurologist was I threw the pills in the trash. Scary to think about how many people gave their loved one this drug and blamed the side effect on progression of the disease and kept giving it to them. Watch out for the first few weeks in any new meds for side effects. Her dr actually thanked me for that.

To medicate or not to medicate

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